Saturday - March 23, 2024

Thursday morning, I contacted the Community Garden manager to confirm that our plot was, indeed, ready to plant.  It was, yet it wasn't.

The digital agronomy students at our local technical school have been practicing their skills on this plot since last year.  They tested the soil, applied soil amendments, and plowed and tilled it.  They installed a drip irrigation system that will automatically water the garden three times a week.  They have mulched the paths between the plots.  The instructor said he wants them to till the soil one more time.  He said they hoped to do it that day, but for sure by Friday afternoon, and that he would call me, first thing, when it was done. He said I could go ahead and plant my peas if I wanted to, and they would work around it.  I did not want him to have to work around my plot (they're tilling with a tractor), so I said I'd wait until they were finished.   He has not called.  

It rained yesterday afternoon.  If he hasn't tilled, it will be another few days before he can do it; if he has tilled it, it will be another few days before it's dry enough to work.  And time's a-wasting for sweet peas, which prefer cooler temperatures.  I'm a little frustrated.  

My niece came by yesterday morning to dig some plants from my yard.  She has been an avid gardener for the past couple of years.  We dug up phlox, wild geraniums, and narcissus.  I don't envy her the job of re-planting everything.  She took two clumps of narcissus that probably contained 50 bulbs each.  I believe she intends to scatter them throughout an existing patch of naturalized daffodils rather than planting the whole clumps.  I did not offer to help with that.  ;)

As for my own garden, Nanny sent word that The Nephew has tilled it.  I will probably plant a few sweet peas and maybe some lettuce once the ground can be worked.

I say "probably" because it looks like my work duties may be about to pick up, and I won't be working from home as much.  I won't be able to work in the garden when I need a break from the computer screen and may have to scale back my plans.  

But I am kind of excited about this new project.  

We'll see.