The green sprouts you see in the garden along 1st and Denton Streets are cover crops.

At the garden winterization workday on Saturday November 7th, volunteers planted buckwheat, crimson clover, hairy vetch and white clover to help protect and nourish the soil over the winter. These hard-working cover crops (also known as green manure) will help fight erosion at the same time they nourish the soil, help control pests and diseases and even provide a home for pollinators…The garden never sleeps!

At the garden close up, Julie and other volunteers planted cover crop seeds that will help replenish the soil with nutrients.

After planting, we used row cover to protect the loose seeds from birds– and give the seeds a chance to germinate.