Plans

Current needs for the garden

Maintenance

To my knowledge, there is no current maintenance of the garden.  At a minimum...

• Trash removal on a regular basis.
• Removal of invasive plants is a priority, including reed canary grass and willows (plus any other tree saplings other than oaks.
• Weeding
• Someone on summer duty to water if a drought occurs.

Involvement of students

I spoke with several teachers in the spring of 2023, and offered support by providing information (especially a list of plants).  This blog is part of that support.  With no current inclusion in the curriculum, the garden--a fabulous resource for students--is going to waste!

Install plants at the east end of the basin

An extension of the original basin to the east was done probably in early 2023.  Most likely it was done to eliminate continued flooding of the parking area nearby.  In addition, the soil removed was simply piled nearby.  Both the pile and the unvegetated basin are ugly..

Lawn mowers are damaging the garden

Mowing too close is eliminating some of its plants and reducing the size of the garden.  Solutions might be conferring with maintenance staff, or emplacing markers for the edge.

Signs

The current signs are great!  But they have water damage--this needs to be looked into.  Repair to prevent more damage, or replacement.

Weeding

Weeding is difficult for students who have little experience gardening.  A list of all desired species in the garden (with photos) is essential for everyone.  Ideally, the list would have photos of the plant as it emerges in spring, and the mature plant, plus a photo of the flower (and time of flowering).

Likewise, a list of the most troublesome weeds is needed.  A manual--possibly online--showing pictures of the common weeds of the garden is needed.  It should include tips on best removal practices.  For example:

• Burdock: Remove by cutting taproot (as deeply as possible) with a sharp shovel.  Later, watch for regrowth from the taproot--you may need to repeat digging it up several times.
• Dandelion: Cut taproot with a trowel or knife.  Similar to burdock, there might be regrowth, and need for a redo.
• Willows: Cut with loppers near the base, then dab some roundup on the stump, which is essential to prevent regrowth.
• Creeping Charlie: Use an old fork to find runners and pull them off the ground.  Then use your hand to follow the runner as far as you can and pull everything up.  Repeat.  (Probably creeping Charlie isn't worth the effort unless it is crowding out a valuable plant.) Best done early in the season.

I suspect the best way to involve students in weeding is to have each student be a specialist in one kind of weed.  Show them how to identify and then remove it.  Give each student a small container in which to place the weeds as they are removed.  You can check the container from time to time to make sure only weeds are being removed.  My favorite weeding tool is an old, dull paring knife.  I use it to cut the taproot, pry up the weed, or loosen the soil.