Can we start wining now!
Next Weekly Program
Thursday Mar 11 - Noon
""Amending Federal and State Constitutions - The Differences and Amazing Consequences" tentative title Also: OLLI Spring classe"
Speaker: Wolf Hoppe
Attorney, retired
OLLI instructor
Rotary Garden
Message from The Rotary Club of Ashland Garden Project
Even while it drizzled on the rest of Ashland Saturday, the sun shone on the Ashland Garden on Saturday thanks to the hard work of four Ashland High students. In spite of the weather - AND in spite of prom that night, which all four were going to! - they came out to clear new planting beds of grass so we can add beans and corn to the Spring planting for the Food Bank. I was totally impressed by their committment. I hope they all (girls especially!) were able to get the dirt out from under their fingernails for the big evening, and that every pumpkin turned into a carriage for them.
From Wednesday to Saturday the potatoes plants have doubled in size. The lettuce is coming up rather thickly, and needs to be thinned - perhaps the thinnings could be replanted over in the pea area, which isn't seeing many peas come up. And of course with all the lovely rain there will be some weeds flourishing, which need to be pulled.
But the big question is whether we'll get additional beds ready for planting. We do have three long and three short beds ready for planting the warm weather crops - tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, corn, beans, and squash. We have two additional beds rototilled, needing the grass roots cleared out of them in order to plant. And there's room to rototill two additional beds, if we have anyone to do that and clear grass out. Are you feeling inspired to create a row for Ashland's hungry families? This is the time where you can make a difference - if we get beds ready for planting, we'll plant them. If we don't have help ready additional beds, we'll just plant what we have now.
One of the best things about sitting there clearing out the grass roots is having time to chat with fellow gardeners. Over shared grass-clearning work Stella Schaaf told me that the need for this planting effort really hit home for her when a fellow church member confided that she is having to turn to the Ashland Food Bank for help, as she recently lost her job. The people we are helping with this garden aren't unfamiliar to us; they are friends and neighbors who've been hit by the bad economy. Do you know anyone who has been laid off? Come out this Wednesday or Saturday and help clear out a row to plant for them.
Jeanne Stallman