Anniversary Garden Journal 2016

Notes from Ms. Barbara Luken

AUGUST 13, 2016

Entry #17

I may be in the garden, but my thoughts are with teachers, staff, and children preparing for a new school year.

Both days this week former and current students, parents, and staff stopped at the garden to say, "hi" . I dedicate

this update to all of you!

What will kids think of the garden when they first see it next week? What might they want to know?

St. Boniface School Community, the onions, spinach, lettuce, broccoli have all been harvested. The kale and

collards continue producing greens. Eggplants, zucchini and cucumbers are finished for the season. Looking

forward to digging potatoes soon. First bean planting has been pulled and the second planting is germinating.

We picked our first ripe tomato on June 15 and this week I picked 4 boxes of tomatoes! The pepper plants are

good producers this year. All different colors!

You may be eating watermelon and cantaloupe this week.

Herbs ready for Mrs. Losekamp's use in the cafeteria.

Pumpkin vine produced 2 pumpkins. One still on vine and one rescue picked!

The zinnias, tall marigolds, and sunflowers you sowed are beautiful.

You should feel proud of the food you provided to the Food Pantry this summer :) and the beauty your garden

has added to this "urban heat island" called Northside.

I do caution that raspberries have small thorns and the pollinators are very busy on the bushes. Be careful if

anyone has an allergy to bee stings.

I did remove the cleomes this week so if you came out to pick tomatoes you would not get scratched.

Looking forward to having more visitors in the garden anytime and workers to harvest and plant for the fall.

Enjoy the unusual white-tipped yellow daisy photo

Happy new school year, Barb

AUGUST 6, 2016

Log Entry #16

Beautiful weather this morning. Plans in my head for what I want to accomplish and then…Surprise! -joined by

a friend to work alongside me.

I'll use the weed-wacker, she can harvest tomatoes.

I'll weed, she can stretch out the hose.

I'll water, she can turn over soil.

My turn to use the shovel, her turn to water.

I'll plant the bean seeds, while she empties the wheelbarrow.

She's rewinding the hose and I am putting the tools away.

Oh, my it’s almost noon. We have accomplished the garden goals for

the day, but along the way shared stories about our families. She told me

about the special beans her mom would make her because she loved her.

I told her about my memory of my dad and "my shovel or yours,

Barb?"

We also shared Scripture reflections inspired by the garden :

1. Got to be careful weeding among the vines..." "Let them grow

together until harvest".

2. Look at the unusual marigold seeds , how they pop and fly..."Be fruitful and multiply".

3. Turned over soil looks like a perfect planting bed. "Some fell on good soil, grew up and yields a

hundredfold".

Thanks for making today so special, Sister Ann, my friend.

JULY 31, 2016

Log Entry #15

Stroll through the garden at the end of July and look what you could see…

Come and see me in person! Bye until next week!

JULY 24, 2016

Log Entry #14

This week was hot. The plants cried out for water. The theme of this week's update will be "Observations while

holding a hose"

There is a funeral at St. Boniface Church. All is quiet. Even my mockingbird and finch friends respect the

solemn occasion and are nowhere to be seen. I am by myself in quiet peace and my mind kicks in and rambles

from one thought to another.

1. Last peach, first ripe tomato... "There is a season..."

2. Potato plants browning is a good sign of spuds underground. Zucchini and eggplants browning, not so good.

Has the July heat gotten to you? Are you done for the season? Thanks for what you have provided and will

provide.

3. Pepper plants are doing so much better this year! Wonder what makes the difference?

4. Mint and milkweed know no bounds. Milkweed is in the lawn and mint is choking the herbs. Respect each

others space, please.

5. Only July, but one pumpkin already turning orange. Don't rush it! The Teachers and kids are not ready to

return to the classroom.

6. Watermelons are about the size of softballs. Maybe 5-6 inches in diameter. Whoa, not math! Circumference

equals pi times diameter. Go for it!

7. Garden is not only food for the body, but also for the soul. Just look at the individuality of the zinnias, the tall

marigolds swaying gently in the breeze. The real show now are the glorious daisies, a yellow field to compete

with the brightness of the sun.

8. Sun, yes, the first sunflower is preparing to show its color. The farthest east (mean something about

relationship to sun? when sown? ) Here comes a flood of science thoughts! It is at eye level. Strong enough

to support a purple morning glory on its stem. Should be a beautiful contrast. Can't wait!

9. Wish the kids could see the garden now as it produces food for all. Today's harvest: tomatoes, peppers, cukes,

zucchini, onions, Swiss chard, green beans. I bet the tomatoes will go first at the Pantry. I'd choose fresh

green beans :)

10. About time for the Funeral Mass to dismiss. Rest in peace.

Better get the hose out of everyone's way. 95 steps back to school to shut off the water. I do love numbers.

Just don't count the crank turns while reeling in the hose, please.

11. Bye, Garden! See you next Tuesday. Can't wait to see what surprises you will have for me then. Thanks for

the workout, the yield and your beauty.

JULY 16, 2016

Log Entry #13

Big day in garden today as 5 workers tackled weeds, harvested crops, and cleaned up the raspberry patch.

Thanks to Mary Margaret Krause for coming to help us better understand the seasonal care of the raspberry

plants which she had given us 2 years ago. We cut out wood stems and tied up green stem plants. With lots of

water we should enjoy a bumper crop late August or so! In the Fall, if we choose, we can dig up plants and

transplant to a new location or share with others. After winter, we cut back any freezer burned tips and wait for

spring berries. Then the cycle repeats. Please, help me remember this!

Thanks to Angela and Maggie Jones for picking peaches, apples, cucumbers, kale, collards, onions, a zucchini

and herbs for their family and the Food Pantry guests. They also weeded and laid additional weed mats for our

aggressive pumpkin vine. Check out the pumpkins and watermelons when you get a chance.

Thanks to Sister Ann for her time weeding and cleaning up after all of us.

Beautiful weather, great team effort, and noticeable results made for a wonderful morning. : )

Barb

JULY 9, 2016

Log Entry #12

Last words I heard on the radio as I arrived at the garden this

morning: "Keep weeding"!

Gave the milkweed a good trimming today to make more room and

provide more sunshine for the zinnias and the pumpkins. As a result,

Sister Ann and I filled 2 wheelbarrows with garden refuse today.

First words I heard from a Food Pantry client today: "I can make

stuffed peppers with ground beef, rice, and these peppers". The

garden supplied the Pantry with zucchinis, cucumbers, collards,

kale, broccoli, eggplants, and peppers today!

Photo courtesy of Sister Ann

JULY 3, 2016

Log Entry #11

Thoughts from the garden:

1. Where are the monarch butterflies? Bees, wasps, beetles enjoying their milkweed

2. How much space does a pumpkin plant need? It sprawls everywhere even through fence into the lawn!

3. Observation: Dominant vegetable flower color is yellow.

4. Greatest accomplishment? finally got the wild grass out of the zinnia patch

5. Disappointment? realizing you need to be taller than I am to properly pound in poles for the raspberry plants

6. Joy? Sharing produce with those who stop by. This week kale, collards, onions, zucchini, cucumbers were

given to 2 families.

7. Anticipation? Peaches look promising

8.Question? Why are the sunflowers struggling this summer? We have overseeded three times so the kids won't

be disappointed, but something must be eating the seeds.

9. Hope... that garden gets a good drink from Mother Nature as promised by the weather folks.

10. Added enjoyment... When you work in the garden, there are bike riders, dog walkers, ball players for

company along with the beautiful songbirds. Saturday Grandpa Bob Kelley (Class of 1971) was playing

whiffle ball with his 2 granddaughters age 9 McKenzie and age 6 Taylor. Lots of laughter filled the air!

Stop by anytime and enjoy the garden. Work days are Wed and Sat 10-12 if you want to lend a hand and

experience the miracle of gardening.

All my best for a relaxing summer for all,

Barb