TOADS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY !!!

The community garden is being devoured by squash bugs. Nothing will kill them except 'squashing' them individually between our fingers and removing the eggs from the plants. TOADS LOVE to eat squash bugs!

Anyone knowing where toads can be found please put them into the melon, cucumber, and squash plants in The Garden.
A SUPER, COLOSSAL , GIGANTIC, HUGE ice cream sundae is offered to any person who will take 2 or more toads to the garden this week!!!!

Call Sister Cox to claim your sundae. She will deliver it (them) right away, as ordered.

"The Garden" Continues...

I can't believe that it has bee over a month since my last post. Time flies when the weeds are growing.

We have a fun activiy planned for this 24th of July week-end. Ada sent the following to be posted on "The Garden" Blog.

When the pioneers of 1847 first entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 24th it was a barren, alkali flat.  Our community garden area looks a lot like what those pioneers saw.  Over time, with prayers and work, they produced wonderful gardens and ample harvests... With the Lord's help, we can do the same.

The pioneers did morning chores before breakfast... so we are asking everyone to come to the garden and help with 'chores' before the Pioneer Breakfast at Christensen Park this Saturday, July 23. 

The garden work will begin at 7 a.m. and we will quit at 8 for breakfast next door at the park, and children's games, and a parade at 9:30  a.m.

Join us for an all morning Pioneer Celebration of fun!

Squash bugs are everywhere.  All degrees of divine intervention and 
voodoo magic are urgently needed!
Ada

We had three cute girls and their Primary teacher do some weeding in "The Garen",

and they are all still smiling.

A month ago we had a contest to see how many tomatoes were in the garden. Linda Trask won the contest with a guess of 25 red and 150 green.

The actual count was 16 red 229 green. Thanks to the Alexanders and Sister Cox for the official count.

We had fun that night and the kids planted peanuts and pumpkins. They made signs to mark their plantings.

PEANUTS, PUMPKINS and POPSICLE PARTY

That's what  in store for your family this Wednesday evening, June 15th, at 'The Garden' from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.  The children will be planting  peanuts and pumpkins, and cooling off with popsicle treats. Parents and youth will help prepare the ground for our excited little gardners, and will vie for the priviledge of picking the first ripe tomato, and bell pepper or chili pepper from the 

"The Garden".

The family that guesses the number of ripening tomatoes in the rows  gets first choice to pick.  (My guess is 103.  What do you think?) The cucumbers are blooming...  the squash is strutting its stuff...  beans are growing... weeds are dying!

The Corn is Coming



HELP WANTED!!

 

Get Ready for some Squash



We need some help turning over the soil where the children will be planting.  If you can come ahead anytime and help us, just go on down to 'The Garden".  The short rows are tagged with a red flag on the  north fence.  Spade on both sides of the furrow (small trench) from the existing plants northward to the fence.

 

Everything is greowing and looking good.

Thanks to Mike Alexander for the sturdy tool table and Dave Mortensen for the construction  It is so nice to have all the equipment organized.  Please return the hand spades that are missing.

Don't Worry, I have fixed it so they don't slide as bad now

Other Needs 

Also needed are pieces of 1/2" rebar about 14-18" long.  We are going to use sunscreening over PVC hoops to protect the tomatoes from sunscorch.  The PVC will slip down over the rebar stakes in the ground.  The sunscreening is now covering the compost pile.  Does anyone have old, scrap tarp that we could use to cover the compost pile, and protect it from blowing away?  (Call Bill or Ada 673-2663)

Important Notice

The electric fence is NOT operating yet.  We haven't had a varmint problem, but expect night visitors as soon as the produce
gets tasty.  Come this evening to learn how the electric fence works so you can EASILY AND SAFELY turn it off before entering.

Saturday Work Day

Saturday was another FUN day at "The Garden", the sky was blue and the weather was as perfect as it could be.

Corry Jones had his Grandkids over teaching them how to work, or were they teaching him?
    

 Reid Pope Team 
fertilized the tomatoes and peppers.

.Brother and Sister Roper and Brother Hanson took good care of the melon row.  Mike Alexander and his crew of farmers were busy weeding.

 Teria worked on our row while I took pictures and helped hang the new gates.

 And the Harr kids got the first harvest out of "The Children's Garden"

Because of the Holiday there won't be an official work day. But feel free to come and enjoy the outdoors and play in the dirt. It is GREAT therapy and it gets you off the "couch"

A Call For Help

Gardeners of all ages are enjoying "THE GARDEN" !  The Mike Alexander family have dug weeds and planted. Now, 7 year old Parker is our youngest (and THE BEST) irrigator.  He can set the siphon tube in one  easy and perfect move, and gets a strong, continual flow of water.  He even helps Bill Cox clean out the plugged tubes and restarts them on his own.

Anyone wanting personal instruction on how to irrigate with siphon tubes will find Parker at "THE GARDEN" with his boots on almost every Monday and Thursday afternoon around 4-5 pm .  Let an expert show you the tricks of the trade!!!

 

The squash, melons, corn, cucumbers and beans are about 3" high.  

'Time to fertilize the tomatoes and peppers.  We will work in THE GARDEN and on the fence on Saturday morning, May 21st,  from 9-11 am.  If you would like to come at another time/day just go on over and DIG up the bermuda that is growing between the rows (put all bermuda roots into the white buckets), or call the Cox's at 673-2663.

The Fruits of Our Labor are Coming

Sister Matthews points out some of the tomatoes that have started growing. the beans and squash are coming along nicely also. The corn is as high as a baby elephants ear and looking good. The peppers are doing good and we have one little bell pepper.

Br. Cox finally got a little help with his irrigating and I mean little in the size of the helper and not in the help. Sister Cox says he has been a big help getting the irrigating done. Parker Alexander has taken to the siphon tubes like a duck to water. But we all know how boys and water gravitate together.

The weeds in the garden are being pretty well taken care of. Crystal Smith is taking care of her row. Don't forget yours, and your neighbors if you have time I know someone has been helping me out. Thanks.



Seeds are POPPING!!

THE GARDEN IS LOOKING GREAT !!!

Seeds are popping up all over 'THE GARDEN' ... beans, cucumbers, squash, casabas, radish, cantaloupe, onions, and more!  The tomatoes and peppers look good.  We have a few more melon and bean seed to plant, and a lot of hoeing to do,

 

If you would like to help with these projects please come this Saturday morning, May 7th,  from 8-10:00 am.  If another time is more convenient for your family to work call Bill and Ada Cox (673-2663) and they will meet you at 'THE GARDEN' anytime.

We Got Green, and its not all Weeds



How many of these can you name?

We got peppers and more tomatoes planted this morning. 10 people came to help. The remainder of the squash is in. Another row was cleaned free of bermuda. And the best news Seedlings are coming up.

We have told folks that they could return to plant more on Wednesday evening, but we have learned the our daughter's family is coming to visit us that day.  They do not come often we will not be at 'THE GARDEN'  on Wednesday?  
We can help anyone with planting this week at these times:
Thursday from 6-8 pm,
Friday morning from 9-11 am.
Saturday  from 6-8 pm.



The White Cap Ladies
When is Spring Coming

 We will hope to have all planting completed by then.  We have had a request to try some potatoes in the sandy soil,  So, anyone desiring to see how to plant seed potatoes can come at those times.

We got worried about the cold weather and decide to cover the tomatoes and peppers and the cantalope the Hanson's planted just to be on the safe side of Mother Nature.

     Quiz
Left          Peppers
Top          Beans
Right        Tomatoes
Bottom    Cucumbers
Center     Radishes
Center     Lettuce

"We Are Sowing"

Saturday proved a great day for planting not too hot and the ground was just right for working.

Ada helped Mary Eames and Madison plant tomatoes.

Debbie Jamison was working hard in the childrens garden. Her pole bean tent had blown over and had to be rebuilt. I for one can hardly wait to see beans all over it. David worked a good piece of ground for some early corn.

Terry and Judy Hanson worked hard to put in the watermelons. Dave and Teria got most of the squash planted. Many others have also been there to plant. Everything is coming together. If you haven't been down in awhile you need to go by.

Ask Ada how you can help if you have time and Bill could really use some help with the watering on Mondays and Thursdays.

"The Garden"ing Begins

Thanks for all the help last Saturday.




Great Fun Had by All

 

25 families turned out to pull out bermuda, fence, shovel and plant last Saturday.  The hopes are high that the cucumber, melon, and beans that they planted will sprout right away in the composted soil.

The fence went up lickety-split with Brothers Harr and Plumb directing their sons, and Luke Carter working his hardest.



Fencing? I thought that we were going to have a sword fight.



Leo Peterson's wheelbarrows got lots of use.

Debbie Jamison and Jessica put up this teepee at midnight so it would be ready for the children's garden on Saturday morning.

Neighbors David and Kathy joined in the digging... and even offered to come back to help more!



Save the Date!

Blessing of The Garden Saturday May 16th @ 8:00 AM

Come prepared to have fun, work, set up a fence, and possibly plant.

11 yr old scouts at work/play

The 11 year old Scouts worked diligently digging bermuda out of 'THE GARDEN' last Tuesday evening with their leader Nick Theodore.
They cleared an entire row of grass and received ice cream as a reward. As the first unit to volunteer to dig, they will receive coupons during the dedication on Saturday morning entitling them to pick the first melons to be harvested this summer.

Leo Peterson built a bridge over the drain ditch for our wheelbarrows and distributed mounds of compost earlier in the day.

Debbie Jamison has great plans for the CHILDREN'S GARDEN!! A giant teepee covered with pole beans and surrounded with veggies and flowers is the center point. It will be big enough for several children to play inside together (and eat the hanging beans). Children are asked to come Saturday morning ready to 'work' in their garden bringing:

1) hand spades
2) small buckets
3) wearing old shoes, sun hats and gloves.

All families are urged to come Saturday at 8:00 am for the dedication of 'THE GARDEN' and stay to help fence, compost, fertilize...and dig out bermuda. Hopefully we will be able to plant some seeds. Please hold your transplants for a few more days until the last of the cool
weather passes.

You can bring your family scarecrows on tall, strong poles to mark rows if you wish.

Too Wet to Work!

"The Garden" is Ready

The Time has Come

Mark your calendars for April 9th
Come for the blessing of
"The Garden"
and another FUN work day.

The furrows are in and some are being weeded (if you haven't started, it is time). Ada Cox has marked out the rows. We are about ready to start planting. Next week the fence will go in and we will finish marking out where the plants will go. Be sure to come for the blessing and to find out more about planting the next week.

Getting Ready



I don't get it. It was such a good plan



I really am helping.

On Friday several gardeners made a new dam for the "Ditch" Leo Peterson brought his cement mixer and Ryan Tyler, Alan Trask and I provided the muscle and Bill Cox was the mastermind of the project. We now have a nice way to stop the water for irrigation.

Stake Out Your Claim

Here is the plan for "The Garden". We would like everyone to stake their claim as to which row they would like to take care of.
The plan is to meet April 9th for a big work day to bless "The Garden" then compost and fertilize  and put up the fence. Before then, once you have decided what row you want it would be good to go down and dig out any Bermuda Grass that you can before it starts to root. Most of the rows are dry enough to get into now and weeding is optimal.
On April 16th we will begin planting. More information to follow.
If you have questions contact Linda Trask (674-7557) or Ada Cox (673-2663)

The Water Begins

First water of the year. We will be planting soon and need to test "The Garden" to see how it will water. A few brave souls came to help and learn how to use a siphon tube.

Just like a bunch of kids playing in the mud. Leo Peterson, Debbie Jamison, Blaine Webber and Alan Trask pictured all pitched in to help. Bill Cox and Carroll Clement were also there to help out.

In the end it went pretty well, but it was alot of work. As you can see there are a few low places, but we should be ready to plant April 16th. Put it on your calendar to come and help.