Before Family Weekend at the start of October, Williston’s Gardening Club gathered for another fulfilling afternoon in the community garden. Students harvested carrots, transplanted strawberries, replanted garlic, and collected dried beans.

Strawberry runners had spread beyond their designated bed in the garden and had taken root between neighboring beds. To curb the strawberry’s growth, club members carefully moved the young plants back into the strawberry bed so that they could establish roots before winter dormancy. We look forward to seeing them thrive and bear fruit in the spring!

Students also replanted some of the garlic collected during our last harvest and gathered bean pods left on the vines over the past month for drying. The dried beans were saved as seeds for future planting, allowing this season’s harvest to help start the next.

Meanwhile, members have been preparing beds for cover crop planting in the coming weeks. Two beds are currently ready, with a loose layer of dry stems and other plant material covering the soil until planting. Cover crops will help protect the soil from erosion, retain nutrients, and add organic matter as they decompose.

From saving seeds to protecting the soil, students are learning how caring for the garden continues beyond the harvest. Each afternoon offers an opportunity to practice sustainability and prepare this shared space for another season of growth.