Abandoned Plot?

So I went up to the patch last night, as promised, to help Bo weed the plot she's taking care of for her friends while they're out of town.  But, no Bo.  So I went ahead and helped myself to the huge, brown mounds of dry, dusty, crusty, dead plant matter, and managed to fill up a whole bag of it, hopefully freeing up  some room for the existing green, healthy plants to stretch their little limbs and grow.

Watered my plot, it's looking a little healthier.  The starts that my neighboring gardener are about 1/2 successful, I think; of course it was coming dark so when I planted them I was in a major hurry, so I think I did the best I could.  Next weekend I will need to get some garden soil and some starts from Sky Nursery.  I called them yesterday and the lady said they just got a new shipment in:

• spinach
• kale
• lettuces
• onions
• swiss chard
• pak choi
• arugula
• mustard
• beets
• artichokes

Of course I was so excited I could just plotz!  I can't wait to go up there.  Need a little more cash first though.  I figure I'll pick up some kale, chard, and dirt and that should get me going nicely.

I think I will refer to THIS source for some kale growing tips:

http://gentleworld.org/kale-an-easy-beginners-guide-to-growing/

I met a lady there, her name was Tammy.  She's one year older than I and also recently experienced a breakup.  She and a friend of hers have been visiting the garden periodically, and have been doing some community gardening.  She told me a story of one plot that is overgrown with weeds and not very well maintained.  Apparently, the woman that was in charge of it is a women who is in her 90s and was taking the BUS to the plot!  Now her tomatoes are ripening and all sorts of stuff is going on in there, people are throwing their detritus in there, and they haven't seen her for quite awhile, so they have been working to clean up her patch.  We are going to try and get hold of the p-patch coordinator and find out what happened to this poor lady, and see if maybe we can harvest some of her veggies and bring them to her.  I'll meet up with her tonight; and if she's not there, I'll just get in and do some weeding.

Thus continues the saga of the P-Patch. 

Time and Space

So Monday night I went up to the garden and watered the living crap out of it.  We are having temps in the 80s and dry weather as far out as the weather people are willing to predict, so I want to make sure everything has a chance.  So there was watering, raking, trench-digging, soaking, etc. 

Last night I decided to go up and make sure my plot didn't need another drink.  I wasn't sure that I would spend any time there; after all, nothing's really growing yet, the seeds haven't had time to germinate, weeds haven't had time to grow; and do you know I STILL managed to stay til dark?  My friend Trish said "it'll suck up as much time as you let it," which I find absolutely perfect.  I decided not to water since the ground still looked a little damp, but will definitely go give it a drink tonight.

I didn't meet anyone new but I pulled the yellowing leaves from the plants that are there, pulled up a couple of the green leafy whatever-it-is to try and cook, and picked some more dead plant debris from the dirt.

And remembered to take a picture of one of these little guys.  They grow in my garden as well, and though I'm sure they are not good for it, they sure are beautiful.  :)

Garden snail on my knee

A New Garden, A New Chapter

So this past month has been tough.  It's been very discouraging, sad and tough.  But, in an amazing stroke of luck, fate, providence or what have you, I got a 200 square foot plot in the Jackson Park P-Patch.  :)  What a wonderful way to deal with the hurt and the grief.

First view of the patch

So I got the wonderful news on the 11th of September and I was so excited I couldn't stand myself.  

"Hello your name just came up on the  Jackson Park Patch wait list.

Jackson Park  is located on 13049 10th Ave NE.

Everybody got your bearings? Ok if you’re interested in a plot please contact me right away, and I will let you know the next steps to organic gardening bliss!

You can either email me or call, info at the bottom.

Deadline to respond= 9/14/12"

I think it took me a whole 8 minutes to respond!  On Friday the 14th, I met with the volunteer coordinator, who showed me my plot, introduced me to a couple of p-patchers, and showed me around.  Here was my first view; dry as a bone, plants gone to seed, etc.   It was a pile of weeds, but it was MY pile of weeds!  <3

In quick order, I had the pile pulled and ready for dispatch.  I got some yard waste bags but managed to compost most of the greenery, then on Saturday I got the ground kind of raked and watered.  

Cleaned up!

In the time it took me to clean this up, I did not think about the recent circumstances of my life; I felt peaceful and calm and happy.   Gardening is a truly wonderful thing.

Abandoned turnips!

I was excited to see that the previous gardener had abandoned some turnips!

Behind the p-patch

Behind the patch is a beautiful forest.  The sun shines through so beautifully, and this picture doesn't even do it justice.

So I have been there 3 times now since Friday.  It's Monday.  :)  I met several p-patchers, and one of them gave me some of her asian veggie starts.  I am hoping that they are going to do well.  I also planted some seeds; hopefully they'll take.   Lettuce, radishes, beets, radishes and cabbage.   I want to plant some kale as well.

I am looking forward to springtime, when I can fill my plot with all kinds of wonderful things. Perhaps I will plant some tulips and other spring bulbs.  

Tonight when I was there I saw 2 bats, met 3 new people, and got 2 mosquito bites along with my incredibly dirty hands.  It was a great evening.