Out with the Old, Again

by Albert Brian Vick  Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Community Kitchen Garden Coordinator 

It was a gorgeous morning at Lewis Ginter’s Community Kitchen Garden. We took a day off from pampering the cole crops, and applied our energy to the incremental removal of some of the hundreds of tomato plants. The process of preparing the garden for the winter cover crop is well under way.

We had our third fun visit from a really nice group of Northstar Academy students, who whole-heartedly pitched in to help remove tomato vines. I’d like to picture them here, but since the students are minors it’s a complicated and lengthy process to obtain photo releases from so many parents.

We also were fortunate to have help again from Laura Schumm, an artist and horticulture student who has been a regular volunteer for several weeks, and three Dominion employees: Christa Vidonic, George Slayton and Kevin Barry. All three are Business Performance Analysts with Dominion Power.

Kevin, Christa and George take a break from pulling tomato stakes & vines. I don't know what it is about hard labor that makes the CKG volunteers laugh so much. I hope it's not simply the sight of the photographer wearing shorts.

Kevin, Laura, Christa and George with a mountain of old tomato vines. Sort of an "American Gothic" pose - but a whole lot more cheerful!