Garden Notes

Well the weather has sure been a blessing for the garden. We harvested another 17 pounds of spinach, lettuce, some great turnips, and more cabbage. Thanks to Thomas Gill, Lori, Andy and Josh Mangum and Nancy, two more garden beds were planted with radishes and turnips. There was almost a water fight, but no one really got wet. We must keep planting if we expect to harvest, right?
Also, the garden has been tilled for the water line. We weren’t able to lay the pipes out last Saturday, but that should be the first thing we do this coming Saturday. We need a lot of people to help so if you can spare about three or four hours Saturday morning, we’ll start at 9am. We are so blessed to have the resources we have that make it possible to feed so many people!
Several people have indicated they would like a garden bed. So we will have sign-up tables before all worship services this coming Sunday and the next Sunday. Garden beds are $35/year and because we don’t want money to keep anyone from leasing a bed, there are options! So please come by one of the tables and let us know what garden bed(s) you want. Some seeds and plants can be planted mid-February so now is the time!
The tip of the week this week is that it is a good idea to start seeds in small pots before you plant them in the garden bed. If you plant seeds directly in the garden bed, it is important to follow the instructions on how far apart each seed should be. Too many in one spot must be thinned out or growth will be stunted because each seed has to compete for space in the bed. If you plant starter plants, they are easier to space and the vegetables will be able to grow to their biggest size. So let’s go play in the dirt! It’s fun!!! Willie Redmon
Harvesting Hope Community Garden is a ministry of First Christian Church, Arlington.