Volunteers Prepare Garden for Winter at Annual Fall Work Party

On Sunday, November 17, over twenty students, parents, and members of the faculty and staff gathered to prepare the garden for the winter.

The biggest job was gathering up the nets, cages, and trellises that had been left behind after the fall harvest. Although this may seem like a simple task, the abundance of these various articles made it substantial, requiring the labor of many. However, the piles of nets were no match for the volunteers, who dissassembled them incredibly quickly and effectively, as can be seen in the before and after pictures below. A special thank you to Karen Clune, who somehow manged to squeeze all of this equipment into our tiny toolshed!

Another major accomplishement was the completion of a variety of jobs surrounding the compost system. Two old tumblers that had rusted through were broken down, but many of the parts were saved to be used in building new tumblers. Even the foundations (or legs, as we like to call them) of the old tumblers were saved and moved to more advantageous locations in anticipation of being used for new tumblers this spring. Of course, most of the tumblers are still in great condition, and several of those were emptied of their compost to be used once again. That compost was sifted and left in a tarp to fully mature over the winter. Lastly, a new tumbler was brought down from Collins House to make up for the two that had to be taken apart.

The third major task was the maintenance of the pollinator border, which had become overgrown with both herbs and weeds. A small but dedicated group cut down all the herbs which had spread too far, as well as weeding and top-dressing certain areas with compost. This work should ensure that all of our perennials survive the winter, but not grow out of control next year.

In addition to these major tasks, there many miscellaneous jobs to be done. The pond was cleaned of the water-filtering plants that had completely overgrown it, and the stalks of the jerusalem artichoke plants that grow around it were cut down. Our youngest volunteers took care of the bean harvest, that being the last non-herb that had been left unharvested.

Perhaps the most critically neccessary job at the work party was the grinding of leaves for our compost, as we had run out of leaves from last year to use as browns in the compost. Over a dozen bags of dry leaves, brought in by the volunteers, were grinded down into small pieces, ensuring rapid decomposition.

Although the work done is incredible and deeply appreciated, it is also impotant not to forget the “party” aspect of this event. For many of the volunteers, this was their first time in the garden, and the small work groups allowed them to really get to know some likeminded people. Furthermore, the lunch break provided the opportunity for socialization in larger groups, as well as some delicious food. With regard to the latter, we are exceptionally greatful to our new refreshments coordinator, Stacy Westreich, for providing an abundance of food and beverages.

To all those who could not make it to this work party, never fear! There will be two more this year: Saturday April 12 and Saturday May 10.