The Story of the Seed Project Makes Full Use of WGHS GOLD Main Garden

This weekend my Biology 1-2 students and I planted over a hundred young Brassica oleracea plants into the main garden. Cultivars planted include "Pixie" cabbage, "Di Ciccio" broccoli, and "Purple Vienna" kohlrabi. Many thanks to the student volunteers--Leah, David, Savannah, Cole, and James--who came out last weekend to help prepare the boxes by pulling weeds and cutting up plant residues from the previous crop (used now as a mulch for the present crop). Here's how things looked as of around noon today.

The Brassica oleracea crop is the heart of The Story of the Seed  project.

The Black-Eyed susan is still carrying cheerful yellow blooms.

A border has been added to the back of the bed along the chain link fence to prevent soil loss.

The buckwheat persists--it is now in its fourth generation.

Here is a shot of the buckwheat growing up against the aforementioned  border.

Above are shots of the healthiest tomato plant and a box full of  the tomatoes that were harvested from this plant today.

If you would like some of these luscious fruits, stop by the garden tomorrow between 10 and 10:45 a.m.--I'll be out there keeping our Brassica babies cool and hydrated.

Garden Volunteers Needed Today, Friday June 29th!

Hi WGHS Garden supporters,

The Branch Manager tree service is kindly donating a truckload (several cubic yards) of wood chips (and other greener stuff) to use as a mulch on the pathways in our main garden. The load is being dropped in the teacher parking lot adjacent to the garden and we need wheelbarrows, shovels, and some eager volunteers to use them to move all of this chippered goodness into the actual garden space. If you can come by at any time today or tomorrow (regardless of who else is there) with a wheelbarrow, shovel, and some gloves and just move some cartloads anywhere around or near the boxes, we'll love you forever! The chip pile should be at school by noon.


Thanks,

Justin

State of the Garden

Yes, I know, it isn't a pretty sight right now, but remember, the cover crops we left in there were going to die one way or another (by tilling under or by frost). Leaf mulch has been applied to all beds to help keep in moisture from the scant winter rains.

The water source issue remains with no obvious solution on the horizon--whenever we need to water the garden we still have to connect 125 feet of hose to the science building and drag it across the staff parking lot to the garden area.

We (student volunteers and I) will start a late winter cover crop and some cilantro (coriander) within the next couple of weeks.

We will definitely be needing another big volunteer effort this spring when we make our next big expansion of the main garden (five additional beds). Keep your eyes peeled for updates.

Design-a-Sign

Want to help the WGHS Gardens and Outdoor Lab Project reach and inform the largest audience possible? Help us out by designing and/or creating eye-catching signs with interesting and inspiring messages about the gardens and their contents. These are the signs we need most right now:

- a name plaque bearing the name of the garden ("Willow Glen High School Gardens and Outdoor Lab" with "Main Garden" underneath)
- a "Welcome" sign with rules and requests
- an informational sign with a basic description of the WGHSGOL program
- a friendly notice to groundskeepers and custodians to NOT apply to or use in the immediate vicinity of the garden any toxic chemicals

We also need help with developing a graphic identity (logo, etc.)? Interested or think you know someone who is? Please send an email to justin_bursch@sjusd.org.

Oh Sow Good!

Thanks to our awesome volunteers: AJ, JB, Vern, Catherine, Jim, Jane, Linda, and John

Planting Party!

The wait is finally over! Join us for a planting party--nothing fancy, just good old-fashioned dirty fun--at the Willow Glen High School Gardens and Outdoor Lab (WGHSGOL) main garden site in the back of the school (on Dry Creek Road) from 5:30 to 7:30 this Sunday (September 4th). Stop by, have some lemonade, plant a cowpea, sow some buckwheat, make some new friends, and help our gardens grow!



I will give a short talk explaining the benefits of cover crops (warm and cool season) and demonstrate the use of a simple but effective preparation for legume seeds (beans, peas, peanuts) that can help give them a big boost as they grow. I'll also talk about the vision for WGHSGOL and answer your questions, too. So come on down and make this a true "Labor" Day weekend.


See you in the garden!

Justin Bursch
Garden Manager and Project Director

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Got Soil?

We do, thanks to a generous discount on soils and compost from South Bay Materials--and the help of George Rix, WGMS math teacher extraordinaire and all-around great guy. George gave up several hours of his Sunday to pick up, unload, and work in two cubic yards of soil and compost last weekend. Thanks also go to Randy Klein--another awesome teacher--for the use of his truck.

The beds are finally filled and ready to be planted!







Below is a close-up of a germinated sample of one of the types of seed that will be planted to help improve the soil.

Two Very Productive Work Days

Thank You WGHSGOL Volunteers for two very productive first work days!

On Sunday, June 26, 2011, the Willow Glen High School Gardens and Outdoor Lab Project quietly broke ground on the main garden site.

We followed that up with a great turnout on Thursday the 30th, which was a makeup day for Tuesday (rained out).

A very big "thank you" goes out to Kim G., Maria F., Lauren C., Dragan D., Jean M., and Vern L., all of whom braved the hot afternoon sun to weed, dig, rake, and sift wood chips.



There are now 3 fully dug beds (and a fourth one that is almost finished) that will be framed in, amended, and prepped for planting next week.



Check back here by Sunday evening for a work party schedule for next week.

Reminder: WGHS Gardens Work Day #2 is tomorrow, June 28, from 4pm to 8pm

Hi WGHS Gardens Supporters,

Just a quick note to remind everyone that work day #2 is tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday, June 28) from 4pm to 8pm. This time around there is no sign up sheet on VolunteerSpot, so just come on down whenever you can, stay as long as you want, and have fun getting dirty, making new friends, and bringing new life to WGHS soils. We've got plenty to do so there will be something for everyone.

Water and snacks will be provided, but please bring your own mugs/cups to hold water.

Also, if you have a gardening item to donate (tool, hose, etc.) please bring it with you.

Finally, if anyone has a mid-size to heavy duty truck and would be willing to do some driving in the next couple of weeks please let us know--several community members have offered lumber for raised beds (very cool!) if we can go pick it up.

And if you can't make it tomorrow, don't sweat it--there will be plenty more days next month for you to sweat for WGHS Gardens! ;-)

Stay tuned.

WGHS Gardens First Official Work Day (June 26)

Hello eager volunteers!

Please follow the link below to see the details of our first official work day (June 26 starting at 10:00 am) and to sign up for specific jobs/tasks:

http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/982345635098926018

Planting and sign creation will take place on Tuesday, June 28, and will be scheduled as a separate event.

I look forward to seeing you in the garden.


Thanks,

Justin Bursch

Work Days Preferences Survey for Volunteers

OK folks, it's the survey you've all been waiting for...OK, you can stop holding your breath now.

If you are planning on volunteering to help with the WGHS Gardens and Outdoor Lab project and have not yet completed our work days preferences survey, please click on the link below to take the survey. We'll try our best to be as accommodating as possible for all who would like to participate in the construction of the garden, but we need your input first:

Take the Work Days Preferences Survey for WGHS Gardens Volunteers

Thanks!

Calling All (Gardening) Hands

Folks, we really need to make a big push this summer to establish the gardens. The initial garden will consist of a mere two beds (and some explanatory signage), but it will still take effort and materials to put it together, and that is why I am appealing to any readers of this site: if you can donate time, materials, or both during this week (June 7 through June 10), please contact Justin Bursch as soon as possible. THANK YOU!

For a list of needed materials, please see the "What We Need" page.

Justin Bursch
jsbursch@gmail.com