Still Growing

We got things in a little late this year, it was kind of a cool spring, but the plants have already moved beyond the initial growth stages. All the leaves are in and stems are starting to extend. This year we've planted tomatoes, corn, beans, beets, onions, cucumbers, cantaloupe and leeks. Hoping for a great summer!

As cool temperatures came into Provo over the weekend, we harvested the few remaining vegetables and cleaned out the planters.  In the end, we produced 473 lbs. of produce for the Utah Food Bank.  Though we were a ways off of last years total, we learned some things that we can do better next year to help us get closer to the 1000 lb. mark, including installing better soils and giving some of the plants more room to grow.

Thanks for all those who helped water and harvest this year and those who published stories (NPR, KSL), or mentioned the garden in other blogs, as this only helps to show that anyone can turn otherwise unused spaces into something that can help the community by just donating a couple hours of time each week.

A new year has come and new sprouts have emerged.  This year the gardeners have changed as staff changed, but the City Garden tradition will continue.

We started a variety of squash, carrots, potatoes and radish from seed along with a variety of tomato plants.  We hope to match last years total of donations by the summers end.

A Blossom in the Desert

I spotted this beauty poking through a crack in the City's parking garage. Our garden is directly above this. I imagine there was just enough water and sediment runoff coming from somewhere to make it sprout and the sun did the rest.

There's something about a flower growing in a harsh environment that makes you want to re-evaluate your position in nature.

Tomatoes

It was a record day for tomatoes (59.5 lbs) with 78lbs of food being donated overall. The squash and cucumbers are done producing and we probably won't get many more. Fortunately, potatoes and tomatoes are coming on strong.

An Update

Most of the picking takes place Thursday afternoon before the start of the weekend, and Monday morning before the week begins. We average around 25lbs. each harvest. Mostly cucumbers and squash so far, but tomatoes are starting to ripen and peppers and zucchini are getting bigger. Hopefully our daily yield will go up. 1000 lbs is still quite a bit off from where we are now, but who knows once the melons and pumpkins start coming in.

The Garden So Far

After what turned out to be a cool and wet spring, the garden is finally planted and flourishing. The hope this year, much like last year, is to be able to collect and donate at least 1,000 pounds of fresh vegetables to the Community Action Food Bank in Provo. With the current condition of our crops, we feel we may have a good chance in setting a new record.