An Alternative Plan

Either while we are waiting for a better solution or perhaps as the more permanent solution to our watering challenges – Rick has replaced the bubbling, bulging hoses (both the one used to manually water and the one connecting the drip system with the spigot) AND has buried the hose connecting the spigot and the drip system. The idea is to reduce the amount of heat and sunlight taking its toll on the hose. Not sure if this is Plan B or C or D or E … but it is certainly worth a try. Waterers … please continue your check of the watering … the system has been turned ON again and should be watering itself twice a day at approximately 7 am and 7 pm for 2 hours … do NOT turn it off … unless, of course, we have another geyser. Report any problems to Rick or Joan. And thank you all for your patience.

Blogged a Little Two Soon - Watering Still Needed

Well … it looks like I spoke (or perhaps blogged) a little too soon. After being on for a full day, the hose which connects the spigot to the drip system pipe started to bubble and leak … in preparation for bursting (which it hasn’t done yet – but is promising to). I will seek Layne’s expertise once again to see if he can help us – it looks (from my very inexperienced perspective) that we need a pipe (instead of a hose) to connect the spigot to the drip system.

SO, for the moment, the drip system is turned off. You may still start the drip system when you arrive and monitor it for 2 hours, then turn it off. But you will need to be prepared to take quick action to turn off the valve if the hose should burst (which I suspect it will). SO, WATERING is still needed – at least once a day, preferably twice daily. Please let me know if you are still doing/able to do watering on the previous schedule and/or if you are not on the schedule below but are able to help out with watering until we again have the drip system running.

- Monday evenings - Julie
- Tuesday mornings - Sonia
- Wednesday evenings - Joan

- Thursday evenings - Julie
- Fridays - Alison
- Saturday mornings - Jane
- Sunday mornings - Allison & Joan

Reply to Joan (jmg@csolutions.net) or blog the day(s) you are able to help with watering.

Thank you all for your patience.

Dripping Success!

Success in the garden is a drip system that is working and even on a timer. Rick has accomplished the impossible! We have a working drip system, which is watering the garden, the north sloping bed (flowers and tomatoes), the raised bed, and the pumpkin patch (including the sunflowers)!! It is even on a timer - set to drip for 2 morning hours (7-9 am) and 2 evening hours (7-9 pm) . Thank you, Rick, for your perseverance through digging up, repairing, replacing old with new where needed, mapping and laying out a new workable design, reconnecting the lines, and then adding in and setting the timer. Thank you for your dedication and tenacity!

Watering volunteers: please continue to go to the garden this week to monitor the drip system and make sure that it is indeed watering at the approximate times indicated and report any problems to Rick or Joan. By next week, we ought to be assured that the drip system is working properly. And VERY IMPORTANT - DO NOT turn off the main water valve and DO NOT turn off the valve that goes to the drip system - BOTH must remain ON in order for the drip system to work on the timer.

Hand watering of the herb bed may still be needed. The sprinklers on the grass side may be reaching them - but I am not certain how well. Waterers and weeders - please take a look at the herb bed each time you visit the garden. Water the herb bed if it looks dry. Report any problems to Joan.

Weeds continue to surface everywhere, but great progress has been made in covering areas with straw to reduce the amount of weeding required. One of our Julies (there are 2 Julies working in the garden, and a 3rd following its progress) has been weeding, planting, and spreading straw in the herb garden. Our herb bed now includes chives, sage, lavender, parsley, thyme, mint, basil and a number of flowering plants. It is truly (Julie) beautiful. Another Julie has been working on weeding the spaces between the flagstones - quite a job! [Have you noticed: our Utah flagstone yet?] Come by and admire Julie's work.

Allison planted the ashtray - this picture was taken at night - a work of art - for sure!

Stephanie planted sunflowers along the west fence behind the pumpkins. This should be fun as the season progresses. Our vegetables are growing - I have seen signs of edible items - have a look at the pictures below.

Thank you, thank you, one and all. Keep up the good work!
And, of course, work is still needed:

• Monitoring the drip system this week. Report problems to Rick or Joan.
• Checking the herb bed and watering if needed. Report problems to Joan.
• Weeding
• Garden, raised bed, pumpkin patch, herb bed
• Sidewalk - slope (both sides) and parking strip
• Dandelions from: house lawn, church lawn, RE lawn, garden lawn
• Seems like some celebration is also in order -- suggestions?
  

Drat!

Be careful when working in and around the west compost bin (next to the irises).

I am sorry to have to report that a rat has been spotted traveling between the west compost bin and the irises. Please be EXTRA careful if you work in that area. Better still - for now - just avoid that area in the garden.

If you have recommendations about how to get rid of the rat, especially an environmentally friendly, yet effective way, please let me know as soon as possible.

Garden safely.

Watering the Garden - Spigot Repair

The water spigot in the garden is in need of some serious repair – it broke in several places today creating a most impressive geyser. Fortunately, the weather forecaster says we are due for some rain – Tuesday and Wednesday. So, for the next few days, we will need to depend on Mother Nature for watering while Layne makes the needed repairs. Hopefully, by later in the week, we will be back to our regular watering schedule. I’ll let you know, when I know more.

Saturday in the Garden

Today was a great day for dandelion digging. And although a lot of dandelion digging time was spent, there are still LOTS of dandelions left. Come one and all … they’ll be there waiting for you on the lawn of the house between the garden and the church, as well as on the church lawn, the playground lawn and the garden lawn.

Rick has been working on the drip system (today he had some help from Brian). They are in need of about 4 hose clips – 1 inch in diameter. If you have any and are willing to donate them to the garden effort, please let me know.

Lots of weeding is still available in addition to dandelion weeding – garden weeding, flagstone weeding, and south side sloping bed weeding (we have now weeded the full north side of the sloping bed!! - of course, that means that that bed is ready for digging and flower planting).

Next Saturday, June 14^th is the first day of the Downtown Farmers’ Market – an event I never miss. So my gardening will again be in the afternoon on Saturday, around 1:00-3:00 pm. Hope you can join me there.

Signs of Spring

Margie and Rick have been very busy in the garden.

Margie has been putting up signs labeling the plants so that we know what is planted where. The signs are great.

Rick is working on the drip system. He has connected hoses to the water source and has laid out hose throughout the garden. Still remaining are connections to the raised bed, pumpkin patch, and the sidewalk flower and tomato bed plus a timer. But he is getting very, very close to having the drip system completely in place.

Thank you to ALL our great garden volunteers!