Weeds weeds everywhere!

With all the rains we've had, the weeds at the garden have grown through the mulch we initially laid down. Needless to say, they began to overrun the entrance. I learned a weeding trick from some fellow gardeners and put it to the test yesterday with the help of some volunteers.

First you water the weeds - Yes this seems counter intuitive, but trust me.

With the weeds damp, lay 8-10 layers of newspaper or pieces of cardboard (remember to remove the tape) over them. You can cut down the bigger weeds, but anything lower than 12" can just be pressed down. Place some mulch over the top to weigh it down. (We got this mulch free from Larry Rich of the Long Beach Sustainability Office)

After you have all the area with weeds covered, completely cover the newspaper with mulch. The newspaper will prevent the weeds from growing further, and will last for several months. The newspaper and the weeds will eventually decompose and become part of the mulch layer.




There you have it! A simple, easy, and organic way of weeding.

Thanks to Kim and Michael Stephens, fellow neighbor Glenna, and my wife for knocking this out!

Buy A Board - Help Us Build Planter Beds, One Board At A Time

We have started a fundraising campaign for the 5th Street Garden. Specifically, we are raising funds to start building the 14 raised planter beds so we can start growing produce for the neighborhood. The fundraising will be limited to February for now, and we hope to raise enough to sustain and grow the garden for the year ahead. We are so excited at how God is already moving there and are looking forward to really getting this going!

The "Buy A Board" campaign breaks up the cost of the planter beds to a single board cost. It takes 7 boards to build the planter beds at a total of $140.00. So, one board is $20.00. You can buy one board, 1/2 a board, a whole planter bed, or any amount you want to give. There will be cards and envelopes on the tables at each service. Simply fill out the card and place your donation in the envelope with the card and drop it in the collection box. If you are writing a check, make checks payable to "The Garden" and be sure you put "Community Garden" in the memo line.

If you don't go to the Garden Church you can mail in a check to ROCKHARBOR Church at 3080 Airway Ste 100, Costa Mesa,CA 92626. Just be sure to make checks payable to "The Garden" and put "Community Garden" in the memo line.

All donations are tax deductible.

Plans for the 5th Street Garden

This is the design we are using for the 5th Street Garden. With an original concept we had, the talented Ande Siler came up with the final design.

You can see the locations for the raised beds, the pathways, picnic area, gathering and teaching area, a natural habitat area, composting section, and some other ideas we have for the garden.

Things are picking up!

A lot has happened since our last update!

We have had over 70 volunteers from The Garden church and surrounding neighbors come out to 5 build days. During those build days we have installed over 80 ft. of fencing, landscaped the entire front entrance, and built a 3-bin compost system for the garden. Needless to say, it is already becoming a beacon of light for the neighborhood.

The next step is to build the raised garden beds so we can start growing produce! Here are some pictures of what we have been able to accomplish.

Before

Groundbreaking Ceremony

Trenching for the Irrigation

The Compost Bins

BBQ!

And we've only just begun!