Planting (end of preliminary work)
we finally step inside the gate and start cultivating new growth in the garden...
This step is not considered rehabilitation, because instead of replacing damaged structures, it involves creating new structures on top of the restored garden. This workday took two days and involved several different activities. On the first day, we removed the wood chips and broke apart the cardboard underneath to form four garden beds and laid seeds in each bed. On the second day, we finished forming and planting all the garden beds (20 in total). Later on, Alden also installed a hose system within the garden. With this last installment, all the preliminary work has been completed in the garden!
Garden Beds
To create the beds, we removed the wood chips just as we did for the pathway until the cardboard was revealed. The difference was that this time, we also removed the cardboard pieces that were within the section of the garden bed. Next, the soil that was revealed was broken up and compost was piled over it (thanks to Mark Stowell from physical plant for the compost!). The beds were then smoothed out with a hoe. (Not all of the steps are shown below; if you would like to see more details, check out our video.)
Planting
Planting looked different for each bed, depending on whether it was a seed or a young seedling being planted. After securing the seed/plant in the bed, we gave each bed an ample amount of water (the watering can was filled about 6 times for each bed).
Seeding:
Securing Seedlings
Watering
For the first day of planting, we had to manually fill up watering cans from the nearby faucet to water the beds. If you scroll below, you will see photos of a beautiful water hose system that Alden has set up for the garden, making the process much easier for the future.
Hose/Water System
