BUMCCG

 Bearden UMC Community Garden - Compost Bin Building 3/28/26.  Today, I had a great building crew and helpers work on our compost bins. We spent more time than anticipated and need to schedule a few more hours to finish the lids, handles, and flashing.  I appreciate my garden friends' help and their amazing abilities.  Thanks, Leigh 

 Bearden UMC Community Garden - Garden lesson 3/27/26.  This morning, my garden friends, Susan, Dennis, and Jordan help me to teach the BUMC daycare class (2 year olds) to plan green onions and elephant garlic. We put the small onion seeds in little cups so the kid could dump on the ground and then put a handful of soil on top.  We also did a touch and smell lesson with lavender, lemon basil, cuban oregano, and thyme. The kids put the leaves in a little potpourri bag to take home.  After the lesson, we raked up leaves from where we plan to build the compost bins.  The garden is looking good.  We have all the supplies for building the compost bins tomorrow.  Thanks, Leigh

 Bearden UMC Community Garden - Seed Potatoes 3/23/26. This morning, I planted three rows of potatoes in Bed #1. The potatoes need to be a foot apart and 3-6 inches deep.  Covered with compost.  The garden is looking good.  The greens bed is healthy. We should harvest soon for the Easter food boxes.  The onion and carrot seedlings survived the freeze last week.  The 50 lb bag of potatoes that received from Concord UMC Community Garden on Saturday.  I only planted about a third of the bag of potatoes. We need to determine what to do with the rest of the bag.  Thanks, Leigh

 Bearden UMC Community Garden - Compost Bin Building Materials 3/19/26. Today, Julio, Mike, and I picked-up the building materials to create the compost bin on Saturday, March 28 at 9 am. Mike cut all the lumber into the appropriate length pieces, which will save us time. We will be using the design by Urban Farm Plan that Concord UMC Community Garden shared with us. The image of the bin is just below.  Below is the basic design for one bin and we will creating three bins like the picture above.  The extra tools that we will need helpers to bring are Staple Guns, Levels, Screw-Driver/Drill Gun, Tape Measure, Pencils, and Speed Squares. Mike and I will bring a saw and two tin snips for last minute cuts to the 2"x2" wood and the hardcloth.  Some of the first cut on the 4" x 4". Mike started a blocking system to cut the wood to the right length. Pile of uncut wood. A pile of all the wood cut to the correct length. I am excited to have all the wood cut and ready for con...

 Bearden UMC Community Garden - Freeze preparation 3/16/25. Today I covered my onion and carrot seedlings. I planted the seed about a month ago. Onions and carrots can tolerate a frost, but not a freeze. I cover them with sheets and burlap over old fencing.  Below are a yellow onion seedlings.  Below are carrot seedlings Below is the bed before I covered it.  The temperature is predicted to get down to 24 degrees tonight and tomorrow night. Adult onions and carrots can tolerate a freeze, but seedlings are more sensitive.  I am looking forward to building our compost bins on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 9 am. Let me know if you want to help.  Thanks, Leigh

 Bearden UMC Community Garden - Knox Co Food Scrap Droff-Off Bin on 3/10/26. Installed on 3/12. Bearden UMC Community Garden has been working with Knox County Waste and Resources Department (https://www.knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_departments_offices/public_service/waste_and_resources_management/garbage/compost) to establish a Food Scrap Droff-Off site at Bearden UMC next to our community garden. This should be installed this week. I worked on 3/10/26 to help clear some brush in the location. On 3/12/26 Knox County installed the sign and Food Scrap Carts. You need to follow the instructions to take a quiz to get a code to drop off your food scraps.  What the location looked like after I cleared one of the Heavenly Bamboo (Nadina Domestica) bushes. Heavenly Bamboo is invasive and its red berries kill native birds (https://extension.msstate.edu/blogs/extension-for-real-life/are-nandina-berries-toxic-birds). I eventually want to get rid of all of  those bushes or keep th...