MLK Day Success!

This year the Pea Patch hosted volunteers to celebrate MLK Day on January 17th. MLK Day is a national holiday dedicated as a day of community service; "A day ON not a day OFF." We invited volunteers to brave the January weather, don some work gloves, and help us get the garden ready for spring. Much to our delight, we had a great crew show up! Students from Port Townsend High School designed and built a mini greenhouse/big cold frame while Ellen and a a volunteer from the Food Co-op laid down sheet mulch and wood chips to expand the garden paths. The rain stopped just in time for our 10am start and it turned out to be a very pleasant day in the garden! If you missed out, we'll be starting regular work days in the next few months, so there will be ample opportunity to lend a hand!

Happy New Year from a Frozen Garden

That's right. The ground is frozen, and has been for the past few days. The garden is about as lifeless as can be in the first few days of the new year, but nevertheless, it's time to start thinkging ahead and planning for springtime.

This week I sent out plot renewal forms to our current gardeners, who can choose to sign up for another year of growing in the Pea Patch or not. This year there is also the option of choosing a half plot. While it may not sound like much, half of a plot (5'x10')is the perfect amount of space for a little kitchen garden, and plenty of room for herbs, greens, and other green goodness. If tending a whole plot seems like too much to swallow, team up with a friend and split it! By late February, the remaining plots will be opened up to new gardeners, which is also exciting. It'll be fun to invite some new faces, energy, and experiences into our little garden! We'll have an initial meeting to make sure everyone gets introduced with eachother and with the ins and outs of the garden.

If you just can't wait to get your hands dirty, PLEASE come out and help on the first work day of this year! To celebrate MLK Day, the Pea Patch is hosting a group of community volunteers on January 17th from 10-2. The volunteers will help with projects like clearing some space for a picnic area, laying out some new paths, harvesting the last of the beets for the food bank, and painting a few new signs. Hot drinks will be provided, but please dress for the weather! Hope to see you there!