The Healing Ground has donated 69 pounds of produce to BMAC! The majority of this has been zucchini which have been producing like mad in the past week. We have also harvested pickling cucumbers and banana peppers. The tomatoes are finally starting to blush and ripen. The cherry tomatoes were first to start and today I spotted a beefsteak that was showing some pink color. The carrots are still working their way to maturity and the corn’s tassels are starting to look brown.
This week The Healing Ground has seen many volunteers. Sometimes, more than five vets will come out to the garden! It is such a dramatic and fantastic shift. I am very pleased with the new participation. Some of the guys even got together a few days ago and made a scarecrow! He is doing his job well. Every now and then I will look around the garden and think I have company but it’s only the scarecrow.
Scarecrow keeping the garden safe
The Healing Ground has an article in the Walla Walla Union Bulletin today. It’s about the program and how it is working for the veterans. If you want to know more check out today’s issue of the Union Bulletin!
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Let’s start with an update from last week. The Healing Ground had a community opening last Friday. Members from the Agriculture Center of Excellence and Walla Walla Community College who contributed to the building of the garden were in attendance as were several VA employees who were interested in the garden. There was a short invocation and people were thanked for their support and help. We are hoping that this publicity will encourage more veterans in the community to take an interest in the garden.
The Healing Ground
Over the weekend with all the rain we had, the garden continues to grow at an outrageous pace. Today a few volunteers and I harvested 19 pounds of zucchini and 7 pickling cucumbers! The banana peppers and tomatoes are continuing to grow and ripen by the day. Bark was laid down last Thursday to outline a four foot path along the border of the garden and mulch will be added around the plants this week to retain soil moisture and prevent weeds.
Sometime this week or next I will be hosting a presentation about composting for any one who would like to attend. We are building a compost bin for the garden and the presentation will be a sort of side dish to the addition to the garden.
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The first vegetables to be harvested from the garden were two lovely zucchini squashes! This morning the squash blossoms were flaunting their buttery blooms for the world to see. While I was gently lifting the leaves to inspect the flowers, I noticed two large zucchinis poking out of the plants where thumb sized ones had been not a couple of days before.
Real live Zucchinis
Cucumbers continue to climb and pumpkins keep sprouting. The tomatoes are getting taller by the day and bearing many little tomatoes just waiting to be ripened by the sun. It is amazing to see the growth happen over just a few days! Even the acorn squash plants are beginning to show their baby fruit.
Future acorn squash
Within the next few weeks, a community opening of the garden will be held. The sign displaying the powerful name “The Healing Ground” will be hung and the garden will be officially welcomed to Walla Walla. Today, I had the privilege of hearing the story behind the name “The Healing Ground.” In the military the area called the Killing Ground is where military men or women on duty are in the most danger. Snipers and other dangers lay in wait for service people in the Killing Ground. However, in The Healing Ground, all is safe and sound. This garden will be dedicated to all veterans. Those who have sacrificed their lives for their country, those who are in need of help, and those who are now trying to return to there homes and continue their lives.
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The squash is coming out! Last Friday we had our first squash blossom and when I looked at the plant today there was a teeny green squash where the flower used to be. Another plant has a flower as well. I can’t wait to see more of the squash fruit on the plants. The cucumbers are starting to spread out and produce flowers as well. The little tendrils grab on to anything they can for support (including the surrounding weeds).
Teensy squash
The two pumpkin seedlings that popped up last week seem to be doing well. They are starting to develop much larger leaves. More should be showing up in the next few weeks. If all goes according to plan, that is. The tomatoes are really taking off! Some of the plants are so bushy that it’s hard to see where the cage around it is. They look green and healthy and are really showing off their fruit. Peppers seem to be lagging behind a bit but many of the plants have flowers and even fruit peaking out from behind the leaves.
Pumpkin plant
The carrots are morning the loss of their brothers and sisters but are enjoying their new, more roomy rows. By the end of this week we are hoping to put in the mulch and river rock and build the compost bin so we can start filling it up with all the garden goodies we can find!
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