Fall clean-up day 2012

Saturday morning was a great day for garden clean-up. We had more than 25 volunteers, and among them many Master Gardeners, who came to help. Many hands makes quick work!

Here are some pictures from our morning -- we had fun doing hard work and the garden looks gorgeous -- just right for winter weather that's headed our way.

Many thanks to everyone who helped, and to Chef's Pizza, who donated our post-work feast.

This is what happens when you don't harvest your sweet potatoes in time -- beauties this big aren't much good for eating, per Master Gardners. Doug is the real beauty in this picture, though, of course!

Master Gardeners aren't afraid to get their hands (and everything else) dirty:

Taylor and Jackie pull up tomatoes:

Everybody working:

Eagle Scout Bradley (on right) and his brother Eric have a good time "punching" the compost down:

Finally: the garden at the end of our work:

Thanks again, everybody! Happy day!

Transition time

Sorry it's been too long since I've emailed or posted a blog -- a lot has been going on in my life, the most recent of which has been a hard drive crash that really did keep me from communicating well.

The first thing I want to write about is our Saturday, October 27 garden celebration/clean-up day. We're going to start at 10 a.m., and it's going to be pretty low-key. You may or may not know: the First Presbyterian Church shares with us the property upon which Harvest of Hope is located. One of the church's few requests of us is that when we bed down the garden for the winter, we leave it in good shape. Saturday, October 27 is when we're going to get the garden where it needs to be for the winter. Please join and help us!

What's in it for you: Not only will we do good work together; we'll also get to eat together. Doug Hilton, our superman Master Gardener, has talked to Chef's Pizza, and they will be donating pizzas for our lunch. Please let me know if you plan to join us that day.

The other thing I wanted to let you know is that my family and I will be moving to Virginia in December. This has been a decision long in the making, and not an easy one. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve our community at Harvest of Hope in my disorganized and disjointed way, and I want to encourage you to continue to grow our garden. We need folks to join us in leadership roles to carry the Harvest of Hope garden forward. We hope that other community gardens will be born as time goes on, and we need you to help grow them.

Here are some pictures from this week -- first, the tomato cages as well as straw and manure/compost that Doug and Phil have gotten for us for filling up the beds once Eagle Scout Bradley has finished raising them to 15 inches.

Second and third -- our fall garden, with lettuces and broccoli ready for harvest.

Happy day!