Saturday, November 30, 2013

Quietly

I have always been amazed at people who sit for hours and observe nature.  And I don't mean just scientists.  The bird watchers, and the fishermen count too.  It requires a stillness of the mind and body not characteristic of me.  




I can manage a few minutes of watching in the morning.  It never ceases to amaze me that all this comes from a small seed placed in the ground.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Reaching for the sun

I have come to believe that much of what a gardeners knows comes from watching things grow.  Plants reach for the sun, the light source that makes growth possible.  



Can you see it grow?


Tuesday, November 26, 2013

With a few simple supplies

 The fact that the garden lacks tables made the saving of this piece a crucial endeavor.
It's a spool that was turned into a table.
The creative process is a funny thing.  It takes many twists and turns and it ends with a pretty fun look.


This magazine found at the dentist's office was a perfect inspiration piece.


Maura primed the table on a cool Sunday morning.


Supplies were purchased at Home Depot.


And work began on another cool Sunday morning.


Et voila.  A touch of color with functionality.  Behold the only movable table to date.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

[IN]dispensable


Jessica Hauer, energy coach extraordinaire who never gives up, and stays by our side as we strive to move forward and continue to make the place come alive.


Find out more about TUHSD's sustainability efforts here.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Sister school

 Being part of a community means exposure to projects that others are involved in.
I visited McClintock High School and saw the garden and greenhouse under the care of Vicki Grady.






This greenhouse will soon be the home of a lot of activity as students study plants grow.



 The garden is busy growing peas and asparagus.
Mrs. Grady is an amazing source of information for all things related to school gardens and more.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

No Impact Project

The No Impact Project was conceived by Colin Beavan, aka No Impact Man, following the success of his blog, book, and film, which chronicle his family’s year-long experiment living a zero-waste lifestyle in New York City. Central to his thesis is the notion that deep-seated individual behavior change leads to both cultural change and political engagement. Living low-impact provides a clear entry point into the environmental movement. This thesis is the bedrock of the No Impact Project.
Go here for more information.

What's Growing?

There is a lot of green happening in the garden.


Mixed greens.


Radishes.


Broccoli and cauliflower.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Support

What a nice suprise I had early today as I stopped by to water the garden.  Mr. Trimble came over to complement us on the wonderful work we are doing and how nice the garden looks.  Sweet! 

Friday, November 15, 2013

Roses

The rose:  a woody perennial  armed with sharp prickles.


Yes, sharp little prickles.  Just ask my arms.


Oh, but how beautiful they are.


At Corona they come in all colors and shapes.


Cataloging these pretties is a project for another day.  For now we are happy they are thriving.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Things get messy

Things get messy in the farm area. Kathy is focused on setting up a ditch system to make watering easy.


Everything gets dirty.


But cleanup time is fun.  It marks the end of a productive and rewarding experience at the garden.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Maura

She is a Corona alumni who brings stories from the Feldman era.


We are recycling a Feldman relic.  The base coat has been applied to the spool that is a table.


Maura is a hard working young woman who loves the garden, and connects the rest of us to the beginning of the greenhouse.

Friday, November 8, 2013

Second life

The wind storm blew the tree branch down.  


A volunteer chopped up the tree branch and saved the pieces for a second use.
Read up on waste hierarchy here.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Stones

 Terracotta stones are the latest addition to the garden.  There is a really nice shady spot that is perfect for a little outdoor living look.  



We begin with the floor.


And a little hedge.