Post #3 for 2015 - Come See the Garden Grow!!

Yes, I know it has been a while since my last post, but the Raab Park Youth Garden has not been sitting still.  So much has happened since the last update that I think I will just post photos and captions.

We started the year by members of the leadership team doing a late planting of daffodils.  The flowers arrived in a warm February, but the planter beds looked pretty sad.

Then came, along with a little rain, the compost that the Youth Garden shares with the P-Patch.  Jenna Clement and friends moved and spread a lot of it into the Youth Garden.

 
 

In April, on Earth Day, we entertained the annual pilgrimage of 7th grade gardeners from Jennifer Silvernale's class at West Sound Academy.  They weeded plots 1, 4, and 5, added compost and planted peas, onions and potatoes.

Just a few days later, the Master Gardener Class of 2015 arrived.  Their "Rookie Day" was well spent removing more plastic, weeding, adding compost, chipping, putting up trellises, etc.  For more photos of these excellent interns and the miracle transformation they wrought see the WSU Kitsap County Extension Facebook page.

This year we moved cool weather crops to bed #1 (below) and the 2015 interns put up the trellis for the peas.  As of now the peas are taking off, but they need a little help to stay on the trellis.  The hoop house was erected by the leadership team on bed #2 and contains mostly squashes this year.

 



The Work Parties have been sparsely attended, but those there have contributed mightily!!!  Here Ken Tuomi is building the bean tunnel while Cathy Carson and Nancy Peregrine discuss tenting the tomato plants.  Thanks to the Master Gardener Foundation for the cover material.  The tomatoes have done beautifully and are almost ready to uncover.  Unfortunately the carrots are going to need to be replanted.  Even with the covering they did not geminate well and we discovered we have rabbits again.   They like to eat the tops off the carrots.

Ken likes to work with fruit trees and is a devotee of Bob Mc Bride who spoke about espaliering fruit trees at our first work party.  Ken has been trimming, mulching, and putting footies on the apple espalier this year.  We may even harvest some good apples in the fall!  Bob will be back in July to speak on trimming fruit trees.
 




Mary Jolley donated a picnic table to the children's program.  Here Jenna Clement, Darlette Knight, Mary and her hubby are carrying it to the craft area of the garden.  Thank you Jolleys!

Thank you also to Sven and the Raab Park custodians for fixing the bench on one of the older picnic tables.  Kids can once again sit and create safely.

The new shed has been painted and it is getting organized too.  Thanks to Sam Clement and Grover Bosley for their additions to the building that the Poulsbo Rotary bought and built.  We are slowly but surely painting and cleaning up the older shed too.  The Water Spigot houses have had an amazing face lift as they all have cement footings which make them stand up straight and tall now.









The flowers are way ahead of blooming schedule this year.  In part due to the warm temperatures and in part due to the drip irrigation.  The Clement family donated new hoses so that all of the planter boxes are on scheduled watering.  We are in the experimental stage with how much watering we need, but it certainly helps!






We have additional signage in the garden thanks to a Poulsbo Garden Club grant.  We wish that the rabbits, deer, crows and caterpillars could or would read it as it may stop them from nibbling on our veggies!

 However, the strawberries were delicious for quite a while.  There were not enough to take to Fishline, so we enjoyed them during our Work Party breaks!


Monday, June 22nd is our first Children's Program.  Our "Scare Crowish" teacher is ready in her summer attire.  She will be joined by two younger helpers soon, as well as Herb Robert Potter, who is already sitting in the garden enjoying the sights and smells.  Thanks to Cheryl Bosley, Pam Warner, and Jill Ray for their creativity.









The photo to the right is from last year's first Children's Program.  Yes, it is Stepping Stone Day.  We had 80 children, not to mention the number of parents, who came to learn and create.
 
This year the Children's Programs run from 10 - 12 for 9 Mondays.  If you are excited about kids and gardens come on out at 9:30 AM to get your instructions and plan on staying until 12:30 PM to help clean-up.  They kids will love you for it and so will the garden!