The entertaining saga of the Gardendale "garden". While visiting my mother in law in early April, I discovered a garden plot in a corner of the Gardendale facility. It appeared the site had been "lightly" tilled and someone had planted some onions and peppers along one edge of the garden ... no rows, no hills just in the flat tilled soil. At the opposite end was an envelope of watermelon seeds.
I made a few contacts and met Gene and Pee Wee at the home. I suggested helping them by making up a few rows and tilling up the garden a bit more. I had planned to do that the next week, but when my wife stopped by the next day, they were all excited. Therefore, on April 21, I brought the tiller over and tilled the area and some additional space. I had also just learned Joe’s best technique for making up rows at the HOPE garden and applied the same principles.
The next day I met Gene at the garden and he asked me to get him some seeds at the feed store and some jalapeno pepper plants. His $5 yielded him more than $10 worth of plants a
nd seed. The seed (kale, mustard greens, brocolli, green beans, etc.) were each more than enough for either of the 20' completed rows.
When I returned the following week, I found that both rows had been planted and it appeared that all the seed had been used. So much for a semi-professional garden. About a week later I checked the garden in preparation for making more rows and finding a home for more of the plants left over from the HOPE garden. What I found was a few new rows planted a
long the edge of the garden and a nearby picnic table with numerous tomato plants and other seeds. It appeared we had new donations. A few days later we had two rows of tomatoes planted about 8" apart.
By now I had concluded that I was too busy to manage this project and Gene and Pee Wee had much more time than me. I have driven by and watched them just watching the garden grow. I’m confident if I were in similar circumstances, I would probably be doing the same. At least we provided great therapy for some of them.
I made a few contacts and met Gene and Pee Wee at the home. I suggested helping them by making up a few rows and tilling up the garden a bit more. I had planned to do that the next week, but when my wife stopped by the next day, they were all excited. Therefore, on April 21, I brought the tiller over and tilled the area and some additional space. I had also just learned Joe’s best technique for making up rows at the HOPE garden and applied the same principles.
The next day I met Gene at the garden and he asked me to get him some seeds at the feed store and some jalapeno pepper plants. His $5 yielded him more than $10 worth of plants a
When I returned the following week, I found that both rows had been planted and it appeared that all the seed had been used. So much for a semi-professional garden. About a week later I checked the garden in preparation for making more rows and finding a home for more of the plants left over from the HOPE garden. What I found was a few new rows planted a
long the edge of the garden and a nearby picnic table with numerous tomato plants and other seeds. It appeared we had new donations. A few days later we had two rows of tomatoes planted about 8" apart.
By now I had concluded that I was too busy to manage this project and Gene and Pee Wee had much more time than me. I have driven by and watched them just watching the garden grow. I’m confident if I were in similar circumstances, I would probably be doing the same. At least we provided great therapy for some of them.
Last week I went over and staked some of the tomato plants that appeared to be doing well. No more that every third one. Later that day I had complaints from Gene that he had vision problems that kept him from seeing the stakes and had tripped over one. Today (5/7/8) ... I discovered that most of the stakes had been removed and at least one of the healthy plants had been yanked up with the stake ... Oh! Well! maybe we'll get a few things out of this garden in a few months.
Charles
1 comment:
Marvelous work Charles. It just goes to show you that a little inspiration can go a long way. I'm sure that the two resident gardens are just tickled pink to have something useful and constructive to do other than just watching the nurses aids cleanup after some.
Post a Comment