Last Thursday we put more gravel on the big north-south path, it is almost completely covered!

 Meanwhile the rest of the crew was getting the shorter entrance path dug to the right depth and covered with the landscape fabric:

Eventually the two paths met, and there was celebration!

The gravel pile is getting slowly smaller.

In the shed the coffee sacks are being cut and folded into piles ready to be laid down as weed barriers in the vegetable garden.

Thanks for the much needed snacks!

On January 30th about twenty enthusiastic master gardeners showed up to break ground on the new learning garden. They dug out most of the main path that goes through the garden from north to south.

Smiling gardeners

Plenty of work to go around

End of the first work day

They also built a shed within the shed so we can keep our stuff like shovels and pick-axes.

Handy Shed

The next work day was Feb 6, but we had a whole lot of this and the road to the garden was impassable.

Not since 2008

Last Thursday (Feb 13th) we met again to finish digging down the path to the required 5" - 6", put down landscape fabric, and pour on the gravel.

Using the straight pipe to measure the depth of the path

Laying down the landscape fabric

Now just have to get this mountain of gravel over to the path.

A full body workout waiting to happen

First wheelbarrow of gravel  - woohoo!

 Jack and Judy were working on the spiral herb garden which is nicely taking shape:

Spiral Herb Garden

The Urban Edibles garden (in the original map it is called Urban Flower/Veg garden) on the southeastern corner of the lot is designed by Sue. Here is what she says about it:

"The WCMGA Learning Garden at Jenkins Estate is a beautiful setting bordered by wooded area with

terrific views. This provides us with a unique opportunity to build a garden literally from the ground-up, while also providing a living classroom for visitors. 

The Urban Edibles Garden design focuses on interplanting of edible plants along with landscape plants while employing design principles. There is a growing interest from people who want to grow some of their own food. It allows us to appreciate the land, educate ourselves and our children about the wonders of nature and is very fulfilling. In urban areas where space is limited, or where residents want to retain landscape plants, edible landscaping is growing in popularity. Many edible plants produce delicious and nutritious food, and also make attractive landscape plants with their seasonal foliage changes, flowers, bark, fruit and branch structure. The Urban Edibles garden provides ideas for integration of food producing plants, such as berries, 

grapes, apples, persimmons, herbs, and seasonal vegetables, into an attractive landscape with year round interest, while using sustainable gardening practices. Plants are selected for proven success in our area using the principle---Right Plant—Right Place---Right Care. The planting plan is also an edible garden for wildlife such as pollinators, birds, insects, all important elements to the healthy garden ecosystem. Techniques for caring for Urban Edibles will be incorporated into activities at the garden, among them selecting and planting blueberries, training a columnar apple, building an espalier trellis and training an apple to espalier form, selecting, planting and pruning table grapes, and more. 

It is exciting times as we have just broken ground and starting to build the gravel pathways. Here is a detailed list of plants that we plan to include. Additional seasonal vegetables, greens, allium, herbs will be added."

Urban Edibles Garden Plan

Judy has designed the Spiral Herb garden at the west side of the plot:

Spiral Herb Garden

Marcia has designed the Flower Shrub garden on the southwest corner of the plot:

Flower/Shrub Garden