Garden Party!

Greetings! My latest and most exciting news is that my health club has started a garden as of two weeks ago. We received some free seeds: beans, turnip greens, tomatoes, onions, corn, and more beans from a few different sources and began planting on an early Saturday morning. 15 students showed up the first weekend and we have met for 3 consecutive Saturdays since. We are attempting to use "permaculture" in which many crops are grown together such that the soil is enriched and there is no need to use fertilizer. The theory is that if you have "digger crops" like potatoes, carrots, onions, etc, that dig into the soil and break it up, it improves water infiltration. Other crops are "ground cover" and they help shield sunlight from directly hitting the crops like sweet potatoe vines or greens. Other crops like peanuts bring nitrogen to the soil for enrichment. Anyway, I am learning a lot but my favorite element of the garden is that the kids are doing everything themselves. They are very proud of the garden and take their work seriously. We have a "Garden Chairman" responsible for the overall management of the garden including the watering schedule and organizing Saturday work days. It has been a real, positive experience for me. We bring a radio out to the garden and the students dance and dig!! I mostly take photos and provide moral support! Enjoy the photos!