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Show CASTLE VALLEY NEWSLETTER BUSY-TIMES Castle Valley, Utah - Volume I, Number 5 - June 15,1992 - Runnlng to Keep Up Preventing Fires— ' Another Good Reason to Recycle A couple of weeks ago, Barbara came home from Moab in the middle of the afternoon to discover one of our 55- gallon drum garbage cans on fire. It Giloe Hedden ‘90 C.V. Gardens—and Gardeners First things first; I am not an expert gardener. In fact, I‘m a neophyte, a transplant from desert beaches. I planted my first garden in many years last year. Without experience, books, or advice, I began planting and fell in love with the quiet joys of hands covered with mud and hours spent weeding, seeding, watering, and harvesting. My hours in the garden became a time for discovering the simple chain of life, there among the plants. It seemed that the garden became a metaphor for all else in my life, the struggles and beauty of existence. This week I’ve been visiting gardens in the valley. I've seen how neighbors pass along gardening tips, seeds, and starts. The gardens vary in size, scope, and purpose. Some gardeners spend all of the time they can there, while others spend as little as possible. For some, major concerns are shade, soil erosion, or privacy while for others the goal is the harvest they will reap. Some gardens feed a family for the year, while others provide only highlights, others are but a muse. All are a feast for the heart and soul. The gardener's spirit awakes with the first stirrings of spring. In February many are already sprouting tiny plants indoors or in hot boxes outside for transplanting in late April or early May. Many varieties appear—exotic toma- toes, melons, beans, potatoes, salad greens, onions, peas, and squashes. Also broccolis, carrots, garlics, eggplants, sweet potatoes, beets, and corns. Peppers are popular. The Nunns like New Mexico Sixes and the Drogins the Italian Pepperoncini, bodybecause they are not too hot. The Cayenne is good for ristros. The Bell varieties freeze well without preparation. Everyone I visited tilled their soil at least once, using compost and manure before planting. Some fertilize their crops only once during the growing season, while others fertilize every couple of weeks. Green Gro is ’ very popular, as it is effective, not too expensive, and versatile (available at Castle Canyon Nursery)—it can be applied through the waterlines, sprinkled on the soil around the plant’s base, or used to feed foliage. Fish emulsion and Maxi-crop (seaweed) are also used with good results by the Reeses and the Nunns (who have nifty little tanks at the pump house where the fertilizer is poured, mixing with the irrigation water). The Martineaus have found that phosphate sprinkled onto the soil has helped problem areas, particularly strawberries. Occasionally a mineral supplement is needed. As for watering, drip irrigation is Please turn to Page 4 was a well established fire and had consumed about half of the contents of what had been a full container. It was spewing a noxious black smoke, and it took quite a while to extinguish completely. We were completely puzzled as to how the fire could have gotten started. We haven’t had a wood stove fire for over a month, and other than incinerat- ing a few tent caterpillar nests, we haven’t done any outdoor burning all spring. I was still without even the faintest idea as to the fire’s origins a couple of days later when I took what was left of the garbage to the dump. As I turned the burned container over to empty it, the first thing that fell out was a sooty glass bottle. It caught my attention because we generally recycle all of our glass at the local recycling center, which is conveniently located right on the way to the dump. (There are also drop-off bins at several locations around Moab.) I was curious as to how a glass container could have made it into our Please turn to Page 6 7////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////_ Greet the Sun! The Ninth Annual Summer Solstice Celebration is scheduled for Saturday & Sunday, June 20 & 21. Astonomical, archaeological, and astrological observations will take place from Jack Power's deck (Lot 148 on Buchanan) starting at 6:15 am. both days, with “triple sunrise" occurring between 6:45 and 7:15. Call 5060 for reservation, or come unannounced. Breakfast will be served starting 7:30 and nrnning til 10 am. As usual there will be a raft trip down the daily Saturday afternoon. Call Bill Viavant (8898) for reservations if you want to be assured of a place. The tennis court will be in operation Saturday morning and all day Sunday. It will be lighted next year. The volleyball net will be up late afternoon Saturday with play into the evening. Potluck dinner will be at Bill Viavant's (Lot 147, Buchanan) starting at 6 pm. Saturday. Bring something to grill for yourself and a side dish (salad, vegetable, pasta, desert, whatever) to serve 6-8 people. P.S. Anyone interested in working toward a lifetime membership in The Castle Valley Sports Complex, please call Jack Powers (5060) ASAP. |
