Monday, May 31, 2010

Day 13


It's funny how out of the groove I felt after being away from the Biostation for only two days! The garden is still here, and with thanks to Katie and Lenora it is still green and alive. In fact, the weeds are VERY alive and it was time to get the hoe out. I was pretty tired the whole day from a whirlwind weekend down state, but I managed to weed a couple beds and plant some sunflowers and morning glories. Tomorrow will be a more productive day I'm sure.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Day 10

Short day today, because in the afternoon I headed down state for a wedding on Sunday. I transplanted baby basil plants originally from Renee, in addition to seeding a couple beds with various greens and beans. Things are starting to look green, but so are the weeds. I'm sure I'll have lots to do when I get back on Monday!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Day 9


What an exciting day! This morning the Ethnobotany class came for the second time this week to hang out and plant in their section of the garden. Everyone was really helpful in hand-tilling the last section we didn't get to on Tuesday as well as hauling compost and making beds. Then there were three-sisters planting and the beginning of a medicine wheel. Scott sang a beautiful tobacco song and a whole bed was planted in the traditional tobacco plant. Also, I had some help tying in the last sections of the fence to the greenhouse and the garden is almost deer proof. It looks awesome!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Day 8


Today was long, hot, and very productive. I spent the early morning transplanting tomatoes in the greenhouse before it reached it's afternoon 110 degrees. Then at 10:30am Rich and Brad from maintenance showed up to help me put up the garden fence. We spent the next two hours tearing down an old research plot fence in order to resurrect it around the garden, only to continue right after lunch. I used a gas powered augur to drill holes for the posts, and by 4:30 we had all but one side of the garden fenced in with all our reused fencing used up. What a job! In the evening I had some great help from some eager volunteers, and we planted some beans and beets as well as worked in a bunch of compost to some newly tilled areas of the garden. The garden now looks much more official (ans smaller) with the fence, and things are really coming together. Also the first sprouting seeds in the ground popping up today. Yay!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Day 7


Wow! It was an awesome morning of tilling in the garden with the help of the whole ethnobotany class. With all that muscle, we were able to establish the ethnobotany plot, expand the production area of the garden, and begin working up the ground that is available for ecology classes to conduct experiments. In the ethnobotany plot, students were careful to dig around low bush blueberry, huckleberry, and blackberry plants and even managed to transplant some of those same species into the plot. Now all we need is a fence, hopefully happening tomorrow, and the garden will be in great shape! Not that it isn't already.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Day 6



Green onions galore! Planted almost 75 feet of green onions today, along with more peppers, lettuce, swiss chard, endives, and some beans. It was a very HOT day into the 90's, and the greenhouse was really cooking. Good to stay out of the sun in the heat of the day. Luckily there is a refreshing lake to cool off in! Also we now have a sweet white board at the entrance to the dining hall. A good way to keep up with the daily happenings in the garden and to get involved (says the pigeon)!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Day 5


Today the students for the spring semester arrived. All of a sudden the Biostation is a BUSY place! Lenora brought some neat plants she has been cultivating for some time, including strawberries and cherry tomatoes from a line she has been growing for five years!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Day 4


Finally getting busy planting in the garden! Planted three beds with an assortment of greens, root veggies, and seedlings. I will be trying different combinations of companion planting, pairing root crops with plants whose harvest is above ground. Plants are looking happy in the greenhouse, though it is getting HOT in there!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Day 3


Today I seeded some more things in the greenhouse, mainly flowers. Also started making beds in the NE corner of the garden where the soil has been worked up for previous gardens in the past. Planted the first bed with Pac Choi and Kohlrabi. Finally plants in the ground! A little rain in the evening is making the plants happy too.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Day 2


Today I bought some greenhouse supplies, mainly potting soil. Transplanted tomato and pepper plants and started some seeds in the greenhouse. Also pulled up a patch of sumac. Roots forever.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Day 1


Time to get started. Here's what the garden location looks like on day 1. Today I removed the old garden fence, pulled up aspen roots, ordered hand tools, and plotted out the expanded area that will become the garden. Hooray!