Dear Liza,
The short, very warm summer is quickly ending, and it’s time to button up the veggie garden. I got my exercise Sunday hauling two very heavy sacks of manure from the Portland Nursery to the Blair Community Garden in my little red wagon.
And Wednesday, I dug them in! I pulled all the garden supports out and had a vigorous hour and a half of quality time with a pitchfork, making the soil rich and soft. Then I tucked it all in with a layer of burlap to rest for the winter.
I also closed out the year’s garden journal, which has provided both creative space and documentation of the season’s progress. Collage, acrylics, watercolors and inks let me remember things in a non-photographic way.
I also kept track of what I planted and when, and how much it cost me. This year the total came to $74.89, including about 20$ for the manure I used this week. Not bad for months of free salads, beautiful flowers, and all that gardening therapy!
It has been a good summer, but I am not sad to see it end, because that’s what summers do.
Love,
Grandma Judy
Dear Liza 