May 7, 2015

Good morning, It has been a goal to try and not duplicate what I write for the Avalanche and what I send out in my weekly email for veggie sales, but this has a real soft spot in my heart.

We are talking about the Alpine Community Garden out behind the West Texas Food Bank. This has been a labor of love that is finally coming to full fruition. A lot of folks have provided a lot of love: ripping the soil ( to remedy compaction), a deer fence has been erected, watering system installed, and a garden shed to store gardening tools. All these bennies are included in the plot rental fee.

Finally a Sul Ross Construction class has erected several shade structure frameworks (how fitting for a garden, they look mushrooms).

Well these “mushrooms” need some caps, some weed abatement would also be nice (this area was fallow for many years and sports a very vigorous crop of weeds), and lastly, pic nic tables under the soon to be newly “capped” mushrooms so that all can gaze at all the wonderful work that so many folks have accomplished. The Community garden is a very nice asset to the Alpine Community.

I have heart felt emotions for gardens and feel everyone should try and grow some of their own food. Veggie gardening is a skill that everyone should try to acquire at least to some degree. Another one of the nice things about the community garden is it brings gardeners of different skill levels together and this can really help everyone’s gardening experience to grow. Sooo if you would like to donate to the above mentioned pic nic area, please read the note below from Isabel Whitehead.

I have the information for the online fundraiser we are conducting to help Alpine Community garden. 

The link to the donation page is www.gofundme.com/alpinegarden 

We are raising money to complete a shade structure for the gardeners, get our hands on natural weed suppressants like heavy gravel, add a picnic table, etc. All of the extra info is on the donation webpage.

If you haven’t been out to see the Community garden, I highly recommend it. If you would like to try your green thumb at gardening, contact Martha Latta at mlatta@feedingamerica.org or at 432-837-1580     for garden plot details. It really is a great bargain: secure deer fence, garden tools including seeds, water and readily available garden advice, all to make your gardening experience a success!!!

Ah yess here is to growing!!!

Finally! With over night lows in the 50's and 60's the garden has taken off!! last Sunday I had 4 male squash flowers to pollinate with, now there is a lot to choose from. I have not seen any bees yet so I will continue to pollinate until they arrive. I am seeing little immature beans, toms the size of large golf balls. That last freeze smoked a lot of chili flowers but new ones are forming, okra with blossoms, the butternuts have tripled in size and are covered with soon to open flowers. Today I pick what could be one of the last pickings of snow peas but hope to start the daily squash harvest. It looks like I got a good take on the sweets so there will be sweet potato greens soon. Just love it when a plan comes together!!!