Generosity, we can't say Thank You enough!

“The way to get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning” ~ Mitch Albom

We just can't say enough wonderful things about the community members and businesses that have helped our first year get growing.

With the generosity of Henry Eising and the assistance of Linda of Eising Greenhouses and Garden Center (519-428-4607 www.eising.ca ) we have a wonderful donation of vegetable plants for the Kids Garden, being run by Cheryl Simon-Murphy of the Waterford Hort Society and enough to spill into the WUC plots being maintained by volunteers to grow produce for the Waterford and District Food Cupboard. Sincere Thanks.

I have also been relying heavily on the expertise and experience of Dave Zeldon (Simcoe Hort Society, Minor Bros, Simcoe Community Garden) who always have quick concise answers that are delivered with a smile, Thanks again.

I will make sure we have a post soon with a list of the donors that have made our first year wonderful.

"There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colours are brighter, the air softer and the morning more fragrant than ever again"

We are recruiting the wanna-be junior farmers in the Waterford area to join Cheryl Murphy-Simon of the Waterford Hort Society for a summer of fun and dirt and friends to discover how our vegetables get on our plates.

Cheryl has lots of space for you to come and get your hands dirty!

Call Cheryl Murphy Simon at 519-443-7987 today for details

"a tiny radish of passionate scarlet, tipped modestly in white" ~ C. Paddleford

Word through the garden vines that Andrea harvested a healthy handful of radishes this week! Chowhound has lots of suggestions for your harvest, from braised radishes to open faced radish sammies and sauteed with shallots and butter, Mmmmmmm.

This is perfect growing weather, lots of heat and humidity and healthy rains so watch your gardens for some home-grown goodness!

"To see things in a seed, that is genius" ~Lao-tzu

When I was in town last week someone told me this story:

"A farmer was sitting in Country Coffee watching a woman working in her plot across the parking lot at the Community Garden. She was watering her plants and he got so frustrated with her technique that he put down his coffee, went over to garden, grabbed a water bottle, poked holes in the bottom and showed her how to water the plants without washing them, or the dirt, away."

I LOVE this story because it is the epitome of why Community Gardens work - these are 2 people who would never have otherwise had any interaction and yet they had a moment, how cool is that.

Chris and I still get soosebumps when we look over this beautiful place and realize what we have made from a conversation in a parking lot last year.

Waterford Community Garden, truly "a place to grow together"

"And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow."~GK Chesterton

Our tanks runneth over, well almost!

Norfolk County has generously donated water to get the garden going for the summer, (this rain can't last forever!!). Kevin Wilson, of Wilson Water (519-443-6806) was just topping up the tanks on the County's behalf when I was at the garden this afternoon and he will generously donate a few additional tanks from Wilson Water after the county offer has run out, what a great community we belong to, goosebumps!

The Garden looks wonderful. All the plants are lush and green and there are really little peppers and tomatoes peeking out, as much as we have complained about the weather, it is a farmers dream.

If you notice the strange box in the back corner, keep an eye on its progress, it is Chris' potato experiment.

Thanks again to all who lugged water back and forth for the past 3 weeks, your patience is appreciated.