New to gardening...

Now, I'm not sure that I mentioned this, but I am actually not a "gardener".  My parents and in-laws had gardens, my husband and I have done some container gardening (for the sole purpose of making salsa!), but I would never have claimed to be a gardener.  This has been a great learning experience for me and for all of us that haven't gardened much.  So, why a garden?  Good question!  We talked a lot about it, and prayed a lot about it.  It turns out that we ended up with the support of some people that really knew what they were doing!

If you are like me, and don't profess to have a green thumb, but you'd like to volunteer, we will hook you up with kind of a "garden mentor" to show you the ropes.  After being involved with this project, helping with the planting, weeding and praying for rain...I get it!  I see what all of you experienced gardeners get from this!  And I must say, I think this is almost better, knowing we are doing it for others.

Now here are some pictures I snapped on my phone the other night while helping this week's garden volunteers do a little weeding...

I think Chad is excited about his new knowledge about gardening as I am!  (Either that or he really likes potatoes!)

Add caption

The lettuce is beautiful...not sure what this heat is doing for it, though!  We'll see!

The summer squash is in full bloom!

This pepper looked so funny!  Who knew they would grow straight up!

Everything's coming up....vegetables! :)

 

View of the garden from the east end


I can't believe how well the garden is doing, despite hardly any rainfall!  I thought I would share some pictures and offer an opportunity to help with this wonderful mission project.  I sent out a request on the church Facebook page for garden watchers. I was hoping we would get families to sign up for a week of watching, weeding and harvesting.  So, to set a good example, I signed my family up for the first week!  An hour of weeding makes a big difference, as you can see in the picture.  (I weeded the radishes and carrots on the left side of the picture.)   

We have a beautiful garden growing with sweet corn,  4 different types of potatoes, onions, tomatoes, green beans, beets, carrots, lettuce, spinach, radishes, cucumbers, summer squash, eggplant, peppers and muscatine melons.  (I may have forgot a few things!)

Here are some pictures of how things are coming along:

 

The pepper plants are small but the peppers aren't!

Doc's pole beans

      I am amazed by the miracle that the tender leaves of a lettuce plant can push through dry, cracked ground!

Not sure, but I think this is where we spilled a variety of lettuce seeds!

Sweet Corn

Nice looking tomatoes, despite the dry weather!

A lot of potatoes!



And I found the most perfect radish!  (Have I told you how much I love radishes?)


Until next time, keep praying for rain!  If you'd like to help with the garden, just contact the church. 
Thank you!

First Harvest!

Radishes...who would have thought they could make a person so happy?!  I mean, I like radishes, but I have never been excited about them! 

These came out of the garden on June 12th.  Sharon, a regular garden helper showed up with them.  I divided them in two bunches and drove to Monroe to the food pantry.  (My husband later pointed out that I should organize deliveries since the trip cost more than the radishes were worth, but after I explained how excited I was about the first harvest, he didn't say anything more!)  I have now put out a request for church or community members that regularly make that trip to be included on a call list for deliveries!  (By the way, Pastor Ann seemed as excited as I was!)

Welcome

With the help of a blogging friend, I've decided this would be a good way to keep those interested in our food pantry garden up-to-date.  First, a little history.  While working with a visioning committee at our church, Prairie City United Methodist Church, we were tossing around ideas of things that could bring our church family closer together.  Some felt we have experienced some "drifting apart" since the implementation of a second service.  One theme that continued coming up through our discussions was the fact that we are at our best when doing things that serve others.  A church we visited had a food pantry garden, and after a lot of talk and convincing we decided to give it a shot! 

We have a core group of garden tenders and many that have volunteered to help with the weeding and harvest as the season goes on.





Here are some pictures of the planting days....

Tools...I should've known they meant business when they showed up with the planter!

   

     

Seeds...

                

Workers!