Compost Harvest, Log-a-thon, and much mulch more

Since the arrival of fall, we have been ratcheting up our maintenance and fervently working on four flower bed projects. Most of the trees on campus are mulched. Well, at least the ones we are going to mulch. Our winter vegetable gardens are thriving and now set up with pvc framing and plastic sheeting ready for frost protection. Today we removed the solar shade from the greenhouse. My horticulture class performed admirably.

Emery, Madison, Dariana, and Leydy are working on the bed with the most tenacious weed problem we confronted this semester.

Our composting project started in 2001. Many of the trees we initially planted now generate a couple of bins full. We have two sources for green materials. We keep a bucket in the Teacher's Lounge for their compostables, and add what my students generate. They are allowed to have fruit or vegetable snacks during class. Also, we accept bagged grass clippings and leaves

throughout the year. The drop off point is beside the yellow service road gates on the north side of the campus. This spring we were inundated by a generous donation from a local landscaping company, so we are asking you to limit your individual donations to 10 bags.

Also, we are replacing our worn out wooden pallet bins with sturdier (and spiffier!) bins made by Ronnie Scott's students right here on campus.

When I last visited Ernesto at his Medina nursery, he suggested adding compost to our potting mixture as we bump up our one gallon trees. About one forth of our harvest will go for the horticulture program, one fourth to our organic vegetable gardens, and the rest divided between the three new bed projects. After three days of "processing" our year's accumulation, we are still less than halfway done.

Thursday's log-a-thon was an exercise in teamwork.

Originally the cedar logs that Rodney Baker donated to the school were going to be used as fencing material for the Seedfolks Garden. After checking for underground utilities where the posts were goint to be set, we decided against that idea. A lot of the logs are now serving as borders for many of our recently made flower beds.

These logs are destined for Mrs. Fillman's Memorial Gardens...

... on the other side of campus.

How do you move a pile of old cedar logs?

One log at a time.

Until now the old garden hoses we had used to delineate the bed outlines during design and installation remained.

To shield the greenhouse from chilling north winds, students are creating two beds for evergreens. We often use native evergreens as windbreaks: cherry laurel, mountain laurel, evergreen sumac, yaupon holly, wax myrtle, crossvine, skeleton leaf goldeneye, and Texas sage

work commendably.

Another area where we are installing more wind taming evergreens is at the north entrance to the school.

Thomas breaks up the compacted soil with the highly coveted pickax.

As Thomas chops, he backs up making room for Chandler to spade over the slightly less compacted soil.

Sergio is a jack of all trades. Difficult jobs, often demanding precision, are his specialty.

Here he is trimming a cedar log for use as a border for the bed at the north entrance.

End of class. Time to return the tools.

Don't cross these guys.

Ah! Another fall day spent beautifying the campus,

working cooperatively,getting exercise,

and a healthy dose of nature.