The Grouchy Gardener: May 2014

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Plants Plants Everywhere!!!

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My porch is a complete disaster!

My family is tired of all the plants lying around and all the gardening supplies and buckets and watering cans left out.

We didn't have our last frost until the late may last year and it has been so wet I haven't been able to get outside much.

I wanted to hedge my bets and have plenty but some plants are not ready to transplant yet anyway.

Some of my tomatoes are still not ready and haven't gotten their true leaves.

My Chayote squash are past ready and I am just not sure where to put them.

My Tennis ball lettuce is nearly full grown but my Tom Thumb lettuce is acting like it quite, I planted it before the Tennis ball by over a week.

I am so busy with work and my community garden and broken rorotiller I just haven't been able to plant anything other than my strawberry plants in my own garden beds yet. I need some extra days off with out thunder storms.

Rototiller Trauma!

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The race on!

I know of no other tool that saves as much work in the garden as the ROTOTILLER!

I bought this bad boy last year for a steal. and was so happy until........

we tried to start it this season and it wouldn't start for more than a few seconds.

After 3 days of fiddling with it a nearby neighbor of my father in law said he could probably have it fixed by THURSDAY....today is THURSDAY... and I haven't heard back about it yet.

It is finally time to start planting in our community garden and I haven't tilled a single plot yet. Having my tiller in for repair is seriously slowing me down.

I am just itching (and not just because mosquitoes are so awful) to throw in the earbuds and start getting something done!

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

SEED GIVEAWAY!

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OK MY GROUCHY GARDENERS, GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!
THIS DRAWING WILL END FRIDAY NIGHT (around midnight after I get home from work).

https://www.facebook.com/groups/471835862876763/

LIKE AND COMMENT,(follow the link & join the group) TELL US WHAT MAKES YOU A GROUCHY GARDENER!
(you do have to be in the group to win)

THIS PACKAGE CONTAINS (at least 5 seeds, usually more):

KUMATO
GIANT BELGIUM
RUTGERS
MORTGAGE LIFTER
GREEN ZEBRA
WHITE BEEFSTEAK
THESSALONIKI
STUFFER
PINK BANANA SQUASH
AND SUGAR BABY WATERMELON BUSH

15 Kindle Freebies! Get them fast, they don't last!

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15 Kindle Freebies! Get them fast, they don't last!

Home Vegetable Gardening -a Complete and Practical Guide to the Planting and Care of All Vegetables, Fruits and Berries Worth Growing for Home Use

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Organic Gardener's Composting

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Container Gardening For Beginners: Simple Tricks And Ideas To Container Gardening Made Easy!

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How To Go Organic: Your Guide To Converting A Non-Organic Garden Into A Sustainable One

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Small Gardens and How to Make the Most of Them

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Start Your Own Organic Garden This Year - And Feed Your Family Some Produce From Mother Nature

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Amateur Gardencraft A Book for the Home-Maker and Garden Lover

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The Practical Garden-Book Containing the Simplest Directions for the Growing of the Commonest Things about the House and Garden

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Your Plants Plain and Practical Directions for the Treatment of Tender and Hardy Plants in the House and in the Garden

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Pickled! The Ultimate Recipe Guide - Over 30 Delicious & Best Selling Recipes

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Survival Pantry: The Beginners Guide To Food Storage, Canning, Preserving And Surviving (The Prepper's Guide To Food Storage, Water Storage, Canning And Preserving)

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JeBouffe Home Canning Step by Step Guide (second edition) Revised and Expanded

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Every Step in Canning The Cold-Pack Method

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Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume 5: Fruit and Fruit Desserts; Canning and Drying; Jelly Making, Preserving and Pickling; Confections; Beverages; the Planning of Meals

http://www.amazon.com/Womans-Institute-Library-Cookery-Confections-ebook/dp/B00847S8OG/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1401239104&sr=1-6&keywords=canning

Backyard Organic Gardening: Easily and Effortlessly Create Your Own Organic Gardening Oasis for Optimal Health and Nutrition

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The Community Garden Project

Community Garden

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This year I decided to start a community garden on an empty lot near my house. It wasn't because I didn't have enough to do, with a full time job, a garden to organize and plant for my elderly in law's house over 20 miles away, my own garden in our new home which has not ever been gardened before, or a child we home school, or a brand new blog I wanted to get off the ground, etc.

I wanted to meet neighbors, make friends, improve my neighborhood and share something that gives me a great deal of joy.

The Mayor of our small town (population 5,393 ) was very receptive and agreeable about the idea giving me the OK to use the lot behind our house. It is in flood zone so there shouldn't be issues with water. He called me concerned about something he had recently heard about me charging people to have plots and when I clarified the only charge was an option charge of $10 if a person wanted their plot tilled. He agreed that was reasonable and I was able to ask if we could also use another empty lot across the road from the lot he already gave us. He told me we could as long as no one else was already planning on using it. He also added he has no problem with us selling our produce if we have extra. So we have much more area than we really need, but in my opinion it is better to have more than it is to have less than enough.

I have a group of about 10 to 12 people who are ready to start as soon as I am. Unfortunately my tiller needs to be repaired!!! I was told it would be ready Thursday, but I have to go get it then go to work so it will be Friday before I can till the plots.

These are the lots available. One gets shade most of the morning but sun after about 11am. The other gets full sun all day long.

I am so excited to get started I can hardly contain myself!

                                     I can only hope everyone else is as excited as I am getting.

   It is really such a simple thing to have a garden and I really look forward to having a group of people with something constructive in common that makes our selves and our community better.

   I think we will start a facebook group for the people involved with the garden so we can leave messages and information for each other. We have a few who work nights and a few who have regular schedules so it might be a good way to keep in touch.

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Monday, May 26, 2014

Vegetable gardening: By Tana Farrell AKA: The Grouchy Gardener

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Gardening is easier than you might think.

Growing food is actually pretty easy, (in most places). There are certain things I have not been able to grow because the local weather doesn't cooperate or the growing season here doesn't accommodate a certain variety or type of plant. But if has still been fun trying! I live in Ohio and we have long and cold winters. We often get short growing seasons and high humidity that often causes powdery mildew and other fungus problems.

I love heirloom seeds and plants, I like to save and trade seeds with friends I meet from everywhere. I often order heirloom seeds from far away places, trying different varieties that might (or might not) thrive in this area. There are drought tolerant and cold tolerant varieties of everything, and I managed to get some Siberian varieties this year because of last year's short and cold summer.

Of course this year it will probably drought and be a broiling hot summer because I prepared for cold, so I also got a few drought tolerant tomatoes from South America and a few Chayote Squashes started as well. I want to hedge my bets this year!

This isn't my grandma's garden, (but she would have loved it!).

A great time saver if you get a late start or have limited space is a bale garden.

You will also notice I went vertical to save space and used my flower beds for everything from potatoes to squash and peas.

Unconventional? Maybe. Effective? Definitely!

If you are a gardener then you know what I mean, when I say you feel a "need" to garden, an "itch" or even' "a calling". If you move or something happens to your mobility you feel a desperation at the possibility of losing this activity you love.

Often people tell me they do not have room, or sun or don't get around so well anymore. I say PISH! (I know it's harsh and I ought to watch my language.) But really the only reason not to have a garden is because you just don't want to. If you have a place to put a bucket or planter or hand a pot, do it. Maybe it is one tomato plant or a single flower or fern. Maybe someone gave you a Topsy Turvey planter, or you want to grow lettuce in a bowl. If you are a gardener you will WANT to grow something.

Maybe you just are not into it, that is your choice too. But don't give up unless that is the choice you make for yourself.

Here are some delightful ideas on ways to have a garden if you lack space or mobility:

Grow bag

Gutter system

Containers

Portable, temporary, beds

Go vertical, or use flower beds

Try a Bale Garden

Grow bags and containers.

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Gardeners are optimists.

Give me a few seeds and some sun, I will grow something. Do you see a seed? I see possibility. I have made new friends trading seeds this year. I have shared seeds across the country, far and wide. Did I profit? Not exactly. But I feel so much satisfaction knowing that a tomato or pepper or Ground Cherry I grew last year has made it clear across the country by sharing seeds. I got to share my small success with loads of people. And even if you only grow one single fruit from a single seed you now have all those seeds from that fruit to try again next year or share with others.

For those with limited time and mobility, here is something to consider. I love this guy's videos and web site. I had great success with his ideas and am sure you can too.

The 30 Minute No Dig Garden Bed: See video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=kZugARiOJCQ

I have a father in law who is in his 80's. He is not sprightly by any means, but he is a gardener. He REALLY wants to grow things. With these 30 minute no dig beds, there is very little maintenance. This makes it great for those who lack energy, mobility, or time.

I made a few adjustments to make it more accessible to someone on a walker or wheel chair. I put down used carpet (low pile) to help block the weeds and grass and also to make a walkway that would be easier to navigate with a walker or wheelchair. It saved the carpet from taking up space in the landfill and served a really great purpose. If it seems a little too low rent for you, you can always go buy brand new indoor/outdoor carpet instead. The idea is still a good one.

This garden was started on a plain old weedy lawn (with an old gravel driveway buried underneath.

After layering cardboard, saw dust, sphagnum, grass clippings, sand and compost, we added plants and seeds and about 10 weeks later had this:

Isn't it amazing and green?

My father in law didn't actually think it would grow so he insisted on planting his own garden next to it. But this year he seems happy and excited to use it so we are replanting this year after adding more layers of cardboard and compost. I will post more pictures of how it turns out this season.