As another school year draws near completion, our garden workers at College Park High School are busy getting the summer/fall garden in, while cleaning up weeds and picking abundant, gloriously scented sweet peas that have laid claim to the garden with a vengeance. Tiny pepper, eggplant and tomato plants that the students started from seeds in the greenhouse are tenderly placed in holes with plant food and love in the hopes of bounty and a huge harvest when students return in the fall. Our organic garden at College Park is truly glorious. Sunflowers are blooming and taking up space wherever they can push through the soil, while strawberry plants bloom and thrive, holding the promise of sweet treats. We have picked so many harvests of lettuce and arugula that we lost count months ago. For fall returning students, we will have a large crop of apples as well as a million grapes to munch on. Why is this garden such a thriver? Our location in proximity to loads of sun throughout the day is one reason, but over the years, Stephanie Jacob and I, the garden stewards and educators, have learned about the importance of soil. Strong foundations are essential for successful building, and compost is probably one of the most important parts of the foundation structure in a garden. Healthy soil, sun and regular watering produce luscious crops.

In your home gardens, a timed watering system can make the difference between an okay garden and an awesome crop-producing garden. Thinking that you are a fabulous waterer and can do it yourself is admirable, but even you take off for weekends or weeks in the summer and that neighbor kid, as wonderful as he is, will not do the job you do, and your garden will suffer for it. Even the time that you water matters to your little family of veggies. Regular times are important, and this year’s philosophy, from those in the know, is early morning watering is best. One reason is to prevent mold on tomatoes and other plants caused by watering too late and sending the little babies to sleep with wet hair. Timed automatic watering also conserves greatly on water use. Don’t get me wrong here, I know it is therapeutic to stand there with the hose and ponder the day, but it ain’t helping your garden or the environment.

For first timers or people like me who are not real handy, battery operated timers are a revelation. Hook up some ½ inch tubing to your hose, and all you need to do is poke in the emitters and you’re done. Big garden – carefree summer – what’s not to like?

If you are on campus or in the vicinity of CP, stopping by our garden will make you smile and lower your shoulders a little bit. We are entering peak season for amazing produce in our valley, and the farmers’ markets are loaded with the goods. Currently, bowing farmer tables find cherries, asparagus, apricots, early peaches, early field tomatoes, fresh, astoundingly sweet onions with stalks attached and so much more. Get in tune with alfresco dining, moving into a more relaxing time of year and enjoying our wonderful communities while slowly devouring our gardens’ bounties. Don’t let a little heat scare you off of outdoor activities, just get out on that trail early and bring water. Don’t forget to breathe.