Showing posts with label Volunteer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Volunteer. Show all posts

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Great Day in the Garden

If you recall my last post I said the next two big projects are compost bins and weed control. I'm happy to report they have been completed.

May 14th Eagle Scout Alumni
The Eagle Scout Alumni built a four bin composting system for the garden. I was out of town that weekend so I don't have any photos of the Eagle Scouts at work but I do have a photo of the finished product. They are very sturdy and I can't wait to start making compost.

Click on the photo for a larger view.
They also installed hoops on the wooden beds. This will be great for extending the growing season and for keeping the critters out of the beds.


Thank you Eagle Scouts! You always do great work!


May 21st Symantec


The Weed Control Project. To give you a little background... A few months ago one of our volunteers (Sam) told me she mentioned the Haven Garden to a classmate (Debbie), telling her I was looking to put in a native walking garden. Debbie is the owner of Native Heart Landscapes and she volunteered her services to the Haven Garden. Debbie spent several hours with me in the garden listening to my idea's and wishes. From this conversation she created a wonderful design. As we talked about plants and the timing around installing the garden she pointed out we would need to do something about all the weeds. She suggested we use the cardboard and mulch method and so was born The Weed Control Project.

A group of volunteers from Symantec took on the project. They laid down lots and lots of cardboard and moved 15 yards of mulch. What a great group of people. I could hear them laughing and having fun while I was taking care of other things in that garden. They really worked hard! See for yourself...

Click on photos for a larger view


While most of the team was working on the weeds I had a few helpers plant tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, bush beans, hot pepper, sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, basil and marigolds.


This sweet young lady harvested sugar snap peas,
snow peas and spinach.









Not only did this team work hard but when Symantec heard what our wish was for this area of the garden they donated $5000.00 so we could install the native walking garden! I almost cried when I got the news.
Thank you Symantec!


 I hope to see you all in the garden again.

Symantec Volunteers

15 yards of mulch 6 inches deep on top of cardboard.
The beds are all planted....







 ...but one. This bed just two weeks ago was full of broccoli. Well not any more. Look at the photo and tell me why all the broccoli is gone...
 
Do you see it? If you guessed gofer you would be right.
When you garden you have to take the good with the bad. 

The fruit trees are full of fruit
It was a great day in the garden
Thank you again 
Eagle Scout Alumni and Symantec Volunteers

Next project
In the immortal words of Jean Paul Sartre,
 'Au revoir, gopher.'

Friday, April 22, 2011

Volunteers Part 2

Notre Dame High School
On April 2, 2011 two groups of Notre Dame High School students came out to the Haven garden to pick up some community service hours, The first group of young ladies worked from 9 to 11 pulling weeds from the orchard and one of the raised beds.

Pulling weeds around the plum trees

Nice job Ladies


Group 2 took over from 1 to 3. They pulled weeds out of the wood chips.


In the picnic area and...


...in one of the beds.


I hope to see you all in the garden again.



April 9th  Albert and a few of his friends stopped in for a few hours

That's one way to do it!

Cleaning out the rose beds and adding in some new mulch. 




Nice job guys. Thank you! See you again soon.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Volunteers Part 1

Congregation Kol Emeth
February 13, 2011

Rabbi Laurie Matzkin the Director of Lifelong Learning for Congregation Kol Emeth in Palo Alto came out to Haven Family House with a group of teens for their all-teen service learning day on Sunday February 13th.

They bought and planted some very lovely flower
 in the front garden. They look so beautiful
when you drive up to the site.

Once they were done planting the flowers the hard work
begun. Pulling weeds where a new pathway to the south
garden vegetable tables will be put in.


Great work team!

Thank you Rabbi Laurie and Team!
I really enjoyed working with you.


Stanford GSB
March 5 2011 

We had 15 students from the Stanford GSB help me in the garden for Volunteer Service Day

They cleaned out some old wood fiber mulch so we could add in some wood chips donated by Lyngso.

Cutting back  the weeds the garden was another big chore.

Pulling weeds so we could put n some weed cloth
and wood chips

YES! Power Tools!

Wood chip going in.

More weeding!

While the Stanford GSB were working hard in the garden a
few "local" residents helped me weed the raised beds...

...and plant some lettuce

Path to the south garden

More wood chips.

Making room.
Looks like fun!

Done!


Thank you Stanford GSB and Lyngso