What a busy February it has been at the Brownwood Community Garden! We started the month with a significant leak in the pump area. Fortunately, one of our volunteers, Mike McClatchy, has some plumbing experience, and after several trips to the plumbing store, the problem has been repaired. Broken PVC pipes were replaced, a heated wire was added around the pipes, and new insulation was added to the box housing the pump. One of the timers had to be replaced as well. By the middle of the month, with the irrigation fixed, the timers were programmed, and we again had water in the garden.

As far as the garden itself goes, February saw the planting of well over 1000 onions in the pantry beds and several hundred on the personal side of the garden. We begin regular maintenance-fertilizing every other week until they begin to bulb, probably another two months or so later.

We are feverishly working the beds to prepare for the upcoming growing season. The cover crop, cereal rye, has been growing like crazy, and it’s now time to cut it down. Most beds will also receive fresh compost and shrimp meal. Compost, cereal rye, and shrimp meal will all help enrich the soil as well as help control nematodes. HPU was also contacted to volunteer at the garden on the annual HPU Service Day, seeds were delivered, and our peppers and tomatoes have now sprouted. We’re very anxious to try some of the new varieties of vegetables that have been selected for this year.

Another volunteer, Debbie Morelock, has been working on putting together a horizontal migrating worm bin. Her granddaughter will be painting a picture on the boards covering the bin, and Kelly Crenshaw, director of the Salvation Army, has occasionally been advising.

Gathering supplies for continuing with the bed replacement has been ongoing this month. Tim has been digging around the perimeter of the beds that will be replaced, and by the end of the month, the lumber was delivered, and most of the other supplies were purchased. Presently, we are waiting for the high school shop class to assist with some of the needed metalwork. Adrian, Cipy, and one other volunteer have also begun work on our new storage shed.

Our long-awaited mural project was started in hopes that it will be completed by the end of March. Michelle Troutman is off to a great start, and we’re anxious to see the final product.

So, as you can tell, we’re not just sitting around, admiring the beautiful plum tree that is now in bloom or nibbling on the asparagus as it pops up seemingly overnight. Hi-ho, it’s off to work we go, and we’re anticipating that work will pay off, and this year we’ll see a bountiful harvest.

[Story by Jan Green]