It's been a tough growing season in the garden. Lots of rain in the Spring and a dry warm Fall has left what usually is our best fall season of hearty greens, cauliflower and broccoli, full of little black bugs and worms. We fight back with organic deterrents, vigilant eyes and fingers to squish. At a certain point you just accept what you get and make due with less than picture perfect produce and the occasional worm in your cauliflower.
This is just one of the many lessons to take away from our sweet, green oasis in the park. Another, for me, has been PATIENCE. In the outside world I move fast and like everything else to follow suit. When a project lingers or stalls, I get antsy. The garden has been a slow journey. We managed the great feat of getting the garden built with the help of a huge turnout from the community, but the day-in, day-out care and planting has fallen to a handful of us. We are NOT complaining. I have always felt that worse case, this garden is small enough to be managed by a single person, and if that single person happens to be tending the garden and a curious kid wanders over from the playground, maybe that kid plucks a sweet pea off the vine and tastes, or places her hand on the cistern to see how full it is from a recent rainfall, or he gets to take a turn rolling the composter, watching the fresh greens magically turn to brown nutrient-rich soil. And MAYBE, that kid goes home, tells his family and they try cooking something new or planting some of their own sweet peas. This is the slow and important process of the garden.
Luckily, that happens every time I open the gate, and I think this is what keeps all of us inspired and willing to keep showing up on Saturday morning to open that gate, head to the farmers market and keep on planting, no matter what.
Here's an article from Mark Bittman that pretty much sums up the patience thing.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/01/fixing-our-food-problem/?hp
EVENTS:
We have our next Garden meeting Saturday, Jan. 12th, 10am at the garden where we'll be approving final educational signage.
Unveiling of the Educational Signage will be at the Tues. February 26th meeting of the Rollingwood Womens Club.
And for those of you that have resolved to get more involved in the community, there are 2 seat openings for the Rollingwood Park Commission. Please contact Robyn Ryan @ 327-1838 for details.
