A Tale of Two Bridges
I did a walk-through of Augusta Park on Saturday just before the end of another halcyon day of unseasonably mild weather. It’s a small park but it now boasts two new iron bridges over the raging torrents of the creek that runs through it! Residents of Augusta Street and area are able to cut off nearly two minutes if they have any reason to take the route through the park to visit Finner Court and points north!!
A well-used Park
Another sign of the season was the boards that are now in place surrounding the new basketball court ready for cold weather and the creation of an outdoor rink. I had the opportunity to chat with a group of newcomers to the area that were very impressed with the recreational possibilities of the park as well as the gardening opportunities.
Putting the Garden to bed
The Neighbourhood Tomato Community Garden in Augusta Park is a mix of individual allotment plots and collaborative community plots (where we grow food primarily for our Food Bank). It is expected that gardeners with individual beds will also join in and help with the collaborative community gardens.
There was not a whole lot going on Saturday. The collaborative beds have been harvested, the garlic has been planted, some of the beds have been covered with straw, some of the boxes have been doubled up to create 16 inch high beds and three 24 inch high boxes have been moved from another location. The 16-inch high beds have eight-inch wide sides so will be perfect for gardeners who need to sit while gardening; the 24-inch high boxes are perfect for those in wheelchairs.
I generally wait until the ground is frozen or until just before a substantial snowfall to apply a layer of straw mulch so as to not encourage mice to homestead in the garden.
Mother Nature has made an abrupt shift to much more seasonable weather. I like to believe that it is that time of year when tired gardeners need to put their feet up in front of a roaring wood fire, peruse gardening books and catalogues and dream of next year’s garden. But please retailers – it is still far too early for Christmas music!!
