Planting with 50 High School Volunteers

Every Spring one of our local high schools, Charyl Stockwell Preparatory Academy, sends a large group of students out for the day to help plant the Victory Garden.  This was the 3rd year I hosted this enthusiastic and productive group of young adults and their teachers. This year 57 volunteers descend upon the garden, and by 2:00 almost all my tasks were successfully completed.  With so many of them collectively working, weeds do not stand a chance, and those 150-foot rows are swiftly planted, labeled, and otherwise taken care of!

To my surprise, I found out that one of the favorite jobs is the very labor intensive laying down of carpeting in the walkways.  I always felt bad asking volunteers to do this job, because it is dirty (we reuse carpet from year to year) and sweaty.  Turns out, they could hardly wait to tackle that task!

The wind was really strong today, which meant the drip tape was blowing all over, and not staying in line.  So this year the group had some new and unique problem solving to tackle.  I always love to watch the kids figure out the best way to solve these problems, and listen to them work off of each others successes and failures.

 With a little guidance from me, and sharing of my past successes and failures, the group was able to lay out the landscape fabric and the drip tape with only minor issues from the strong wind.  I've never had the wind blow the drip tape around like that before.  This year is simply a learning experience for all of us!

By 2:30 the garden was looking so beautiful and lush!  I said my thanks, over and over, expressed my enjoyment in working with this group of young adults, and bid them all goodbye. 

They will, however, return in small groups all summer long to work on the row of beans their school adopts.  And for that I am grateful.  I love working with this group of kids.  They are fun AND hardworking.