THE U-Pick GARDEN will be closing August 20th. This will be the last year the garden will be open to the public. Next year I'll be operating as a CSA, supplying about 20 regular customers with weekly boxes. Thank you for your support over the last 8 years, but it's time to try something new.

To get a copy of my book, "How To Grow Vegetables In Sitka, Alaska" just give me a call....The books are $20 plus tax. If you live out of town and want me to mail you a copy, you can mail a check for $25.60 to:

Lori Adams
P O Box 6021
Sitka, Alaska
99835


Down To Earth U-Pick Garden is located at 2103 Sawmill Creek Road in Sitka, Alaska. It is open usually from mid-June through late August. Hours are Monday-Saturday 12:00 to 6:30. On Farmer's Market Saturdays I am not open until 2:00. Children are welcome but may not run through the garden or chase the ducks. If you have any questions you can contact me, Lori Adams, at 907-747-6108 or 907-738-2241. My email address is downtoearthupick@gmail.com

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Everything Is Fine Until It's Not

It was raining this morning so I worked in the house trying to get things organized. By 10:00 am when I went to let the ducks out it was starting to clear off and then it got really sunny and beautiful.

A friend of mine just bought the  piece of property next door to the property her house sits on and she is creating a large garden on it, so I thought it would be nice to make up a gift basket for her.....


Wouldn't you like to be surprised with a basket like this?  I know I would!  She loved it!

Right before I headed to town to run errands and deliver the basket I cleaned out the wood stove and relit the fire.  I was feeling pretty good about all the things I was getting done!  I was in town about 2 hours, and when I got back I saw a note with a jar sitting on top of it on the sun room floor just inside the open door.  I thought to myself..."isn't that nice, someone left me a jar of jam!"  Smiling, I picked up the jar but was surprised to find that it was my jar that was coated inside with the innoculant from the pea planting episode the night before.  Hmm, that's strange.  I was disappointed it wasn't jam!  The note said, "Please contact your local fire dept."  WHAT!?!?
I glanced around frantically and everything seemed okay.  I wondered if I had had a flue fire or something.  I quickly called the fire department and they said that they had been out to my place with the fire truck.  Someone had called them and said that my compost had lit on fire and it was burning the duck hutch roof, and INSTANTLY I knew why....  I had put the ashes from the woodstove in the compost bin.  It had some dry material in it that ignited.  I ran out there and sure enough....


This is not good.  The roof is still there but it is only the fibers, the resin all burned away...


The rain is going to come right through.  I don't have time to fix it now.  Ducks don't mind being wet, so they will just have to live with it until I get home

So what did we all learn from this?  .....Don't put woodstove ashes in the compost bin, just spread it directly into the beds. 


2 comments:

  1. No way!! What a thing to come home to! Glad everything is 'mostly' ok.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lori you have the greatest friends and family!

    ReplyDelete