Friendship Farms & Gardens: Dirt Diary

Goings-on relating to the Friendship Farms & Gardens project.

August 2010 – during which

July 2010 – during which the bees pollinated and many groups focused on watering and the squash focused on leaves not fruit and the herb garden flourished and the tomatoes keep producing.

June 2010 – during which the month opened with heavy rains and ended with the same. In between, onions and squash and beans and tomatoes were harvested and the okra took off and the worms died, possibly of heat exhaustion, and volunteers weeded and planted and carted can after can of water to the thirsty ones in the garden.

May 2010 – during which the worms worked and the Herb Society planted a bed and seeds germinated and the sweet potato garden was planted and the fall planting of onions was harvested and the edible flowers flowered and volunteers staked tomatoes and weeded and the drip irrigation system was extended and meeting-goers met in the garden and the tomatoes and squash bloomed in profusion and green beans were harvested and beets were dug and sent to the kitchen.

April 2010 – during which the emerging green played in the sunlight and lettuce thrived and mushroom spores were planted in wood and the sweet peas headed for the sun and tomatoes started to grow in water-cooled environs and the rains left their mark and the birds frolicked and new drip irrigators were installed and glorious buds from flowers and edible plants made the garden a wonderland.

March 2010 – during which the sun peaked out occasionally from behind the clouds and and the last snow and ice came and went and leaves and compost arrived and the first signs of edible flowers sprung from the soil and a gathering was held on a balmy afternoon and new beds were built and mushroom spores were hammered into logs and robins made themselves at home and lots of volunteers gathered on the weekends to improve the soil and begin planting for the new season.

February 2010 – during which snowfall closed schools and blanketed the garden and then the rains came and the sunlight played in the ice and new pots arrived and the Bonner Scholars painted and prepared beds for edible flowers and buds took shape on the bushes.

January 2010 – during which Jack Frost visited frequently and the last of the winter plants were pulled to prepare space for spring and Henry Owen constructed the Wigwam for worms to compost in and volunteers learning how to compost seeded the Wigwam and the worms began their work.

December 2009 – during which beets were harvested and the collards struggled and the kale thrived and there was much rain and there were mornings when the frost left glorious if fleeting reminders of the crystaline structure of water -- and mankind's capacity to see and value beauty.

November 2009 – during which the first sweet pea latches for a long climb and the winter vegetables grow and knockout roses come to the bank and the rains came and the kale grew and more rain came and the sweet peas continued their climb and remnants of a hurricane ripped up the bamboo drapes and the garlic looked healthy and more rain came and the paths stayed nearly weed-free and there were hints of sun on the last day of the month.

October 2009 – during which schoolchildren visited and fall vegetables began to grow and knickknacks appeared and hay bales arrived and bees came to visit the blooms and a new sign was hung and garden designer Kay Minor and her husband Peter trucked in furnishings and enough watering cans were donated so the schoolchildren could water the plants and lights were hung and tents rose and Thom's big chicken sculpture flew in and mums arrived from the Perry-Bush wedding and the rain held off during a glorious Garden Party to celebrate the rebuilt garden and the tents went away and visitors marveled at the garden and the butterflies alighted and the sweet peas began to climb.

September 2009 – during which the tomatoes continued to produce and a plan was hatched to rebuild the garden and bushes were uprooted trees cut down and weeds removed and raised beds set aside and land leveled and pea gravel spread and rich soil delivered and stone stacked into new beds and yard art hauled in and mirrors installed and conferences held and raised beds reshaped and vegetables planted and seedlings set in hopes of a gorgeous fall garden in a living room-like setting behind the old warehouse next to the bank where the railroad ties were buried and act as a reminder of the neighborhood's long-time industrial roots.

August 2009 – during which the watermelon ripened and the corn was chewed and beans and okra were harvested and several watermelons were plucked from the vine and the green bean "tent" took shape and the herbs continued to produce well and lots of people waited impatiently for the peppers to turn yellow.

July 2009 – during which children visited and birds pecked tomatoes and herbs and okra and beans were harvested and Rich fixed leaks in the rainwater collector and volunteers pulled weeds and bees kept visiting because there was reason and a gullywasher put four inches of water on the lot for a time and there was talk of expanding the garden behind more nearby warehouses.

June 2009 – during which the first vegetables were harvested and plants grew grew grew and schoolchildren splashed the raised beds in vibrant colors and young people posted words about cultivating community for all.

May 2009 – during which Slow Foods Charlotte took on the demonstration garden as a project, and seedlings broke through the ground and a rainwater collection system was installed and Community Culinary School of Charlotte students began to get dirt under their fingernails and things began to heat up in the compost pile.

April 2009 – during which an idea was hatched and a demonstration garden was proposed, and the first raised gardens were installed and the first roots began to descend into donated dirt.