Blitz Mentor Continues to Helping New Gardeners Grow
2020 marks Jayne Rising’s fifth year mentoring new Blitz gardeners through the garden mentorship program. Over the years, she has mentored both individuals and groups, and this year is mentoring not one, but two, new gardeners! Find out more about Jayne and her 2020 mentees below:
Jayne, Mentor:
1. How long have you been gardening and how did you learn?
Off and on for most of my life. I started my current garden in 2010.
2. Why did you decide to mentor?
It sounded like a fun way to get out into the community and get to know people. I also enjoy building self-reliance and watching people’s confidence build as they learn to help themselves.
3. Can you share one gardening tip?
Garden and learn. You can read all of the books in publication and nothing will teach you as well as getting in the garden and doing.
4. Can you share one memory or good experience from your partnership this summer?
I loved seeing a big yard with possibilities for expansion. It’s always like looking at a blank slate just waiting to be painted! I also loved seeing some self-starting initiatives. Those are good life qualities!
Debora and Mandie, Mentees:
1. Why did you want a garden?
Debora: I loved the idea of growing my food, knowing where it came from and that it was fresh and organic. It also gave me a sense of connection to the earth and to the food I eat. It’s much harder to throw out unused produce when you grow it yourself!
Mandie: For empowerment of knowing how to grow food for my family and to teach my three children how to as well. My dream is to own a small homestead one day with big gardens, chickens, etc. This was the first step toward a long-term goal. Also, I love getting my hands in the dirt. Jayne explained to me that there are antidepressants in the dirt - no wonder it made me happy!
2. Why did you want a mentor?
Debora: I knew nothing about gardening and had no idea what was going to happen with those little seedlings.
Mandie: Learning directly from someone who knows what they're doing is the most interesting and efficient way I learn.
3. What is one tip you've learned from your mentor?
Debora: I had butternut squash and watermelon growing up the vine. She told me to create little hammocks out of nylon or cloth to hold them so they didn’t break the vine. It worked! I just ate a bowl of butternut squash soup!
Mandie: There's so many! I had a tough year with angular leaf spot and powdery mildew. Having her look and know exactly what was happening saved me a lot of time figuring out what went wrong. Perhaps most importantly, when I didn't get a great cucumber or squash crop because of it, she was very encouraging.
4. Can you share one memory or good experience from your partnership this summer?
Debora: We had a good laugh when I described how my squash was taking over my garden. Fortunately, she explained how to thin them out and remove some of the leaves.
Mandie: Jayne invited me to see her garden, as well. It was fun to share this hobby with her and get into each other's gardening worlds.
