BUMCCG

 Bearden UMC Community Garden - Side bed 8/30/25. Tony and I added compost and grass to the side bed. I added the rest of the grass to all the lawn beds.  Side bed is set up to start marinating.  The compost pile is almost half way distributeds.  We need leaves as a next layer.  Thanks, Leigh 

 Bearden UMC Community Garden - Layer of compost & grass 8/29/25 Tonight, we placed a layer of compost over the manure beds and grass clippings over the beds.  A layer of compost on beds # 1-4 that had a layer of manure. A layer of grass clipping is placed on beds #1-8.   Next, we will need a layer of leaves.  Thanks, Leigh Cheek 

 Bearden UMC Community Garden - Compost 8/28/25.  This morning, our garden received 10 cubic yard of compost from L& M. We start putting down compost as our next lay in the sheet composting method. The compost was lovely and steamy. The next layer is grass clipping. My husband and neighbor mowed today and gave me 13 bags of clipping. We are making great progress.  I found a horse shoe in the compost. Was there horse manure in this compost?   We have use the cardboard up. I have one box left.  We placed a layer of compost on the each bed on the shed side of the garden.  We made a minor dent the compost pile.  Thanks, Leigh

 Bearden UMC Community Garden - Chipping away in 8/27/25.  I appreciate my garden friends' help today. Today Chase, Ell, Pastor Brad & I moved the rest of the wood chips, so we are ready for our delivery of compost tomorrow morning.   My garden friends are Ell, Chase, and Brad.  I love that my garden friend brought their good little dog to the garden.  We made progress on the wood chip piles in the morning.  We completed the distribution of the wood chips in the afternoon. Thanks for the help, Leigh 

 Bearden UM Church Community Garden - New Hose 8/26/25.  I am very thankful for my new garden hose, which was bought by the Shepherds of the Word Sunday School class. I used it tonight before I spread more wood chips. Tomorrow morning, I have 4 garden friends coming to help spread wood chips.  Thanks, Leigh Cheek

 Bearden UMC Community Garden - Cardboard and Chipdrop 8/25/25.  Today, I am very thankful for Jordan and Olie, who help remove tape from cardboard. We completed putting down cardboard on the shed side of the lawn and added wood chips to the paths. This morning, we received our 2nd chipdrop and it was a mountain of wood chips. I need help getting the wood chips all moved/spread to prepare for the compost delivery on Thursday.  Thanks, Leigh Cheek

 Bearden United Methodist Church - Manure spread 8/24/25.  Tonight, Tony, a community member, and I moved the rest of the manure to the new beds.  Next step to finish moving the wood chips. Then I will need more manure, compost, grass clippings, and leaves.  Thanks, Leigh 

 Bearden UMC Community Garden - Cardboard and manure set up  8/23/25.  This morning Aaron, Luke, Chricinda, and I laid cardboard on half of the lawn. We then put down wood chips for pathways and manure for the garden beds. I brought some compost, grass clippings, and  mulched leaves to set up one bed with sheet composting (lasagne gardening). We accomplished alot in a couple of hours.  Two beds cover in manure.  One bed still need manure.  One bed set up with manure, compost, grass clippings, and leave. It will need a few more leave. We watered each layer.  My youngest volunteer at work picking up rubber mulch and putting wood chips in his wheelbarrow.  Chricinda helped me lay out cardboard.  I am glad the temperature will be cooling off. Next week, we will start needing donations of cardboard, compost, grass clipping, and leaves.  Thanks, Leigh 

Bearden UMC Community Garden - Manure 8/22/25. This afternoon Karen, Mike, Charlie, Mike, and I picked up 3 scoops of manure from Star Shangri La Therapeuti Academy of Riding. We deliver it to garden. This will be a great layer for the garden beds. Garden friends will work tomorrow morning at 7:30 am to lay cardboard and start setting beds. Thanks for the great help. Leigh 

 Bearden United Methodist Church Community Garden - 1st Wood Chip Drop.  8/19/25 this afternoon, we received our first chipdrop, which is a free service offered by local arborists. This load of chips will be a great base layer for the garden and a lovely material for garden paths. After a year of being walked on, the chips break down into lovely compost.  We will be ordering more chips from Davey's Expert Tree Service. On Saturday, our garden friends lay out cardboard and spread these chips. 

 Bearden United Methodist Church Community Garden - mulch and cardboard. This morning, 8/19/25, Chase and I finished raking up most of the mulch. We put barriers by the shade shelter to keep the mulch out of the garden. We moved cardboard out in the garden to be ready for Saturday morning, when we start laying cardboard and spreading manure. 

 Bearden UMC Community Garden - Knox County Community Garden and Grower's Alliance Visit On Thursday, August 14, 2025, the Knox County Community Garden and Grower's Alliance representatives visited the Bearden UMC Community Garden site and reviewed our plans. They were pleased with the progress and made suggestions for wood chip drop company that provide free wood chips.