I was in northern California, USA recently for some talks, and one of the neatest projects people told me about was this 350 Garden Challenge, which starts next weekend. People will be planting 350 'waterwise' gardens acorss Sonoma County. You get a sense of what it will feel like from this description: Whether you are a life-long gardener or are looking for a reason to get your hands dirty for the first time, you can volunteer to help plant 350 gardens in a single weekend. Have some experience working in a garden or planting trees? Become a mentor and share the knowledge you have on how to Grow a Garden with others. Are you an artist? A musician? A culinary genius in your own right? Do you have a truck and a good sense of direction? Perhaps something else of value you’d like to suggest to volunteer to our cause? We need you, too! Sign up to volunteer at www.igrowsonoma.org

Oh, and here's the best thing. If we're calculating our northern hemisphere growing seasons correctly, these should be ready to harvest right about….October 10!  Hopefully there will be a huge (and delicious) community celebration