Hello all!

Today is a lovely day. The sun is out, it's a balmy 72 degrees in Gloucester, and I feel a sense of accomplishment that can only be described by these photographs of the bounty of food Lara, my garden participants, and I harvested yesterday from the Open Door garden.

 In The Open Door garden tending to the Rainbow Chard, Crinkly Kale, Brussel Sprouts and Arugula.

 A box-o-herbs we harvested yesterday, along with many greens, Radishes and Scallions.

I also think playing with bugs is important, so here's a photo of one of my garden participants at The Open Door (TOD) holding a large snail she found in the broccoli bed.

More to come,
Peas,

Grace Cherubino

Summer plants going in now!

Here's an example of interplanting: Rows of lettuce greens coming in around eggplant seedlings.

The tomato seedlings are in. Haven't had a chance to cage them yet.

Life on the precipice

Get these seedlings out of my driveway

The Backyard Growers Program has extra seedlings (mainly tomatoes, possibly tomatillos, peppers, eggplant, basil). 

• If you are a current Backyard Grower WHO HASN'T PICKED UP YET I will put your seedlings on the picnic table in the backyard for you to pick up whenever you want over the next couple of days. If I'm home I can give you seeds too--just knock on the door.

• All other current Backyard Growers or Garden Mentors please feel free to swing by, whenever, in the next couple of days to help yourself to extra seedlings as supplies last.

• If you are a past Backyard Grower and/or a friend of the Beacon Street Farm you are welcome to buy plants for $1 a piece. Proceeds support the Backyard Growers Program. Pay by the honor system by putting money in the jar, which will be on our landing by the side door. 

I may or may not be around so everything is self service! Extra plants will be composted and/or fed to the chickens on Friday!

The Beacon Street Farm (9 Beacon St.) is "pass at your own risk" - please watch your step! Also, please do not park anywhere near my neighbor's driveway (across from us on Wells Street).

I would like to say a great big "THANK YOU" to Lara and the BYG volunteers/staff for providing me with such a wonderful garden! I have learned so much from this program, and am so excited for the opportunity to create a really amazing garden. I never would have been able to afford all of this on my own, and I am truly grateful. I have already harvested my first bowl of spinach and a side salad's worth of lettuce! I can't believe that I am able to grow 3 types of tomatoes, peas, radishes, 2 types of onions, 2 types of lettuce, carrots, basil, kale, broccoli, spinach, melon (and soon cukes and green beans) all in my own side-yard. And I live on a busy main street with little yard to boot! Thank you so much! I hope to volunteer and give back to the program next year so that other family's can have the same opportunity. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

Ready? Set? Plant!

Tomorrow is the big day for Backyard Growers to pick up summer seeds and seedlings. The Beacon Street Farm has turned into a temporary garden center...

The Open Door Garden Project

Grace and I worked at The Open Door Garden Project today. Here are some pictures of the lovely bounty. 

Easter Egg Radish

Brassica cutting mix

Spinach bagged and ready for pick up

New spinach coming in

I'm sorry, but these are just beautiful

Red-veined Sorrel

Fried rice sounds good right now

I'm getting ready to pull these Asian greens to put in my watermelon seedlings....

Salad boxes up and running!

Bart and I built salad boxes today! Our garden is starting to come together.  Its been a hard transition to a tiny container garden, but we're beginning to understand that we'll actually be able to grow a decent amount of food even with such limited space.  I can't wait for the salad boxes to start to grow :)

Kids on the farm...

Friend of the Backyard Growers Program, John Rockwell, sent me this article on farm camps for kids - good read. No one get any funny ideas about the Beacon Street Farm starting a summer camp!!!

It's my way or the highway

Mother's Day was a fiasco, but at least I got to make this nifty path.