Monday, April 29th

Some kind of rodent is attacking the squash in the Children Ministries planter box. John pointed out a large gopher hole on the neighbor’s side of the chain link fence. We are not sure how to address the issue. For now, we found some replacement squash in the greenhouse. We also found that the planter box had some transplanted beans and corn seedlings that died and replaced them with more seedlings we had in the greenhouse for this possibility. 

We were able to empty out many plants from the greenhouse. We transplanted cucumbers, peppers and parsley. Hopefully we will get some good warm weather to accelerate growth in the garden.

When we finished our work, we had a discussion on the following topics:

1.       Adding removable boards and slots to the compost bins.

2.       Asking the church gardener for more yard waste for the compost bins.

3.       Growing vine plants on the chain link fence.

4.       Dealing with the gopher issue.

5.       Recoating picnic tables with Linseed oil

6.       Painting sitting bench, end table and cabinet with red paint. Repair as needed.

7.       Events:

a.       Breakfast potluck

b.       Lunch and workshop – pickling cucumber, eggplant, peppers, etc. from our garden.

Goals for this Saturday:

1. Remove weeds.

2. Check plants and soil conditions

3. Plant seedlings.

4. Apply fertilizer to garden beds 1 and 2

Monday, April 22nd

Saturday Jessica planted fennel and bell peppers in the garden. We also moved a squash plant from bed 1 to the Children’s Ministry box. Some how one of the squash plants had it’s stem cut. There was no indication of what had caused it. But there was a half eaten strawberry in the box.

We also finished repotting the gooseberries from the mini greenhouse jug. Hopefully the warmer weather will help accelerate the growth of the gooseberry seedlings.

Sunday’s Children’s ministry was a complete success. We completed the Three Sisters planting in Children’s Ministry box. The American Indians gave us an intercropping growing technique called the Three Sisters, which consist of growing corn, beans, and squash together. These three plants protect and nourish each other in different ways as they grow. The beans contribute nitrogen to the soil, and the cornstalks served as bean poles. Between the rows, are the low-growing squash, the leaves of which shade the ground, preserving moisture and inhibit weed growth

Even though we didn’t have as much help as we would have liked we managed to pull it off. The seedlings in the mini greenhouse jugs were Purple Hyacinth Beans and Corn Glass Gem, and were already popping out the top of the jugs. Before opening the semi opaque jugs I told the kids that this could be a disaster or we might have a few good plants. Upon opening the jugs the bean germination was decent, but the corn germination was insane. This kids marveled at the health of the plants and their roots.

One by one we gave the kids took a seedlings cupped in one hand with as much roots intact as possible. The kids went and got a scoop of veggie mix and made there way to the Children’s Ministry box, where I had prepared the holes to receive the seedlings. Corn was placed on the outside perimeter, and beans on the inside. Originally, the plants were going to be repotted, but because the seedlings had advanced so much and the weather is getting warmer, it was decided they needed to be transplanted immediately. We ended up with extra plants that we did end up repotting, and saved in the nursery greenhouse to be stored as back ups.

Working with the Children’s Ministry in the garden is great fun and I encourage everyone to try it.

Goals for this Saturday:

1. Remove weeds.

2. Check plants and soil conditions

3. Plant seedlings.

4. Apply fertilizer to garden beds 1 and 2

Thursday, April 18th

We accomplish much needed work in the garden last week. Blood meal was introduced in all but 2 beds. Seedlings were planted and the overgrown Nasturtiums were cut back. Gaillene cut back the tomatoes plants to prepare for higher yields in the coming months. Seedlings were planted in beds 5 and 6. We decided to start grouping the same plants so that it is easier to identify what is planted in each bed. John placed sifted compost in beds 5 and 6. He also turned over the compost in the bins to bring in more oxygen. We had a great harvest of green onions, onion bulbs, collard greens and dill. On Sunday, we were able to count on the congregation to take all our harvest. The beds are now neat and tidy.

Goals for Saturday:

1. Repot gooseberry seedlings from mini greenhouse jug

2. Apply fertilizer to garden beds 1 and 2

3. Check plants and soil conditions and remove weeds.

4. Plant seedlings.

Sunday we will have a workshop for upper grade children’s ministry. Volunteers are needed.

1. Show how a mini-greenhouse is made

2. Repot corn and beans

Wednesday, April 10th

On Saturday, we dedicated ourselves to the preparation of the venue for Sunday's anticipated workshop. We setup the canopy, arranging chairs, and ensuring all technical equipment, including speakers, were in optimal condition. The day was marked by a sense of camaraderie and purpose as our dedicated volunteers worked tirelessly to ensure every detail was attended to with precision. The thorough planning and collective effort promised a seamless and successful event the following day, underscoring the importance of teamwork and dedication.

Last Sunday we had a blast during the workshop! It was a resounding success, drawing in a diverse crowd of 56 attendees, a record gathering for us, spanning all age groups. Kids and parents participated together. We even had the a girls scout troop join us. After a nice lunch of pizza, salad and cookies we began our session. The warm sunshine provided the perfect backdrop as we gathered under a sprawling canopy, sheltered from the sun's rays. Throughout the workshop, participants delved into the fundamentals of gardening, exploring topics ranging from sunlight exposure and proper watering techniques to the importance of mulch, soil health and plant maintenance. We learned about the sustainable and natural gardening approach called the Back to Eden method. One of the highlights was discovering how to make your own mini greenhouse with old milk jugs and use it to grow seedlings, which intrigued everyone. We gave free plants at the end, and had a special hands on activity for the scouts. From young enthusiasts to seasoned gardeners, there was something for everyone to take away from the informative and enjoyable session, leaving us all inspired to cultivate our own green spaces with newfound knowledge and enthusiasm..

We had good participation with the survey. From my review of the survey answers here are some ideas that stuck out:

1. Future topics: Increase garden production, sowing, indoor gardening, caring for plants other than vegetables

2. What would motivate you to join the garden group? Learning to garden and gain experience.

3. What did you enjoy about the workshop? Mini greenhouse/milk jug demo. Volunteers made it fun.

4. What would you change? More hands on activities.

Goals for Saturday:

1. Repot gooseberry seedlings from mini greenhouse jug

2. Apply fertilizer to garden beds

3. Turnover compost piles

4. Check plants and soil conditions and remove weeds.

5. Plant seedlings.

Friday, April 5th

Hey that was a nice shower we got these few days. Plants are loving the rain. And the weather is looking good for the workshop.

We have lots of people signed up for the workshop this weekend. We are almost ready for the big day. Just some final preparation work is left.

Goals for Saturday:

1. Final preparation for workshop

2. Move petting zoo fence back to original location

3. Remove weeds in the garden and immediately around garden permitter.

4. Plant seedlings.

5. Check plants and soil conditions.

Monday, March 25th

The festival was a great success! We served the scavenger hunt game cards to 131 kids, that's 262 people when including parents. Clara the Carrot was a hit with the kids. Thanks Jessica the Farmer and Julia for all your help too. It was a lot of fun!

Many were interested in signing up for the workshop and many were invited to join the community garden. There seems to be some enthusiasm to join. We will have to wait and see.

The goal of our workshops is to teach the fundamentals of gardening and to hopefully encourage families to join our community gardening group.  It’s not too late to sign up.

Gardening is really fun, especially when you can enjoy it with family and friends. And gardening provides us the opportunity to give free produce to the community and those in need.

Thank you all for your hard work getting the garden ready and helping with the planning. Many people enjoyed the garden and had a great time.

Friday, March 22nd

The last few weeks the gardening group has been preparing for the Spring Festival tomorrow. This festival is one of the opportunities to reach out and share with the people in the community about our garden. At this festival our group will be hosting a scavenger hunt which is very popular among kids and their families in the community.

There will be many participating in the scavenger hunt. Also, we will be advertising the April workshop to further promote the community group and teach gardening fundamentals to the community.

The festival is free, so invite all your family and friends. If you are not yet a member of our group, come and join us and see what’s growing in the garden.

Wednesday, March 13th

Last Saturday we accomplished many of our tasks for the day. We had discussions about the festival and the workshop. Because the initial workshop date fell on Easter, we had to change the workshop date. So Julie and Clara updated all the inserts in the communicator so the workshop flyer read to April 7th.

John finished work on the new compost bin and moved the material for bin #2. He also moved some dirt from the garden entrance so we can add more wood chips and reduce the weeds that keep popping up. He leveled the some areas near the front area and filled bin #3 to level that as well.

Some of our team members removed the parley from the milk carton to place in small 2” pots. I’m liking the milk carton approach because it isn’t so time sensitive as to when the seedlings need to be potted. The seedlings are also very strong because they have remained warm and protected while in the carton. Hopefully we see good parsley growth this year from the carton method.

Goals for Saturday:

1. Remove weeds all over garden and immediately around garden permitter.

2. Add wood chips to garden common area and paths.

3. Some of the bed borders show the bottom of the wood boarders. Add up to 2 inches between baths to cover the bottom of the boards.

4. Plant seedlings.

5. Check plants and soil conditions.

Friday, March 8th

Hope everyone enjoyed the rain and hail yesterday afternoon! When I last checked the cilantro and carrots in bed #1 were doing well. In general there is lots of greenery in all the beds.

We have many seedlings in the new garden greenhouse. With more shelves we’ll be able to grow out lots more seedlings. A new sprinkler system will be installed in the greenhouse before temperatures begin to rise, probably in early Spring.

The new compost bins, made from pallets, is almost finished. This should make access to the compost easier and allow us to turn the piles. It will also be larger than the old compost bins. The plan is to line the walls with chicken fencing and put removable slats in front.

Goals for Saturday:

1. Check planning progress for March 23rd, 2024 Spring Festival.

2. Up pot plants.

3. Finish compost bins.

4. Spread compost and blood meal into all bins.

5. Check plants and soil conditions.

Friday, March 1st

On our soil analysis test last September of the Back to Eden garden, we only had a measurement of 4.46 ppm of nitrogen. The ideal range is 32.0-60.0 ppm. This has been a consistent problem (2023 February the reading was 4.21 ppm). Some of the challenges with using wood chip mulch method is that the wood chips are constantly breaking down and releasing nutrients thru decomposition (bacteria and fungi). But the decomposition uses up nitrogen.

add blood meal and chicken manure. We will soon run a new test that is less accurate but is used by farmers to get quick results. The method uses Nitrate strips. Here are the list of supplies

Nitrate 0-500 ppm Test Strip (multiply the value with .2259 to get nitrogen value).

Calcium Chloride (helps release nitrogen ions)

Plastic Medicine Measuring Cups with Lids

Soil Sample Probe

Coffee filters

Soil

Steps:

1. Remove 3” to 4” of wood chips and insert the soil sample probe. Take sample at 4” to 12”.

2. Pass the sample through a 1/8” sifter. Take 4 samples per bed and mix in a clean container

3. Mix 1 quart of water with 1/4 tsp of calcium chloride

4. Fill measuring cup to 30 ml with the calcium chloride water solution

5. Add soil sample to measuring cup to raise the solution to 40 ml. Attach lid and shake vigorously.

6. Wait 5 minutes for sediment to settle, then remove the lid carefully.

7. Optional. If the solution is still cloudy on top add coffee filter to the top of the solution with a center dip. Allow the solution to get clarified in the center.

8. Swirl the test strip for 3 seconds in the clarified solution. Shake excess and wait one minute.

9. Compare the test strip to the color chart to read the nitrate ppm. Multiply the nitrate value by .2259 to get the total nitrogen.

If the nitrogen value is 32.0-60.0 ppm the nitrogen goal has been reached. If not add organic fertilizer and repeat the test in 3 weeks.

Feather Meal (12-0-0)

Blood Meal (12-0-0)

Tuesday, February 20th

Enjoying the rains? I’m sure the plants and microbes in our garden are happy. We still have more germinated seeds to pot I finally got my label printer back from my parent’s house in Palm Springs. So now labeling will be easier.

Goals for Saturday:

1. Check planning progress for March 23rd, 2024 Spring Festival.

2. Planning for spring and summer crops.

3. Decide which plants to remove to make room for more plants.

4. Remove dead or dying plants. Finish harvesting of potatoes.

5. Garden weeding and cleanup. Rake leaves and place in compost.

6. Check plants and soil conditions.

7. Plant germinated seeds into community pots.

8. Spring planning discussion.

Thursday, February 15th

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's day. Did you know we are growing dill in our garden? See the fun facts of Dill further below.

Last Saturday we up potted seeds that were germinated using the baggy method. Let's hope for an abundant number of successful seedlings that we can transplant into the garden in the next month or so.

Potted seeds from last Saturday:

• 3 to 5 National Pickling cucumbers

• 5 to 8 Straight Eight cucumbers

• 5 to 8 Spaghetti squash

• 7 to 14 Purple Kohlrabi

Germinated seeds ready for up potting:

• 3 Corono di Toro Sweet Peppers

• 8 Cubanelle Pepper

• 7 Ali Baba Watermelons

• 2 Sugar Baby Watermelons

• 6 Aji Cristal Peppers

• 9 Padron Peppers

Goals for Saturday:

1. Planning for March 23rd, 2024 Spring Festival, only 5 weeks remaining.

2. Planning for spring and summer crops.

3. Decide which plants to remove to make room for more plants.

4. Remove dead or dying plants. Finish harvesting of potatoes.

5. Garden weeding and cleanup. Rake leaves and place in compost.

6. Check plants and soil conditions.

7. Plant germinated seeds into community pots.

8. Spring planning discussion.

Fun Facts: Dill is a nutrient-rich herb, boasts antioxidant properties from vitamins A, C, and B, along with minerals like calcium and iron. It aids digestion, alleviating bloating and gas, while its antimicrobial compounds combat infections. Dill's anti-inflammatory effects may ease conditions such as arthritis. Incorporating dill into your diet, whether through leaves, seeds, or oil, offers a flavorful way to promote overall health.

Wednesday, February 7th

Hope you all enjoyed the rains we’ve been having this week. I’m sure the plants and microbes in the Back to Eden garden enjoyed it. Saturday was a good meetup. Our volunteers did some minor harvesting and pruning. A long awaited task was completed by John. He transplanted the apricot tree that was in a container. After digging a large hole outside the east side of the fence, he was able to mix the native soil with chicken manure and veggie mix. The tree almost died last summer when there was a problem with the new irrigation. Now that it is in the ground the tree is less likely to dry out so easily.

One of our members did a video of the garden for a school project. In the video we told the story of our humble beginnings. In just over a year, the garden has transformed significantly. Beginning as a bare lot, the first step involved installing an irrigation system. Following this, we received free deliveries of wood chips, which we used to create a foundation after laying down cardboard. Six beds were carefully formed using compost, and everything was then covered with wood chips. To protect against unwanted critters, a fence was erected, while an arbor was constructed to serve as a distinctive entrance. Picnic tables were added, and a greenhouse was assembled to facilitate seedling growth. Finally, our beds were enclosed with wood, completing the transformation. Throughout this journey, our garden has been showcased to hundreds of visitors during our festivals, serving as both a labor of love and a spiritual sanctuary for all to appreciate and enjoy.

We received new trellis posts for the grape vines that were planted in the parking lot among the Rosemary. Eventually we plan to string wires to each post to support the vines. Hopefully we see plenty of growth this year and maybe a few grapes.

Goals for Saturday:

1. Garden weeding and cleanup. Rake leaves and place in compost.

2. Check plants and soil conditions.

3. Plant germinated seeds into community pots.

4. Spring planning discussion.

Tuesday, January 30th

Last meetup we had blast in the garden. We had a good turnout, including some new members that recently joined. We accomplished all our goals. The beds look nice and tidy. We planted transplants and seeds. This time we placed kale in bed 2 and radish in bed 3. For direct sow we are trying to plant single crops in beds. That way we can more easily identify the plants and not need a label on each plant.

Yesterday we started our Vineyard Project. Four table grape plants were transplanted next to the parking lot, among the Rosemary. A Foothill Vineyard Milestone, our first vineyard! Not sure if we will get a harvest this year, but hopefully the plants thrive. There are plans for putting up a supporting trellis sometime this year. This will provide the vines plenty of room to grow. out.

Goals for next Saturday:

1. Garden weeding and cleanup. Rake leaves and place in compost.

2. Check plants and soil conditions.

3. Spring planning discussion.

Friday, January 19th

Last week we had a small crew but we got some major tasks done. We prepared bed 1 for direct sowing of cilantro and carrots. Two 4 inch deep trenches were dug and filled with veggie mix. The seeds were planted in the mix and watered. Four labels were placed to help us remember what we planted.

Goals for next Saturday:

1. Garden weeding and cleanup. Rake leaves and place in compost. Add chicken manure to compost.

2. Direct sow two crops in bed 2. Let’s plant radish and kale.

3. Transplant community potted Rosemary plants to individual pots.

4. Plant seedlings.

5. Possible milk jug seedling demo (depending on group)

This week 7 Rosemary plants were planted in the church parking lot. The goal is to restore dead patches.

Rosemary plants are fun to propagate. Did you know the church has two varieties of Rosemary. One is a creeping Rosemary. The other variety has long sprigs. Both varieties can be used for cooking.

Rosemary tea has the following health properties: reduces inflammation, helps with memory loss and improves cognitive function, has antioxidants which reduces risk of diseases, lowers blood sugar levels, and helps with digestion. You can prepare Rosemary tea using young sprigs. Place two sprigs (or 1 teaspoon of leaves) in to a pot filled with two cups of water. Bring it up to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes or more. The longer the simmer the stronger the tea.

Topical Rosemary is good for hair growth and good for the skin. It’s prepared the same as tea but simmered for two hours. In a pot bring to a boil about 4 cups of water along with 10 sprigs, anywhere from 6” to 8” long. After two hours set the water aside to cool. Once cool add to a container like a squeeze bottle. Generously apply to the scalp and air or blow dry your hair. When harvesting the plant, don’t harvest big chunks. The plant should have a manicured look and remain beautiful.

Thursday, January 11th

We are off to a good start this year. Last Saturday we accomplished a lot in the garden and we welcomed a new member. After being on break for several weeks due to the holidays that garden needed some TLC. Leaves got raked, compost got placed and we picked a good harvest. Our new member studies Plant Science at a local university, so we got some good tips on how to have greater success in our garden. The participants gave us some good ideas for the garden. If you have an idea on how to grow the ministry/community garden let us know.

Some ideas shared:

1. Give away harvest at the garden rather than the court yard. Put up signs to direct the congregation. Creates greater awareness of the ministry.

2. Sunday lunch in the garden - on a sunny Sunday when pizza is on the menu set up lunch tables near the garden area. We can host lunch.

3. On a sunny afternoon- Host a bunco fundraiser in the garden area

4. Host a Painting Party in the Garden for a small fee

5. Build a new 3 stage compost bin.

6. Record video content for our media platforms.

7. Encourage more postings on our social media platforms. Invite friends to join our platforms. Post funny messages.

Sunday “Say Yes!” campaign was a success. We received one new member and we created greater awareness of the ministry. We gave away our harvest from Saturday (and our home garden). My wife was able to give away everything and direct people to visit the garden.

Goals for this Saturday:

1. Garden weeding and cleanup. Rake leaves and place in compost.

2. Plant seedlings.

3. Review proper trimming and care of plants.

4. Review goals and plans.

5. Load woodchips for delivery.

Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024

Hope everyone had a Happy New Years!. Can’t wait to see everyone again in the garden. It’s been several weeks since we all met in Eden. I’ve been visiting the garden weekly. The winds have been knocking down plants and so I have propping them back up. My wife and I had been doing some minor harvesting, but there is lots to pick. Even with the cold we have lots of bell peppers. There is also cilantro, dill and peas to harvest. The Sycamore trees have about finished dropping their leaves, so guess what? Yes, lots leaves to rake up, but it should be our last big raking of leaves.

Goals for this Saturday:

1. Garden cleanup. Rake leaves and place in compost bins.

2. Add trash can loads of greens from my home garden to mix with compost.

3. Harvest vegetables

4. Place chicken manure around plants in beds 1 through 3

5. Plant lettuce seedlings

6. Plan events and goals for 2024

Friday, December 8th

Last Saturday we did some major trimming and clean-up in the garden. We are preparing the beds to plant spinach and other winter crops.

Tasks for this Saturday:

1. Garden cleanup. Clean up around plants, remove weeds and water sprouts. Pickup Trash

2. Harvest vegetables that are ready to pick

3. Place chicken manure around plants

4. Fix tile rack on children’s ministry box

Thursday, November 30th

The garden plants have been happy and green during the drop in temperature and shorter days. Tomatoes plants are flowering, but the fruit appear to be taking awhile to ripen. The shade clothes have been removed. We have a lot of leaves in the garden and plants are leaning. The garden needs a little bit of TLC.

Tasks for this Saturday:

1. Garden cleanup. Clean up around plants, remove weeds and water sprouts. Pickup Trash

2. Harvest vegetables that are ready to pick

3. Place chicken manure around plants

Tuesday, November 7th

Last Saturday was a beautiful day to share the a lesson with the kids that attended the Harvest Festival. The lesson was about “Growing Plant, Seeds to Harvest”. We were hoping to get more kids, but we had two attend. We were well prepared and it was a good lesson for the kids as well as the group. For the next workshop we can try advertising to the church and word of mouth.

Monday, October 30th

Lights strung, fences moved, leaves raked, tiles installed, more woodchips spread and mouse traps removed, check. Signs created and posted on fences, check. Pruned plants, check. Prepare seedlings with labels, check. Saturday morning was suppose to be a few easy tasks in prep for Harvest, but two perfectionists couldn’t let it be that simple. After a few hours of work we were ready for crowd. Thankful for the support from the gardening ministry that got us here too. The garden was looking it’s best!

What an amazing Harvest Festival we had Saturday eve! We gave away 340 plants, which means we had over 300 kids and there parents participating in the garden scavenger hunt. The kids were excited to do the hunt. Parents were praising us for such a wonderful garden. The free seedlings pots had an invite to our Mystery plant workshop scheduled for November 4th. And blessings, we already have a few sign ups for the workshop!

Our key gardening ministry missing statement was achieved! Lot’s of hard and satisfying work brought the garden to this moment.

to show God’s love through his botanical creations!

We will practice sustainable growing methods and promote personal, social, spiritual and environmental health to our communities. In addition to building relationships we will serve as an outreach program for surrounding communities.

Tasks for this Saturday:

1. Arrive promptly at 8:30a. Open in prayer

2. Fill wheelbarrow with Veggie Mix and moisten for potting

3. Place hand spades in wheelbarrow with mix

4. Unstack pots

5. Prepare hose for watering

6. Assign duties: line/crowd manager, teacher assistants and mystery plant revealers

7. Review workshop

• sign-in

• about our group

• introductions

• demonstrate repot steps

• water pots

• label plants

• watering lesson

• plant lessons

• announce follow-up events

Thursday, October 26th

We continued to add more lights to the garden, and found we still need more posts and lights. In the evening the lights were checked and a few light bulbs were found to be loose, so we tightened them. The remaining lights and posts were installed during the week. It looks like we have sufficient coverage now.

We installed the tiles on the children’s ministry box. These were painted by the kids a few weeks ago. John did a great job coordinating the tile painting and firing the tiles. The tiles are on a wooden frame rail that allows us to add more tiles in the future.

A fresh layer of woodchips was placed on the paths and picnic areas. The garden was cleaned up and the beds were tended to as well. Gailene transplanted some seedlings to other pots so we can have more pots to give away during the festival.

Three fence sections were removed and placed as a divider for the petting zoo to separate it from the rest of the garden. Looks like we are almost ready for the festival.

Tasks for this Saturday:

1. Collect plants from “Connected to the Vine” group

2. Garden cleanup. Clean up around plants, remove weeds and water sprouts. Pickup Trash

3. Remove all traps

4. Hang up garden banner

5. Prepare seedlings for giving at the festival

6. Continue trimming hedges and cleaning up

Monday, October 17th

Lights, lights and more lights. We got to the church garden at 8:30a and it was just two of us. The ground was merciless and didn't allow the poles to be hammered down due to the rocks. At around 9a the Lord answered our struggles by providing four additional volunteers, one of them by accident, thought he was volunteering for the church cleanup (he later helped with that too). A bit of brainstorming and we realized the poles could be fastened to the surrendering fencing. With help we got the poles and lights up.

The other half of the group tended to the beds. New seedlings were planted and new labels were placed. Bushes were trimmed around the perimeter of the garden. Also, last week we got delivery of veggie mix, chicken manure and woodchips. so we are set for another productive year in the garden.

Tasks for this Saturday:

1. Continue with lights

2. Install tiles on garden box

3. Spread straw and new woodchips

4. Continue trimming hedges and cleaning up

5. Spread chicken manure on all beds

6. Clean up around plants, remove weeds and water sprouts. Pickup Trash

7. Check watering systems

Thursday, October 5th

Last Saturday was a good turn out and very productive. Seedling were started for the festival, most of the squash was removed, compost pile got turned and the materials area cleared an marked to prepare for deliveries. A soil analysis report was done, and we still need to work on our nitrogen levels. That will be the focus coming up.

Tasks for this Saturday:

1. Use portable hedge trimmer for overgrown bushes.

2. Test base nitrogen levels and spread two fertilizers on beds to boost nitrogen

3. Organize ornaments

4. Relabel plants

5. Clean up around plants, remove weeds and water sprouts. Pickup Trash

6. Check watering systems

Wednesday, September 27th

Harvest Festival is coming, which is a great way to show our garden and grow our ministry. At the Festival the plan will be to have a plant scavenger hunt (candy rewards) and give out seedlings to the kids. We will remove the labels on the pots and replace with a sticker (color or image). The following week, Saturday November 4th at 8:30a (depending on weather forecast), there will be a workshop on how to transfer the seedlings to larger pots for the kids along with basic plant teaching. We will reveal the plant name when they come back with their plant the following week. This will be an excellent way to promote the garden and serve as an outreach to the community. We need to decide too if we should have pages for coloring at the Festival and/or at the workshop.

Tasks for this Saturday (ordered by priority):

1. Pot 200 to 300 seeds for harvest festival. Involves, screening potting soil, pack pots, add seeds, add label and water.

2. Harvest all squash, cut down all squash and chop the plant for compost

3. Turnover the compost pile

4. Move rock piles in front of manure sign

5. Clean up around plants, remove weeds and water sprouts. Pickup Trash

6. Check watering systems

Friday, September 22nd

Fall is here and we need to start planning for colder weather. We need to start thinking about beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, peas, radish, spinach, etc.. The ministry partnered with the Connected to the Vine community group. We donated material to start seedlings at their second session on September 13th. Wendy, the facilitator of the group, shared with me photos of her bean plants and all the participants are experiencing similar success. At the their last session, Wednesday October 27th, they will be transplanting them in the church garden. What a blessing to support other church groups and help them achieve their visions for spiritual growth.

Tasks for this Saturday:

1. Empty a compost bin to make room for fall leaves

2. Check the seedling and transplant them as needed

3. Tend to all squash that have powdery mildew

4. Harvest as needed, especially Cucuzza squash.

5. Trellis vines and branches

6. Clean up around plants, remove weeds and water sprouts. Pickup Trash

7. Check watering systems

Thursday, September 7th

The garden is producing lots of veggies, especially squash. Due to our two week break, the beds are going to need some tender loving care for the next few weeks. Please join us, we need all the helping hands we can get.

Tasks for this Saturday:

Continue trellising watermelon, squash and cucumber plants as needed

1. Check the seedling and transplant them as needed

2. Tend to all squash that have powdery mildew

3. Harvest as needed

4. Trellis vines

5. Clean up around plants and water as needed. Pickup Trash

6. Remove weeds and tree water sprouts

7. Continue work on outside perimeter sprinklers to drip line system conversion (prep for native plants)

Thursday, August 24th

Last Saturday we had a bumper harvest, a true bonanza. The veggies got washed, chopped and bagged for Sunday’s give away. Ohh no, Hurricane Hillary hit and Sunday morning was pouring rain. We had to move our booth into the café. Was the congregation going to make a mad dash to the sanctuary and bypass us. We had 10 fresh squashes to hand out and lots of greens. The congregation came through and we were able to give away all the bounty.

Tasks for this Saturday:

1. Continue trellising watermelon, squash and cucumber plants as needed

2. Check the seedling and transplant them as needed

3. Continue work on outside perimeter sprinklers to drip line system conversion (prep for native plants)

4. Harvest as needed

5. Clean up around plants and water as needed. Pickup Trash

6. Remove weeds and tree water sprouts

Thursday, August 18th

Last weekend we gathered in the garden to trellis plants, plant transplants, water and treat for pests and diseases. All the Cucurbits plants are thriving and we continued to trellis the cucumbers, watermelons and squash. We planted more transplants into the beds as well where removed plants that died off, like some of the Chard. We encountered Horn Worms attacking the tomato plants, so we picked them off and treat the plants with some Neem oil. We treated some of squash plants as well, which were experiencing White Powdery Mildew. All the beds are doing well and producing lots of vegetables.

We had some challenges with irrigation. While attempting to switch some church sprinklers to a drip system the line was accidently broken (church irrigation zone 13). After multiple trips to the hardware store and removal of some large roots the line was fixed by Wednesday. It turns out none of the church sprinklers may have needed to be removed. Each of them has an extra inlet on the side which can possible be used to branch off a drip system. By closing the sprinkler head, the sprinkler can then be used to exclusively supply the drip system.

A second irrigation disaster was that a filter for one of the drip systems broke and started spraying a ton of water everywhere. It was fortunate that we were there to observe this. A valve supplying the line was temporarily shut off. It turns out that the water pressure in the garden is 105 PSI and the filter was only rated up to 80 PSI. A replacement filter was ordered along with a pressure regulator to bring the pressure down to 50 PSI.

Also, the mist system in the greenhouse is becoming a high maintenance problem. The misters continually get plugged. Gailene suggested we focus on watering the trays so adjustable drip emitters were installed. During the process of upgrading the watering system the greenhouse collapsed, so the greenhouse needed to be reassembled. What possibly happened is that the steel poles connect to plastic connectors. This limits the weight that the structure can support. In addition, sun can possibly damage the plastic connections. So sun damage along with increased weight due to multiple trays filled with water weakened the structure. If anyone knows of a better greenhouse buy or diy let us know. Something preferably made of metal and not wood or plastic. The filter, new emitters and reassembly of the greenhouse were completed on Tuesday.

Tasks for this Saturday::

1. Continue trellising watermelon, squash and cucumber plants as needed

2. Check the seedling and transplant them as needed

3. Continue work on outside perimeter sprinklers to drip line system conversion (prep for native plants)

4. Harvest as needed

5. Clean up around plants and water as needed. Pickup Trash

6. Remove weeds and tree water sprouts

Friday, August 11th

Last week we harvested lots of Kale and Chard, as well as, some squash. We had a huge surplus to give away at the Sunday booth. Usually first service gets most of the vegetables, but this time we had plenty for second service.

I spent Wednesday morning with James to check that all the sprinkler valves are working. We identified zones 2 to 15 are working zones. I have been working with John M. to get woodchips in the Rosemary beds and I have been trimming them to expose the sprinklers for better water coverage. Now that the areas are prepared and irrigation confirmed we can plan on planting the Rosemary that we are growing in pots. We will probably start the transplants in late summer or early fall.

On Thursday Clara and I visited the Growing Roots garden in Pomona. We got a tour of the garden and volunteered to cut up plant waste for their compost. We came away with several good ideas for our own garden. First of all, their group is very active on Instagram. The app is very popular with the younger generation. They currently have 505 posts, 3,260 followers and 621 following.

Here are other ideas we came away with.

1. To speed up composting chop plant waste to 3 inches or less before placing them in the compost pile.

2. For privacy fence it was suggest to plant passion fruit

3. To attract native beneficial insects it was suggested to plant native plants around the garden

4. Provide shading in the garden gathering area using shade cloth

5. Metal poles can be used to attach strings to trellis plants, like tomatoes

We really enjoyed meeting the people at Growing Roots. Afterwards, we talked about visiting, at least once a year, other community gardens. It’s a great way to network and learn techniques we can apply at our own community garden.

Tasks for this Saturday::

1. Continue trellising watermelon, squash and cucumber plants as needed

2. Check the seedling and transplant them as needed

3. Replace outside perimeter sprinklers with caps and drip line (prep for native plants)

4. Harvest as needed

5. Clean up around plants and water as needed. Pickup Trash

6. Remove weeds and tree water sprouts

Thursday, August 3rd

Last Saturday we had a blast in the garden. Genevieve fed us breakfast casseroles using eggs from her chickens. It was a great turnout and we accomplished most of the tasks for the day. Everyone is impressed with the amount of growth that is happening. The squash, watermelon and tomato plants are doing really well.

The second home school raised bed was moved and this week the irrigation to the bed was installed. Now both the home school beds will be watered with the rest of the garden. There is a shut off valve in each of the beds for added convenience.

Tasks for Saturday, August 2nd, starting at 8:30 am:

1. Continue trellising watermelon, squash and cucumber plants

2. Check the seedling and transplant them as needed

3. Harvest Kale, Chard and any other produce that is ready to be picked

4. Mix grass clippings into compost piles

5. Clean up around plants and water as needed. Pickup Trash

6. Remove weeds and tree water sprouts

Thursday, July 27th

This week the timer and faucet line near bed 5 and 6 was replace to fix leakage issue. The line was turned on today and it is functioning well. All the timer zones were checked and appear to be working fine. We are going to try to hold off on harvest this weekend to allow the squashes and leafy greens to grow.

Plans for Saturday, July 29th, starting at 8:30 am:

1. Move second home school raised bed

2. Trellis beans, watermelon and squash

3. Transplant cucumber from 1/2 gallon pot

4. Check the seedling and transplant them as needed

5. Fix container drip line leakage

6. Clean up around plants and water as needed. Pickup Trash

7. Remove weeds and tree water sprouts

Tuesday, July 25th

Jessica and I finally finished the last picnic table. We couldn’t have done it without the portable battery pack she brought to the garden. We became experts at picnic table restoration. Hopefully the picnic tables provide years of enjoyment to the church and surrounding community.

Gailene brought some healthy eggplants to the garden and planted them in the beds. He even had a few left over for us to take home. Looking forward to harvesting some eggplants soon. His expertise is helping our garden thrive.

We harvested a few squash. The yellow squash is producing and might be the Kuri squash that was planted. There is no label so it might be a different yellow squash donated by Genevieve. I have been harvesting and taking them home. They have a wonderful flavor and taste good raw, as well as, cooked.

Sunday we manned a both to give away vegetables and promote the garden. New cards were printed and handed out to join the ministry. On the reverse side we asked the congregation to help us with social networking by posting a review on Yelp and Meetup. The social networking cards were sent to Michelle to make copies and include in next week’s communicator.

Friday, July 21st

Exciting news! John finished the last two hoops for beds 3 though 6. Plants now should be protected very well, especially from afternoons when the sun is most intense. The beds are now getting a 40% sun shading in the beds, reducing water needs and protecting plants from getting too much sun. See photo on main gardening ministry page.

Also, we now have a presence on Yelp! You can now go to Yelp.com or download the Yelp app and find us when searching for a community garden in San Dimas. There are plans in the works for creating a communicator insert to pass out Sundays during service to get reviews and comments on Yelp, Meetup and Church center. Check out growing the gardening ministry (button above) that explains our ministry strategy.

Plans for Saturday, July 12th, starting at 8:30 am:

1. Sand last picnic table and treat with linseed oil

2. Harvest squash, cucumbers, strawberries

3. Move second home school raised bed

4. Check the seedling and transplant them as needed

5. Clean up around plants and water as needed. Pickup Trash

6. Remove weeds and tree water sprouts

7. Plan greenhouse rebuild

Monday, July 17th

Last Saturday we focused on garden activities rather than the tables. We opened one of the compost piles. The center of the pile was partly decomposed with black pieces of leaves and composted material. We removed about half of the material and placed it in beds 1 and 2. First we moved some of the wood chips in the bed to make room for the composted material, then we placed the wood chips back on top. I'm hoping that the partly composted material will break down further in the beds and that we can see improvements soon. As the pile was turned over it should help the composting process, but the piles are lacking green material. I’m thinking about adding fish emulsion and covering the piles with landscape fabric to speed up the composting.

Julia planted more seedlings and tended the beds. She also harvested the last cabbage and the potatoes. Julia is becoming a Pro at transplanting seedlings and harvesting. From old small shriveled up budding potatoes we got a few large potatoes.

The greenhouse is now functioning with misters going off twice a day to keep seedlings cool, moist and growing quickly. As the seedlings are ready for transplant Julia and the team are placing them where vegetables have been harvested and removed. The greenhouse has become an important part of the garden so that we always have plants ready for transplants. Just not sure how long it will stay standing. It needs to be rebuilt.

John is working on placing hoop coverings on the remining beds, just as he did with beds 1 and 2. We think the shading is helping with keeping the plants from getting too much sun and helping the soil retain moisture.

I'm planning to also bring fish emulsion to the garden to give all the plants a nitrogen boost. I’ll be using an ortho dial n spray to water the base of the plants. The smell will linger for a few days. After the application the nitrogen will be quickly released so we should get increased micro activity and improved greenery. This should also strengthen plants to better tolerate the heat.

Wednesday, July 12th

We had another productive meetup last Saturday. We completed the sanding and treatment of the fourth picnic table, and are now down to one remaining table. We planted seedlings throughout the garden and converted the Children’s Ministry planter box to a three sisters group cultivation.

Three sisters is a method the Native Americans used in which corn, beans and squash are grown together. These plants are beneficial to one another and help each other thrive. The beans fix nitrogen in the soil for the squash and the corn. The corn allows bean stalks to grow vertically and get access to more sun light, while the squash shades the ground for all the plants. This agricultural approach was developed over 5,000–6,500 years ago and is still used by gardeners today. The reason for converting the planter box was because the peas were planted too late in the year and haven’t thrived.

Plans for Saturday, July 12th, starting at 8:30 am:

1. Sand last picnic table and treat with linseed oil

2. Move second home school raised bed

3. Breakdown compost piles. We will use half the compost for the beds and the other half we will put in one rebuilt pile.

4. Check the seedling and transplant them as needed

5. Clean up around plants and water as needed. Pickup Trash

6. Remove weeds and tree water sprouts

7. Plan greenhouse rebuild

Friday, July 7th

Hope everyone had a fun and safe forth of July with family and loved ones. Clara and I just got back from New Mexico to see our friends, and brother and sister Michael and Binh. They are previous members of the church and left California to buy land and live out their dreams. It’s the furthest road trip either one of us took. We had a great time and really enjoyed the trip.

Plans for Saturday, July 8th, starting at 8:30 am:

1. Sand picnic table and benches (top and sides). Paint with linseed oil

2. Move second home school raised bed

3. Breakdown compost piles. We will use half the compost for the beds and the other half we will put in one rebuilt pile.

4. Transplant seedlings

5. Clean up around plants and water as needed. Pickup Trash

6. Check seedling in greenhouse

7. Relabel tags. Trying a new technique to add clear tape to prevent fading

8. Remove weeds and tree water sprouts

Thursday, June 29th

We now have a second timer in the garden and have 3 zones for the beds. Bed 1 and 2 are on Zone 2 of the new timer. Beds 3 and 4 are on Zone 2 and beds 5 and 6 are on Zone 3 are on the original timer. The 3 zones assures we get plenty of water pressure in each of the beds. Each bed is currently getting 10 minutes of watering per day (will reduce this as needed). The new timer also has Zone 1 supplying a misting system with 10 misters in the greenhouse. The mist system is set to go off daily in the afternoon for 1 minute.

Some bad news. We have a gopher or two in bed 3. I’ve tried to trap them this week, but each time they have managed to bury the trap. If anyone has suggestions on how to remove the gophers let me know. I’m thinking of purchasing a different trap when I return. So far there doesn’t seem to be damage to the vegetables. [Update: Today I checked the trap again afterwards and it did finally catch the gopher].

Clara and I will be out of town for the next week so this Saturday we will not get together. We will be back for the following Saturday, July 8th to continue working in the garden. There is still work to be done to finish the picnic benches. We also need to install the tile tracks in the children’s raised box.

Thursday, June 22nd

The garden is looking green! It’s starting to feel a little bit like summer. The plants seem to be responding and enjoying the warmer weather. Lot’s of growth going on.

The shade provided by John is working well and everything under the shade hoops seem greener. Because of the roundness of the hoops and the fabric being well stretched the leaves aren’t getting stuck.

The area is becoming a great place for people to have picnics. During the day umbrellas are needed (stored in the shed). After about 4pm the trees provide shade and umbrellas aren’t really needed. The sink and counter top are nearly done. The faucet is now installed and working., just have to finish the drain and apply linseed oil to the top.

The second timer is almost ready for install as well. This will be used to automatically spray the greenhouse seedlings and to water the first bed. There will be three zones dedicated for the beds so we will have plenty of water pressure. We will have two zones free for future automatic watering needs. Any suggestions, maybe fountains and bird baths?

Although we’ve had a short break, there is still lot’s to do in the garden. Three more tables need sanding and linseed oil treatment. There are plants in the greedhouse that need planting, especially the eggplants.

Plans for Saturday, June 24th, starting at 8:30 am

1. Sand picnic table and benches (top and sides). Paint with linseed oil

2. Move second home school raised bed

3. Breakdown compost piles. We will use half the compost for the beds and the other half we will put in one rebuilt pile.

4. Transplant seedlings

5. Clean up around plants and water as needed. Pickup Trash

6. Check seedling in greenhouse

7. Relabel tags. Trying a new technique to add clear tape to prevent fading

8. Remove weeds and tree water sprouts

Friday, June 9th

John fixed the canopy over beds 1 and 2. Now all the posts are at the same level and he placed bungy cords to keep the canopy in place. Last week one of the picnic tables was sanded and painted with linseed oil. It came out really nice. Heidi planted some new seedlings. Nely harvested some of the cabbages.

The field trip to In the Kiln shop was a lot of fun. We look forward to working with the shop to bring more art to the garden.

Plans for Saturday, June 3rd at 8:30 am

1. Sand picnic table and benches (top and sides). Paint with linseed oil

2. Finish work on sink and countertop. Paint with linseed oil

3. Transplant seedlings

4. Clean up around plants and water as needed. Pickup Trash

5. Check seedling in greenhouse

6. Relabel fading tags

7. Remove weeds and tree water sprouts

Friday, June 2nd

We made lots of progress this week on the garden. We have a canopy frame that John built for us made out of PVC. When the hot days come we will cover beds 1 and 2 with a 40% cloth to protect the plants in those beds. Depending on how successful it is we may build two more.

Our sink and countertop is almost completed. We a few finishing touches, like mounting the top boards, adding rack shelves and plumbing installation. We also will paint all the wood with linseed oil to protect it from the weather. It will have plenty of countertop to prepare vegetables and even a drying rack below. A tarp will be purchased to protect it all.

Plans for Saturday, June 3rd at 8:30 am

1. Work on canopy frame to stabilize joints

2. Sand picnic table and benches (top and sides).

3. Finish work on sink and countertop

4. Paint on linseed oil on countertop, tables and benches

5. Transplant seedlings

6. Clean up around plants and water as needed. Pickup Trash

7. Check seedling in greenhouse

8. Harvest some of the cabbages. We need to give them away. They are delicious!

9. Relabel fading tags

10. Remove weeds and tree water sprouts

11. Field trip to In the Kiln for those who would like to join. This will help us make plans for decorating the garden further and look into getting a bird bath or two.

Wednesday, May 24th

We harvested our first cabbage last Saturday and it was a beaut! We harvested some greens as well. On Sunday we gave away the greens to the church members. All our veggies were gone after first service.

This morning a met with Genevieve and Gailene. We removed all the broccoli and most of the cauliflower plants. In their place we planted some nice seedlings that Genevieve brought and some potatoes. All the new plantings were labeled.

We also checked the sprinkler zones. All the zones had good pressure except zone 3 which is for beds 1 thru 3. We adjusted all the emitters, including the ones that go to the large pots outside the fence perimeter.

Genevieve, Gailane and I afterwards had a discussion on how to grow the garden ministry and reach out to the community. The following are the list of ideas:

1. Workshops at each meet. Focus on how to start a garden.

2. Group harvest on Saturdays

3. Breakfast potlucks on Saturday mornings (once a month during Summer)

4. Planning meetings during Saturday meetup

5. Pamphlets created and distributed at Sunday booths that show what to expect

6. Activities for Children’s Ministry during Sunday school (once a month)

Plans for Saturday, May 27th at 8:30 am

Part 1. Workshop demonstration on how to plant seedlings in containers. Take containers home or place in the greenhouse

Part 2. Garden work

1. Place cardboard around bushes. Fill with 4 to 6 inches of woodchips and pine needles from pile

2. Transplant seedlings (do not plant seedling belonging to children's ministry)

3. Clean up around plants and water as needed. Pickup Trash

4. Check seedling tray water levels in greenhouse

5. Harvest bolting plants... (do not harvest cabbage).

6. Relabel fading tags

7. Remove weeds and tree water sprouts

Milton

Wednesday, May 17th

I have exciting news! We are now opening up our garden to the surrounding community. You can now also see our events on Meetup. 

Lots going on this coming Saturday. We are starting at our new time, 8:30am. We need all hands on deck. . Please bring more brown boxes (plastic tape removed if possible) for the bushes planter. We are still in short supply. Bring water, gloves, garden tools (labeled) and sun screen.

Tasks for Saturday, May 20th:

1. Place cardboard around bushes behind the shed. Fill with 4 to 6 inches of woodchips and pine needles from pile

2. Transplant seedlings (do not plant seedling belonging to children's ministry)

3. Clean up around plants and water as needed

4. Check seedling tray water levels in greenhouse

5. Harvest bolting plants... (do not harvest cabbage).

6. Attach irrigation to large pots

7. Add emitter to home school bed

8. Relabel fading tags

9. Mount more wood chips around potatoes

10. Remove tree water sprouts

11. Pickup trash

Hope you are having a blessed week!

Milton

Tuesday, May 2nd

We had a great turnout last Saturday and accomplished a lot in the garden. We harvested many of our greens, including Kale, Chard and the Spinach that was bolting. The cauliflowers are actually starting to flower so we have some great expectations for flower heads. The red cabbage continues to grow larger and threatens to turn into cabbage heads. The ladies worked on harvesting and planting seedlings. The guys worked on moving a planter box, filling the box, and extending the irrigation on the other planters. Our Sunday booth was a success again. We passed out seedlings and got several new sign ups. Please bring brown and plastic tape free boxes for the bush project. We are still in short supply.

Tasks for Saturday, May 6th starting at 9am:

1. Place cardboard around bushes behind the shed. Fill with 4 to 6 inches of woodchips and pine needles from pile

2. Transplant seedlings

3. Clean up around plants

4. Check seedling tray water levels in greenhouse

Wednesday, April 26th

We’ve been away from the garden for about a week and the garden needs some attention. We will need lots of hands this week. Spinach is bolting and new seedlings are ready to plant. The warmer weather should give us success with plants but we need more irrigation. The beds are a bit longer than initially planned so the 1/2 inch drip lines need to be extended and emitters need to be added. The lemon tree is in the ground now. A water line goes to the tree along the fence but needs emitters. Two weeks ago the Children’s ministry K-7 planted corn and peas. They will be ready for transplant into the raised bed box in about a month. So the bed boxes need to be prepared.

Tasks for Saturday, April 29th starting at 9am:

Cut down bolting spinach
Clean up around plants (scissors and clippers needed)
Transplant seedlings
Install Emitters from Melnor zone 1 (fences)
Move large pots and add emitters
Place more cardboard and woodchips around bushes
Check seedlings
Extend 1/2 inch drip lines in beds and add emitters
Move home schools bed
fill with straw and organic material
fill with soil
add emitters

Please bring water, hat, gloves and garden tools.

Friday, April 7th

Last Saturday morning we worked together on preparing seedlings. We prepared cabbage, beets, white onion, squash, marigold, petunia, cucumber and basil. The seeds were removed out of the baggies with tweezers and placed in the nursery pots with veggie mix. We used a Phomemo printer to print the labels and put them on the popsicle sticks to label the seedlings. They were placed in trays in the greenhouse, but might have put too much water in the trays. We will see what comes up.

Saturday afternoon was our Spring Festival. This was our first time using the garden area for the petting zoo (sheep, goats, chickens, etc..). We divided the garden into two sections so that the animals could not get into the planters and find an all you can eat buffet. We had a plant scavenger hunt game for the beds and there were about 200 people that went through the garden looking for plants. It was a lot of fun and it was a great success.

Tomorrows tasks in the garden will be as follows:

1. Check seedling and beds

2. Plant bare root strawberry plants

3. Place cardboard and woodchips around bushes in overflow parking

4. Fence moved back

5. Irrigation lines

Wednesday, March 29th

The Back to Eden classes completed on Saturday, March 25th. It was a good group and new material was presented. Our baggy method exercise was a great success. We almost lost the group to the exercise as it was so fun and possibly the best way to sprout seeds and prepare seedlings..

Yesterday three sections of the garden picket fence were moved to the community picnic area in preparation for Spring Festival. The fence has a working gate to access the rest of the garden during the festival. If your planning to attend the even register online to fill out the waiver and avoid long lines.

On March 28th a meeting was held on sponsoring children programs. associated with the church. The meeting was a success and several great ideas came out of it on how the ministry can support several children programs associated with the church. We are looking to teach the kids in late April. the Children’s ministry on the baggy method. Supporting children programs will also benefit the ministry by creating more awareness. We are also planning to move the Home School growing beds to the garden area and provide some irrigation. After the meeting it was proposed to include the Youth Ministry.

Our Saturday events in the garden are starting back up in April (April 1st at 9am). This Saturday we will start with preparing seedling for those that attended last Saturday’s class and have germinated seeds to pot. And then we tend to the garden.

Blessing from the garden!

Milton

Monday, March 20th

Notes from March 16th Zoom meeting:

There were 5 participants from the ministry. We did a recap of the progress made in the garden during March to bring everyone up to speed. Julia mentioned the idea of having a cover or sail for shade above the picnic tables. We discussed the following questions.

1. What is the purpose? People love to be part of a purpose. We came up with fellowship, meeting new people, learning more about gardening.

2. What people might be expecting from joining the group? We came up with the need to plan several weeks in advance so participants stay engaged.

3. How much of my time will the group ask in a week. We came up with 1 to 2 hours, depending on the work plan for that Saturday and the number of participants.

4. What are the members' needs? Most of the answers we came up with is that was the purpose of the 4 week classes. In the future we might have classes in the garden. Or we might have one or two 4 hour class, maybe on a Friday and Saturday. It’s also good to have all the ministry members attend classes even if they already attended a class before. It strengthens our knowledge and builds deeper relationships. New material can be brought in for each class, along with older material. We decided it is best not to divide 1/2 of a row and assign to 1-2 people to grow/care for.  It’s best we continue to work as one team each Saturday, because we never know who will be able to make it. Each Saturday we can still assign people to different tasks for that one Saturday. 

5. As far as harvesting, we still need to discuss this further. I would like to see someone volunteer to come up with a plan.

We discussed a variety of other topics. Thanks to Bunco donations our funds increased. The events allowed us to create more ministry awareness and share our most recent photos of the ministry’s progress. 

Some of those funds are used for small nursery pots and seeds. The seedling given at the booth are a great conversation piece and provide more awareness for the ministry. I’m hoping that we can get more volunteers to help with giving out seedling for the booth. We’ve also received many seed donations.

First community gardening event through Meetup (app) was moved to Saturday, May 20th. Most of the participants felt it is too early. 

We discuss that we would like to grow vines on the picket fence  and on the chain link fence in the back. We are planning to put in the irrigation lines for this when we meet in April..

An action item was created to meet with the leaders of the Children’s Ministry and Home School on how the ministry can sponsor those programs. Serving these programs will allow us to better utilize the garden resources and create greater awareness for the ministry.

Next Zoom meeting will be the 3rd Thursday of April, which is the 20th at 7pm. 

Have a blessed week!

Milton

Tuesday, March 14th

Last week, Jessica and I built the wooden garden arbor (aka arch) for the front entrance to the Back to Eden community garden. We followed a design we found online (instructibles.com).  The arbor can be seen throughout the parking lot off of San Dimas Ave.  We are awaiting any day now for a custom-made wood carved sign to be placed on the top beam that will read Back to Eden Garden.

A tree trimming service has been hired to clear more bushes and mulch the leaves and sticks around the front of the garden. They will also work outside the Eden garden and remove the random palm tree that is growing next to one of the trees.  They will clean up leaves from the bushes.

Thursday, March 16th at 7pm we will have our monthly Zoom meeting.  We need to get everyone’s input on how we can proceed with growing the gardening ministry. We also need to layout plans for Saturday meet ups in April.

Saturday, March 18th at 9am will be our gardening class in room 3 & 4. Everyone is encouraged to come and show their support. These classes are sponsored by the ministry and is a fun way to teach about gardening from a biblical stand point. Participants can join any Saturday, unit the last class on March 25th.

It’s that time again to play Bunco. The event is on Saturday, March 18th, starting at 1pm. This is a fund-raising opportunity for the ministry. Everyone is encouraged to come and show their support.

Sunday I’m planning to have another booth for the Gardening Ministry. If you are interested in helping out let me know. By the way, please let family, friends and neighbors know about our gardening ministry. We plan to open the garden to the community in April.

Tuesday, March 7th

Last week, the garden fence was professionally completed by John’s construction team. The team took two days to build a well-constructed fence with three gates to access the garden. A path was cut through the bushes so that fence construction was made more simple. And a path with woodchips was constructed at the front gate to welcome visitors from the parking area next to the shed. The result is stunning and adds to the overall aesthetics of the garden. There will be an arch way over the gates with a garden sign.

On Saturday, we had the Back To Eden gardening class, which was held from 9 to 11 am. The class was small and informal. Participants learned about various aspects of soil such as soil type, texture, aerobic soil, soil nutrients, soil microbes, and the soil food web. The class also covered the best type of mulch to use for gardening. The presentation was engaging and came with some new jokes. The class also enjoyed playing Jeopardy to test their knowledge. It was a great learning experience for everyone. Afterwards we went on a short field trip to check out the Back To Eden garden.

Clara and I manned the garden class booth and gave away about 45 seedlings. This was a great success. There were no seedling left at the end. The free seedlings served as a great talking point about the classes and the Gardening Ministry. I enjoyed growing the seeds and plan to grow more for the next booth opportunity.

Tomorrow, Jessica and I plan to build a wooden arch at the front end of the garden. The arch will be visible to everyone in the church and will have a Back to Eden Garden sign welcoming people to the garden. It is an exciting development that will add to the charm of the garden.

That's it for now. Stay tuned for more updates about the garden and upcoming events.

Best regards,

Milton

Tuesday, February 21st

Dear Garden Enthusiasts,

On a chilly morning last Saturday, our regular group members gathered at the garden for a day of work and camaraderie. Despite the cold weather, all nine of our regulars were able to make it, and we even managed to take a group picture to commemorate the occasion. It's been awhile since we were all able to be together in the garden and it really felt a little like spending some time in a part of heaven.

The day was productive and fulfilling, with everyone in high spirits and eager to get to work. We spent our time tending to the plants, leaves, and compost pile, all while catching up and enjoying each other's company. It was a much-needed break from the stresses of daily life, and we all left feeling fulfilled and satisfied with the work we had accomplished.

Unfortunately, we did have a setback in our garden. The plants were struggling due to the cold weather and the lack of nutrients in our new planter beds. Sadly, all of our tomato seedlings in our container garden didn't make it. However, we are determined to learn from this experience and come back even stronger in a few weeks when the weather warms up. Gailene took two tomatoe plants home to see if he could nurse them back to health.

We rearranged the picnic tables so it's not so crowded in the community area. John and Andy worked on the big box to convert it into a planter. They drilled holes at the bottom and lined the box with plastic. Then they filled it with pine branches and logs. In a few weeks, when the material settles we will add soil and automatic irrigation. Our Back To Eden sign got decked out with ornaments and we took a group photo by the sign. It was a little chilly at first, but then it started to warm up. Clara and Genevieve dressed up the plants with more veggie mix. Jesscia worked on documenting the experience. Julia and Jessica worked on racking leaves. Gailene ordered Dr Earth organic fertilizer. He was able to bring it the following day and treat the plants. Bryan and I prepared drip lines for the container bed. Jessica thought we should make our main entrance through the side bushes and trees, and come out next to the shed. The rest of the group agreed. I got the green light from the church the next day. We will be placing two 4 foot gates for the entrance and building an arch over it. We had lot's of fun coming up with clever ideas for the entrance. Someone suggested putting pearls around the main entrance.

Bunco was lots of fun again. We raised $210 for the ministry. We played the ministry photos on the TV monitor in a slide show loop and it was a great conversation piece. I included an advertisement for the gardening classes in the slide show. Bunco is a great way to connect with the church and create greater awareness about our ministry.

We want to thank all of our regular group members for their continued support and dedication to our garden. Your hard work and passion are what make this ministry so special, and we are grateful to have you all on board.

As always, we welcome new members to join us in our mission to cultivate a beautiful and thriving garden. If you're interested, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

Thank you again for your support, and we look forward to seeing you all in the garden soon.

Best regards.

Saturday, February 11th

Dear friends,

We hope this newsletter finds you well and filled with joy. We wanted to share with you the wonderful things that happened last Saturday at our ministry. It was a day filled with love, laughter, and hard work, and we couldn't be more proud of what we accomplished.

We started the day by praying for each other and setting our intentions for the day ahead. The energy was high, and everyone was eager to get to work. Our focus for the day was on attention to details in the garden, and we didn't disappoint. We tackled container gardening and were grateful for the extra containers brought in by some of our members. We made sure to check the soil and plant conditions, removing any leaves or wood chips that were blocking the air and light reaching the new seedlings.

We also worked on sifting the dirt pile that was blocking the manure pile, which was a big task. We mixed the sifted dirt with the veggie mix to expand the pile.

Our photographer was also on hand to capture the day's events, and she took some truly professional photos that capture the spirit of our garden. We can't wait to share these photos on our webpage with you and relive the memories of the day.

Afterwards John M. brought in the picnic tables that we got for only $20 a piece. We hope this garden will inspire people to join us in the garden and come Back to Eden, where we can fellowship with each other and God as was originally intended. We want to thank everyone who participated in this wonderful day, and we're already looking forward to our next gathering. We're so grateful that you’re a part of it.

On Sunday, my wife and I had the opportunity to man the garden booth at church and share all the latest news with our fellow congregation.

We told people about the classes we have planned for March, which will be a great opportunity to learn more about gardening and get involved in our ministry. We also mentioned the Zoom meeting that is taking place this Thursday, where members can come together and discuss the growing of our ministry.

In addition, we announced the upcoming Bunco fundraising event, which will be a fun way for our members to support the ministry and have a great time. Finally, we encouraged everyone to join our garden ministry and be a part of the wonderful relationships we are building together.

We had inserts printed for the communicator, which included all the information about the classes and Bunco events. Our classes were also announced during the service. If you missed the announcements or want to learn more, be sure to reach out to us and we'll get you up to speed.

We're so grateful to be a part of this wonderful ministry and can't wait to see what the future holds.

Stay blessed!

February 7, 2022

Great news! Nely found a bargain on picnic table and benches for $20 a piece. She is donating them to the ministry. John M. will be picking them up from the store this week.

Last Saturday was a productive day. Here’s what was completed:

1. Compost pile #2 was topped off with leaves and cow manure - Julia, Clara, Milton and Gailane

2. Beds 4 through 6 were connected to the timer. The timer was set to water 3 times a week for 3 minutes. - Milton

3. Beds 5 and 6 was sowed with Beans - Gailane and Milton

4. Sifted dirt pile to remove rocks - Milton

5. John M. popped by with 2 scoops of veggie mix. Now we can start our container gardening activities.

Fri, Jan 27

We had another successful meet up last Saturday. We found the cilantro plants had red leaves. We suspect it is due to low nitrogen levels. We thought this might be a possibility as the wood chips break down and remove the nitrogen from the soil. We added seasoned cow manure and will see how it does. We checked conditions of soil under wood chips  and the condition of all plants. We replanted as needed and remove leaves and chips blocking air and light. We planted seedling and direct sowed. We filled first compost pile.

Mon, Jan 23

Last Thursday we had a productive Zoom meeting with ministry members. We opened up in prayer. Then we discussed Bunco preparations, and planned for January and February Saturday activities. We announced we need volunteers for leading Saturday morning activities in March. My wife and I will be providing gardening classes so we won't be able to lead the garden activities that month.

During the meeting it was brought up that we should call up members that have signed up and personally welcome them to the ministry. The hope is  we get more participation on Saturday mornings. A list will be sent to volunteers to make official welcome calls to members.

Jessica volunteered to help with documenting our ministry activities via photo. These will be used to track our progress and post photo online to encourage others to join. 

Saturday morning, January 20th, we continued with planting seedlings. So far 4 out of 6 beds are planted. We also started our first compost pile. John Massie delivered our Back to Eden sign which is hung on the fence. He also made some labeled stakes for our plants!

For more information contact the office at office@foothillvineyard.org or (909) 394-3023.

Suggestions for web page improvement welcomed. See you in the Garden! - Milton