James Lick Garden History
August 2021
In August 2021 the garden did not have access to water. It was abandoned for over a year due to the pandemic. We searched for funding and a connection to a water main. We finally created a plan, recognizing that we would not be able to plant seeds for a while. We decided to prioritize cleaning up the weeds and refreshing the paint on the shed and garden beds.
September 2021
We still haven't planted anything, because we still do not have access to water. The garden club decided to focus on clearing weeds and composting. The pile of weeds we cleared was over 7x7 feet and taller than 6 feet. Very proud of them and all the work they have done!
January 2022
Anonymous donors made it possible for us to hire a community member to begin our garden's real transformation. This person continues to go above and beyond to create a beautiful, bountiful, and welcoming space for our students. After years, we finally had a drip system in the garden. Students were able to plant their first seeds.
While we waited for our seeds to grow, we built benches and mini-greenhouses. We also painted rocks to label the plants. These items and many others were donated to the school through Goodwill Assets.
March 2022
Irrigation is now fully established. We have been snacking on our newly sprouted peas as we work in the garden. This month we planted 5 varieties of peppers. Next, we planted squash, carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes. Students gave the shed a fresh coat of paint and began to repaint the garden beds. All of the paint, seeds, and trellises were again graciously donated through Goodwill Assets.
April 2022
The garden is beginning to take shape. Goodwill Assets continues to be our biggest supporter by proving strawberries, dill, squash, and many other plants. The strawberries are fruiting and beginning to spread. We have more dill than we know what to do with and the peas are still thriving as we continue to snack on them. Almost all the beds have been repainted and the garden is beginning to finally approach its potential.
May 2022
California poppies are in full bloom and the bees are here for it. The corn, strawberries, and zucchini are very productive. The butternut squash is starting to come in, but is not ready yet. This is around the time that we fully repainted the beds with a pattern of green, white, and grey. The garden is a beautiful place to hold classes, especially after Goodwill Assets donation of three picnic benches.
The Science Department held their annual potlucky, and the winner of the games was the Art Department.
Strawberry flower
Strawberry June 1 2021
Strawberry June 7 2021
Strawberry fruit
Potato, squash, corn
Corn
Dill, poppy, squash
September 2022
It is the beginning of the school year and new garden club members are hard at work clearing out the weeds that have taken over during the summer. During the days of the heat wave, we planted pepper seeds in an air-conditioned classroom. We planted sweet, jalapeño, poblano, and yellow-wax pepper seeds. Again these seeds were given to us through Goodwill Assets.
We were bummed that no one notified us of the fact that the water was shut off for part of the summer. Our strawberries, radishes, carrots, and many others died. Not everything died, as you can see in the picture below, the mint has been thriving - we trimmed its old growth and revealed a sea of fresh mint.
Jalapeno Sprouts
Clearing out last year's weeds
The year always starts with a big pile of weeds
Mint before trimming
Mint after trimming
Stubborn weed extraction
October 2022
On October 26th we harvested 10 Anaheim peppers, 4 tiny jalapeños, some tomatoes, and a handful of garlic. The yellow wax and Serrano peppers are almost ready, but we left them for next week. The Serranos are thriving and I would estimate over 30 peppers on each of the two plants. We have about 8 butternut squash on the way, also likely ripe next week.
The ladybugs have been very active lately and have been found mainly on the peppers and the amaranth.
November 2022
Garden club has been busy this season with a variety of exciting projects and activities. One of the most fun and creative projects we've undertaken recently is painting rocks to label our plants. Not only is this a fun way to get our club members involved in decorating the garden, but it's also a practical solution for labeling our different plant varieties.
Speaking of plants, we've also been busy starting peas and other cold-hardy plants in preparation for the growing season. It's always exciting to see the first sprouts emerging from the soil, and we're looking forward to watching them grow and thrive over the coming months.
In addition to our gardening projects, we also recently participated in the school's annual food fair. We're looking forward to continuing our gardening adventures as the weather warms up and the growing season gets into full swing.
January 2023
It's been a while since our last update, as December was a very quiet month for our high school garden club. However, we're excited to share what we've been up to in January!
One of the main projects we've been working on is starting a variety of plants indoors. We've been starting multiple varieties of melons, basil, chives, tomatoes, squash, and peppers. This will give these plants a head start on the growing season, and we'll be able to transplant them outside when the weather warms up.
In addition to starting plants indoors, we've also been keeping an eye on the mushrooms that have been blooming after all the rain. It's always fascinating to see how they grow and develop, and we're excited to see what they'll look like when they're fully mature.
Another highlight of the garden has been the peas. They're in full bloom and beginning to produce, which is always thrilling. We can't wait to harvest them and enjoy the fruits of our labor.
