Cheryl Kirk Healing Gardens Project Log # 5 Due: 21 February 2007 Project Log to date: *Worked on pulling material out of existing compost bins and layering it with straw (3 hours) *Worked on 2 page compost handout to give rest of class (2 hours) *Worked on Compost 3-ring binder (1 hour) *Spent time in the LHG observing, listening, breathing, working on drawing small images of plants (3 hours) Project time this week: 9 hours Total project time to date: About 27 hours Healing Gardens Project Log # 4 Due: 14 February 2007 Project Log to date: *Got materials and started construction on a wood framed screen to use with finished compost. (2 hours) *Worked on Compost 3-ring binder (1 hour) *Spent time in the LHG on Thursday the 8th.. trying to overcome my block against drawing. (2 hours) *Spent time at the compost area on Monday working on pulling out more of the bulk material and layering it up in rows (2 hours) (I’m going to try and go back on Friday and do another couple of hours of work) Learning gained this week: What really comes to mind this week is the time I spent sitting in the gardens, listening, smelling, looking… trying to become friends with the plants so they would help me to draw them. Project time this week: 7 hours Total project time to date: About 18 hours
Cheryl Kirk
Healing Gardens
Project Log #3
Due: 7 February 2007
Project Log to date:
I have to be honest and let you know that all of my extra time this week was spent out on my own garden. This was the first time it has really been warm enough for me to get out there and work and the soil and plants called me.
*I laid out the outlines of new raised beds in the garden expansion I am putting in. I have been using my chickens in a "chicken tractor" to prepare the area, and now I've got the beds laid out & the bare soil covered with semi-rotted straw.
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Beds outlined in the new garden expansion
I also got all the panels put back in my small green house, and started caulking them into place. (The big windstorm had blown about half the panels out since they were just held in with wire clips) This is where I will be starting some of the seeds for my garden, and hardening off the plants before they go in the ground. |
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Small greenhouse
I also spent a lot of time just walking around petting and talking to my plants. They are starting to emerge from their winter sleep and it is a beautiful thing to see. The way I garden is that I don't "clean up" my garden in the fall. For the most part, I leave all the extra plant material in the garden, so it can rot in place and add natural fertilizer to the soil. I also believe that this helps to protect the soil from the harshness of the winter. In the spring, when I start to see new growth, that is when I will start to clean up the garden beds. |
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Wormwood |
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Valerian
My trees are starting to bud out also. This one is new this year, and she is currently my favorite. This is a contorted filbert: |
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Contorted filbert |
Cheryl Kirk
Healing Gardens
Project Log
Due: 31 January 2007
Project Log to date:
*Emailed Dylan requesting list of materials needed to build compost bin
*Bought notebook & tab dividers, started setting up Compost notebook
*Spent time Monday in the garden. Mostly looking at the different trees in the area. I’ve never really taken the time before to just look at the bark and branches of trees in the winter time.
*There are not really tools available to work with the compost area. We need a pitchfork & a screen for sifting the finished compost (at a minimum).
*Looked up information on how to get compost to cook quickly (trying to think up ways to use all the raw material that was put in the compost area while we were there working on Saturday. Maybe use a tarping system to get it to heat up quickly?
Learning gained this week: Not a lot of new learning gained this week on compost issues. Most of my new knowledge this week was from the time spent communicating with trees.
Total time spent this week: 4-5 hours.
17-23 January:
*Emailed Marja about contact information for Dylan’s contact information.
*Reviewed all material already posted on class website from last quarter about compost bin project
*Spent time Monday afternoon in the garden. It’s beautiful this time of year, the pathways were quiet, one of them even had a mushroom growing on it. I checked the tools to see what was available. I need to remember to bring my own tools for Saturday, or if I want to work on the compost bin area. Also need to check and see if we want to use the current compost to start the suyuyay Sister Garden.
*Started doing research online for local resources on composting, plans for different styles of compost bins, etc.
*Went to the reclaiming garden at the Thurston County reclamation center to look at the compost bins there. I need to check what plans are already drawn up for the construction of the compost bins at the gardens.
*Drafted a list of sections for a notebook to be made up for the compost area.
Learning gained this week: Most of this week was a review for me of information I had known before. Now I’m going to be working on expanding that knowledge and organizing it into an accessible format to share with others.
Total time spent this week: 5-6 hours.