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Summer Garden Report
By Chris Basler
What's "Growing On" in the Olney Garden?
It has been a lovely spring in Belmont County and many vegetables are thriving in the garden. Many people have contributed to the planting this year, and their efforts show in the lovely display of vegetables and flowers that are beginning to bloom in the Olney gardens.
The lettuce, kale, beets, and spinach are still holding up very well because of the comfortable, cool evenings we've been having. The folks at the school for the summer have been enjoying the lettuce at lunch on a regular basis. The potatoes that the freshman and sophomore classes planted in early May are now in bloom, and I have only spotted a few Colorado potato beetles lurking about on the leaves.
On the evening of June 7, with the help of faculty members Abby Chew and Marie Craig, and Olney alum, Jesse Miller, we planted 75 heirloom tomato plants, and 100 pepper plants. This year I am growing a total of 275 tomato plants, and 150 pepper plants. These many varieties of tomatoes and peppers will go into the making of the infamous garden class salsa in the fall.
The Olney farmers Don Guindon and Mike Britton have been busy making hay, planting corn, and hauling mulch and manure. Don recently did a planting of sweet corn that the summer music campers hopefully will be chomping on in early August.
There are also many flowers growing alongside the organic vegetables in the garden. This year the spring gardening class composed of students Jovana Barac, Lilian Denhardt, Paulina Kasprowicz, and Kirk Wells planted the sunflowers and cosmos that will be used for cut flowers.
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