Garden Girl TV

How To Make Seed Tape

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:16:00 +0000

Starting Seeds Using Toilet Paper Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:16:00 +0000

How to Make Seed Balls

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:12:00 +0000

Gardening: How to Start Seeds Indoors With A Hot House

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Photo a Day - My Winter Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:37:00 +0000

Photo a Day - My Winter Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:25:00 +0000

Grape vines and icicles

Photo a Day - My Winter Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 20:08:00 +0000

Here is a photo of my raised beds after the last snow storm. More to come!!!

How to Dehydrate Persimmons

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:40:00 +0000

How To Build a Chicken Tractor (High Rez)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 15:16:00 +0000

Container Gardening-Growing an Olive Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 15:17:00 +0000

Shaker Medicinal Herb Garden in HD

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:25:00 +0000

How To Make Pear Preserves

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:29:00 +0000

September 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:38:00 +0000

September 2009

IN THIS ISSUE

Organic Weeding

New and Featured Video from the Web

William Moss

California In the House

Meet Patti Moreno

SIgn Up for the Message Board

Ask questions, post pictures, talk gardening! Please join by clicking below

(no gmail accounts please they are automatically banned)

REGISTER

Follow me on Twitter!

http://twitter.com/PattiMoreno

Garden Girl TV on Youtube
www.youtube.com/user/GardenGirltv

Website

www.gardengirltv.com

Ezine Archives

www.urbansustainableliving.com

Dear Patricia,

This month we have on camera Garden hosts William Moss and Justin Cave contributing inspiring advice! I met both of them at this year's Independent Garden Center show and begged them to contribute.to the ezine. Read their articles below.

We have the return of Annie, The Dirt Diva from her book writing sabatical. I can not wait to read her new books!

Lots of great new video for your enjoyment and don't forget to scroll down to the bottom and see a little micro website my daughter and I made! Let's hear it for Garden Kid TV. Show it to your tweeners! Hopefully they will be insipred to garden too.

Check out my Article at Vegetable Gardener on Composting!

I am traveling what feels like non stop for the next two months so check out my schedule and come and visit if I am in your neck of the woods.

Volunteers Needed!

If there is anyone around this Monday or Tuesday Sept 21st & 22nd from 9am-5pm and can volunteer here at the farm, send me an email please! We'll be doing a variety of fall gardening tasks including harvesting, so you'll be able to go home with some fresh food from my farm, a dvd, and a nice medium impact workout. A light lunch will be provided! Come join me if you can.

From the Sustainable Home Front!

Patti the Garden Girl

I am dedicating this issue to my Husbands friend William Weems a 9/11/2001 victim. We miss you Bill! Please Donate blood to your local red cross.

'Organic' weeding
Getting rid of weeds the natural way!
By Justin Cave

There's no doubt about it, organic is the way to go! Maybe you have heard terms such as "organic," "eco-friendly" or "earth conscious." So what does it mean to you, and where can you start? This summer, try an "organic" approach to weed control. Organic weed control is the process of ridding your garden of weeds with out the use of harsh chemicals. Weeds are simply plants that are considered undesirable, growing in places you don't want them to! Weeding doesn't always require hard, physical labor. There are lots of easy ways get rid of those pesky weeds in your garden.

To properly win the battle against weeds, it helps know who your foe is. Identifying weeds is one of the first steps you can take to protect all your hard work in the yard. Some types are incredibly invasive and fast-growing, and others can cause problems for humans if they get too close. Most of us have had the unfortunate encounter with the infamous poison ivy, oak or sumac. However, most common weeds are just a plain, old nuisance. These don't cause skin reactions or breathing difficulties, they just don't look good!

It is just a fact of life that weeds exist in all gardens. Spread in a variety of ways by wind, water and animals, you can even introduce more weeds by the soil amendments that you use to help your garden grow. Greg Hamby of Seed N' Harvest, an Atlanta and Forsyth based company, says that there are a few important steps to take in an organic garden. "Prevention is one of the best tactics in battling weeds. That is why it is important to provide the best condition possible for the growth of desirable plants," he says. Issues like improper watering, insect damage and disease, and soil compaction are all allies to the development of weeds. Once you have begun to create a more nurturing environment in your yard, another step you can take is to remove all offending weeds by hand. Yes, the old-fashioned way. This way, you can eliminate the weed, roots and any seeds to ensure that they won't be back any time soon.

An organic garden and lawn requires healthy soil. It helps if beneficial organisms such as worms and other good bugs are alive in your garden. It is a fact that composting pays dividends. Remember, not all dirt is created equal. Specializing in organic vegetable gardening, Hamby urges, "Using good organic soil is essential to a healthy garden. Vegetables will grow and taste better, and you can have confidence in what you are eating."

Having your own compost bin is a great way to recycle and create rich soil amendments for your garden, not to mention prolonging the life of your local landfill. Organic waste that is commonly composted includes shredded brush, leaves, grass clippings and garden debris. Kitchen items such as coffee grounds, eggshells, vegetable waste and even fireplace ashes work great.

The use of barriers in the garden is another popular weed deterrent. Lay down a plastic liner to help block weeds. An organic alternative to plastic is ordinary newspaper. This is a great way to reuse the excess paper that you have lying around. Use a layer about 1/4-inch thick, and lay the paper in the desired areas; then wet it down so it doesn't blow away. Since paper is organic, it can be turned into the soil next spring. Once it is in place, cover the newspaper with a layer of straw or organic mulch to give your garden a well-groomed, weed-free look.

Another effective tactic against weeds is mulching. Mulching is actually one of the most beneficial things you can do to prevent weeds, conserve water and encourage a healthy garden. A two- to four-inch layer of mulch will reduce the germination and growth of weeds-not to mention it will maintain soil moisture, which can minimize watering needs for plants in mulched beds. For this reason, mulch acts as Mother Nature's blanket. It keeps soils cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, protecting your plants year-round. Organic mulches include pine straw, hardwood and softwood bark, compost mixes, leaves and wood chips. As these mulches break down and decompose, they improve soil quality and fertility, so any landscape professional or arborist will tell you that this is a plus.
Weeds are sometimes just as noticeable in the lawn as they are in the veggie garden. Organic fertilizers and proper lawn care practices can subdue weeds in your turf. Hamby reiterates to "be careful with products that claim to be organic. Some products may be 15 percent organic and 85 percent synthetic."

Products like corn husk and corn meal are good organic fertilizers. They don't work quite as fast as chemical fertilizers, but your lawn will thank you for it. The fact is that healthy turf grass won't give much room for weeds to grow. Seasonal aerations and mowing to the proper height-2 to 3 inches-will help your lawn. Cutting more than one-third of the total height can cause unnecessary stress. Besides, taller grass will choke out weeds.

Whether you are planting a vegetable garden or tending to your lawn, the weeds have got to go! It is true that you will never be able to get rid of all weeds in your landscape. A healthy garden promotes biodiversity, and weeds are part of the cycle. And just like the change in the season, you can bet that the weeds will be back next spring. So do your part and be responsible by taking an organic approach. Combine organic ideologies with proper maintenance and you are on your way!

Justin Cave of Atlanta is host of HGTV's "Ground Breakers" and principal of Sierra Consulting.

Garden Girl TV Video Links
New Release
Square Foot Gardening:

September Tips

Saving the harvest!
URL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKMkuz5ibUk

July 2009 Urban Sustainable Liniving Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:37:00 +0000

AUGUST 2009

IN THIS ISSUE

Turning Junk Mail into Gardener's Gold

New and Featured Video from the Web

The Best little Horehound in Texas

The Remarkable and Necessary Honey Bee

Making A Difference In The Life of a Child With a Garden

Meet Patti Moreno

Container Gardening Inspiration

SIgn Up for the Message Board

Ask questions, post pictures, talk gardening! Please join by clicking below

Dear Patricia,

I hope all of you have had a wonderful summer so far. This August, I've been harvesting and eating from the garden. After years of doing it, I'm still thrilled when my meals are entirely from my garden.

I had a wonderful event here last Thursday. My friend and neighbor Chef Nadine made a fabulous meal for around 50 guests. It was called Under the Roxbury Sun. Thanks to everyone that came. Chef Nadine out did herself and thank god there were leftovers. Special thanks to Philip for the fantasic wine selection, Alex the sous chef and for my husband Rob on the drum grill. There will be one more harvest event this Fall, October 3rd. Mark it on your calendar! More information to come.

August also brought me back to Chicago for the Independent Garden Center Show. I loved seeing the Mahoney Family that run Mahoney's Garden Center. Their garden centers have such a wide variety of fantastic plants. They are the go to place for me when I need something special. I also saw Jon Pinkus, Leslie, and Niki from North Haven Gardens in Dallas Texas. Their garden center is a resource for gardeners who want to do things organically and with little impact on the environment. The staff is like a family and they are incredibally knowledgeable. I also bumped into Maggie from Thayer Nurseries. A great resource in our community with an eye on design. I can always find things to complete my garden.

I also met some people who have inspired me and taught me alot about gardening along the way. Of course Mel Bartholomew was there. We recently made some new videos together that I can't wait to show you. I'll give you a little hint on what we did...Mel planted a garden with me! I also met Rebecca from Rebecca's Garden in the flesh William Moss of Rally Round the House, as well as Justin Cave from Ground Breakers, Shirley Bovshow from Garden Police and last but not least, Shawna Coronado, the Casual Gardener and Joe Gardener from Garden Smart (This month's cover guy). Of course I have video which I will release in an up coming email blast.

Joe Gardener: The Twenty-Five Dollar Victory Garden Episode #1

This is the first video where I reveal what I've done so far. Just got my video camera, so come along for the ride as I document my efforts to feed my family of four, all summer, from my home vegetable garden on a total budget of twenty-five dollars! Can I do it? Just watch these videos to find out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay2TUQzxvqk

The Casual Gardener: Plant a Green Container Garden

Shawna Coronado from www.gardeningnude.com shows you how to plant a green and conservation centered flowerpot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea_IUaivwcw

Package Bee video from Fred Dunn

Package bees, are honey bees purchased by the pound. These bees come from Georgia and the queen is an Italian. I had a complete loss of my honey bees when it suddenly warmed up in PA during winter months. One February day, temps went to the 60's and workers flew out... the temperature suddenly dropped, preventing their return. The bees remaining in the hive were not able to maintain adequate heat and could not reach the stored honey. These package bees are replacements for those lost bees. Backyard honey bee yards have declined 12% in the last 10 years. My studies involve the use of "survivor" colonies, bees that make it without the use of chemical treatments. By continuing with stock from survivor colonies, we will, in theory, end up with naturally resistent honey bees. If you're interested in reading about our environment as impacted by synthetic chemical treatments, I recommend a book published back in 1959 titled Silent Spring. She could have written that very book today, regarding the honey bee.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F33-fbeammU

Reader Pics

Here are a few from my garden. From: Shelby in Denver, CO

Happy harvesting, Patti! Love watching all of it grow~

Turning Junk Mail into Gardener's Gold

by Joe Gardener http://joegardener.com/

My home office shredder gets used a lot! I shred everything and derive great pleasure from doing so. If you think that sounds a little odd, just know that my kids argue over who gets to shred the next stack.

The point is so much that makes its way into our homes in the form of paper is fair game for the shredder. As long as there is junk mail, schoolwork, bills or anything else printed, there will always be and endless source of compostable material from inside the house. And while we're having some good clean family fun reducing unwanted paper to confetti, I am creating a wonderful carbon-rich addition for the compost pile and ultimately the best soil amendment in the world!

With the help of a good shredder, you can make great composting ingredients quickly and easily and finally put those papers in their proper place! Shredders are readily available today from many sources; drug stores, office supply stores and the big warehouse clubs all sell them. I use a high quality, home office version that I purchased for about $150. It can take about 15 sheets at a time, cuts paper into confetti and handles a large volume, all without removing a single staple or paperclip. It can even cut through CDs, DVDs and credit cards. However, knowing that everything I shred is destined for the compost pile, I don't include these.

As with most things in life, you get what you pay for, and so it is with shredders too. I've had the small and inexpensive trash can size in the past but to me, they're more trouble than they're worth. The small cans fill up too quickly for all the trash I have. On my current model, I even enjoy hauling out the container of confetti paper to dump into the compost pile. It's quite attractive actually. In short order, all the different colors from the confetti are soon reduced to the same unrecognizable common denominator of finished compost.

Even if someday we do actually become a 'paperless' society, I can't imagine junk mail ever going away. And as long as there is junk mail, there will an endless source of compostable material from inside the house...meaning there will always be an endless source! Besides the true pleasure I get in reducing these offensive mailings to confetti, I must say, I am amazed at how quickly that volume of paper adds up, not to mention that for much of my life, I was contributing so much unnecessary waste to the landfill.

Now, with the affordability of quality shredders for the home, I encourage you to get one and start using it right away, especially since there's not much else going on the compost pile this time of year. Although the extra compost you'll make is the direct benefit, keeping all that paper out of the landfill is a simple and significant way to do something good for our planet too.

Garden Girl TV Video Links
New Release
Square Foot Gardening: How to Install Drip Irrigation

The key to my success in the vegetable garden this year has been my new drip irrigation system. In this video I install one in my raised beds. Please watch the video and rate and comment. Then go to dripworks.com and start planning your water saving drip irrigation system.

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eScAfQKisLo

July Gardengirl Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:49:00 +0000

Urban Sustainable Living

July 2009

Dear Patricia,

Check out my profile on Vegetable Gardener.com! I am posting all sorts of cool stuff there, today I posted some pics from my garden. Click HERE to subscribe to my feed in your RSS reader! To install this widget into your blog or website click here!

IN THIS ISSUE OF URBAN SUSTAINABLE LIVING:

Words on Birds and Beneficial creatures in your garden.

Beyond the Garden Gate

New and Recent Video

Viewer Pics

Victory Garden Gateway Drug

Carrots

Patti Moreno, the Garden Girl
Publisher
info (at) garden girl tv dot com

Beyond the Garden Gate~ Cynthia McKenna

Growing organic food for the family table is the main goal for my garden. However, when I was planning my garden, I knew I wanted something more. I wanted a garden that could give me space to relax, and beauty beyond the gorgeous vegetables that grow there. I had ideas, and allowed the garden to evolve. Here are some elements I've incorporated this year:

Add Water

Having a birdbath invites birds into your garden. Giving the birds a source for water also calls them in to eat the bugs that are feasting on your vegetables. You can get birdbaths in a variety of shapes and sizes or simply put water in shallow containers in various spots in the garden. Two of my cats like to hang out in the garden and they rely on the birdbaths for their water supply too - or maybe they are just there for the catnip...

Plant Flowers

If your garden is like mine, it seems like every inch of good soil is needed to grow fruit and vegetables. After reading the plans for the White House Garden, I decided to plant some flowers on the front edge of my raised beds, and some climbing flowers along the fence. I planted them because I thought they would add splashes of color to the garden. The bonus is that these flowers attract bees and a wide variety of butterflies to the garden. Flowers I planted include: Coral Honeysuckle, Purple Passion Vine, Sunflowers, Hollyhocks, Marigolds, Portulaca, Ageratum, and Zinnias.

Don't remove that plant just yet...

Let a few of your lettuces and herbs stay in the garden after they have bolted. When a plant "bolts" it puts out the flowers that will help produce seeds. Generally, once a plant bolts, all the energy is going into the flowers and the quality of the edible leaves goes down quite a bit - so most gardeners pull them out. I decided to keep my Italian Parsley, Sweet Basil, and a few lettuces like Arugula and Chicory after they started flowering. I have been amazed at the number of bees that are attracted to these plants in particular. I like to imagine the homey they are making tastes incredible with al the rich and spicy flavors.

A Place to Rest

Gardening is a lot of fun, but can be hard work too. Having a place to take a break is really helpful. Add a small bench or chair, and maybe a table to hold your day's harvest, gloves, clippers or a cold cup of water. I've enjoyed having my morning coffee in the garden, listening to the birds and taking in the beauty of the plants.

Cynthia McKenna is a writer, gardener, Episcopal Priest, and psychotherapist in the Texas Hill Country. You can learn more about her at her website: www.cynthiamckennacounseling.com or visit her blog: http://gardengateblog.com

Buy Patti Moreno's DVD at Olive Barn, featuring hours of never before seen video, only $19.99 plus shipping and handling.

"Patti excels at providing real solutions to real problems that gardeners everywhere face. Her organic approaches show that success is achievable and compatible with the demands of real life." Steve Aitken- Managing Editor Fine Gardening Magazine

"Patti Moreno's passion gets you fired up to grow and eat the organic way, and then she shows you how in simple steps that transform aspiration into a garden of earthly delights. Best of all, Patti's videos make the process of learning and doing pure fun." Scott Meyer- Managing Editor Organic Gardening Magazine

Garden Girl TV
Recent Video Live on the Web

GREAT NEW VIDEO TO CHECK OUT! DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT, RATE, AND FAVORITE IT.

Square Foot Gardening Tips: August

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:38:00 +0000

August Tips!

Grubbin in the Garden: The Edible Landscape

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:27:00 +0000

Vegetable Gardening: Three Sisters Update

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:11:00 +0000

An update from Patti and Ale!

Vegetable Gardening: Three Sisters Companion Planting

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:04:00 +0000

Please watch. I'll be exploring more Native American gardening practices in the future.

June 2009 Urban Sustainable Living Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:07:00 +0000

Urban Sustainable Living

JUNE 2009

Dear Patricia,

Check out my profile on Vegetable Gardener.com! I am posting lots of new pics there.

IN THIS ISSUE OF URBAN SUSTAINABLE LIVING:

Fred talks about Poultry Breeds
Sun Exposure
Spring to Summer Crop Rotation
More on the Gardening Coach Susan Harris
Forageing for Food
Woolly Mamoth Fiber is now available!

Patti Moreno, the Garden Girl
Publisher
info (at) garden girl tv dot com

Buy Patti Moreno's DVD at Olive Barn, featuring hours of never before seen video, only $19.99 plus shipping and handling.

What good is that chicken?

Ornamental, Eggs, Meat and Dual Purpose

By Frederick J. Dunn

It's like puppy shopping; never buy that cute little rascal, without first understanding what sort of adult he/she will be when grown.

Maybe you live in the city and don't have readily accessible County Fairs or 4-H Exhibitions. I love being in our poultry barn/tent during the fair season here in Pennsylvania. It's not hard to locate the poultry... someone is always crowing, or squawking about some egg she just produced!

What I always find interesting, is the sudden urge some have to buy "that" chicken! They are stuck by the amazing feather coloration, or a timid disposition. "Look, that one looks like it has fur"! (That would be a silky). Not the least bit interested in the "purpose" of the breed, looks win over substance time and again.

If you're keeping chickens, you're spending money. All chickens have to eat and be adequately provided for. Some chickens give very little back in the way of eggs or meat... those would be your ornamentals. Lawn flowers, as I call them, earn their keep by looking fancy as they fluff in the dust, lie in the sun, or line up on your porch railing in the morning sun. What are they good for? Well, just look at them... they seem to know that they are not in line for a stew, or expected to produce an egg of any size or with any regularity... let's say they are super models. I have far too many of these beautiful free loaders on my land. No one is standing around waiting for their d'Uccle to lay an egg for breakfast. Who could dismiss the Phoenix, with his six foot long tail feathers trailing behind? What of the tiny Serama... chicken equivalent of a tea-cup poodle, often weighing less than 350g. as an adult..

Egg laying breeds are those which do one thing with great regularity, produce an egg almost every 25 hours. Top of the list would be Leg Horns and the Rhode Island Reds. We won't go into hybrids for this article... The Leg Horn beats out the Reds in thrift, more eggs on less feed.

Meat birds are good at getting fat and plump in very short order and with very efficient feed to flesh conversions. Some produce one pound of flesh on 2 pounds of feed. They amazingly are often harvest as table fare in as little as 5-6 weeks! They are almost all derived from the Cornish breeds.

Dual Purpose... my personal favorites, do very well on open range and are moderately suitable as both meat and egg chickens. Because of their great utility value, these are the breeds most often seen roaming door yards of most rural keepers. They would include the Rhode Island Reds, Barred Plymouth Rocks, New Hampshire Reds, and Orpingtons.

Chickens of pure breed, each have a specific purpose for which they were produced and continued. Understand what purpose they are to fill in your life and then set out to get the chicken most suited to your needs.

Frederick J. Dunn
Author/Presenter, Regarding Chickens
http://www.fredsfinefowl.com/
Purchase his DVD by clicking here.

Garden Girl TV
Recent Video Live on the Web

GREAT NEW VIDEO TO CHECK OUT! DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT, RATE, AND FAVORITE IT.

Gazpacho Soup Fresh From The Garden

Square Foot Gardening Tips with Mel and Patti for June

Check your Sun Exposure!

Where did Spring go?

By Richard Davies

The summer solstice is nearly upon us, but for most of the Northern Hemisphere, summer has already arrived in our gardens. However, for many of us, cool weather, or spring crops have not yet matured, and won't for another month or more.

This presents a few problems. For one, that space is probably needed for summer crops, especially when you're growing salad greens or brassicas like broccoli, cauliflower, or cabbage that takes up a ton of space before it matures. Secondly, whether lettuce wilts as the temperatures get into the 90s, summer storms pound the wide leaves tearing them to shreds, or a signal is sent to the plants to rush to seed, weather isn't always conducive to maturing cole crops.

For anyone who is like me and running into these problems, here is what I've done in my small 150 SF Square Foot Garden. For the space hogs, I have planted seeds for summer crops in amongst them, knowing that they will grow slower until I harvest the spring crops. It works slick if you time it right. For the weather, I'm taking a page from Judy's last month's article trying to extend her salad green harvest as temperatures skyrocketed. I have made use of the screens off of old windows to shade my lettuce and spinach when we hit 90 this week. Of course for my summer planting of lettuce (I can grow one here in the PNW), I intend to use the natural shade of taller plants to keep the next crop from wilting or going to seed too soon. Whatever works.

Summer also means that those potatoes that you threw in the ground or otherwise planted are growing up a storm. Anyone that knows me likely knows me first and foremost for my Build-As-You-Grow Potato Bins. Of course, any way you grow potatoes is great, just grow them, they're easy. The point I'm making is that if you are hilling, you've been doing it far more often than you originally thought you would. I have been adding a board or two a week it seems, and going through a bag of hilling soil every day.

While potato bins are by no means the only way to grow potatoes, they're also not the way to grow early season varieties like Yukon Gold or many reds. They only set fruit once so they don't benefit from hilling, all the potatoes will be in the bottom six inches. For that reason, I threw my sprouted seed stock stored from last year into my beds. They too have shown tremendous growth in just a few weeks.

So, depending where you are and how hot your climate is, you could be harvesting potatoes in the next month or so, or you could be like me and have to wait until October, using a ton of space in your summer garden for a spring crop. Anyone for a garden expansion?

http://ft2garden.powweb.com/sinfonian/

how to prune tomatoes

keeping your harvest fresh

attracting good bugs

keep out the biggest pests: deer

and much, much more...

ORDER YOURS NOW!

SUNLIGHT AND PLANTS

Why is it that all plants, grass seed, shrubs and trees are classified in the garden center by their sunlight needs.? We've all seen the signs - Full Shade, Part Sun, etc, but what exactly do these different light classifications mean and why are they so important? The sunlight needs of any plant depend on where it's originally from, what it does, and how it reproduces.

Here are the four best ways to classify plants, based simply on hours of sunlight received in one day.

Full shade 0-2 hours direct sun
Part shade 2-4 hours direct sun
Part sun 4-6 hours direct sun
Full sun 6-8 hours direct sun

Let's talk about full shade. It's true that fewer plants will grow here than in full sun, but you can still find beautiful options for this area as well. Think woodland. Plants that are happy here are usually the ones that decorate the floor of a forest underneath huge trees, so they are used to getting little, if any, direct sunlight. Ask your local garden center for suggestions for this sunlight condition and you may be happily surprised at how many choices there are.

Part shade can be confusing. There's definitely more options available than in full shade, but don't whip out the daisies just yet. What this category likes is a little bit of sun but enough shade to keep it mostly cool and moist. Most part-shade lovers will make a flower, usually a small or delicate one, but still very pretty.

You can start to think seriously about flowers with part-sun. Although they will almost always take more sun, many flowering plants will bloom quite well in part-sun. From daylilies to daffodils, you will be able to plant a lot of varieties of perennial, as well as shrubs like roses, with good success.

Full sun is the grand Poobah of all categories, allowing the widest range of choices for most flowering plants, vegetable s and herbs. All vegetables need a lot of sun to produce-there's a lot of work that goes into making a tomato or green bean or cucumber, and it's all powered by the sun, via photosynthesis. This is also the best option for traditional plants like roses, peonies, sunflowers, daisies and poppies.

What you need to always remember is that sunlight is absolutely the first consideration when choosing plants. You cannot fudge this area and have great results. If you put a full sun plant in part-shade you will grow a lot of wimpy looking foliage but not the flower you want. A full shade plant in full sun will probably do even worse by simply withering up and dying. Choosing plants that are right for your sunlight is always the best place to start.

gosunstick.com

YARN FOR SALE!

I just got my yarn back from the mini mill. I was so excited. I've been waiting for it for 7 months to get back from the mini mill. It is just beautiful. The yarn is a combination of pygora fiber from year's worth of shaving my goats, , (click here to see me shaving them)tussah silk, and merino wool. I split the run into two separate lots. One is blended with 50% plum merino wool and the other is blended with 50% grey merino wool. The plum blended yarn looks more like a navy and the gray blended yarn looks more like a champagne color. I waited for so long that I'm at a loss for what I should make. I just purchased the French Girl Knits book where there are beautiful patterns. I'm officially a decent ragalan sweater maker and I love making one piece shrugs. I welcome suggestions on my message board. Please post any links to great pattern ideas and I'll keep you posted.

http://www.gardengirltv.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=1012

I also have a limited amount available for you to purchase. There are two colors: Plum &Champagne. 10, 200yard skeins available in each color.
$65per skein, 2 skeins for $100

It is a worsted weight yarn.
Best used with size 10 knitting needles.
The gague is 4-5 stitches per inch.
30% Pygora fiber from my goats
20% Tussah silk
50% Merino Wool

For questions or to purchase via paypal email me. info (at) gardengirltv dot com
Click to see a video of my fiber arriving from the mini mill.

Foraging in Your Neighborhood

By Luci Fernandez

On my walks in my neighborhood with our dog, I am forced to stop every once in a while for the dog to sniff around or do his business. This forces me to slow down from my normally hurried pace and pay attention to what is around me. Since I have been looking at our local foodshed from a variety of perspectives, I thought about what I can find growing within a few blocks from my home; in other words, urban foraging. There is much information on foraging for food in the wild, but I am going to stick to an urban setting.

I live in an older neighborhood dating back to the 1940's. Nature has had some time to reclaim her space and because houses were built in onesies and twosies, the area was not clear cut as is done with so many new developments.

I decided that first I needed to inventory what I have found in my walks. I had noticed that one of my neighbors around the block has pear tree in her front yard that yields a tremendous amount of pears. She has put up a sign on the tree that says "free" along with bags for folks passing by to stop and take some home. This was an easy one to find! Ok, so now on the quick map I drew, I can add the pears. You may want to write down when the fruit is ready and other observations as an easy reference.

I also discovered within a 4 block radius from my home wild raspberries, black walnuts, apples, mulberries and pecans. Not bad for just being observant when I am out and about.

I have adapted rules on urban foraging from the book The Urban Homestead by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen.

These are my rules:

1. Do you know what is that you are gathering? Can you recognize poisonous plants that are native to your area? If you have any doubt, pick up a good guide such as The Forager's Harvest by Sam Thayer to help you identify local plants that are edible.

2. Found out what kind of pesticides or herbicides are used near or around the food? Ask the owners? Do you see a lawn service spraying on the property next to it?

3. Do you have permission? This is a great way to get to know your neighbors. Maybe the property is too much for the person living there. You might just learn some history about your neighborhood (I found out that my area used to be a pecan grove). Offer to barter - maybe you pick the berries and make some jam in return for the owner. You could start a neighborhood trend!

So, do you want to learn more about your unique food-shed? Check out community garden or master gardeners. They may be a good resource for locating foraging experts in your area. For on-line resources, check out
http://foraging.com/.

There's a whole other world out there for local foods! Find what treasures are hidden in your neighborhood!

MORE ON SUSAN HARRIS THE GARDEN COACH AND HER MANY PROJECTS:

Sustainable Gardening

Garden Rant

A special thanks to Susan Harris for contributing to the news letter last month click here to review.

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I'll be at Mahoney's answering questions and giving advice on gardening with vegetables and herbs.
MEET THE GARDEN GIRL at Mahoney's Garden Center
Click the link below for more information
http://mahoneysgarden.com/Seminars.aspx

Saturday, June 13th

Mahoney's Garden Center in Osterville, MA: 10AM - Noon

Mahoney's Garden Center in Falmouth, MA: 1PM - 3PM
Hope to see you there!

NEXT OPEN HOUSE at Garden Girl's Urban Farm
88 Lambert Avenue Roxbury, Massachusetts

JUNE 20th, 10am-2pm

Vegetable Gardening: Three Sisters Companion Planting

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:42:00 +0000

the simplest garden! Perfect for begginers!

Container Gardening: Drip Irrigation

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:37:00 +0000

Check out my drip irrigation video!

Container Gardening: Drip Irrigation

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:42:00 +0000

Ever went on vacation and had all your plants die? Well I have. Check out this solution from http://www.dripworksusa.com.

Garden Girl Ezine - April 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:46:00 +0000

Urban Sustainable Living April 2009

Dear Patricia,

A couple of months ago I thought this day would never come. April, my favorite time of the year.

Check out the great articles on The Unusually Unusual Farmchick and Roger Doiron from Kitchen Gardeners International.

This issue is fantastic, the contributors have really out done themselves. We have a great article from Fred on HR 875, at least what the intent of the new federal law is, and some great stuff on water collection from Richard Davies.

This months contest is a great product that I personally use, the Sunstick, so check it out and be sure to enter.

And don't forget to check out my brand new video release, How to Make Pesto Sauce! Its one of my signature dishes that I eat religiously throughout the growing season.

I also want to announce my open house schedule. Click here and see when you can visit my farm.

Enjoy and Share,

Patti Moreno, the Garden Girl
Publisher

in this issue

The Unusually Unusual Farmchick

Rain Barrels

HR 875

Kitchen Gardens International

The Dirt Diva

Double Digging Garden Beds

Buy Patti Moreno's DVD at Olive Barn, featuring hours of never before seen video, only $19.99 plus shipping and handling.

"Patti excels at providing real solutions to real problems that gardeners everywhere face. Her organic approaches show that success is achievable and compatible with the demands of real life."
Steve Aitken- Managing Editor Fine Gardening Magazine

"Patti Moreno's passion gets you fired up to grow and eat the organic way, and then she shows you how in simple steps that transform aspiration into a garden of earthly delights. Best of all, Patti's videos make the process of learning and doing pure fun."
Scott Meyer- Managing Editor Organic Gardening Magazine

The Unusually Unusual Farmchick

This month we are shinning the spotlight on a fun, spirited, and adventuresome blog site - "The Unusually Unusual Farmchick". Tammie is the "unusual farmchick" and is at the heart of this great site. We recently had the pleasure of talking to her about her site.

USL: Tell us a little more about your garden and urban homesteading efforts.

My garden started as a small 10X10 space on our hilltop. I dreamed of having a large garden and plenty of space for children to play, so 1.16 acres seemed huge in comparison to the duplex we were living in.

The property came with the most amazing tree which we call the "Magic tree". The garden sits just behind this tree where our children climb through her low branches and have a swing hanging from her graceful inviting arm. There is even a "hole" on one side where the children like to hide treasures and keepsakes. Truly, a magical tree for children.

As our family grew, so did the garden. It is now a big 50X40 plot separated in 4 quarters, housing a small 32 gallon pond in its center, to encourage the abundant wildlife needed for a natural garden environment. Most people go to a church on Sunday, we go to the garden. Where we grow only heirloom and open pollinated edible plants. We save the seed from each variety for the following spring starting and excess to trade or share with others. We will not use chemicals in the garden or on plants anywhere located on the property.

We raise various breeds of chickens for the variety in egg color and yard bug control. I really like the Delaware's friendly temperament, plus the idea I am helping to keep a breed going which is on the critical list for the livestock conservation society. Recently we acquired a group of Californian rabbits to raise for meat. Perfect for any urban farmers who would like to raise their own meat and have little space to work with. Plus the fertilizer can go right on the garden without a waiting period. Up until recently, we also raised goats.

USL: What has been the hardest thing you've faced in your efforts to live a more sustainable life?

Local support. It has been a bumpy 7 years since we bought our home and 6 years since we added the chickens. Not many neighbors were happy about it, but have come to accept their presence seeing they are not of a nuisance (and they lay eggs which are happily shared with the neighbors). It takes time for people to accept change and difference around them. A kind word and patience will prove to be the best action. Consideration for your lifestyle will only come if you show respect and consider theirs.

USL: Have you changed (emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually) since you began sharing your adventures in sustainable living in your blog site?

My whole life has changed for the better since starting a blog about our unusual life. It has come with its ups and downs but the positives far outweigh the negative. I have a new feeling of purpose in life. Having no one around me who enjoys urban farming in the beginning made me feel isolated. I began blogging just to have a place I could write about our adventures as though I were writing a friend far away. Telling them about our daily life and sharing advice on what I have encountered. It was my outlet of expression where I had no one around who was interested. I have found a connection to the earth that was always there for me but my eyes were not able to focus on what she was trying to tell me. By living this way of life and sharing it on a blog, I have found my spiritual connection to the earth has brought me understanding, a little more patience, and the enjoyment of simple things in life. I have never been happier then what I am now

USL: How would you describe your site to someone who has not visited it yet?

A place that you never know what I will be up to next. I love adventure and urban farming. I cover so many subjects that circle the urban farming lifestyle. From growing a garden of edibles, raising backyard flocks of chickens, meat rabbits and until recently dairy goats. I even dabble in home wine making plus herbal medicinal treatments, all the way to frugal ideas for my many crazy projects, which involve making things instead of buying them. You never know what unusual idea I will be into next.

USL: Anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

I so desired to find local people who were into the urban sustainable lifestyle, that I began a yahoo group "Akron Homesteaders". I went with the motto "If you build it, they will come". From which in just 1 year we have over 20 local active members and are still growing as word gets out. The group has brought such great friendships and community support. I would encourage anyone who may feel they are the only soul around them that is interested in the lifestyle, to start a group. If someone like me can start one, anyone can do it
Check out Tammie's adventuresome blog site at

http://unusuallyunusualfarmchick.blogspot.com/

Recent Video Live on the Web

Check it out, and be sure to rate, comment and favorite the videos. Win a FREE SUNSTICK by commenting and rating videos, check out the contest info below. And don't forget to Save Water, Time and the Planet with Dripworks irrigation products.

How to prepare fried squash flowers

How To Make Pesto Sauce!

April Square Foot Gardening Tips

Rain Barrels
By Richard Davies

The song may go... April showers bring May flowers, but what do you do to water your garden come June when showers are sparse? Sure you can rely on your municipal water supply, but those of us that want to go green and conserve think self-sufficiency. Rain barrels are a great way to do just that. You can collect water and store it for when you need it, and it doesn't take much to replenish your supplies.

Unfortunately, if you are like me and my garden buddies, rain barrels are in the plans for our gardens, but way down the already crowded to-do list. I for one have already found the perfect place for four rain barrels in my yard. Three will be linked together in my garden and the fourth will be over by my blueberry bushes. I can easily handle the three in my garden because that one downspout collects water from approximately 700 SF of roof area. That and I have a storm drain located right there for the overflow, because 700 SF will fill 165 gallons in one good rain here in the Pacific Northwest. The other barrel will not only allow me to water my blueberries and potatoes, but it will protect my blueberries as well. Using a rain barrel there will redirect the downspout from dumping water onto my blueberry bushes, possibly watering them too much.

You see, rain barrels can provide much needed water where you need it, and even redirect water from where you don't. If you want to buy them, they can run between $50 and $150 per 55 gallon barrel. Of course there are sites out there showing you how to build them yourself, but if you do, make sure the barrel you use is food grade and thoroughly cleaned. Checking Craigslist and Freecycle in your area is a good start for used barrels, then check your local hardware store or big box for the plumbing materials.

Once you have it built or bought, install it on a stack of bricks high enough to get your watering pail under it. Remember that gravity is all the water pressure you have. Oh, and drip systems or soaker hoses don't work that well with rain barrels for that very reason.

One final note on collecting water from your roof. Do some research into the ingredients used in your roofing materials. Certain chemicals used in some shingles are not recommended for vegetable gardens. So while nature doesn't put chlorine in rain water, your roof can put asbestos, copper, zinc and petroleum products in your rain barrel. While there is no consensus on the issue, some sites recommend only using collected rain water on ornamentals. My opinion is home-grown vegetables with questionable rain water is better than GMO store-bought ones any day!

So, if you're like me and want to save some water this year, there's no better time like the present when nature will gladly fill several barrels for you. Get busy and get those barrels installed. They're a long-term investment in your sustainable garden!

Check out Mel and Patti Talking about Rain barrels!

GROW VOL 2!

Expert Advice! Patti Moreno, nationally known as the Garden Girl, provides how-to help on growing heirloom tomatoes and other vintage vegetables. She also offers sage advice on organic/sustainable practices for going green in your garden.

Just a Taste of What's Inside:
Here, you'll find expert, how-to help for growing lots of your garden favorites. Enjoy the satisfaction from seeing your crops go from the garden patch to dinner plate:

Strawberries all summer long

Pumpkins good enough to eat

Tasty muskmelons and sweet carrots

Edible flowers to sparkle up a salad

And simple recipes, too!

A Lasting Reference! Grow, Vol. 2 is definitely a "keeper" because it's packed with invaluable help home gardeners will go back to season after season:

how to prune tomatoes

keeping your harvest fresh

attracting good bugs

keep out the biggest pests: deer

and much, much more

ORDER YOURS NOW! FREE SHIPPING

HR 875 what does it mean to the local and backyard grower/producer?

By Frederick Dunn

Today more than ever, people want control over what they breath, drink and most importantly, eat. This is why Urban "Sustainable" Living is a rising tide to those green thumbed backyarders and livestock savvy folks in this country. Driven by the desire to grow, live and eat healthy.

With all the media buzz around good foods gone bad, such as peanuts, greens and most recently, even pistachio nuts, the public is demanding better regulation and safety checks from their government. So, the U.S. Government is responding, with new regulations, bundled into H.R. 875.

It's easy to scan over this proposal and panic if things are taken out of context. The panic is on the part, based on my reading of online blogs from backyard produce folks, of those who think big brother will stop them from producing and sharing/selling their own home grown produce.

The first thing which is thrown to the fore, are the consequences, fines... up to $1,000,000.00 per violation and up to 5 years in prison! Based on my reading of the proposal, this document covers large food producers and other sources for foods intended for human consumption. Would that include a local farmer's market, or Aunt Janet's corn and tomato stand along route 89? Possibly, but in proportion to the scale of the operation and level of violation only. So, no, you are NOT going to lose your farm because you've decided to sell some surplus produce at your road side stand. There is also, to my knowledge, no specific mention of undue measures being strapped to the backs of the local organic grower.

The design and intent of the bill, based on my understanding, is to give more teeth to regulation of large scale growers, in and outside the United States, in the event of food born illness. It forces them to retain solid records of all food origins and a paper trail from source to consumption. I think Aunt Janet knows that her corn and tomatoes have come from her garden, fertilized by her free range chickens and carted to her very local point of sale. Anyone having made their produce purchase, and becoming ill from that sweet pepper, will have an easy time tracing it back to the source. Not so easy with some of the produce currently occupying a grocery chain shelf.

Our law makers are hearing plenty from those small scale growers and producers, all concerned about having to implement industrial control measures, potentially putting them out of business. The result is, again based on my current reading, that the bill will not survive as is. That revisions/addendums will be required to protect the small scale producer from undue cost and regulation. There is NO evidence, that locally grown produce, represents a threat to human consumption on the scale which would require new regulation.

A new proposal is already in the works, according to law makers... H.R. 759 for example. In this bill, small producers/business would be exempt from the higher costs associated with larger scale players in the food industry. For the record, there are currently several bills being considered regarding new regulation of the food industry. There is breathing room and time for debate.

The bottom line is the public tends to trust locally grown and harvested foods over those which are imported. Buying locally produced foods, is a predictable result of a lack of trust in the safety of our produce... even more so, the growing of your own food, on your own plot, without any middle person whatsoever.

The desire for foods which cannot be grown in your area, or which are out of season, will still bring the consumer to the primary grocery market in your area. When we go there, we want our food to be safer than it has been in recent history. This is the driving force behind new and more potent regulation. Let's just not shut down Aunt Janet in the process. (">

Frederick J. Dunn

www.FredsFineFowl.com

Want to talk about the HR 875 Good, Bad or Ugly go to the Message board and leave a post!

Read the Bill Here

Enter to win a Sunstick Today a True Miracle Tool!

This months contest is for a super easy to use product (a miracle product for newbies) that can save you years worth of trial and error. It's called the sunstick, and it is super simple. You simply place it in the ground where you plan to have a garden and it will let you know the quantity and quality of the light in your garden.

I can't tell you how many plants I have killed by not planting the right types of plants in the right spot.

To enter this contest all you have to do is sign up for a Youtube account, and rate, comment and favorite one of the recently released videos above. If you already have an account no problem, simply rate, favorite and comment a video. Don't forget to send me an email that tells me which video you commented on!

We have FIVE of these which makes the odds of winning very good. You can increase your odds of winning by commenting on more videos, limit of five entries per person please. Thank you and Go Sunstick!

Kitchen Gardeners International
By Richard Davies

Victory gardens, freedom gardens, recession gardens, sustainable gardens, or kitchen gardens. A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. What you call it isn't as important as having one and growing home grown delights in it! That's what Roger Doiron, founder of Kitchen Gardeners International believes. Instead of recession gardeners growing food to take a bite out of their strapped budgets, Kitchen Gardeners are self-described "foodies" that grow their own food to insure the finest quality and freshness. In that way, people everywhere can relocalize their food supply. What a great way to think about what we all do!

I for one can relate well to Mr. Doiron's goals and methods. Even though I started my garden as a stress relieving hobby, I soon was thanking my good fortune in hindsight when I heard about tainted spinach and the like, resulting in proposed laws requiring produce be irradiated before it gets to market! My garden is less than 10 feet from my back door and during the harvesting seasons, dinner can be planned around what I bring in fresh from five minutes in my organic kitchen garden.

Another admirable goal of Kitchen Gardeners International is to unite people of common ideas for the betterment of the world. Personally, I have met dozens of like-minded garden buddies out there from all over the United States and the world. Sharing ideas, research, trials and successes, we have each grown as people and as gardeners.

It's staggering to think that through World War II, as much as 25% of the food production in the United States was home-based, falling to almost 0% today. One thing that kept the home food production so high in the early 1900s was the government's Victory Garden programs designed to make American families self-sufficient to allow for more food to be shipped to soldiers overseas. It is clear that we need something similar again to get back to some meaningful number, if not 25%.

Sure, there have been many grass roots groups working diligently to build support for growing even a portion of your family's food at home, getting government support and backing is crucial to the efforts. Roger Doiron and KGI have done more than most to work to get the Obamas to turn the South Lawn of the White House into an 1,100 SF kitchen garden to raise 55 organic vegetables for use by the First Family and even for state dinners! Maybe, just maybe, this will help give folks the motivation to turn a small southern facing section of their yard into their very own kitchen garden.

If you haven't checked out what Roger Doiron and his group of like-minded gardeners helping gardeners are doing, you really should. In fact, I plan on spending August 23rd this year, otherwise known as Kitchen Garden Day, enjoying gardens in my area and sharing what we grow.

Be sure to click on the links and thank Roger for all his hard work!

How to prepare fried squash flowers

How To MakePesto Sauce!

April Square Foot Gardening Tips

Annie's Annuals:
a cottage gardener's dream
by: Annie Spiegelman www.dirtdiva.com

Many years ago, when I was a goody-two-shoes student sitting in the front row of my Master Gardening class, Annie Hayes, owner of Annie's Annuals Nursery, came to speak to us horticultural wannabe's. There she was, Missy Botanist, proudly standing in front of the classroom holding up her healthy, hearty plants and spewing off the Latin names, while most of us gardening eggheads could barely recall the common name. At the time, we both had just given birth to baby boys. While she appeared angelic, blissful, ecstatic, I looked like a sleep-deprived, tearful junkie desperately searching for an emergency escape hatch, a grand siesta or a hotel mini-bar. But I digress . .

Featured in Fine Gardening, House and Garden, Horticulture and Sunset magazines, nursery owner, Annie Hayes, like yours truly, is a flower fanatic or as her company t-shirt reads, a "Flower Floozie." She was passionate about a gardening hobby that now has become a 2 1/2 acre "growing" nursery in Richmond, California. The nursery has one of the largest selections of California and US native plants, annual wildflowers and cottage garden perennials anywhere. I highly recommend that native plants be a large part of your backyard landscape because many are drought tolerant, most need minimal maintenance and all of them are attractive to native birds, butterflies and beneficial insects. It's all good, Baby!

At the growing nursery, the team grows most of their plants from seed without a greenhouse. If you have ever grown plants from seed, you may have found out as I did: it isn't so simple. I believe some people have a knack for it and some don't. I don't. The growing conditions have to be just right and you can't forget about your vulnerable seedlings for a week just because you get a call to go on assignment with Martha Stewart filming Northern California nurseries, as I did. (I also stopped breast-feeding to go on the road with Martha. What kind of mother does that? . . )

These seedlings survive wind, rain, and sun so your plants are basically hardened off, healthy and strong when you purchase them. All of the plants are grown without the use of growth regulating hormones, which are commonly used on plants you buy from large-scale growers. The growth hormones slow done the growth and extend the shelf life at the store and can lead to substandard results later on. The philosophy at the nursery is organic gardening. " Good gardening is about good soil. Topdressing your soil with compost regularly is all you really have to do," says Annie Hayes. "Rich soil and proper watering makes plants grow so healthy, vigorous and pest free. Who needs chemical fertilizer?"

Many of us home gardeners share the same enthusiasm for the look of the dreamy cottage garden. When I moved into my house over ten years ago, I was determined to compete with the suburban lots of my neighbors who enjoy gnomes, trolls, pink pelicans and plastic reindeer on their lawns year round. Not that there's anything wrong with that . . . But I was looking for a more natural haven, less populated by man-made animals. At many California nurseries, I found the Annie's Annuals tags and found a great variety of annuals or perennials that share the natural grace and charm I was looking for. Above each plant species there's a color photograph of what your 4 inch plant will turn into come spring or summer. The plants look as Mother Nature intended them to be; tall, flowering, flowing in the breeze and looking happy! This is rarely found at the big chain store nurseries where plants look crowded, neglected and miserable. Sort of like NYC subway riders, chain-smoking, cursing, mumbling; waiting for the A train just a wee bit too long at the station. And unlike many modern hybrids, a majority of Annie's Annuals' old-fashioned annuals self-sow easily again and again, year after year.

The growing nursery in Richmond is open for shopping Thursdays through Sundays. Plant-a-holics living far away can order online from the website and from the beautiful color catalogue. You can sign up to be on the catalogue mailing list by going to www.AnniesAnnuals.com. Once there, you can also view the lovely plant slideshow but be forewarned. You'll want to buy everything, immediately.

Double Digging Garden Beds

By KitsapFG
www.modernvictorygarden.com

If you are interested in creating raised beds using your native soil then you may want to try double digging. Double-dug, raised beds are highly productive because the process loosens the soil up to a depth of 24 inches allowing roots to penetrate more deeply and creates a raised, very well amended bed. It is one of the secrets to a seriously productive garden. I will be straight up with you though - this is really hard work! The good news is - that if you double dig your bed and then avoid walking on the growing bed soil, amend with compost regularly, and occasionally use a U-Bar/Broadfork or garden spade to lift and aerate - then you should never have to double dig that bed again. If you are creating new beds or trying to rejuvenate a garden bed, I would encourage you to give double digging a try.

1) Start at one end of the area and dig a one-shovel-deep trench across the width of the plot. I use a garden spade to do my double digging. (This is an existing 8 foot by 4 foot long garden bed that is being extended with another 4 feet of bed area.)

2) Place the soil in a wheelbarrow as you dig the first trench and set it aside for now. You will need this soil during the last stage of the double dig process.

3) At the bottom of the trench, thoroughly loosen the soil with a garden fork or spade.

4) Add several inches of quality, finished compost to the bottom of the trench.

5) Sprinkle rock minerals into the bottom of the trench as needed and indicated for your soil. My soil tends to be acidic and generally requires phosphorous and to a lesser degree potassium. I use a handful each of dolomitic lime (adjusts ph and adds calcium), rock phosphate, and greensand to the bottom of the trench. Do not get carried away with amendments - a light dusting is more than sufficient and too much can cause imbalances that will give you grief later on.

6) Use your garden fork to mix the compost and rock minerals into the soil at the bottom of the trench. I use a lifting motion to ensure I am mixing and aerating the soil at the same time.

7) Next, dig another trench beside the first - placing the soil from the second trench into the first.

8) Loosen the soil in the bottom of the second trench and amend it in the same manner as done in the first. Continue this process until the entire garden area has been completed.

9) Fill the final trench with the soil from the first that you set aside in the wheelbarrow.

10) Rake the top of the bed to level the soil out and break up any clods. Add a layer of good finished compost to the top of the soil.

11) Sprinkle another light dusting of rock minerals on to the top layer of soil over the compost (same as used in the lower trench portions) and then use your garden fork to mix it into the top few inches of soil.

12) Do a final raking to smooth the bed and you are done!

This bed is now ready to be planted up. The soil is loose, full of organic matter, and well mineralized. Notice how much more volume the soil has from the original soil that was in the bed at the start? This aeration and amendment process dramatically improves the texture and quality of the growing bed.

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Messageboard

Back Issues

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Visit with Patti Moreno, the Garden Girl, here is this months appearance schedule. Hope to see you there!

How to Make Pesto Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:33:00 +0000