Each garden season as the fall college semester approaches, students participating in the University of Vermont TREK program arrive at the garden. The Garden at 485 Elm is so lucky to be a destination for TREK service volunteers! Several 485 Elm gardeners joined the UVM team for three hours packed with garden fun.
Team members harvested bolting lettuce, rescuing what was still edible and bringing the rest to the garden waste windrow, where it will break down and become nutritious compost to grow more crops.
Speaking of the garden waste windrow, the team turned over this heavy, weedy mound to suppress weeds and accelerate the breaking-down process.
Eventually, the windrow of garden waste will produce rich compost for growing more crops.
With careful handling, masses of grass give way to beautiful, delicious chives and sage.
Legumes such as these pole beans must be harvested constantly to keep them producing.
So many beans got harvested that even after team members and gardeners take all they can eat, there will be a lovely load of beans for the Montpelier Food Pantry.
We offered food to team members, and after gardeners take what they can use, the remaining bounty will go to the Montpelier Food Pantry.
This team turned over the earth in the weedy walkways between growing beds and spread woodchips over them to suppress weeds. In three hours, the garden looked lovingly tended and will remain so for some time.
