How to Grow an Herb Garden on a Budget

Happy Wednesday! Today, I wandered the very small City Market South after work. A lady who grows in Madison County was having a 30-40% sale on her herbs and I simply couldn't pass it up. I snagged beautiful Tulsi Holy Basil, some little thyme, and a large lavender plant all for under $10.
Instead of purchasing pots from a plant and flower store, I went to my recycling bin and cut up milk jugs, adding the necessary drainage slits. Though it's likely this is only a temporary solution to my unpotted plants, it worked perfectly and if I weren't so aesthetically inclined I might just keep it. (the baby yellow color isn't so bad either)

Hello July!

• First eggplant harvest of the season
• Last broccoli head
• The garlic we cured a few weeks back looks awesome
• Prime time to pick green beans, squash, and cucumbers
• Picking raspberries is my absolute favorite
• The last of the collards are almost done
• Potatoes are fun to dig for
• The corn is taller than me
• 4 days spent in the garden is never enough / satisfactory 
• Last Wednesday, I learned the ins and outs of composting
• Last Friday, we watched an instructional video on the biointensive gardening method
• I also watched A Plate On The Table and concluded it was overrated

Week 6, 7

Evidently, gardening at the Lord's Acre is becoming so much of a routine now, I've forgotten to blog about it. In the last two weeks, we have:

• discussed good bugs VS. bad bugs
• read childrens' books
• harvested green onions, green beans, lots of carrots, and the last of the brassicas
• learned about common diseases and early/late tomato blights
• pruned tomato plants
• trellised and trained the bean plants
• harvested loads of red and white potatoes
• weeded the melon and eggplant
• made seed bombs and collected raspberries with the sprouts class
• somehow survived the hot, hot weather

Today we ended volunteer night with a last-minute potluck with eight or nine people. Our selection was far from normal, which included a dish from Transylvania, chicken and corn, pita and hummus, thin mints, fermented watermelon, peanuts, and pasta. Delicious no less.
I can't believe my time is more than / about half way over. I have learned to love the garden and all the hard work is takes to keep it so wonderfully beautiful and productive. I've come to love the people involved and the food it produces. And I know I will be sad to say goodbye come August.

Day 15

It's mind blowing to think I've been at the Lord's Acre for a mere month. I've reached that point where I'm comfortable explaining to a man why thistle can be composted, and to another how the drip irrigation works. Or perhaps to a beginner the benefits of square foot gardening. I can feel myself gaining strength inside and out.

Photo taken by Susan, TLA

Today we did a tiny harvest of cabbage and kale before planting. The beds were prepped last week so the surface had hardened and needed to be raked. We planted two rows of cow peas, green beans and yellow peas. With some extra time on our hands, we pruned the tomatoes, trellised cucumbers and weeded a few paths until it was time for class. The topic was Cover Crop & Gardening techniques.

Each of us had done our research on a specific crop and gardening method. Here are a few:

• African keyhole
• Hugelkultur
• Barley
• Buckwheat
• Lasagna gardening

This morning it was my turn to lead reflection. We talked about distractions, missing out on the present, and spontaneity.  Anyone who knows me well know how much I tend to imagine the future, but I'm actively trying to chase the present, rather than escape it.
You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present. — John Green

Week 4

June 1, 2015
Planted sweet potatoes, okra, and re-seeded the melon
June 3, 2015
Learned about field irrigation; put drip tape in four rows of potatoes, weeded the onion bed June 4, 2015
This morning's reflection was led by Danny. He shared his experiences from a monastery in Boston where he learned to chant, and so we tried it, too. I've never been one who practices meditation, so it was definitely out of my comfort zone. A good way to start the day.
I left Welcome Table with a superior feeling of community: laughing, teasing, and making faces. The radish harvest was especially sour today.
Along with the hands-on learning aspect of the internship, Susan, the executive director, organized a curriculum. We had our first class today, where we we prompted to describe how we would start a garden. We discussed problems we might face, surveying the land, testing the soil, preparing beds, etc. It made us realize how much we actually knew. Another reassuring moment was when a group of six Asheville Youth Mission counselors visited the garden. The interns were asked to share information we knew about the garden, supplementing the tour Susan gave. We talked about the design and impacts of contour beds, the importance of watering correctly, and crop rotation. I realized I have learned even more than I had thought. I know about soil composition, harvesting techniques, bed prep and more.
June 5, 2015
Today was our first sprouts class! We had 11 kids ages 3 to 8 and they were adorable. Some knew more than others, and a few were too shy to even say their name. We wandered the garden, tasting lettuce and smelling herbs. We talked about bugs and what vegetables we plant. It was the quickest an hour has ever passed. Beforehand, we gathered around as interns and garden staff to discuss crop rotation. This was interesting because it made it clear how much thought and planning is necessary to do it correctly AKA keep the nutrients in the soil.

Day 8, 9

• Wet feet are better than soggy sneakers. I learned very quickly that sometimes a hose leaks or a puddle seems to appear out of thin air and your shoes get wet, so I have opted for sandals. Most days, I wear my chacos in the garden, although it is at my own risk and is usually not recommended. Good work boots are your best bet, however they are hot and heavy so I avoid them at all costs. When it is cooler or I feel more comfortable in closed-toed shoes, I've designated an old pair of running shoes to play in the mud with. 
• Sugar snow peas are my favorite veggie to harvest. 
• Though it's past Memorial Day, I do not advise one to wear white to the garden. It will leave smeared with orange and red soil, dirty yet beautiful. 
• I find weeding extremely enjoyable. Some of the best conversations I've had (about rabbits, Christianity, and coal) have happened while tediously picking at a bed. 
• Three fourths of an acre is a lot more work than I could have ever imagined. 
• Before I started at TLA, I never paid any attention to how often it rains / how much, but the garden has thrived during these two damp days and that is really cool to see (especially the broccoli heads and sprouting squash we direct seeded last week)
• I'm having a really great time. 

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Day 6, 7

This morning we began a routine morning reflection. Every day, one of us is expected to share a quote, a poem, do yoga, or really anything we would like to act as a preface to the day. If it is a poem or quote, etc. we can talk through it, go off on tangents... in simple terms, reflect. (Imagine that, reflect at a morning reflection?) Today Susan shared a quote from The Little Prince. I've never read this book, but after looking up some more quotes, I've added it to my to-read list.

“If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea”

One can obviously see how it relates to working and teaching in the garden, and I find it to be very much the truth. If this internship was just another job, I can honestly say I wouldn't last a week. It's hard, physical labor outside which is not something I entirely enjoy. However, the knowledge I'm gaining from conversation and the internal growth that is happening makes it all worth it. It's very rewarding to harvest food and give it away (it's one reason the Share Market is my favorite). I get to see the food go someplace good and watch others appreciate what we are growing. Or the Welcome table, where the produce we nurtured is made into something truly delicious and everyone enjoys eating it! There is a passion needed to farm, and without it, I don't think I'd be here. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry writes, it's better to share your love and passion for something, so others can be moved to do as you do, than it is to assign tasks to make it happen.

Friday, we harvested two kinds of lettuce and a few other veggies to give to the G.O. kitchen. We took advantage of the beautiful overcast morning and did some work in the hoop house. We weeded and amended the beds, in which tomatoes and ginger were planted this morning. I spent much of morning watering corn, while more okra and corn were planted. Today, squash, lettuce, kale, and onions were watered, sweet snow peas were harvested, and the rest of the tomato beds were mulched.

Day 4, 5

Wednesday night was volunteer night! We encourage the public to come help up prepare beds, plant, and sometimes harvest. The turn-out was smaller than I expected, but then again I had no idea what to expect. We had lots of help no less! Sugar snap-peas were harvested, beds were dug and fertilized with composted manure, and the educational garden received some love as well.

Working at night was a different experience. The weather was much hotter, muggier, and the mosquitoes were out. It's fair to say I'd rather wake up early and work at 7 a.m. than 7 p.m. hehe. The executive director, Susan, says everyone is hungry for something and I love that. On Wednesday night, you could see it. Conversations flourished and it was awesome. There were some great people there! If you are ever in the area, drop by Joe Jenkins Road on Wednesday nights from 6-8p.m. and give us a hand.

Today was much like last Thursday, however, we had many more hands to help. We harvested lettuce, spinach, kale, rhubarb, and herbs. We washed and bundled and loaded the truck full of the free food and made our way to the Share Market and Welcome Table. A cook at the kitchen and garden volunteer donated a book called Carrots Love Tomatoes. It's all about plant companionship and using it in our best interests to keep the soil fertile and pest-free. I started grazing through it while at the market and have already learned a number of things (1. potato bugs don't like horseradish, 2. cabbageworms don't like thyme, and almonds are in the rose family— who knew!)

Almost done with the first full week of internship, maybe tomorrow I'll be ready to reflect.

Day 1, 2, 3

Last week I arrived at The Lord's Acre not knowing left from right (that hasn't changed) but I couldn't tell you how potatoes grow or how to harvest radishes, either and now I can, in addition to kale, spinach, lettuce and peas. Thursday, we planted tomatoes and on Friday, it was eggplant and watermelon. In most cases, the beds were proactively prepared, but when it was time to plant to melons, I learned to hoe, measure, and seed the bed.

Today, I met three other interns. We will all be working side by side at the garden this summer, and all come from different walks of life: UNC... Agriculture... Asheville... Divinity... City planning... Chapel Hill... Environmental Studies... New Jersey... Florida...Wake Forest and WPCC. More on that later.

Most of the morning was spent weeding cover crop, picking peas, and folding the Agribon row cover. Later, we took a field trip to Flying Cloud Farm, picked up donated plants, met the interns, and made our way back up the road. The day ended with talk of expectations, plans, and any questions.

I'll get better at the reflection part as the summer continues, but for now, that is all. 

12 Week Committment

Welcome to my intern blog— a space where I can share my toils and triumphs in the fields of The Lord's Acre. TLA is a non-profit garden on 3/4s of an acre in rural Fairview, NC. I will be working four days a week harvesting, planting, and collaborating with volunteers and other interns to distribute the tons of food to the surrounding community.

I have very little garden experience, limited to a day planting and mulching at a local community garden in Wilmington, NC. However, my love and appreciation for food security and education began several years ago when I worked at a kids' art camp at Vance Elementary. There, a school garden offers fresh produce and a place for curiosity to flourish. Watching the kids' eyes sparkle as they picked blueberries or found a green pepper ready for picking was so inspiring.

And so, I'm back in the garden two years later; a much larger garden, for a much longer period of time, but still doing the same: learning, growing, and sharing. Stay tuned.