M.G.s & Interns,
Thanks to some good help last week we got a lot done but, of course, there’s still much to do as is always the case in any garden. A special thanks to Melissa and Judy Starr for working their magic on the herb bed; after weeding and cultivating the soil it has really been revived. The grounds were mowed by Bob Pittman who has become our ‘go to’ lawn guy as he has taken on the chore of cutting the grass every week this summer, and for this dedication there are not enough words of appreciation. He handles the zero turn radius mower with the precision of a surgeon; when finished, the garden looks as sharp and clean as the edges he hones on our knives and pruners. The blackberry canes were pruned with a ‘how to’ manual in one hand and clippers in the other as this was our first year to tackle this chore in the new berry bed and hopefully our efforts will result in another bountiful crop next spring.
This week we will begin pulling up some of the spent summer vegetables and prepping the beds for the fall planting which isn’t that far away. Also, the roses will be tended to as we begin giving them their mid season, light pruning. And Donna will continue plant propagation in earnest as she has over the last few months.
As you can see, there’s a lot going on with opportunities galore to expand your horticultural knowledge while giving some much needed help at the garden. Which brings me to the point: did you know that to fulfill your required 20 hours of garden time a year for annual re-certification you only need to spend 1 3/4 hours a month there? If everyone could give us less than two hours a month, our garden would look like Moody Gardens, well, close. As our mission statement says, the test garden is ‘ the hub of JCMG’ through which we educate not only ourselves, but the public as well. More and more visitors are coming out with questions about their own gardens, our organization and just to look around, so we really need for it to look it’s best year round; it’s the physical manifestation and reflection of our entire organization and reputation as “Master” gardeners. Recently, while working late one afternoon, I came upon a couple taking pictures around the garden, when I approached and asked if they had any questions they said: “yes, how can we get a job here?” They didn’t understand why I laughed, if only……
Even if the rains come as predicted, we’ll still be there – in the greenhouse, or under the shed or just standing out in it, enjoying the cooling drops.
The Garden Team