Breaking Ground!

The Fall planting season is upon us and it’s time to get stuff in the ground, so this Saturday (the 13th) at 9:30, we’re going to see if we can accomplish a few things.

• Using the palate of bricks we have, create 4 4×4′ planting beds
• Fill them with dirt and get some seeds/plants planted
• Till or otherwise create an area for the kids in the school to plant sunflowers
• Place mulch or gravel around the planting beds or along paths

I’ll be happy if we can just get the first two accomplished this weekend.  It will be a slow buildup at first, small steps at a time, and I’m hoping that as people see things happening, more people will get on board and get enthusiastic about what we’re seeking to accomplish.

So again, to reiterate….

WHEN:  Saturday, Sept 13th, 9:30 AM until noonish
WHERE:  St Tim, by the school playground
BRING (if possible): Clothes you can get grubby, a spade, shovel, hat, wheelbarrow, sunblock
ALSO: Bring plants or seeds you’d like to plant.  Please post comments here about what you plan to bring.

Even if you don’t have any of the tools, please come anyway.  The more the merrier.

See you there!

First Planning Meeting Scheduled

When: Saturday, Sept 6th, 10:00 AM

Where: @ St Timothy

Who: Anyone interested in helping out with the initial design and planning phases of the garden.

What: I’m hoping to accomplish at least three things.

1. Plan the basic layout of the garden
2. Decide what we’ll start off with (How many planting beds, just vegetables, just ornamental, etc…)
3. Decide whether or not we can have a pumpkin patch as a fundraiser for gardening supplies.  We’d obviously not be able to grow our own, which means that we’ll have to find somewhere to buy them inexpensively and then re-sell them.

Ideas and Questions

• We will be using the Square Foot Gardening method in order to get maximum use of our space.  In addition to being efficient, it looks nice.  Visit www.squarefootgardening.com to find out more about this way of gardening.
• Let’s build a few elevated platforms (about 3 or 4 feet high) so that people with back problems will be able to participate.
• The garden will contain not just fruits and vegetables, but flowers and herbs as well.
• The garden should be put together with beauty, and not just functionality, in mind.
• Create parts of the garden to be used for prayer walks, small group meetings, etc.
• Add decorative elements to the garden, such as bird baths, statues, plaques with verses, etc.

Here are some questions that need to be answered;

• Will we charge dues?
• How will we fund the initial costs?
• What size should the individual plots be?
• What will we do with the produce we grow?
• Should we be organic?
• What sorts of tools and workspaces should we make available?

Welcome

This is a new venture, one which we are just beginning here at St. Timothy, and we’re just in the initial planning stages, so it will be interesting to watch this thing unfold and evolve.  For now, this site will be primarily a means of communication between those of us who are involved in getting our garden going.  To find out more about where we hope to go, please look at the About Us link above.