Paying Your Gardening Skills Forward
May 14th, 2010
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All photos: Greg Holdsworth
Frame built... ready for soil.
Supplies, and inspectors.
The finished bed, ready for planting.
Don's quality control division.
Photo: All photos: Greg Holdsworth
I had the opportunity in April to not only share my love of gardening, but also help in a very serious cause for someone I've never met.
Ronald, a long-time friend of Lisa, a friend of mine, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme Grade IV in January. GBM is the most aggressive of all brain cancers.
To help raise money for Ronald's extensive and continual medical bills, Lisa spearheaded a fundraiser at a local pub/restaurant. This was done through donations, raffles and a silent auction.
What does this have to do with veggie gardening, you might be asking? Hang on, I'm getting to that.
Lisa asked me if I could donate something to this cause through the silent auction. I wondered for a while what I could come with. It had to be something I enjoyed doing, but didn't take an excessive amount of time.
Then it came to me. Donate a "starter garden"! I would provide the materials and labor to build a 5x5-foot raised bed garden in the yard of the highest bidder. This included the raised bed frame & hardware, soil, soil amendments, stakes, and cages (you just know they had to grow tomatoes!). The only cost to the winner was buying what they wanted to have in the garden; either transplants or seeds, or some combination thereof.
This "green thumb package" also included a one-day consultation to help the winner get off to a great start with their new Victory Garden. Much of this time would be during the building of the raised bed, but was also available if the winner wanted my assistance in choosing the right seeds or plants to put in this time of year.
I was happy to see that the starter garden got a few bids at the auction. What was really gratifying was hearing a couple of "wow, that's a neat idea..." comments from passers-by. By the time the dust had settled at the close of the auction, a winner was declared. Don, who lived in a nearby town, was getting the dirt, so to speak.
So, off I went on a beautiful Saturday morning to fulfill my mission. I felt like a plumber on a service call. Instead of PVC pipes, electric auger, and welding torch, I was armed with a power drill, sod shovel, and cultivator.
Don assisted me with clearing the area for the raised bed. Then the bed's frame went up. I pre-drilled the screw holes the afternoon before, which definitely saved time.
Time to get the soil and plants. His car could hold way more bags than mine, so off we went to the local home center. An hour and a lunch break later, we had what we needed and headed home.
Got all the soil mixed in, added the organic amendments, and then positioned the transplants into their future homes. Planted a few seeds, pounded in the tomato cages, then watered it in. We wiped the sweat from our foreheads, raised our glasses in dedication—this Victory Garden was underway my friends!
The moral of the story? If you get the chance, pay your gardening love and talent forward by helping a family member, friend, or, in this case a complete stranger start a garden. I feel there are so many people who would love to start a garden, but don't know where to begin. The appreciation they will give you will not compare to the joy they will discover in their new-found pastime.
But the mission isn't complete my dirty-nailed friends. One task and wish remains. You see, I hold the first harvested handful of tomatoes of the season very sacred. I would like Ronald and his family to be the first to enjoy my home-grown tomatoes. I think about what few complaints I have while in the garden. A sunburn, mosquito bite, or aching back? These seem minor compared to fighting for your life.
Enjoy the photos taken of the "Win a Starter Garden" mission. BTW, Don's dogs (A.K.A. the quality control division) approved of our work.
After you try it, show it off to other members in the
gardener's gallery.
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posted in:
raised bed, victory garden, donation
Comments (12)
Posted: 1:12 am on June 13th
Posted: 10:02 am on July 7th
Posted: 4:49 pm on May 27th
Posted: 1:59 pm on May 27th
Posted: 9:46 pm on May 26th
Posted: 1:44 pm on May 19th
Posted: 7:01 am on May 18th
Posted: 8:57 am on May 17th
Posted: 10:20 am on May 16th
On a different note, I am curious, I am starting up my first raised garden. I see in the one picture a few different bags you filled it in with. Can you give a bit more detail on what you had used to fill the raised garden with?
Posted: 3:17 pm on May 14th
Posted: 8:57 am on May 14th
Posted: 8:52 am on May 14th
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