Bee Kind 🐝

Hey Everyone! I've been gone for far too long but boy, have I been busy. I have cherished this in-person school year with my teachers and peers after spending so long online. Earth Day is around the corner and the buzzing of the bees in my garden inspired me to update my blog. Time really does fly. I began my DIY gardening projects in the fall of 2019. Fast forward to Spring Break 2022, where I am nearly a rising senior at my high school. In these 3 years, I have experienced life outdoors in my garden. It has altered my relationship with outdoor living. My garden beds are now a pollinator-friendly space with shelter for the occasional migratory birds.

Spring has finally sprung! After savoring a bountiful winter blessed by a twice a week harvest of spinach, kale, lettuce, and celery, my produce continues to flourish. Even my 18 month old puppy Rudi cannot resist the temptation to sneak into the garden beds to gnaw on celery sticks and strawberries. For the first time since I began the backyard vegetable garden, the bulbs of asparagus have prospered. I guess nothing says spring like bulbs of green asparagus sticking out from within the patch. The plant, itself, is relatively large and includes fern-like branches, but I am thrilled because it took almost 3 years to get there. Talk about gardening and patience! My sensors have proven to be successful as it reduces excess water usage.

Warm weather is approaching! Spring planting has already begun at our home in preparation for summer. I carefully spaced out and planted tomatoes, pole beans, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, peppers, and squash. I included a second fig tree after we received a sweet yield in past years. Now I maintain a twice a week routine schedule to harvest herbs and vegetables. My mom has been preparing a lot of Italian food recently so there are plenty of herbs for her to use and spare grocery store runs. I have continued gathering radishes and pea pods as well as pinching leaves off basil, mint, rosemary, and parsley as much as possible. At our Environmental Sustainability & Technology Club at school, we received funding from the school to begin the community garden project so I am looking forward to building the greenhouse soon.

Spring break is a time when many families travel but for many others, it means they are forced to miss meals. 1 in 4 kids face hunger insecurity in the nation (according to Feeding America), which is why it's crucial for food banks to put food on the table for families during spring break. Luckily, the Dublin community has continued to support my mission to donate food every week to my local food bank at Valley Bible Church. This effort started back in April of 2020 when the pandemic was at its peak and I gathered a surplus of my own vegetables to contribute. Soon I will be off to college but it makes me immensely happy that I can pass the baton to students from Elementary and Middle School like 12 year old Gautham Ramalingam. Students like Gautham have joined the network of young Food Drive Volunteers at Dublin, who along with their parents respond to requests from community members and collect and drop off food at the pantry. If you would like to donate, just go on my blog and click on the Contribute to my Food Drive button. Until next time, adieu!

CONTRIBUTE TO MY FOOD DRIVE