Manna Meal

Charleston, WV

Flower

Garden updates

The garden has enjoyed two weeks of being tidied up, weeded and planted! It has taken several crews many man-hours to accomplish this but it really shows. Lettuce, spinach, onion have been harvested continuously with chard and a second planting of  greens growing. The garlic plants have scapes which are ready to harvest which mean that garlic bulbs aren’t too far behind. Flowers and herbs are looking great in the perennial beds. The beans beneath the trellis are about 1″ high and the peas are high on the fence line and still blooming. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplant were planted, as were flowers and sunflowers. The weather has been kind to our plants. The new lavender plants are taking root but flowers are being trimmed off so that strong root  systems will develop.

blue iris alongside the front gate

blue iris alongside the front gate

The iris and birdbath

The iris and birdbath

Peas in bloom

Peas in bloom

Foreground: the sage in bloom is like perfume

Foreground: the sage in bloom is like perfume

the lettuce and spinach ready to harvest

the lettuce and spinach ready to harvest

chives

chives

our mystery plant....we will just call it fireworks

our mystery plant….we will just call it fireworks

lilies ready to bloom

lilies ready to bloom

water hydrant for the new irrigation system

water hydrant for the new irrigation system

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garden Festival at The Culture Center

May 4, 2013 Garden Festival 013 The Garden Festival was well   attended this year. Manna Meal was situated beside the WVU Extension Service, Master Gardeners and KUAA [Kanawha Urban Ag Alliance]. Beth McClintock shared our table as she represented Capitol Conservation District. Judy Nottingham, Beth McClintock, Jean Simpson & Myra Dolan helped ‘woMAN’ the booth.

Gardening May 9 & 11

Onion in the raised bed

Onion in the raised bed

Volunteer gardeners worked two days this week. Saturday included a brief but thorough dowsing with rain. Growing rows were prepared and planted with kale and collard and other rows just prepped or weeded. Sweet potato was planted today and will be protected by row cover as needed. There was a harvest of onion, spinach and lettuce at the end of the workday. Chris & Amy Postlewait helped with the irrigation installation process and there is still a good bit to do to finish the job. Chris gave a lesson at the compost pile in how to be more efficient with our process. Gary Brown assisted with the irrigation work and the ladies weeded and harvested. Garden kitty was on hand to provide mischief. The crews: Gary Brown, Therese Cox, Chris and Amy Postlewait [they are to be married VERY soon!], Paul Schrecongost, Jim McVey, Jean Simpson, Myra and there was even a Tom Jett sighting today.

Chris, Amy, Gary, Therese, Jean receiving lesson in irrigation line installation

Chris, Amy, Gary, Therese, Jean receiving lesson in irrigation line installation

onion harvest

onion harvest

iris after the rain

iris after the rain

planting rows prepped are ready to plant

planting rows prepped are ready to plant

 

Processing the lettuce

Processing the lettuce

5-12 006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lettuce ready to harvest

lettuce ready to harvest

 

 

 

May 11, 2013 003

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lettuce

lettuce

 

iris

iris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

tulips going to seed

tulips going to seed

pansies after the rain

pansies after the rain

 

May 11, 2013 006

Lavender bed planted

We LOVE our MASTER GARDENER friends! Manna Meal was an honored MG project in 2012 & we have this trophy to prove it

We LOVE our MASTER GARDENER friends! Manna Meal was an honored MG project in 2012 & we have this trophy to prove it  

Today’s crew followed up & completed the work done by the last work party in prepping & PLANTING the new lavender garden–which is outside one of the lower deer fenced gardens. Over 50 Grosso variety lavender plants were installed today. We now have visions of the purple fields of Provence, France for our own garden. Weeding and composting also went forward with the following crew: Therese Cox, Tammy Walker, Paul Schrecongost, Robin O’Brien, Rachel Ward, Jean Simpson, Myra Dolan & garden kitty. Someone took a lot of pictures today too.

May 1, 2013 008

art in the garden-our very own tulips

new drip line

new drip line

weeding the fence line

weeding the fence line

Robin weeding the fence line at the perennial garden

Robin weeding the fence line at the perennial garden

ahh, pansies in springtime

ahh, pansies in springtime

snow peas grabbing the fence on their climb upward

snow peas grabbing the fence on their climb upward

lettuce is coming up!

lettuce is coming up!

how about scallions for lunch

how about scallions for lunch

more color to enjoy

more color to enjoy

white tulip beckons us

white tulip beckons us

cabbage plant left to go to seed--it's beautiful too

cabbage plant left to go to seed–it’s beautiful too

sigh

sigh

ready to stop working for the day

ready to stop working for the day

Paul carting off the last bin of weeds consigned to the farthest point of the property

Paul carting off the last bin of weeds consigned to the farthest point of the property

Goodnight tulips

Goodnight tulips

the garden will soon be buzzing with pollinators

the garden will soon be buzzing with pollinators

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A whole lotta work going on!

29 garden volunteers knocked out MANY manhours of work today!

29 garden volunteers knocked out MANY man-hours of work today!

Twenty-nine volunteers    came out to help today, Saturday, April 27, 2013. Some of the Ag staff from West Virginia State University and a crew from the South Charleston Rotary in addition to some of Manna Meal Garden’s long-time garden volunteers and families did an amazing amount of work. The new drip line was installed in two of the four gardens–requiring a lot of digging, placement and expert guidance–a day we dreamed of for the past four years came true today. The perennial bed was groomed, the future lavender bed staked out and composted, the lower garden was tilled, the lasagna garden was completely weeded and readied for planting, collards, spinach and lettuce were harvested and the ground beneath the newly woven bean trellis readied for planting. The crew: Gary Brown, Therese Cox, Amy Saunders and Chris Postalwait, John & Jan Powell, Paul Schrecongost, Jim McVey, Carrie Turley, Katie Shaffer, Rachel Ward, Ann Garcelon, Brandt Alten-Huber, Aurora Alten-Huber, Helen Alten and Tim Huber, Ro De Bias and Jody De Bias, Judy Nottingham, WVSU Staff, Lisa Williamson, Robert and Sheri Barney, John Bombardiere, Orlando McMeans, Jose U. Toledo, Gere Williamson, Telitha and Ami Snell,  & Jean Simpson.

Gary, Chris, Amy, Therese--unloading the cases of drip system parts

Gary, Chris, Amy, Therese–unloading the cases of drip system parts

'WVSU Cares Day' Staff Thanks to all!

‘WVSU Cares Day’ Staff
Thanks to all!

WVSU Staff

WVSU Staff

Robert and Orlando install drip line

Robert and Orlando install drip line

Amy Saunders

Amy Saunders

WVSU packing to leave

WVSU packing to leave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

South Charleston ROTARY- Jan, John Powell, Ro & Jody DeBias--THANKS TO ALL who helped.

South Charleston ROTARY- Jan, John Powell, Ro & Jody DeBias–THANKS TO ALL who helped.

who is this?

who is this?

toad house w/o toad. . .someone bring us a toad please

toad house w/o toad. . .someone bring us a toad please

Harvested greens....nearly 90 lbs of greens harvested already in 2013

Harvested greens….nearly 90 lbs of greens harvested already in 2013

the Alten-Huber crew Thanks to all

the Alten-Huber crew
Thanks to all

Today's raised bed....food among the flowers

Today’s raised bed….food among the flowers

spinach is spring

spinach in spring

more raised bed beauty

more raised bed beauty

Snow peas aren't exactly growing fast--maybe they need some snow

Snow peas aren’t exactly growing fast–maybe they need some snow