Victory Garden

[Monkeypoo]

This is fabulous. I love gardening and getting filthy dirty in the Earth. Last year in NC I grew Okra, Tomatoes (3 kinds), Pumpkins, Sweet Peas, Watermelon, Zucchini, Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Onions, Garlic, Potatoes... The season is so much shorter out there. I'm a California girl and wasn't used to that.

Now I'm back in California (yay!) and I've started growing an herb garden inside, slowly moving it outside. I think my garden this year is going to consist of just tomatoes and hot peppers. Not much space here. We live in an apartment and my patio is 12' x 8' - but all is not lost because I've learned to make due with what I'm given in this life.

THANKS for all the great tips. I've been wondering what to do with this kids' plastic pool (that no one was using), and the paper egg cartons (I don't throw out anything!).

Been thinking about getting a couple of those upside-down tomato growing thingamabobbers. Anybody have any luck with those?

PS: I love your garden, Pinemom!!

[Oldguy]

Victory gardens

Digging their way out of recession
Feb 26th 2009 | LITTLE ROCK
From The Economist print edition

Allotments by any other name


IN 1943 Eleanor Roosevelt encouraged a return to the “victory gardensâ€

[Oldguy]

From WhiteHouseFarmer.com:

Why Do We Need a White House Farmer?
Because everyone, from your family and friends to our First Family and their guests, needs to know who grew their food and how it was grown.


This site was launched in November 2008 as a forum to follow up on Michael Pollan’s call for a White House Farmer. Pollan suggested the farmer be charged with transforming “five prime south-facing acres of the White House lawn and plant[ing] in their place an organic fruit and vegetable gardenâ€

[Oldguy]

From Ehow:

How to Catch a Gnome
By shabam, eHow Member


Gnomes are hard to catch. They bite, they kick, and they will gang up on you. Catching them can be most challenging.

Step
1
Slow their reproduction. The little blighters reproduce like crazy. If you are not careful, you will end up with an entire village full of them and then you will never get rid of them. They might even outlive cockroaches.
Step
2
Use a bath tub as a garden planter. Men gnomes HATE baths. The women gnomes are always nagging their men to take baths and seeing the tub will remind both the man and woman that bathing is needed and they will argue about this so much that they will forget to reproduce.
Step
3
Leave candy around. They are always inspecting mushrooms and are drawn to candy like we are. Once they start licking at it, they will sit down and work at it till it is gone. Sometimes they will take so long that mushrooms will grow on them. This makes them easy catches.
Step
4
Once you have them drunk on candy and you catch them, you should hold them close and sing "The Gnome" to them while you transport them to their new home.

[EvilDustBooger]

All we are saying is give peas a chance...

[ygmir]

All we are saying is give peas a chance...

possible, if, we visualize whirled peas.........

[Oldguy]

I went to my town council meeting last night and gave a 3 minute speech. I reminded everyone that April is National Gardening Month and that everyone should grow a garden this year. I meantioned the esthetics, the exercise, and the nutrition a garden provides. I reminded the council that I had been to the Parks and Recreation committee requesting a community victory garden. One council member replied that he wanted the matter on next months agenda, he was the councils member on the Parks committee. City staff is researching the matter for grant funding and permits for water use and use of city landscaping equipment. The city is in the process of buying up abandoned properties for a song...

Our last freeze date in Sutter County with a 90 percent probability is April tenth. It's coming fast. The soil should be warm when I get city approval and we break ground.

When walking back to my seat I was applauded by the audience, everyone said it was a good idea...

[jkisha]

Good job !!

JK

[Oldguy]

There is a great article in today's SF Chronicle about the Obama's Whitehouse Garden.

Ground is broken for White House 'kitchen garden'
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer

Friday, March 20, 2009

(03-20) 21:08 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

Twenty-six elementary schoolchildren wielded shovels, rakes, pitchforks and wheelbarrows to help first lady Michelle Obama break ground on the first day of spring for a produce and herb garden on the White House grounds.

Crops to be planted in the coming weeks on the 1,100-square-foot, L-shaped patch near the fountain on the South Lawn include spinach, broccoli, various lettuces, kale and collard greens, assorted herbs and blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.

There will also be a beehive.

"We're going to try to make our own honey here as well," Mrs. Obama told the fifth-graders from Bancroft Elementary School in Washington before they got to work on Friday. The school has its own community garden.

The students will be brought back to the White House next month to help with the planting, and after that to help harvest and cook some of the produce in the mansion's kitchen. The first harvest is expected by late April.

Mrs. Obama said her family has talked about planting such a garden since they moved to the White House in January.

After she spoke, the students were paired off and handed a gardening tool. The first lady joined — first with a shovel, then a rake — and together they began pulling up the grass, dumping it into wheelbarrows and depositing the contents in a central location.

"Are we done yet?" Mrs. Obama jokingly said at one point. "I want to plant. Let's harvest something."

When finished, the students sat at three picnic tables for treats of apples, apple cider and cookies baked in the shape of a shovel.

Some of the produce from the garden will be served in the White House, including to the First Family and at official functions. Some crops also will be donated to Miriam's Kitchen, a soup kitchen near the White House where Mrs. Obama recently helped serve lunch.

Assistant chef Sam Kass said the garden will exist year round, and the crops will change with the seasons.

He gave no estimate on how much produce the garden would yield, but said, "It should be quite a bit, if we're lucky."

Mrs. Obama, who has spoken about healthy eating, said the garden's purpose is to make sure her family, White House staff and guests can eat fresh fruits and vegetables. She said she has found that her 10- and 7-year-old daughters like vegetables more if they taste good.

"Especially if they were involved in planting it and picking it, they were much more curious about giving it a try," she said.

Such a White House garden has been a dream of noted California chef Alice Waters, considered a leader in the movement to encourage consumption of locally grown and organic food. She has lobbied the White House to plant such a garden for more than a decade.

"Fresh, wholesome food is the right of every American," Waters said. "This garden symbolizes the Obamas' commitment to that belief."

[jkisha]

I think that it's really great! It's been on the news all day too.

JK

[Oldguy]

From Wise Bread:

Gardening in a Group: 6 Tips

Posted March 22, 2009 - 09:50 by Thursday Bram

The new White House garden is definitely a joint effort: it's 1,100 square feet that will be tended not only by members of the White House grounds staff but will involve students from nearby Bancroft Elementary School. Even the Obamas have announced intentions of getting their hands dirty while working in the new garden.

That sort of combined effort can be exactly what it takes to create a gardening success. Last year, I started a small balcony garden with some success. This year, I've teamed up with a friend in my neighborhood to plant a bigger and better garden: we're taking a joint approach to the effort just like the White House. If you've been thinking of starting your own little co-operative gardening effort, I've got a few tips from my own experiences that might yours go a little smoother.

1.Plan out just what you each want to grow — and don't make assumptions. We've already got a great set of eggplant seedlings, but we didn't realize that neither one of us actually like eggplant until the seedlings started popping up.
2.Decide early on where the garden will actually be, along with the materials you need. Our decision was pretty easy: although we both live in apartments, my friend has a yard that she's allowed to use. We'll still need to bring in planters to keep her landlord happy, though.
3.Share costs and work as best you can. The fact of the matter is that the member of your joint gardening effort who actually lives with your garden will wind up doing more work. If that person winds up bearing the brunt of any expenses, as well, your garden probably won't make it past the first year.
4.Take advantage of having more people involved. You can often get at least a few seeds from friends and relatives — if you and your partner both ask around, you may be able to get all of your seeds for free. The same goes for looking for boards you can reuse to build your planters or soil you can use for planting.
5.Plan at least one shared meal from the results of your garden. While a shared meal isn't a necessity for a shared garden, it can be an enjoyable way to see how well your garden worked out and decide how you might want to adjust your plans for next year. It also lets you avoid at least some of the discussion on how you want to split up your produce.
6. www.squarefootgardening.com can offer a lot of shortcuts for gardening as a team. Not only can you set aside specific squares for individual growers, but it can also simplify dividing the workload.

[Elorrum]

last spring, I had a job maintaining ferry morse and burpee seed racks. I noticed that the people shopping the seeds were calm, happy, and genial in nature. I found that after an hour of sorting seeds back into their homes, enjoying the names of the different plants, I was in a happier mood. I daydreamed of gardens and harvests and recipes. I sent away for the Burpee catalog just to continue my interest, and see if browsing the book at home would lighten my mood from time to time. Big boy, better boy, sugar dots corn, papayas and cream nasturtiums... It does. I live in an apartment with little sun once the trees get their leaves back. This year I am going to plant a garden in my sister's yard. She's of the mindset that we should only plant food that we will actually eat. This most likely means no zucchini, and no swiss chard. I maintain that those two plants always always thrive and that's a good reason to grow them. Has anyone tried the upside down tomato plant from a 5 gallon bucket? I wonder if the food banks get more zucchini than they want from the plant a row for the foodbank programs.

[Oldguy]

I just got home from a meeting with a local church, department of public works, recreation department chair, and city councilman who sits on parks committee.

I may have an acre of garden space behind a church, alongside a strawberry patch next to a baseball field. The Pastor needs to check with his corporation board, but it looks good.

City is willing to propose a free $1,500.00 hookup to city water to avoid people drinking untreated well water. The public works guy wants to run a 2 inch pipe from an existing hydrant to a new meter where we would hook up our faucets. They would break ground sometime after April 15th, the next council meeting. A late start for cold weather crops, but that can't be avoided the first year.

Recreation wants to charge a $20.00 participation fee for the year. We want to start small with 20 plots. We could not agree on individual plot size as yet.

I have been charged with drawing up participant agreements, signup sheets, plot assinment sheets, 30 day notice sheets for rule violaters, waiting list sheets, waiver and hold harmless agreements, rule signs, etc.... I was asked to be garden manager but I declined. I would not be able to pass a background check because I'm an ex-con. So I am the interim manager untill someone else can be selected.

I recommended an internship with a college student to manage the day to day business: tool signout, opening the watering valves, assisting gardeners, greening the site, plot assignments, etc.

It was suggested it would be a good senior project for a graduating highschool student. FFA or 4H kids are all over the place. The church wants two border plots. That leaves 18 plots to sign up.

Next Tuesday is the next Parks and Recreation department meeting. A week from next wednesday is the next city council meeting. I hope we get on the agenda and be approved.

[Monkeypoo]

**monkeypoo wheels her new Recycled BBQ Pit Herb Garden into the Victory Garden with a happy, bubbly, proud smile on her face**

Looky at what I did, friends!!



We're not allowed to use charcoal BBQs anymore where I live here, so instead of throwing it away I made it into an Herb Garden this past weekend. Herbs planted: Spearmint, Oregano, Cilantro, Sweet Basil, a Marigold for color and....Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme (cuz I'm still a little hippie).

[joel the ornery]

nifty, monkeypoo

[jkisha]

Can't use charcoal anymore where you live? Blasphemy!!!

JK

[Monkeypoo]

Blasphemy indeed! Charcoal makes food taste so much better than propane does. I think there's a conspiracy here involving Management and the Big Propane (tm) businesses in Texas. Some kind of kickbacks going on, maybe? They tell us propane is cleaner, safer, that charcoal creates too much smoke. Whatever.

Recycled a couple of 4-5 gallon sized plastic Tidy Cat litter containers, drilled a dozen drainage holes in the bottoms, and planted my Big Boy Tomatoes and Cherry Tomatoes. Sweet! I bought some more plants yesterday too: Marjoram, Peppermint, Purple Daisies, and half a dozen Strawberry plants. I have no idea what I'll plant them in yet. Wishin' I had some kind of old blue enamel cowboy coffee pot or decorative tins or something rustic-like to plant some things in.

(edited because I am anal about my spelling errors sometimes)

[Oldguy]

Sproing
Fabulous !

[Monkeypoo]

:D Sproing
Fabulous !

Thanks! Saw you sold your Harley (Fuck thread).
It would have made an awesome Harley Herb Garden.

[Oldguy]

DAMN!
Parks committee just tabled my request for a community garden this year. They say they want to try next Spring and maybe get funding thru a Seniors program.
There is a new park going in on Apricot Street. They got stimulus funding for infrastructure improvements. I suggestred they put planting zones next to the new bikepath. We'll see.
So this year, I'll just be growing my own garden. I used some of my harley money to buy peat pot flats.( 72 tiny seedling pots per tray ), I bought 3 flats, seeds, fertilizer, soil mix, hose Y valves, 2 dozen mason jars, a box of pectin, 4 six volt batteries for my lanterns, a 56/57 ink refill for my printer to print out barcode, a 40 pound bag of dogfood, a box of crunchy bones, 2 caribeaners, a patch kit, a picnic tablecloth with clamps, and 2 blinkies. There went $180 buckarinys. I put back $100 bucks for BRC gas fund. I put back $500 bucks for property tax for next year. I'll pay off my creditcard bill in 2 weeks. I'm not in debt anymore but I need to stop that impulsive spending. Since I sold my ride I won't get foodstamps next month. I really need my garden...
I'm soaking my flats tonight. I plant flats tomorrow and I'll put them in my RV windows to germinate. I want to plant seedlings next week.
I got off freecycle some pots from a lady cleaning out her garage. She gave me 3 sleeping bags, a 3 room tent, a shade structure, a Marine carryon bag , a duffle bag marked " California Correction Officers Assn. ", 2 snow sleds, a wooden trellis, a pair of size 12 snowboots, a Coleman battery lamp, a Coleman propane lamp. I'm all set for Burningman.

[Oldguy]

A busy day today. I drove to Yuba City and picked up bamboo poles and wood stakes from a freecycle person. I took my dog, she loves car rides.

Once home, I poured of excess water on my peat pot flats. I planted 144 peat pots. I will leave third flat for 2 weeks for second planting. I planted a dozen pots each with marigolds, lettuce, tomatos, carrots, pumpkins, watermelons, bell peppers. I planted 2 dozen pots each of sweet corn and string beans. I did not plant summer squash yet.

For the third flat I'll plant more corn and beans, tomatos, lettuce, carrots, squash, and bellpeppers. I have potting mix to refill and reuse flats for third planting in 4 weeks. If I have anymore remaining seed, I'll plant again in 6 weeks. This is all new seed.

I have old seed that is years old that I'll use up for fourth, fifth or sixth planting. I don't expect good germination from old seed but I don't want to waste not trying.

I walked to the liquor store and bought a money order to pay my garbage collection bill of $72.12. / quarter. I walked the the auto glass repair place and asked about getting my driver side window back on its regulator.(I've had plastic taped on the last 2 months.) " It'll cost $30.00." I then walked to auto parts store to check on bolt to hold my quadriped pedal on the hub. It was metric, 8.8 mm. with a fine thread. He didn't have it. I walked to the postoffice and mailed my bill payment.

I walked home. It was getting hot and I was sweaty by the time I got home. I walk everyday to get fit for BRC.

I pulled the plastic off my Geo and drove to the glass shop. Fixed in 10 minutes, 30 bucks. No dust or rain thru that window now! I then drove to Gridley to a hardware store. He had metric. I bought three replacements plus three lock washers, 5 bucks. I drove over to the Gridley Rite-aid drugstore and bought a 2 liter Coke and looked at their potted vegetables,( 3 bucks for 4 small seedlings in a plastic tray). They had a seed display, 5 packets for a dollar. Damn, I paid a buck a packet at wallyworld. I'm hitting up Rite-aid Pharmacy next year.

I drove home and relaced bolts on quad pedals. Now I have original bolt and new bolt for spares. I tested it on my street, solid. I won't be stuck 2 miles out on the playa this year.

So, today: I planted two flats, paid my garbage, had my car window fixed, fixed my quad, picked up bamboo, bought a coke and walked all over Liveoak. All for the cost of $109.12

While my seed germinates, I have 7-10 days to double dig my backyard. It's nice to have a plan and be working on survival. On the 18th is Picnic Day at UC Davis. I usually pick up some tomato and pepper seedlings from the plant science building. I got there late last year and didn't get any.

Tomorrow is the last day my EBT card reloads with foodstamp money. I sold my Harley, so no funds next month. I think I have to wait 6 months to reapply, if I have to reapply. I need to start looking for a large boiling pot for cold canning and a large pressure cooker for hot canning. I got 2 dozen mason jars already. I got to plan for next winter... I can apply for SSI in Feb. 2013. Only 4 years to go.

Sorry, if I seem to be rambling. I just thought it might be interesting to some burners. I hope others are getting greener this year. If you don't sow , you can't reap.

[Monkeypoo]

I'm having a little problem with snails and slugs. Is there a humane way to stop the little slimewads?
I don't want to use snail killer or chemicals because it's harmful to other animals.
Salt is just too cruel. Just my opinion. I don't poo-poo people who do it, it just grosses me out and I start
feeling sorry for the little critters as I watch them melt. The snail situation has gotten a little better
after I roasted some eggshells in the oven a few days ago, crushed them up and sprinkled them all around.

Just googled snails. Now here's a fun idea! I could paint them and give them away as gifts!
Then they don't have to die and they'll have a new home!

[Oldguy]

If you don't want to use snail bait, try burying a piepan in the dirt up tp the lip. Pour in an old beer. It gets them drunk, they fall in and drown.

If they are climbing up your BBQ legs, put the feet in tin cans. Save some piss and put it in cans. Ammonia is produced in time and makes an effective toxic moat.

I have trees that host a lot of birds. I feed them in winter so they hang around. Provide clean water and some nesting material and you have a workforce to feed on bugs and snails. I have daddylonglegs, praying mantis, ladybugs that show up every year. If you have a smoker, tobacco water is a fair repellant. Marigolds help too.

Gophers, rabbits, and deer require more drastic measures. Traps, cats, and fences... The beasties want to eat our crops as much as we do.

[Oldguy]

My seeds have not germinated yet. I may have made a fatal error. I think I put them in to much direct sun and cooked them. 10 days and not one sprout. I should have left them inside where its warm but not hot.

I went to Picnic Day at UC Davis, my alma mater. Davis is the California farm college west of Sacramento. I went early and got 4 tomato seedlings and a bell pepper. I put them in my eggcrate pots and will plant them outside next week. If no sprouts this weekend, I'll replant peat pots next week.

Wonderfull day in Davis. I went to Alumni Breakfast: pancakes c syrup, sausages (no bacon), potatos and peppers, melon, coffee and OJ. Parade at 10 am. I saw many exhibits, won a few prizes, relived my " hippy " days. Good times...

[Monkeypoo]

The Snail War is on. I'm done being nice. I can no longer think in a humane way. The beer traps are working. Killed 3. The eggshells are not working so well. Actually saw a snail eating some? I drew a salt line all around, but apparently not well enough. The little buggers have gotten to 2 of my Chicken-n-Hens (a succulent), my Coleus seedlings, and one of my Tomato plants. I don't like being a snail killer, but they aren't playing very nice. Revenge is mine sayeth GardenMonkeypoo.

[ygmir]

diatamaceous earth is supposed to be a good alternative to poison........

[Monkeypoo]

diatamaceous earth is supposed to be a good alternative to poison........

This is the 2nd time I've had to get the dictionary out now, Ygmir. I'm feeling very challenged by you this morning. *hug*

[ygmir]

sorry Poo........but, it is supposed to work good for snails, etc......
you can even dig it for free out near the Playa........or along I-80 towards Lovelock.......

[MozyBonz]

You can also pick it up cheep at the pool supply store.
It’s used as a filter medium in some pool filters.

[Monkeypoo]

NTS: Take a small shovel and some large ziplocks to
Nevada this year, or get out bicycle and go to pool supply store.