stubborn alfalfa & hoop house rejuvenation

The first real rain happened on November 1st or so. The final seed-sowing wasa supposed to happen at about that time - the day before, the College Eight class had prepared the last two milpa beds - beds 10b and 11b, the two most in shade. I wasn't planning on watering them because the clayey hardpan is pretty saturated with water, and because there is an irrigation leak somewhere over there. Steve says that he remembers the leak from a while ago - the soil was always saturated, even in the depths of summer with minimal watering.

The alfalfa in those beds did not diminish at all. In fact, they were kinda impossible to pull out. I had originally thought that the alfalfa might turn into a green manure - but hey, maybe their stubbornness means that the covercropping for the winter season's set in that area! ...Well, maybe not ...we did a number on the alfalfa with the efforts we had. Now I may regret it. Although the cover crop seeds have germinated, they are stunted - underdeveloped, perhaps, due to the lack of sunlight, the hard soils, and potential allelopathy caused by the huge bay-laurel tree that grows above it.

The hoop house is looking good. The PICA seminar swept through it one cold Thursday evening, patching the hole in the door, pulling out all the weeds, rearranging the tables, laying down weed cloth, and starting some winter-growing seeds. I watered them, but they were neglected over Thanksgiving Break. We could start new seeds, and potentially David Griese and Tony could water during the winter break. Especially since David is going to be the propagation manager, starting in winter quarter. :-)

I wonder what they're going to do here, all by themselves? It might get lonely for them. :-/ I remember what summer was like, initially. Amazing ...I was so lonely at first, I didn't know how I was going to survive it. Interestingly, I would not mind staying by myself here, anymore - the Garden worked its magic on me during the summer. I wonder if the next Garden coordinator(s) will have to go through it too? :-) There are worse things from living alone in heaven...

last workday of Fall 2006

This final Saturday workday, we had a beautiful multitude of people. Morning began in the Garden, with a group harvesting basil from the long-suffering bed 17, and two folks went to get soil from the Mines. We weeded and took everything out of the bed. Before we started double-digging, duty called us to the BRAND NEW COMPOSTING SYSTEM and we made the third pile, filling the first bin again, with dry matter, horse manure, food scraps, and partial compost. The horse manure very pleasantly fell on me a few times, much to everyone's glee.

Then we came back into the Garden and double-dug the now-softened bed, adding in two wheelbarrows' worth of decomposed leaf mould. Afterwards, Steve was waiting with food from the grill, and we ate a hearty lunch.

All of us - Sarah, Megan, Natasha, Richard, John, David Griese, David Saxton, Mike, Henry, Bee, Bart, Steve, and I - took a few moments to reflect on the amazing quarter, through the words of the kindly, honored gardener-mentor who had come to pay his respects and cook us his good food. Steve is coming to the garden workdays next quarter, while he is taking his sabbatical. I am so happy... He expressed the hope that this would be the start of an amazing PICA year - 2 quarters left, and then Short Course. Believe it or not, the actions and feats of fall will lay the grounds to be felt all the way into next summer. And, even more profoundly so, the actions of all past PICAns lead, up into this very moment... We have an amazing team, and an amazing legacy of past incredible teams to continue.

Now it is time to plant our seeds for tomorrow, pack up and prepare the grounds for more frosting, and make sure that all elements are present for their rebirth. I celebrate it, now. I celebrate the hibernations of the restful seasons.

*photos courtesy of David Saxton