The saying of April showers bringing May flowers isn’t just a rhyme, it’s an example of the spring cycle of renewal and growth. And it’s not just flowers, but gardens “spring” to life.
The UV Community Garden (located east of our village, by Cottage 20) has already sprung with help from UV’s head garden guy, resident Ron Patterson. He started preparing the patch back in February with green onions and radishes.
“When I first moved to UV, (resident) Bob Stephens was doing the garden,” Ron explains. “He wanted some help, so I started helping until he handed it over to me.” Ron’s been tilling, planting and harvesting for nearly 6 years. “Now folks point at me and say, ‘oh, he’s the gardener guy!’”
This year a bounty of green peppers, hot peppers, okra, cucumbers, raspberries, black berries and maybe cantaloupes will emerge from the soil. And tomatoes! “People love them,” says Ron. “They’re tickled to death about tomatoes, and residents ask me two months in advance when they’ll be ready.” With 35 plants this year, our tomato crop is expected to reach at least 300. Ron will let you know when our UV “Farmer’s Market” in the Circle Lounge will be open to hand out veggies for free!
UV’s supply of tomato seedlings is donated by “Smashed Thumb” off Hwy 75 in Owasso. Ron purchases the other seeds and chemicals. He also gets help from Becky Beyer, one of our ANNEX tenants. And our UV owners recently installed a sprinkler system so Ron doesn’t have to haul out the hose.
If you like to pull weeds, hoe and tend to a garden … “I’m glad to have help. But it’s hard work,” Ron clarifies. If you visit the garden, please be sure not to trample the plants. And no dogs allowed.
So next time you’re gloomy about the weather, just remember rain brings plenty of flowers, fruits and veggies to UV.
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