We've Been Blessed

We started the season behind the eightball. It was only about three weeks before the official "last frost " date when we got the generous offer of land that allowed us to consider a 2014 garden. We were uncertain how fertile the land was in our new location, how much sun would actually make it to the plants there and whether we'd suffer problems with the slope of the land and/or "varmints." We took on the challenge.

Thanks to Lisa Greef of NC Mountain Realty for the use of her land and an enthusiastic group of would be farmers, the decisions were made, resources were assembled, land was filled, a low impact water system was devised, and seeds and seedlings went into the ground. That was then, this is now.

Lush, lush, lush

Thanks to the right amount of sun and rain, our garden has more than flourished. People have been stopping by the side of the road or parking in the realty parking lot to inquire as to who we are and what the heck we did to produce such an amazing garden in such a short time. Honestly, we just helped and nature led the way.

The tomatoes are thick and ripening.

A full field of sweet potatoes ready to take off

And bean plants taller than your reach

But our greatest success to date is surely the squash. Yellow crook neck and green zucchini have been  the stars of the show. We've eaten, sauteed, frozen, baked, and made bread with them. And 75+ pounds have been donated to grateful local charitable organizations. We've been doubly blessed.

2014 Community Garden Takes Shape

Thanks to NC Mountain Realty the High Vista Community Garden Has a Home

Harry Moody Works His Magic

And the 2014 Garden Takes Shape

Pete marks the walkways

After a year without a home, the High Vista Community Garden returns in 2014, right outside our front gate. Thank you, NC Mountain Realty Group for being a good neighbor interested in growing community and sustainability.

You can see in these photos that the land we've been loaned for this year is not perfectly level, there is one shade tree, and a main road is in shouting distance. Gardening here will be a different experience from the idyllic setting of our last garden. Still, the 2014 group represents fifteen families and we expect to grow, learn, and have fun—just as we always have.

The plowed parcel needs to sit about two weeks, to give the grass clumps time to decompose. Our water source remains uncertain, but Jim Goodnight and Pete Steurer are working hard to determine if the old pump house nearby can be brought back to life within that time. If not, we will use a hose to fill two water barrels with NCMR's water when needed.

Next steps: spreading lime, marking the crop areas, building mounds for the squash, erecting bean structures, buying plants, planting, watering, weeding, watching for insects and varmints, and enjoying the fruit of our labor. You know what I always say, "Give Peas a Chance!"