Just next door to the DIGS garden is a wetlands that is being restored, called "Antler Swamp". The creek that feeds it runs along the back of the Community Garden, deep in the blackberry bushes. Right now the swamp is fairly dry, but with enough winter rains, it will become lake-like, and supports wildlife, birds and an incredible number of plant species. Here it is on the map:
It's named that because of the antler found stuck in a tree. Nancy also spotted a deer missing an antler of the same vintage a few years ago. Here are those photos!
The Restoration project was begun in 2020 and volunteers removed Himalayan Blackberry and other invasives, and cleared the way to planting species that would have flourished prior to the blackberry tangles. Here are some photos of the various plants that Nancy Turner put together in a pdf handout.
You can click on the photos to make them bigger. One of the things that was noticeable from the aerial views is just how much space is taken up by Himalayan Blackberry to the left of Joyce's Greenhouse. This area might be useful for future greenhouse structures, or storage, or compost making activities if cleared.
The City Parks Dept. has been making suggestions as to how best use our boundaries, so we're all looking forward to that. Meanwhile many thanks to the volunteers saving Antler Swamp. What a fabulous project!
Gosh has it ever been the longest, driest, warmest autumn that I've ever experienced here on this small island on the west coast of Canada. Holy unexpected long summer. And it follows on the heels of a protracted cool spring that lasted through July. Very different outcomes for some of the plants!
We had some heavy raccoon activity in the Community Garden and there was much evidence of dining and digging. Almost every single apple was eaten (from around thirty dwarf trees with at least two dozen fruit, or more, on each tree) over the course of a week, and that represents at least five full families of raccoons, perhaps more!
click on photos to enlarge them
This photo shows raccoon evidence.
The garlic was harvested, and the squash was cured in the sun inside the garlic/raspberry cage. The loss of three butternut squashes (not raccoon related) required us to lock the gates at night during one month of harvest.
The squash locked inside a raspberry cage
Note that thieves take sweet things, like carrots and butternut squash, and not broccoli or kale and chard. Hmmmm. Wonder why it's sweets that appeal?
The City Parks Department once again gave very positive feedback about our boundaries within the park, and all is well with the issue of future green houses and storage sheds. We all agree to utilize the screening cover of foliage for the outbuildings, but we do look forward to planning a new greenhouse and perhaps moving it to the sunnier spot where the raspberry bird-netting cage is now.
The Coleman Project (based on the Eliot Coleman Winter Gardening double-greenhouse idea) continues with some success.
A new kneeling/seating stool was purchased to allow a more restful posture while gardening for those who need to use it. It is a green folding metal stool and has a light blue waterproof cushion attached to it. It is folded and kept next to the filing cabinet in the "social shed" (the coffee-pot and calendar shed in front). Help yourself to using it, or bring your own gardening kneeler or stool to save your back when you work raised beds.
Harvest continues and the broccoli is amazing this year!
New mesclun, lettuce, spinach and and some other winter vegetables have been planted, and the turnips and rutabega and other crops are looking fine! Kale and Chard are beyond tall and gorgeous; they are stellar. Congrats on a great fall despite the strange weather. :>)
Obviously our friends in Azerbaijan don't have the raccoon problems we have:
Grape Harvest and cooking (video) on the other side of the world where they don't have raccoons (probably because they have a great number of dogs!)
