June 3rd, 2011 - It was the last day of school and what did I do? Went to go plant my seedlings of course! At around 11 a.m. after a treacherous chemistry final (don't worry, I passed), it was such a relief to be outside, enjoying the fresh summer air. Especially when you're completely relieved after the endless pressure of school. I felt like I could breathe again. Thankfully, Elawa Farm helped me revitalize.
At first, it was just Maia and I. We had lunch from Panera Bread (good stuff right there) at the park nearby. Maia gets sunburnt easily so we had to go back to her house so she could find the right apparel; good thing she lives close by to Elawa Farm. And let me just say, we found the perfect outfit for her (trying to hold in laughter). Sadly, I do not have a good picture to share, however I can tell you this: it was a mix between a farmer and an attempt to be a professional camper of some sort.
So, we both began working on the beds. The soil needed to be broken down so we had to use a spade to crunch the soil under the blistering sun. In addition, we had to lay out three wheelbarrows of compost onto the soil. After about two hours of that, we sat down beneath a shady tree enjoying the sips of warm water going down our parched throats. Then, (thank God) we saw three other girls entering the garden. It was Nina, Grace, and Amanda! They have come to save us all.
From left to right: Nina, Amanda (in her fancy workout clothes), me, Grace, and Maia (hiding her awesome outfit). Nina and Grace are the two that are showing off their amazing chem tie-dye for extra credit on their final exam. They look like twins! In fact, they are twins. Really, they are.
The picture above shows us five laying out the seedlings that are about to be planted. To plant seedlings, we simply had to dig a hold about 5 inches deeps or till the seedling's soil is completely buried within the soil. The only seedling we didn't plant was the mint because Mrs. Cartwright says that it's too invasive. In addition, we had to create a ditch around the seedlings that were about 1/4 inch deep because when it rained, the water would be collected within that ditch, going directly into the soil.
We also planted seeds within rows that were set about 1 foot apart from each other. We placed about three seeds in each hole in case the seeds failed to grow.
Grace and I analyzing the beds to make sure that plants have enough room to grow.
We were there till about 4 p.m. planting, seeding, and watering. It was a lot of physical labor work, not to mention the downright heat coming from the sun. But after a long day's work, I've never felt better. I felt that we accomplished a lot during those five hours, and my garden was actually going to grow! I was to leave the next day for my Dutch Exchange trip, so I wouldn't be able to tend the garden for two weeks. Thankfully, I received enormous help from Robert who watered my seedlings daily while I was gone. I also received a ton of help from Mrs. Cartwright who gave me advice on the seedlings and gardening from the very beginning; I honestly could not have done it without her. Thank you to all of you who have helped me begin the garden!
Of course as this long day of gardening marked the beginning of summer, what did we do next? We hit the library, played with animal puppets, and went home to watch Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World. You can't get nerdier than that.
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