Sumner Association of Neighbors (SAN)

We had another great turnout Saturday for our second Helensview community garden work party. Portland Community Gardens and Hands on Portland lured some of their resourceful garden ninjas. Even Portland city Commissioner Amanda Fritz joined us!

The raised beds will be avaliable for low-mobility gardeners to rent. The ‘cover crop’ is good for two reasons: One, it keeps the compost from running off during the winter rain. Two, the cover crop (beans, Kathy said, I thinkwinter pea and rye, per Holly) are rich in nitrogen and so they’ll enrich the soil when they get plowed under before the garden’s grand opening on March 9.

Caption: The ‘before’ group photo. That might look like nasty muck, but it is sweet compost for the garden plots.

Caption: Kathy, with Portland Community Gardens, demonstrating how to sow the seeds for cover crop

Caption: Sheree, Heather, Carrie, and John raking soil over the sown seeds

Caption: Nieghborhood garden ninjas John and Chris putting together one raised bed

Caption: Tanner, Brennan, Carrie, and Alec putting together the other raised bed

Caption: Getting a raised bed in place. (Do not try this at home: That thing was heavy.)

Caption: The ‘after’ group photo

Thanks to Laura and Kathy at Portland Community Gardens (PCG) for scheduling and running this event. Thanks to Holly and John at Hands on Portland for helping to coordinate the event & bringing in Brennan, Carrie and Alec. And thanks to all our awesome neighbors who volunteered under the threat of rain — John and Katherine, Erica, Tanner, Chris, Cort, Heather, Laura and Sheree!

Reminder: You can sign up today for a garden plot at Helensview community garden. Sign up now, but individual plots won’t be chosen until our grand opening and garden party on Saturday, March 9, 2013. PCG offers scholarship for gardeners who cannot afford the rental fee, so sign up and mark your calendar!