Winter "Gardening"

* we almost forgot to drain our rain barrel for winter.
just a reminder for those of you who have them!

* karl bought an aerogarden for us, but I don't have it up and running yet. it won't grow much, but at least i can have some fresh herbs. has anyone tried one of these yet?

* has anyone tried cold frame gardening?
i'm curious for feedback about your experience(s).

i harvested some very frozen lettuce heads today. the last of the season. nooooo!!!

earthships

i have a friend, jason rainey, who is very interested in learning about earthships...i remember talking to jeff & michele about theirs...would you (or anyone who is also interested) be willing to chatt with jason about it? if so, email him @ jasontrainey@yahoo.com. he is very excited :o)

Hmmm... it's November what???!!!

It's the 17th of November today.

This morning, we woke up to see our garage roof covered in snow, though it melted quickly. Today it has snowed, sleeted, and even rained several times.

I went outside to get some fresh rosemary. About a month ago, we transplanted some in pots to grow in the garage to make it last a little while longer; but today, I found I still have some surviving in the garden! Hurrah!

On my way out, I made a discovery by the side door.... a single perfect purple clematis bloom. Huh!

It's not "quite" winter yet! ;-)

(Just had to share as only gardeners can understand my elation!)

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

We are in the middle listening to the audiobook version of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver with Stephen L. Hopp and Camille Kibgsolver.

We highly recommend this book to gardeners, food-lovers, dirt-diggers, locavores, small farmers, and friends. (We found "our" copy at Westerville Public Library & will be returning it within two weeks).

This is the website that accompanies the book- includes some interesting recipes!

Next on our gardening/food reading list:
The 100 Mile Diet
Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Racous Year of Eating Locally
Second Nature: A Gardener's Education


Have you read any of these book? If so, what are your thoughts? Are there others were should look into (or even avoid!)? In advance, thanks!

Fall Gardening

Is anyone planting a fall garden? If so this is the week to get your seeds in the ground! Here is an excellent resource on fall gardening from seeds of change.

Meeting this Sunday!

Sale!

Boulevard Gardens is having a 50% off sale of all trees and shrubs if anyone needs any. also my favorite nursery, Oakland Nursery, is still having their customer appreciation sale. the entire place is on sale up to 66% off!


and while we're talking about getting sweet deals on stuff, I thought we might start talking about seed saving/exchanges. Also does anyone know where to get free mulch from the city? my husband swears you can get free mulch and/or compost.

What To Do with It After It Grows

In case you didn't know...

You might want to check out...

The Splendid Table (podcasts available)
Herbal Teas
Pioneer Woman (lots of recipes- many fresh garden ingredients)
Drying Herbs
Home Canning, 2, 3, 4
Freezing Fruit
Drying Veggies & Fruits, 2, 3



And, other interesting & related stuff...

Fifteen bloggers from around the nation try to follow a diet of regional/local foods for a year. Follow their journeys here

Gardens helping people heal, here

Attention all Gardeners!

This coming Tuesday a small group from our church is making a meal for Rebecca's Place and we are looking for donations of fresh fruits and veggies from our gardens to help make this as healthy and nutritious as possible. So if you have something to harvest from your garden or would be willing to buy some fresh produce and donate it to this cause please bring your food to the first service on Sunday and either give it to me or leave it on the round table space under the stairs. Any other questions email me - softletters AT gmail DOT com.

Blessings!

what is this?

can anyone identify this plant/vine for me? it has flowers simular to zuchinni flowers and it has a small gourd that is round and smooth. it volunteered over a woodpile over the last month in a half. maybe pumpkin? let me know your thoughts.

Fall Gardening

How many of you are planning on doing a fall garden? Did you even know you could do a second season garden? The general rule of thumb I believe is to plant 6 weeks before the first anticipated frost and here in central Ohio the first frost is usually in the first week of October putting your planting date in the third week of August. So plenty of time to buy seeds and do any prep work you want to do! The following is a list of plants that you can put into your fall garden.


lettuces
spinach
peas
cabbage
carrots *
leeks *
beets
garlic **
kale
radishes


* These need planted rather soon because they have a much longer growing time - 70ish days or so.
**Garlic is typically planted in october, winterized (put straw on top of them), and harvested in late june the following summer. Home grown garlic is worth the effort though!

Stressed Potted Plants

(concept can be applied to the garden too)

Are your potted plants drying out too quickly in the hot weather?

There's a solution to this! Perhaps you have seen Aqua Globes advertised on Tv; these are hand-blown glass ornaments that can water your plants up to two weeks. These are available in boxes of two at Garden Ridge for 9.99 (or four for $14.99 online plus $7.95 shipping & handling).

However, you can accomplish the same thing by recyling used, individual-size, plastic, water bottles or clean glass pop bottles. Fill a bottle with rain or tap** water, invert, and stick into the soil beside the plant. The water will slowly drip into the soil-- creating less soil erosion than handwatering, and allowing the plant roots to absorb the water you are providing.

• Though the bottles can be simply inverted and their noses (tops) stuck in the soil, some people prefer to purchase a spike that the bottle can screw into; this helps stabilize the bottles. (I have not seen these available, but online, it is mentioned that Harbor Freight carried them at one time).
• Some people just put the bottles in the soil. However, others cut the round bottoms off the bottles so they can easily add more water as needed. I prefer to leave the bottoms on because on very hot days- like we've been having lately- there is no evaporation of water inside the bottle.

You can also apply this same concept to your garden plants by using 2-liter soda/pop bottles. For more information and different versions of pop bottle "irrigation", click here, 2, 3, 4.

- - - - - -

** Filling the bottle with water and allowing it to sit at room temperature for 24 hours makes the water better for your plants. See a brief explanation of city water & plants here.

OSU TO HOST MASTER GARDENER FIELD DAY JULY 20

See new ways to grow your own food at Ohio State’s annual Master Gardener Field Day, from noon-3 p.m. Sunday (7/20) at the Franklin County Master Gardener Vegetable Varieties Trial Garden, part of OSU's Waterman Agriculture and Natural Resources Lab, 2490 Carmack Road. Enjoy talks, tours, demonstrations on growing backyard vegetables and more. Admission is free and open to the public. Enter at the farm’s Kenny Road entrance, one-half mile north of Lane Avenue. OSU Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center are the sponsors. Contact: Annette Swanberg, 529-9773

reminder

Garden Club Meeting Sunday evening!
Instead of a guest speak we are going to have a potluck.
Bring something made from your garden
or locally grown!
*but we're not picky, anything is fine!*

6 pm @ Whetstone Park
if it is raining 619 Blenheim
aka my house

don't forget

Don't forget, if you are interested in donating some of your garden to the local food pantry, bring it on sunday and jared boyd or i will take care of it. and if you want to bring more than what your garden produces, by all means fill up a bag from the grocery store! :)

Just Throwin' This Out There.....

I've been thinking of the topic of hybrid vs. heirloom seeds. I often wondered what the effect of all the genetic engineering on our seeds has done to our health. I understand "hybrid" to mean they've genetically crossed the seeds somehow to make the plants more disease resistant (and tasteless I might add), but you cannot take the seeds produced from that vegetable to perpetuate more plants. I understand "heirloom" to be seeds you can propagate from what is grown. Is this right?

That said, I'd love to learn how to propagate seeds from what I've grown...you know....taking a tomato and saving the seeds for the following spring to start and plant.

How about it....any thoughts out there?
Alisa

sorry to be posty mcposter woman but does anybody have an extra tomato cage? im one short! on that note, kroger at graceland has pepper and tomato plants for only $.50 right now. i bought three! :)

Host needed for the next meeting

Would anyone be willing to host the next garden club meeting? It will be Sunday July 13th in the evening and our speaker will be Randy Sanders a local expert in indigenous plants. He will have a slide show of the native plants that grow at their farm. The only requirements are that you have a backyard we can all hang out in and live in the Clintonville area.

Any takers?

Gardening Hotline

Did you know that there is a hotline you can call to get help with gardening questions? I just read about this in Sunday's paper


OSU Extension Franklin County Master Gardeners offer a
gardening hotline throughout the growing season.

Gardeners may call 614-866-6900, extension 209, and leave
a detailed message about their gardening or plant question.

Master Gardeners will research the questions and return
calls Monday and Wednesday of each week between 10:30 a.m.
and 12:30 p.m.

a few questions

Does anyone have any idea what would bite off all the stems of a jalapeno plant? Whatever it was apparently didn't like it, as the stems are just laying all around where the plant was.

Also, is anyone using any organic fertilizers? We enlarged our garden this year, so part of it is brand new to growing veggies -- the plants in this area seem a little too pale compared to the rest of the plants.

Thanks!

update on hostas

to anyone whom i have given hostas to: how are they doing? i transplanted some at my parents house and i hope yours met a better fate than theirs! they are going the way of the buffalo, and quickly!

Does anyone have...

any starter cherry tomato plants or maybe some that came up from last year that you are getting rid of? I purchased this hanging tomato "plant" from a kid who came to my door...he told me it was an actual plant. When he delivered it, I was a bit shocked...it was a bag and some seeds. It obviously is too late to start these seeds. I would just go to a garden center and pick some up, but I really need some smaller plants to fit in these holes in the bag.

Contest- Ohio Gardening Guide

Sign up to win a Ohio gardening guide.
(Check rules: contest might only be available to Time-Warner customers?)

FYI

Thanks to all who made the group great last night. I'm still thinking of all the interesting info that was shared.

Two notes:

http://www.lehmans.com/ has the pressure canners.

This Week Northland newspaper reports a new farmer's market will be starting at the corner of 161 & Cleveland July 8-Oct 28.

compost help...

last night at the meeting, jared showed everyone his non-stinky compost bins...& jenny mentioned that composts done correctly shouldn't smell. so wes & i (heidi) are wondering why ours reeks! obviously, we are doing something wrong, but what could it be? we put vegetable & fruit leftovers in (no meat or dairy) & grass clippings every once in awhile, sod dug up for beds. we've had this about a year (since we moved here) & it's a large black compost box (w/ a lid). we've had composts before at other houses & they didn't smell & we are doing nothing different. except we have a closed lid bin instead of an open 'pit' as we've done before...

any suggestions? we are not the most well read of composters, so i'm sure it would behoove us learn a bit more about it (before we start growing the toxic waste plant in westerville in our backyard), so book suggestions are welcome also.

-heidi

Neighbors' Day Today

... at Shepherd's Corner, a 160-acre organic farm in Jefferson Township west of Waggoner Road

See todays's Dispatch article "Tending God's Green Acres" It says that, " Sisters of Shepherd's Corner, an ecological ministry, welcome suburban neighbors."

flickr group

if you'd like to see pics or post pics of your gardens- come by the newly established flickr group. you can mark your photos with notes and descriptors of different things of interest within the photo.

if you'd like to post to the group email me at: mokonkwo [at] gmail [dot] com

got bunnies?

Yesterday at the garden store,
a man buying flowers and I started talking about pests.

FYI, he mixes 4 parts water to 1 part hot sauce and sprays this on his ground-level petunias and other plants that bunnies eat. He claims this works until it rains at which time, he goes outside and reapplies the mixture.

Thanks to the Pennsylvania Game Commission for use of this photo.

irises, etc?

does anyone have any irises or small perennials they want to share? today we drove by a random house and my husband david said "hey! what is that flower? i like that!" (they were irises) im also lacking some low/small/short perennials for my mostly shaded front area. any ideas or plants?

What do you use?

I have planted some tomatoes and was wondering what type of stakes you all use. I found these cool spiral stakes that are about 4 feet tall and I am considering trying them out. I am too lazy to go outside to see what type of plants I have, but they are not cherry/grape. I think Big Red. I would love to hear what works for all of you.

Herb Spiral

Cool idea! Be sure to see the started project, photos of five weeks late, and the plans to do it yourself; I want to try this! :-)

Mark Your Calendars!

Our next CV Garden Club meeting is going to be Sunday, June 8th at 6:30. Jared Boyd and family are hosting and here is a link to directions to their casa. Jared will be talking about Justice Gardens, our desire to feed the homeless with the fruits of our gardens.

Remember to bring any plants to give away or exchange that you have an excess of!

I have available

I have quite a bit of the following plants if anyone wants them. These are at my parents house so it would be a little more than just a days notice to dig them up. However I am going there today and will bring some home in case anyone wants some. If more people want x,y, or z plant and I run out, there are PLENTY there.

Hostas of all kinds
Black Eyed Susans
Ferns

I know Alisa has requested some Hostas and Ferns, anyone want any? Available to pick up ASAP

call, leave a message 725.0716 or email me softletters @ gmail . com

Friends Forever: Basil-Tomatoes, Three Sisters

Did you know that planting basil next to your tomatoes supposedly improves the flavor of your tomatoes?!!!

Did you know that corn, beans, and squash are known as the "Three Sisters" in veggie gardening? Planting beans near corn allow the beans to climb the corn stalks. Beans' root bacteria help with obtaining collecting/processing nitrogen that is needed by all plants, but especially by the corn. Squash leaves provide shade and help prevent moisture loss, weed growth, and animal pests.

Not only does companion planting naturally control pests; it also can improves flavor and growth!

Rain Barrel?

Does anyone know an inexpensive way to set up a rain barrel (hopefully less than $50)? we've discussed having one for a few years now, and actually want to implement it this year!

Thanks,
Monica
mehartman (at) gmail (dot) com

Mission Impossible

I feel like I'm in a chapter of the Three Bears.

... SOMEone has been eating our parsley.
... SomeONE has been eating our dill.
... Someone HAS been eating our African daisies.
... Someone has BEEN eating our zinnias.
... Someone has been EATING the leaves from our red plum tree.
... Someone has been eating OUR petunias.
... Someone has been eating our PLANTS!


(cue music: Mission Impossible theme)

Dear groundhogs
residing under our deck and side porch,

This is not your home; you do not belong here. I preferred the raccoons, possums, and rabbit to your presence. You really do not want to mess with my dear husband; the last time he was on pest control patrol, a raccoon spent three days in jail with only water (the racoon ran away never to be seen again). So, consider this an eviction notice: you are to vacate the premises immediately. You shall be vanquished!

Sincerely,
Your Hostess, Co-Landowner, & Resident Gardener


(sigh)

In the meantime, I have been researching groundhog pest control. This post by a fellow blogger is tops so far... if only for the last paragraph!

When I lived on a farm, dad trapped them and then shot them. I'm sorry PETA people; it was our dinner or theirs... and we won. But within city limits we can't shoot them, can't trap and release them elsewhere, can't drown them. Unfortunately, groundhogs don't eat powdered cement mixed with grain, then drink from the water bowl beside them like the rats in the winter on our farm (this combination really STOPS them up). They don't explode from drinking soda pop, like rats on the farm. They don't fall into a 55 gallon barrel, and drown like rats on the farm. And, we are NOT getting a dog; five cats are plenty in the pet department for us.

So, the only solution is expensive: Varment-Guard.

In the meantime, I'm ready to set up camp in the backyard and spray them (we have two) with a high pressure washer every time they poke their heads out and threaten the existence of my plants!

I apologize for complaining and commandeering the blog, but...
Does anyone have any helpful, useful, workable ideas?

Thanks, B--

P.s. Thanks to the Pennsylvania Game Commission's public photo gallery for their photography assistance.

HELP!

After 6 years of living in our home, I discovered what continues to grow on the side of our house...FEVERFEW! I have converted the side of the house to a herb/veggie garden and this stuff has become very annoying and I am afraid it will affect my herbs and their flavor. I am constantly pulling it out from year to year thinking that I got rid of it. Does anybody know of a safe way to get rid of this? My veggies and herbs are already in the ground. I will not use weed killer or any other chemicals. Oh, by the way, if you want any...you can have as much as you like
(don't say I didn't warn you though).

onion sets up for grabs

**TAKEN**

does anyone want any yellow onions to plant? i also have basil and chive seeds. if you want any shoot me an email!


softletters @ gmail . com

Tomato Seedlings- free

I dug our volunteer tomatoes this evening. Though Jenny & Jaime have first dibs, I doubt they want the over ONE HUNDRED volunteer plants that I put in containers! Most of the plants are probably small yellow pear tomatoes; some might be red cherry (sweet millions).

Anyone else want some tomato seedlings?

Save on gasoline- we are coming to C-ville on Wed & Fri and could drop them off if you live in that area! Of course, you can arrange to stop by our house (Minerva Park- south of Westerville); whichever works best for you.

bethany (and) karl {at} hotmail [dot] com

All Clear for Planting

Marlin Languis who spoke at our first meeting mentioned that the safe-for-planting date in Central Ohio was May 10th so let's get planting folks! I put in our garden this past weekend over two days during breaks in the rain. It felt good to get back into the dirt!

We use a communal garden with some friends from big Vineyard and it's a whopping +1100 sq/ft plot. This is our first year doing one together and this is what we have planted:

8 kinds of Lettuce
Spinach
Collard Greens
Beets
Carrots
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Cucumbers
Pole Beans
Sunflowers
Broccoli
a few kinds of Tomatoes
a few kinds of Peppers
Onions
Garlic
Cabbage
Peas
Strawberries
Blueberries (but they are new this year so won't be fruitful for 3 more years)
Raspberries
and an herb garden with Chives, Basil, Cilantro, etc. nothing fancy


What are you planting?

Gardening & Kids

Westerville Public Library presents

Gardening & Kids series

stories, planting, children's garden, kids' garden club

Heads Up- Relatively Inexpensive Plants

Did you know Marc's sells plants in the late spring?

This year, according to my sister, the Henderson Road did not get a permit to sell plants on their "patio" outside the store. However, the Westerville store still is selling plants. The selection changes every time a new truck load arrives (every couple of days); so it's sort of a scavenger hunt of what you might find each time you go...

A few prices & idea of the variety:

Hanging baskets- $8.99 (ferns @11.99)
fushia, petunias, bacopa, geraniums, begonias, pansies, violas, lobelia, ferns, mixed, etc

Half flats- $4.98?
annual salvia, small zinnias, marigolds, petunias, violas, snap dragons, impatiens, pansies, etc

Small/medium pots- $3.33
petunias, annual salvia, african daisies, gerber daisies, etc

Herbs- $1.99?
basil, oregano, rosemary, chives, thyme, cilantro, parsley, mint, sage, etc

Veggies- $0.99?
tomaotes (sweet millions, early girl, big boy, sweet olive); peppers (jalapeno, banana, red bell, yellow bell, green bell- forgot the varieties)

Roses- $8.98
at least two varieties of pink; maybe more

Perennials in small/medium pots- $3.33; now $1.98!
dianthus, perennial salvia, shasta daisies, soapwort, lavendar, creeping thyme, etc

Bushes- $9.99+
azalea, forsythia, taxus, l, hydrangea, lilac, etc

Trees- $29.99 and up?
crimson red, flowering plum, red plum, peatr arborvitae, alberta spruce, etc

Mulch- $1.99/ 2 cubic ft bag
cyrus & red (dark & red)

Also, have seen ...
irises, daylilies, hostas, spikes, alyssum, vince, ageratum, verbana, oleus, catmint, columbine, sweet potato vine, impatiens-New Guinea, foxglve, lphlox, lobelia, vinca vine, ivy, various ground covers, mixed pots, and many more ; potting soil, other gardening items (indoors)

Marc's Westerville is located on the southern side of Westerville just north of 270 & Rt.3/Westerville Road, in the the same outdoor "mall" as Kohls and Office Max. (Note: prices are even more reduced at the end of their plant sale; but this is never announced, and it's just whenever they quit getting plants... maybe late-ish May?)

Happy Shopping! :-)

Help Beautify a local Middle School!

Hey guys! Let's not forget that tomorrow we have an opportunity to serve our community with our mad (ok quasi-mad?) gardening skillz



On Saturday, May 10th (beginning at 9 A. M.) we will be gathering at Indianola Math, Science and Technology Middle School to beautify our courtyard. Any level of commitment would be greatly appreciated. Some equipment will be provided but it wouldn't hurt to bring some basics (spade, pruning shears, hard rake, leaf rake, gloves, etc.). Snacks and beverages will be provided.

I have some very basic landscaping skills but need some direction as far as the design possibilities go. If you have any questions, please contact me @ teddy(underscore)dellesky(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Plants up for grabs

I couldn't make the gardening get together, but I have some plants to share/trade. Sweet Woodruff (an herby groundcover), lily of the valley and 1 clump of wild ginger are among the plants up for grabs. I also have some seedlings that will be ready in a couple of weeks (kiss me over the garden gate). Contact me if you are interested in any of these plants.
Judy Crawford
judyandaaron@yahoo.com

Update
The wild ginger has been spoken for.

in search of!

anyone have any tomato or pepper plants that they aren't going to be using?

A Few more events

College of Biological Sciences Greenhouse Spring Fundraiser

Thursday, May 8 3-5PM
Friday, May 9 10AM-5PM

At the Greenhouse ground floor entry, breezeway between Aronoff Lab and Garage K. (this is on 12th Avenue)

Here's a sneak peek at what we will be offering:
Annuals: Marigolds, Pansy, Zinnia, Celosia, Portulaca, Cardinal Climber, Spanish Flag
Perennials: Coreopsis, Caryopteris, Shasta Daisy, Ajuga, Mints, Hardy Hibiscus, Blue Butterfly Scabiosa
Herbs: Chives, Dill, Oregano, Sweet Marjoram, Thyme, Cilantro
Veggies: Tomatoes, Peppers --sweet and hot, eggplant, broccoli, pumpkin, melon, watermelon

Specialities: Salsa Paks: 2 Tomatoes, Basil, Jalapeno Pepper, Chives, and Cilantro
Basil Baskets: 6 basil varieties all in one basket
Mixed Herb Paks: A variety pak of 8 herbs for an instant herb garden



It’s that time already! Get a jump on the planting season and enjoy exclusive plant choices through Franklin Park Conservatory’s Spring Plant Sale.

Mother's Day Weekend - May 10 & 11, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Choose from a unique selection of annuals, herbs, perennials, specialty plants, Ohio natives, and tropicals chosen by Conservatory horticulturists. Conservatory staff and volunteers will be on site to answer any questions,advise on companion plants, and to personally load your order.

Gardening Events of Interest- updated

I believe that all events are free unless noted;

some require registration.

(if you have corrections, please contact me)

Worthington Farmers' Market
Plant Fest 2008, May 10, 9am-4pm

OSU's Agricultural Department
"Sustainability Now" Conference, May 16 & 17, Fee
keynote address by Jim Merkel, author of Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth

Thornville's Herb N Ewe
Gardening Celebration

Westerville Garden Club
Plant Sale, May 10

Upper Arlington Parks & Recreation
Learning & Leisure- Fee
sessions on garden design, rain gardening, compsting, etc.

Gahanna Herb Education Center
Herb Days (see next post)

German Village Garden Club
Garten Markt, May 10, 9am-4pm

Columbus Metro Parks
Butterfly Gardening, May 10, 2pm, Highbanks Park
Heirloom Garden, May 17-18, 1-3pm, Slate Run Farm
Bringing Wildlife into the Garden, May 21, 7pm, Inniswoods Gardens

Home Depot's In-Store Clinics
Container Gardens & Hanging Basket Arrangements, Saturdays in May, 10-11am
Combining Annuals & Perennials in Your Garden, Sundays in May, 1-2pm
Landscaping & Outdoor Water Conservation, May 19, 7-8:30pm

Herb Celebration

Did you know tht Gahanna is the official
Herb Capital of Ohio?

Gahanna's Herb Education Center's
Herb Day 2008
will include demonstrations, forums, arts, crafts, & herb sales.

Saturday, May 17, 9am-4pm
Please note the new location information

More details available here.

OSU Plant Sale

OSU's Chadwick Arboretum's

Annual Plant Sale

which includes a tree & shrub auction and gardening fair

Friday, May 9, 7am-7pm

through Saturday, May 10, 8am-3pm

New Location!

Just east of 315 on the OSU campus

-- Lane Avenue and Fyffe Road

More details available here.

Composting

Based on the meeting on Sunday it seems like a lot of folks are interested in composting so I thought I'd make a general blog post about it in case anyone wasn't there or wanted a quick reference to come back to later.

First off, I feel composting is entirely underrated and undervalued. Food scraps and lawn clippings make up about 1/4 of all waste in landfills. When this organic matter is withheld oxygen while decomposing they emit methane, which is 20 times more toxic than carbon dioxide. Each ton of organic matter you divert from a landfill saves 1/3 of a ton of greenhouse gases from being emitted into the environment. And let's not forget the awesome effect compost gives to your soil when you use it for gardening! win-win!

Ok so what you want to do is have a structure to contain the compost as it decomposes. This can be anything from an uber cool tumbler to a chicken wire cage or like Jeff has, a simple wooden enclosure. For more on compost enclosures check out this link. We have even used a simple large trash can with holes drilled all around it (to circulate air) and it has happily provided the black gold we all crave. I've heard that it's best to use larger items like branches on the bottom to really get the air circulating to the bottom of the pile, but personally I've never been that strict about it and have had no problems.

So once you have the structure you can start adding compostable materials to it in about a 50/50 ratio of carbon rich and nitrogen rich items. Examples of carbon rich materials would be: leaves, wood chips, newspaper, cardboard, etc. Examples of nitrogen rich materials would be: fresh grass clippings, manure from herbaceous animals (cows, horses, even llamas!), basically any non-cooked kitchen scrap that contains no meat or dairy. The best results come from layering of all items vs just heaping on a ton of leaves at one time for example. Some things you don't want to include though - like anything diseased or thick things that might take a very long time to break down.

Try to stir it at least once a week during the main decomp stage to make sure air is circulating well. From personal experience my bin takes about 6 months to go from heap to black gold.

Pruning Bush Stuff

I overheard NBC4's Tom McNutt talk about pruning the other day.
He reminded viewers to:

• prune early springtime flowering "stuff" (like lilacs, azalea, forsythia) immediately after they are done blooming, so usually late spring to early summer
• prune evergreen shrubs in late spring- early summer (can start to prune around Christmas holidays to use for decorations, and then finesse the pruning in late spring after the new growth has appeared).
• prune things that flower in the summer (like some hydrangeas, rose of sharon, butterfly bush, redbud) in early spring, like February or March- right before the upcoming growing season.

General Pruning Info
When to Prune

Union Hoe

   

The Union Hoe factory where Marlin told us we could get cheap shovel stakes is no longer in existence.  The factory closed down in April.  But we can still get some of the same reject shovel handles at a greenhouse in Delaware.  The owner will be charging around 1.20 for each stake and he will have some on Friday.

The greenhouse is on Moore St, just north of E. Central Ave in Delaware.  You will see it on the right.  (cash and check only)

Union Hoe

  

Offer: Free Garden Stuff

Available to a good home:

- plastic pots of various sizes
... most are "starter pots" that are good for starting seeds

- TAKEN PPU (SB): philodendron starts
... indoor plant starts; already rooted
... can also be put in pots in the shade for summer and brought indoors in the fall

- TAKEN: tiger lilies (orange)
... plants with bulbs; we'll dig when you come to get them;
... though it's not the best time to move them, we've never had trouble doing it now

- TAKEN PPU (SB): chives
... we'd love to divide & share some of our clumps of chive plants

- TAKEN: tomato seedlings (cherry & roma)
... we've already bought our plants; but these showed up as volunteers
... these might be yellow pear, red cherry (sweet millions), or roma tomatoes

- TAKEN: tomato seedlings (yellow pear- small ones!)
... we've already bought our plants; but these showed up as volunteers
... think these are yellow pear, but could be red cherry (sweet millions), or romas ???

- TAKEN: marigold seeds
... harvested last year
... mostly yellow, but some orange; no way of knowing which are which color

- TAKEN PPU (TK): lily of the valley
... we'd love to share the plants that have popped up outside their bed

- lilac starts (white)
... we'd love to share some of the starts that have popped up around our lilac "tree"

- TAKEN PPU (JB & DMB): daffodil bulbs (yellow)
... available after the leaves die, we'll need to thin our bulbs & will have some to share

If you are interested,
please email us at bethany and karl [at] hotmail {dot} com
-- please omit spaces and brackets

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Wanted: Garden Plants

We would love to get some of these if anyone has some to offer...

1. Lilac starts (deep purple)
... we're specifially looking for some almost black ones

2. Siberian irises (any color other than purple)
... we're specifially looking for some white or yellow ones

Thanks, for any assistance...
K&B

bethany and karl (at) hotmail [dot] com
-- omit spaces and brackets

Sprout Market!

Heads up! Tomorrow is the Clintonville Farmer's Market "Spring Sprout Sale"!

Farmers bring vegetable and flower starts, native plants, early season vegetables, and other good things.

It goes from 9-11 at the corner of High and Oakland Park

CV Gardening First Meeting!

Hey guys, the CV Gardening group is going to be having it's first meeting with special guest Marlin Languis, who is a master organic gardener, Sunday May 4th at 5:30 pm. Join us for a Q&A session with Marlin about composting, soil amendment, a presentation on square foot gardening, and exchanges of seedlings that he will be bringing! Afterward everyone is invited to Northstar for some grub

so be there or be square!
2632 Summit Street
5:30 pm

No Room? No Excuse!

Here are a few ideas for limited space...


1. Container Gardening
Consider using containers to grow food- veggies, fruits, and herbs rather than the usual flowers. Some flowers (like petunias & marigolds) can be interspersed with the contained plants to ward off bugs; this makes allows the container garden to serve a duel purpose of growing food and dressing up a spot of the deck, porch, or yard.

- Herb Container Gardens
- Summer Container Gardening , 2 , 3 , 4
- Potato Bag & Plant Varieties Good for Containers
- Laundry Basket Gardens
- No Yard; No Problem

- We've done mixed container gardens for our deck for a couple of years now. This year, we plan to replace the spikes with lemon grass, the geraniums with scented geraniums (citronella), the other flowers with flowering herbs and/or tomatoes.


2. Window Boxes
Install window boxes for spring. summer, fall use. They work well for herbs, lettuces, and and flowers- especially edible ones!

- Year-round Window Box
- Plans to Build Them

- Our window boxes are planters purchased at a home improvements store. We put brackets on the house, under the north-facing windows, and attached the draining trays. The planters snap into the trays and can be detached and stowed in he garage when frost or cold threaten.


3. Hanging Pots and Buckets
Of course, we've all seen hanging pots of flowers available in garden and grocery stores. But, why not grow herbs, etc in them? Also, a newer, radical idea is to grow tomatoes upside-down in a hanging bucket!

- Upside-down Tomatoes , 2 , 3
- Grow Poles
- Products for Growing Hanging Tomatoes, etc

- We found pot hangers at a local discount store. Each year we plant herbs, flowers, and lettuce in clay pots and place them in the "pot hangers"; then, we hang them on our fences for added growing space. This also keeps bunnies OUT of our lettuce!


4. Vertical Space
Use vertical wall space is better for more things than just roses, grapes, ivy, and clematis! It can create growing space for tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, small squash, and even small pumpkins. Mother Earth News has addressed this subject several times in their magazine.

- Strawberry Barrel
- Build a "Tower"
- Trellis, Bins, and Tepees
- Freestanding Tower
- Not for the at-Home Gardener, but Isn't This Cool?


- Our tomato trellises hide the walls of our aging garage. One set faces east and the other set faces west. They are constructed from home improvement store, plastic lattices that have been hung on two spike nails; yes, THAT simple. As the tomatoes grow, we tie them up the trellis with zip ties (my sister uses pieces of fabric that she has ripped from worn out t-shirts and jeans). The plants usually grow up and over the gutters!


Many other links and ideas are available online & in printed materials. But hopefully, something here will spark ideas. Small spaces are no excuse! ;-)

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Making Peace with Weeds

I like to consider us a people marked by peace and understanding, kindness, goodness, you know all of those cool fruits of the Spirit. Yet find me in the garden swamped by weeds and you will see a woman bent on scorching the earth to rid itself of such vile plants. BUT! the upside is that weeds can sometimes be advantageous to have hanging around. The following weeds you might want to think twice about giving the ol' heave ho.

Dandelions - Wait, did she just say dandelions? Like "the" weed in everyone's yard that we all hate? Oh no she didn't! Dandelions are rich in minerals and young ones can actually be pulled (before turning bitter) and mixed into salads. The dandelion's roots can be made into a caffeine-free herbal tea even!

Lamb's Quarters - This plant attracts hoverflies, which eat every gardeners nemesis, aphids. They are high in iron, protein, calcium, and vitamin B. You can even sub this for spinach in salads!

Ivy - Attracts butterflies and bees

Clover - This is a nitrogen fixing plant, taking it from the air and fixing it into the soil in a form accessible to other plants.

Nettle -Important food for butterflies and you can boil the young leaves and eat them as a spinach substitute.

Chickweed - Good source of "green manure" because of how fast it grows.

Toadflax - Good source of nectar for insects who are into that sort of thing.

Slugging It Out- natural pest control

As I read Jenny's post, I realized that I take a lot of things for granted when it comes to gardening. I grew up on a farm and some of the things I do in my garden are almost second nature to me; some I have read, researched, or learned by trial and error. Some of these natural pest controls might not be second nature to newer gardeners. So, here are a few tips and tricks; maybe other contributors will have more tips and tricks to share too.

1. Slugs
These slimy, snail-like creatures really like to eat gerber daisies, some types of hostas, and other shade-loving plants. We decided to treat for them before starting to plant any flowers, herbs, or vegetables this year!

Place containers with low edges- like clay pot basins, plastic pot basins, and tin pie plates among areas where slugs are prevalent. If you use deeper containers, slightly bury the containers so the top edge is near the soil. In the evening, fill the containers with (cheap) beer. Though the yard will smell like a frat party, slugs will crawl in and drown. Replace beer every other day for about a week. Repeat treatments might be needed later in the season, but usually if caught early, less problems will be had later!

2. Marigolds & Petunias
Plant these among vegetables to help deter pests.

3. Companion Plants
Consult a companion planting guide; many different ones are available online. Some plants help protect others against pests- especially certain insects. Some herbs and vegetables do not thrive next to incompatible plants.

4. Herbs
There are also guides for herbs. For instance, when basil is planted among tomatoes, it supposedly improves the flavor of the tomatoes! This is one of my favorite herb sites- recipes; growing guides, facts sheets, etc.

• Mosquitoes- When working in the yard, we crush catnip leaves and spread the juices on our arms & legs for a natural mosquito repellent. Of course, bring some leaves inside the house is always a treat for our cats too. One hint on growing catnip- plant in pots off the ground unless you want to attract all the neighborhood cats!
• Insects- Citronella will repel insects, but works best if some leaves have been crushed to give off their stronger odor.
• Ants- Pour boiling water on the problem ant hill; try to kill the queen and the rest of the colony will follow.
• Yellow jackets/ Wasps- Use a natural trap (purchased or made) from a plastic bottle. Bait with fruit juice and a tiny bit of lunch meat; we found ours at a used store, and it been very successful for us. Another type is a water trap made from a plastic two-liter bottle; another similar idea.
• Cats & Dogs-Rue, citronella, lemon peels, grapefruit peels, orange peels, pine cones, geraniums, fuchsia, marigolds, and petunias all supposedly repel cats; and some repel dogs. (Look up more info on rue before planting though- it's incompatible with at least sage, basil, cabbage, and cauliflower!)
• Chipmunks & Squirrels- If chipmunks are digging holes in the garden or squirrels in flower boxes, sprinkle areas with dried red pepper flakes. For more critter suggestions, check online.

5. Sprays
There are homemade herbal garden sprays, insect repellent sprays, natural bug sprays to be used in the garden, herbal insecticides, etc.

Best of luck "slugging it out" with the pests! Feel free to share your own insights on garden pest controls and natural insect repellents.

Easy to Grow/Hard to Kill Gardening

Yesterday I was on the playground with my kids, having a conversation with Chelsea Kay *waves* and it dawned on me that there are probably just a few reasons why people are intimidated or are hesitant to take the plunge and try gardening.

1. lack of desire to get dirty/work in the yard
2. fear of failure

So while I can't do a thing about a person's lack of enthusiasm about working in the yard, the second part I might be able to help you get over! I think the key is starting small and starting with things that require little work but have a high yield. That way you will not only build confidence but see the literal fruits of your labor. So for the intimidated in the group, try the following easy to grow plants

Flowers:
Lilies - You could practically set these on fire and they would come back!
Black Eyed Susans
Hostas - Perfect for shaded areas of your yard
Yarrow - Is heat and drought tolerant
Lamb's Ear

Edibles:
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Red & Green Peppers
Lettuce

Indoor Growing:
Aloe - Smells wonderful and is great for cuts!
Bonsai trees
Ponytail Palm - Great for people who forget to water their plants!

Herbs:
Basil
Parsley
Chives
Mint - If you plant this outside, make sure you watch it. It's been known to grow wildly!
Lavender
Oregano
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme