Summer plots

There’s so much growing in the garden’s beds that I just had to start this hot summer Sunday with a few pictures to share the pleasure. Enjoy!

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Job Openings at Monticello

If you’re interested, information about two local horticulture related jobs follows:
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation seeks a groundskeeper to maintain our grounds and landscape to a high horticultural standard. The position requires horticultural knowledge including; identification of native and cultivated trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and perennials; common grounds maintenance techniques; experience with pesticides and fertilizers; pruning and planting techniques; and an understanding of irrigation systems. Typical duties include mowing, chainsaw work, litter control, leaf removal, pruning, mulching, string trimming, snow and ice removal, and walkway maintenance. Knowledge of the safe use, operation, and preventive maintenance of common landscape and heavy equipment is essential. Applicant must be able to obtain and maintain a Virginia pesticide license within 6 months of hire. Typical schedule is 6:30 AM to 3PM, Tues-Sat or Sun-Thurs, flexibility may be required for special events. This position is considered essential personnel and is required to report to work during inclement weather. This is a full-time position and our benefit package includes: health, dental, life insurance, Paid Time Off, paid holidays, and a 401(k).
Please apply online at- https://monticello.applicantpro.com/jobs/1039485.html

We are looking for part time seasonal help:
The purpose of this job is to assist in the maintenance of Monticello’s gardens and landscape features to ensure a professional horticultural presentation and to preserve an historic plant collection. Assists in the maintenance of the fruit, flower, vegetable, and seed garden: planting; weeding; staking; edging; transplanting; seed and produce harvesting; fertilizing; seed sowing; amending soil; planting bulbs; moving potted specimen plants; labeling; mulching; cleaning and packaging seeds; assisting with garden tours; etc. Assists in occasional grounds maintenance activities, such as raking leaves, shoveling snow, mowing turf grass; weed-eating; cleaning gutters; spreading mulch; removing trees; clearing out woodlands; maintaining shrubberies; operating power equipment, such as lawn mowers, roto-tillers, weed-eaters, etc. This position is full-time seasonal position: 40hr/week for 25-30 weeks. Please send resume to grounds@monticello.org.

Fences

I’d like to take a moment to express gratefulness to Garrad and Victoria, officers with PVCC’s Horticulture and Environmental Club. They came out to the garden this morning and began a big project of making the back fence more impregnable. A number of critters have been finding their way through or underneath it and eating crops. In response, some of our community members have been fencing their individual beds, but we’re hoping that by improving the exterior fence we can create a safe space inside. This will be a long project but we’ll be in much better space when it’s done. Also pictured are a few of the garden beds. Looking good right now, ya’ll!

Upcoming news

New for May…
A beautiful new mural by our wonderful volunteers from Madison House.

New garden volunteers starting this month!
New mulch that’s so broken down and rich it looks like great black soil!

And just tons of native plants in flower. Come and see.
David

UVA’s Big Event comes up HUGE

This past Saturday we were grateful for a reprieve from the showers of April because it allowed students from UVA’s Big Event to volunteer in the garden. Seven students showed up and man, they worked! We planted two rows of freshly dug up raspberries. I’m so excited about this, because just in the last few weeks we’ve planted raspberries and thornless blackberries, a great, long-lasting addition to the community garden that we’ve been looking forward to for years!

We also took down all last season’s brush from the native plant borders and cut down a lot of twining plants that had been working their way up the fence border. It looks so much cleaner in the garden and created a lot of room for new spring growth to flourish. We worked two beds to get them ready for planting, weeded, divided iris and planted some by the roadside sign and rehung the other sign, rolled up the sides of the hoophouse to welcome the air in, etc.

Amazing. Thank you to all the hardworking students who came to join us for a few hours before heading back to their studies and perhaps, to join in the celebration of UVA’s national basketball championship.

Plant labels, garden style

Madison House’s Sunday shift came in and made even more rock labels. These beauties are going to grace the grounds of the community garden for many years to come!

Madison House Rocks!

Our Madison House volunteers have returned to the PVCC Community garden for spring semester, coming in one group on Friday 3-5 and another shift on Sunday 2-4. What a lovely group they are, so full of positive energy, conviviality, and laughter. Over the last two visits we’ve been making rock labels for the vegetable beds. What do you think?

Phi Sigma Pi

We have had two visits from UVA’s Phi Sigma Pi this fall. Led by Elin and Bobby, these knowledgeable, fun, and hardworking students are continuing a relationship that goes back many years. On this most recent visit they worked with community volunteer Mary Beth Perry and did some heavy work getting one of the garden’s eight raised beds weeded, turned over, pathed, mulched, and cover cropped so that by spring it will be ready to put into production again. They also did some very nice organizing and cleaning up of garden related materials. Thank you so very much!

United Way Day of Caring

It was about two weeks ago, but we were visited by angels. I’m just getting caught up enough to write about it.
The United Way Day of Caring is the largest volunteer day in our service region. Literally thousands of people go out and volunteer time at local schools and nonprofits. We had a whole host of people show up to work at the community garden. Two teams from UVA, faculty, staff, and students from PVCC, community members, two people from the Little Keswick School, etc.

September updates

Lots of action happening in the community garden these days! A few notes:
1. Twenty-five people have signed up to come to the community garden for the United Way Day of Caring from 9-12 on Sept. 26th. All PVCC students are also welcome.
2. UVA’s Phi Sigma Pi came out to the garden and worked 3-5 last Friday along with four member of the PVCC club, then UVA’s Project SERVE came out from 10-12 and were joined by one PVCC student and club member. I was able to be there with both groups.
3. A young man interested in horticulture, Ben, has begun working in the garden on Wednesdays and Fridays for a few hours each day. Please come and join him. We still have over a dozen community members who are participating in the garden at various days/times and would love to show you around. Erin Hughey-Commers dropped off onions and potatoes harvested this weekend to the food bank today.
4. UVA’s Madison House had 17 people sign up to work in the garden this year and will be beginning in the garden starting as early as next week.

We’re still working through upgrades to the irrigation system and trying to get the fall crop planted. Stay tuned!