Update on Our Community Garden!
Last Saturday with the help of Jeff and Joan Bryden, Jan Baxter’s grandson Brian, Scott Kirschler, Brian Voye, our great neighbors, Chuck Sudvary and Dennis Lee, and Bruce Fox of Fox Excavation 5 trees (called popcorn trees and classified as an invasive, nuisance tree) were taken down, their stumps and roots taken out and piled in a line on the 10th Avenue side of the south lot. Bruce Fox did the lion’s share of the work with his equipment. This made the job much easier and far quicker. By Wednesday afternoon all the limbs, stumps and other debris were picked by the city. The big tree nearest 10th Avenue remains.
On Thursday morning Jeff Bryden and his neighbor picked up 3 Brogdon Avocado trees which were planted in Doug Dukes memory. These are avocados that you can not buy in the stores because they do no ship well. The season for these is July through September. It will be a season or two before these bear fruit but when it does happen, they will be delicious. We will also be getting 3 or more avocado trees that yield their fruit into December. This will give us a longer harvesting season for avocados.
In addition to the avocado trees, we will be planting mango trees and some papayas (from seeds). We will also be planting some Meyer lemon trees and Naval orange trees in the containers that our avocado and mango trees came in. (We will be doing this to make them less susceptible to the things that kill citrus trees and easier to dispose of if they become infected). Our friend Mack from the Agricultural Extension Service is an incredibly helpful resource person and a joy to work with.
We will also be working on a gazebo with a picnic table for rest and fellowship on the north side of the garden. The next thing we will be doing is getting the required fence installed. There will also be a tool shed within the garden. There will be a composting area outside of the garden. Of course, there will be plots for gardens and educational classes and more. We have been working with Mack for nearly 2 years. What I am sharing is just an introduction. I expect this community garden will be much like our thrift store as a vital outreach to our community and an entry point into the life of our church.
Grace and Peace, John