Thank You - Garden Party success!
Friends:
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We did it again! Saturday, September 22, felt like
the best Garden Work Party yet! But that's only if you don't count our
pre-summer party on Saturday, June 2. Here's a report on both
days, with a big Thank You to all who attended, and all who intended, even from
afar. As you read June's list of accomplishments, you'll see how we built
on them this summer and this weekend.
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JUNE 2
Planted
:Â tomato seedlings, sunflower seeds, bayberry tree,
plus succulents in
Removed
:Â invasive fennel along path to bridge; bermuda
clump along the path (requiring the deftness of an archaeologist); various
interlopers in the
Harvested
:Â lavender, kale, fava beans, verbena
Built
:Â two tables on either side of the Shed
Extended:Â
irrigation lines to artichokes,
raspberries, etc.
Corrected
:Â timing on irrigation
Found and repaired
:Â the two-year leak!
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SEPTEMBER 22
Repaired
:Â the fence by the Riparian Zone
Staked:Â
tomatoes (remember how small they
were in June? They were tumbling all over until Gabriel and Jose
straightened them up.)
Made
: Â signs for entry gates, with bold letters and
welcoming words
Planned
:Â autumn seed plantings to be done by 6th
grade Science classes of Bob Olson-Brown
Removed
and covered
: Â bermuda grass at
Garden perimeter, in Riparian Zone
Spread
: Â wood chips (donated by DMS alumnus), especially
covering the now-pristine area around the fig tree
Diagnosed
and repaired
: Â irrigation system
Installed
: Â motion-sensitive light on wall
Harvested
:Â lavender, kale, pole beans (the very last),
tomatoes, raspberries
Admired
:Â the 6-foot-and-taller sunflowers, with multiple
blossoms still coming
Removed
:Â ailing squash leaves
Filled
:Â the worm bin with lots of leaf trimmings,
shredded to a fineness by a crew of five
Pruned
:Â the prolific shrubs in the
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THE NUMBERS
June 2:Â our team comprised 12 volunteers, half of
them from our beloved Harbor Rotary Club, putting in a total of approximately
37 hours.
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September 22:Â Harbor Rotary had other business this
month, but parents and teachers came in to make up the difference, with 20 volunteers
(including four students) putting in an estimated 43 hours.
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APPRECIATING OUR PROGRESS, AND DREAMING MORE
Did you notice how the work of previous groups laid the
base for the next group's efforts? We did not need to weed the
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We also have plans for beautifying the entry to the
campus, drawn up by landscape architect Don Blayney. Â Along with the
construction of the 8th grade Haven, we hope to begin work on this
section soon. All of these projects are being helped by a growing
number of sponsors and donors. Last school year, for example, San Rafael
Rotary (a sister group to Harbor Rotary) donated $500 for curricular materials
and garden equipment. These are now hard at work with the 6th
grade Science program.Â
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Do YOU have ideas? Let us know. Do you want
to help at our next Garden Work Party? We're zeroing in on a date:
Saturday, November 17, 9 am to 1 pm again. You could not pick a better
place to practice Earth Stewardship - right close to home, where our children
can thrive and learn.
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With love and appreciation,
Â
Stuart
Moody                             Â