By Craig Floyd, Garden Manager
It’s been busy at the Giving Garden at Coogan Farm!
Thanks to a generous donation from The Eastern Connecticut Community Garden Association, we purchased our first static Rimol 30 x 72 greenhouse.
Plans are in place for the addition of two moveable “High Tunnels” in 2016 and a permanent “woodchuck proof” fence.
The 2-acre garden area is being cleared of all brush and trees.
Bio-intensive gardening techniques will be incorporated when reestablishing the garden beds.
Rectangular beds will replace the circular layout to increase the available square footage of plantable area.
Bio char will be mixed with our seaweed in the compost piles.
A newly revamped 38-foot box truck will be used to transport harvest in 2015.
About 60% of our beds will be planted in cover crops.
Composting will be a daily task.
Dung beetles and other Beneficials will be introduced to our compost piles.
In the next few months we will need lots of volunteer help to:
- Construct the greenhouse.
- Sift the dirt.
- Remove the stones.
- Lay out and develop the 200+ beds.
- Install drip irrigation.
- Plant and maintain the garden.
Year-round gardening seminars are in the planning stages including a “Sow Don’t Mow” series on how to replace your lawn with a garden. We will have children’s programs as well.
Bee hives are coming in 2015.
A new online PDF form has been established for those who wish to sponsor or donate to the garden. You can find it here.