Giving Garden Report, May 2020

Like many things this year, our weekly harvests for the FamilyWorks Food Bank are different.  One example is the attached photo that Toby took of Michelle, Tali, and Lelia with coverings on their faces.  

Beckey and Toby started off the weekly harvests on March 30.  We had some discussion about how we were going to harvest while keeping in line with social distancing and other precautions.  The result is that instead of meeting as a group, individual Giving Garden team members come to the P Patch on Sundays and Mondays at their convenience to harvest from their own plots, the Giving Garden plot, and the common areas.  There is hand sanitizer, soap, paper towels, and disposable plastic gloves for them to use.  They bag up what they have gathered and leave it in the shed.  On Monday evenings, Beckey harvests from plots where the gardener has not been able to harvest for the food bank. She gathers all of the bags in the shed and brings everything to my house.  I deliver the bags to FamilyWorks on Tuesday mornings.

We are happy to report that ..... Beginning with the March 30 harvest, Hazel Heights donated a total of 58.5 pounds to the FamilyWorks Food Bank through the end of May!

As restaurants and stores closed and workers were laid off, the staff at the food bank told us that many people coming to the food bank never needed to use a food bank before.  The line starts in the parking lot and continues down the street.  The people who come to FamilyWorks greatly appreciate the herbs, greens, lettuces, rhubarb, green onions, leeks, strawberries, artichokes, and more that Hazel Heights folks donate.

Thanks to everyone who helps with the harvest and/or donates from their plot!

Written by Judie Clarridge, Giving Garden Coordinator

Spring 2020 Growing Season Commences Amid Coronavirus

It seems that the Coronavirus can't stop Mother Nature.  Spring at the Hazel Heights P-Patch has sprung! 

August Rain Storm Replenishes Our Cistern

As reported by our Chief of Cistern Operations, Toby Thaler.  

By early August I was about to send you all an email announcing that the water level in the cistern had dropped below the level of the lower tap. However, to my surprise, the night of August 9-10 the sky opened up and delivered a healthy shot of rain. NOAA rain gauge (I think it's at Sand Point) got 0.38 inches, a clear record for the date, and close to a record for any day in August, ever.

So, that morning as soon as the rain stopped and the sun came out, I took a measurement of the cistern water level. Attached is a photo with my labels. We gained approximately 400 gallons in one night! 

Also, please remember that even after the water level drops below the bottom of the outlet tap so not even a trickle can come out, there is still about or almost 3,000 gallons of water in the tank. The tank goes down another two feet or so. Just keep pumping from the top.

The 8,000 gallon cistern is about 67 inches deep holding about 120 gallons per inch. The level rose August 10 something around 3½ (3.5) inches in response to 0.38 inches of rainfall. This means the tank fills up about one inch for every 0.1 inch of rain. That's a very rough estimate. Filling the tank should take c. 8 inches of rain. I.e., by the end of November.

Way To Bee!

On a sunny spring morning, two new bee colonies were installed at Hazel Heights. 

A Gorgeous Spring Day for a Work Party

Fall Time at Hazel Heights

Fall 2017 Work Party

Every fall, the Hazel Heights gardeners get together to prep the P-Patch for the winter months.  It's one of two events that requires all gardeners to attend.  It is always held the last Sunday in October and is a fun time to catch up with fellow gardeners, work together on a common goal and learn about pruning and other winter preparations.  It's a big reason why Hazel Heights is such a close knit community. 

Our work party kicks off with a bountiful pot-luck brunch.  Then it's off to the P-Patch.  This fall we accomplished so much!

Weeding the Common Areas

Cleaning up the back entrance

Prepping the Giving Garden for winter

Ridding the South Slope of Invasives

Working on the South Slope

Cleaning up the Front Entrance

Tending the Raspberry Patch

Inspecting the Grapevine

Raking the Fallen Fig Leaves

Native Plant Slope Rehab Project

We are lucky urban farmers.  Our P-patch comes with a gorgeous view.  Along with that view, however, comes a very steep slope.  In order to ensure that our P-patch has a stable foundation, we need to protect and maintain the long-term integrity of the slope.  

That's why, in mid-July, geotech engineer Dan Mageau, helped to train our Native Plant Slope rehab team and volunteers on how to properly maintain the south slope of the P-patch with hand-shovel work. 

This hand-work is necessary to remove excess soil buildup over the years from some ongoing normal surface erosion (on lower part of slope and where it's starting to encroach on the street), without compromising the slope's currently stable underlying glacial till.

The purpose of the training session was to ensure anyone working or supervising the rehab of the slope had a good base of knowledge and skills to deal with any minor ongoing normal surface erosion that may occur going forward.

Dan also showed the volunteers how to securely protect any exposed soil with burlap or similar material.

Thank you Dan for your generous ongoing support!!!

Scenes From Around the P-Patch

Apples from the apple tree at our front entrance

Squash on a vine

Onions

Luscious Basil

Peppers waiting to turn red

Hot Stuff!