Two UVA student volunteers, Ava Marshall and Elena Boyle, have written blog posts that I will share over the next month. Below is the first one. Enjoy.
I had the best time volunteering at this garden! I went to the PVCC Garden on April 14. Immediately, I felt welcomed, and all the volunteers were kind and inclusive. David, who runs the garden, gave me and other newbies a tour and explained the shift’s plan. He’s very knowledgeable about all things gardening! We learned about how the garden operates and even specifics about the plants. It was so lovely to have someone show us around like that!
Even though we were given tasks, there was still a sense of independence and trust as David allowed us to figure out how to do the task. He trusted us to do a good job, and no one got mad if we messed up. That made me feel comfortable and confident volunteering there.
After the tour, we got to work! The other volunteers and I started by digging shallow trenches for the seeds. When I was given my seed, David gave me the “Radish Queen” title, which was funny. Then, I planted some radishes.
The name I was given is yet another example of the personal touch that the garden provides for all volunteers. The people who volunteer at the garden are really passionate about their work. The regular volunteers manage the garden with crops they are in charge of and also work to prepare beds for outside community members. They even teach other people how to manage their gardens, which is an excellent opportunity for people unfamiliar with crop management.
After seeding, Elena and I removed invasive plants that were causing trouble in the garden. We trimmed a rose bush creeping up on the hose, which could have poked a hole in this essential tool. It was a bit scary because we didn’t want to get pricked, but we did it anyway, and it wasn’t as bad as we thought.
After that, we moved on to another invasive tree in the garden. We thought we were done with thorns, but, much to our dismay, this tree also had thorns. However, we handled this tree, too, and when we finished, we felt proud of ourselves. Clearing these plants had been on David’s to-do list for ages, and he was very grateful to finally have volunteers willing to attack this task.
If you ever have the chance to volunteer at this garden, I highly recommend it. You’ll have a great time and learn a lot. It’s not just a regular garden; it’s also a valuable resource for the community. Look further on the website to see what they do with their crops and how they help people. This experience left a lasting impression on me, and I’ll remember what I learned for a long time. Everyone should get involved with the PVCC garden!