Last Saturday Maxim and I went to volunteer at the Community Center Garden event. There were lots of volunteers from the Home Depot, which also donated tons of stuff including seedlings (one of the most exciting parts!) and of course the lumber, the trees and bushes, the plants, the soil and the mulch, and gloves, and rakes, and equipment of various sorts, and I assume the paint (we didn't do the indoor part this time, primarily because we wanted to spend some time working outside after a whole week of working inside and in anticipation of a whole week of rain). It was great, Maxim worked really hard, – he is a good worker – and we reserved a bed for ourselves. I have two little raised beds at home, but couldn't resist the temptation to get another one. I would have rented more, but had to resist at least that much. It is a great deal, but it's risky business. We will see how much the wild creatures will leave us of the plants and of the crops. I know in my backyard, there is a groundhog, who eats tomatoes and maybe more, a huge raccoon, who steals lobster shells from the compost bin, a skunk who ate baby birds, and chipmunks and squirrels who will eat anything. I also have a herd of slugs and snails, that I wage a real war against. The slugs are fairly easy, as they fall for and in beer traps, but snails are not much of drinkers, and thus a little bit of poison and handpicking are necessary. They are very good eaters, amazing how much damage they cause!
The fact that the community center will have summer campers may help keep animals away during the day, but nighttime may be treacherous. We will see, I guess. For now, we are hopeful! Saccarappa also has raised beds next to the school, and we are going to sign up for the weeding/watering duty for at least one week in the summer (close to harvest time, preferred, ;) )
It's a great experience for kids, I observed several underage volunteers, they had a blast poking holes in the dirt, and even planting seedlings. Those guys are aspiring farmers, I tell you!
This week's weather saves us from watering, phew! Hopefully, this doesn't turn into flood, and the sunny promise for the weekend will dissipate any mold and other wet-loving organisms. Can't wait to get out there again.
I grew up in a family with a big garden and all sorts of fruits and vegetables and herbs and whatnot, so I am planning to apply skills here to a small bed, and see how I do.
I will add pictures after I copy them from Community Center's FB page. They are there now, just search for Westbrook Community Center if you can't wait.
