Week 1: Getting Reacquainted

Monday, 3/28

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Stepping back into the herb garden this quarter gave me quite a lot of energy and excitement for what is to come. So much spring growth was already popping up, it felt like a breath of fresh air to finally be able to see and identify all of the herbs present within the garden. While much of the focus today was on the community garden plots, my mind was spinning with inspiration and ideas of what I would like to accomplish within the herb garden during this spring quarter. I have listed some of my personal goals below.

Herb Garden Goals, Spring 2022:

• Identify all herbs present
• Update/create new garden map
• Replace the lavender plant
• Fix the irrigation system
• Lots of weeding!
• Addition of hops to the arbor?

While I would love to plant new things that inspire me, I think the bigger priority this quarter is to fully identify and map out which herbs are where and what is no longer present in the garden. This will provide the framework for future quarters so that new plants can be added without the worry of duplicates or taking over occupied space. That being said, the one big planting priority for the quarter is to replace the lavender plant that was accidentally taken out in the fall. I have taken personal responsibility to see this replacement through by the end of this spring.

My other priority for the quarter is to replace the busted irrigation system. Throughout the past two quarters, we have been tearing out pieces of the old system, and in my head the entire time, I have been wanting to replace it before summer comes. This project will require a bit more planning with Beth’s help but I am hopeful that it can get done through multiple work sessions if needed!

A final goal, as always, is just to weed, weed, weed. It’s not the most fun task, but it’s not going away any time soon, and I actually find it sort of meditative once I get into the rhythm of it. I want the herb garden to be in the best shape possible before spring quarter ends, and weeding just has to be a part of the work if that is going to happen.

I know my goals aren’t the grandest for the herb garden, but I personally view my management role as supporting the garden back to its original splendor after going unmanaged for so long. And in my mind, that means I need to focus on the garden basics before I can get into the more fun tasks of working with the herbs outside of the garden. I do not wish to take until I have given my support to these plants to the best of my ability. I am hopeful that by the end of spring quarter, I will have done just that.

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Wednesday, 3/30

During farm volunteer hours, Sarah Dyer and I led a small group of volunteers on a quick farm tour before getting to work on weeding a section of a high tunnel to support Beth and the 2022 Practice of Organic Farming students. We were not expecting a large group as these volunteer hours had not been advertised widely yet, but we finished weeding one entire side of the high tunnel before calling it a successful day.