Good things growing at RoC Garden

The Roots of Change Community Garden has gone through some drastic changes in the past few weeks, changes which will enable more people to have a hand in the growth of our ever-expanding community green space!

A bobcat took the entire first layer off of our former “parking lot” so we could start planting and building new beds. What we discovered, however, was that the ground is not only pure clay, stubborn roots, and rock, but there was also a lot of glass and buried trash that need to be removed. We started struggling with the ground in order to plant our new native plant garden, which involved raking up all the trash and rocks, and then digging with a huge pick in order to break up the ground. Each hole was a struggle to dig, but in about three days, with help from a teen summer camp group, we planted, mulched, and watered all the plants. And so far they seem to be pretty happy! We also laid a path of decomposed granite, which really makes the garden look more like a garden!

Along with this big project, new vegetables were planted into the raised beds, such as chiles, beans, and squash, and we started rows of corn where bamboo had been ripped out of the ground. The new banana trees, which were planted to combat the bamboo looked as if they wouldn’t make it, but they’re slowly regaining their stature and growing more leaves. It looks like a jungle out there!

Next up : operation get a fence.

We could always use some more help. It’s a great place to get to know your neighbors and spend a little time outside!