Saturday was a Success!

After a meeting Friday night to discuss a variety of details related to the Baldwin Lake garden, Saturday proved to be a great success in getting things built. We were blessed with some incredible weather (unseasonably warm for December) and had a great turnout and got a lot accomplished.

We now have 8 completed beds that are staked in the ground and 2 of our 3 compost bins in place as well as some of the other donated lumber that has been precut for more boxes and just needs assembly. We also were able to spread some hay from bails that were donated by Stalcup Landscaping here in Big Bear. Thanks Kent and Linda!

Thanks to landowner Larry Winslow for donating the land and much of the initial lumber we needed to get started, and helping us to make this a reality!

Progress Report 12-8-10

John and Bob worked all afternoon with me again today and we were able to get a third bed built and laid in place as well as cut a bunch of material to start the building of our compost bins.

Tomorrow will be spent on other things, but we will be resuming work on the garden this Friday and Saturday will be the full day push. The high temperatures will be in the 60's and lots of sunshine, so we are pushing to get as much done as possible before the next snowfall.

Come out and give us a hand on Saturday!

Progress! The first 2 beds are in the ground!

Well, we finally have some visible progress.

John came by this afternoon as well as Kayleigh's dad Bob Jahn and Larry and Janie Howitt came by too which allowed us to complete the first two beds and get them put in the ground and staked.

We nailed chicken wire to the bottoms as you can see in the pictures, ground squirrels and gophers are a major problem in Baldwin Lake so precautions were needed.

Saturday is the first big workday push, so anyone that can is invited to come out for a full day of working, hanging out and cheap jokes...

Phase 1 has begun!

Yesterday John and I were able to stake out the first phase of the garden, and stacked a large pile of lumber that was donated to us to build our first garden boxes.

Phase 1 will be the first section of the property developed and will include the first compost bins. We have been given permission to use the full section of land (which is roughly the size of a football field!) but have decided to approach it in phases.

This afternoon John and I will be working on building the first boxes and will be joined by Larry Howitt.

The weather is looking good this week, and we are planning on having a full workday on Saturday to get the rest of the first beds made and in place. Anyone who has the desire and the time, come on by on Saturday (if you have any tools for building the boxes feel free to bring those too.)

I will post pics soon of the progress...

Composting

One of the first things we plan to put in place is our first compost bin. I have been doing some research on how to compost and came across this list of what to compost and what not to compost. You can read more on the subject at the EPA website by clicking here.

Here's what you DO want to compost:

• Animal ( cow or horse) manure

• Cardboard rolls

• Clean paper

• Coffee grounds and filters

• Cotton rags

• Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint

• Eggshells

• Fireplace ashes

• Fruits and vegetables

• Grass clippings

• Hair and fur

• Hay and straw

• Houseplants

• Leaves

• Nut shells

• Sawdust

• Shredded newspaper

• Tea bags

• Wood chips

• Wool rags

• Yard trimmings

What Not to Compost - The OUT List

Leave Out/Reason Why

• Black walnut tree leaves or twigs

Releases substances that might be harmful to plants

• Coal or charcoal ash

Might contain substances harmful to plants

• Dairy products (e.g., butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt) and eggs

Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies

• Diseased or insect-ridden plants

Diseases or insects might survive and be transferred back to other plants

• Fats, grease, lard, or oils

Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies

• Meat or fish bones and scraps

Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies

• Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter)

Might contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, and viruses harmful to humans

• Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides

Might kill beneficial composting organisms

Planting Zone

We are gearing up to get things organized and started with the garden.

I wanted to pass along that according to the USDA our growing hardiness zone is listed as

Zone 7 and Zone 8

Some nurseries on the West Coast use the "Sunset Climate Zone" for that we are listed as

Zone 2B

This is important information for determining the best type of seed as well as when to start planting etc.

Stay tuned, we're about to get the ball rolling...

Only 10 More Days 'til Fall

Well, Fall is upon us and will officially start on September 22nd this year.

We have lots happening in the planning stages for the garden, so the progress has mostly been on paper. Robert Manning is getting the same itch to actually break ground that I am, so we will probably start doing some preliminary planting soon, maybe a fruit tree here and there.

The land still needs to be measured and staked out which will probably be the next thing I do. If anyone would like to assist with that, just give me a call.

Hard to believe that its already fall...