Row covers in a community garden

Beds in the Pearson Community Garden

There's an interesting community garden in our neighborhood in the mountains.  It's the Pearson Community Garden, supported by the Bountiful Cities Project, a local non-profit organization.

I've posted photos from this garden before; it's been fascinating to see what they're doing and how the garden changes.  I volunteered several times last summer on their regular Wednesday workday, and enjoyed talking with the much younger fellow volunteers, who were keen about learning how to grow vegetables.

But this year, I'm totally impressed (and encouraged) by the success that they've had with simple row covers in protecting winter greens. 

This was a hard winter for us in the Carolinas (in the Southeastern U.S.)  We had unusually COLD temperatures (for example, in Asheville, NC, lows were in the teens (F°) for weeks on end, and there was MUCH more snow than usual.)

Check out these greens! 

These were protected by simple hoops covered with plastic over the winter.  They're growing directly in soil.  Wow.

Pearson Garden rows and hoop house

Lettuces

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Close to a full moon

The view up through the trees was stunning.

It's close to the full moon -- it'll be full tomorrow night, on May 27th. I follow the moon cycles because of full moon hikes; I didn't used to follow them, but it's fun to track the changes and notice what's happening.

My (very much younger) fellow gardeners at the Pearson Community Garden seem to adhere to the planting by the moon cycle; hmm, as someone who's been 'trained' as a scientist, I just nod politely, and keep weeding and mulching.

The Pearson Community Garden is a lovely spot, at the end of Pearson Rd., in the far reaches of Montford, and is land that has been owned by non-profits (most recently by Bountiful Cities Project) for awhile (apparently through a donation of land), although I'm not sure about the details.

I've had fun the last two Wednesdays (the community work days) digging and weeding. I enjoy the physical activity associated with vegetable gardening, and away from my main vegetable garden beds, it's satisfying to dig in!

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