Category: Green (sometimes) thumb

Carrots-Two Bucks A Bag-Day 18-A Poem A Day

by barbstruestories, posted in A Poem A Day, Green (sometimes) thumb

This is the third year in a row

My friend and I have taken to hoe

And rake and seeds, watering cans and such

Hoping our community garden would produce much

Each year we have measures of success and some not

As we bend and tend in that garden plot

There’s plenty of joy and a fair amount of toil

In hope of nutritious vegetables from the soil

We try to start many seeds indoors

IMG_1850

The little pots lined up on window sills and floors

If you accounted for your time, in planning, caring and more

You realize how little you pay at the store

It takes some spunk to not let your spirits sag

When your friends tease you about your garden saying “Carrots-two bucks a bag”

Are you a gardener?  Got any stories to share?

The Best and Worst of People

by barbstruestories, posted in Green (sometimes) thumb

We are taking our time putting our allotment garden to sleep this fall.  Most of the plant material has been cleared except for some swiss chard and a half row of lovely fall carrots. We’d tried the carrots a few weeks ago and they were delicious.  After a frost we knew they would be even better.  

The worst of people

You can imagine our surprise (and perhaps some of the things we said) when we met at the garden this week, shovels and forks in hand, thinking of enjoying those carrots and they were gone!  Pulled up and taken.  The thief or thieves must be into composting for they pulled the tops off the carrots and laid them neatly down on top the now empty row.  The nerve!  Carrots are pretty inexpensive in the store.  Whoever you are, we’d rather you go to the green grocer for your vegetables!  You have to be a certain sort to take something someone else has planted, watered and tended.  

The best of people

On the same visit to the garden, a woman who has walked by and chatted with us throughout the gardening season came by to say hello.  We had given her some swiss chard earlier in the year and she wanted us to come by for coffee and a snack to say thank you.  And so we did.  The snack turned out to be hearty delicious Lebanese lunch complete with Lebanese coffee!  Mmmm good!

Within a 3 hour period on a sunny late fall afternoon we saw the worst of people and the best of people.  

The Party’s Over

by barbstruestories, posted in Green (sometimes) thumb

Gardening is coming to an end for the 2012 season.  It is time to put the “farm” to sleep.

Where’s Waldo?

 We continue to marvel at how things grew this year.  How most things grew might be more accurate.  Here’s a few lessons learned as the season draws to a close:

Little seedlings that look like 90 pound weaklings can grow into behemoths.  Have faith.  And a watering system.  And add lots of mushroom compost. 

Yes, I was once a little bitty seedling

Do some research about what plants might look like if you have never grown them before.  In our case, it was parsnips.  We have been lamenting that our parsnips never germinate.  We plant, they never grow up.  We buy news seeds.  Nothing.  Late this year we discovered we had been mistaking any little parsnips for weeds and had been regularly plucking them out of the ground.  Darn things don’t look like carrot tops when they emerge.

Pay close attention to invasions of insects and other pests.  And then try to figure out what to do about it before it’s too late.  

Cleaning up the garden can be bittersweet.  Good bye to the growing season, sigh.  No sooner does that thought enter your mind than you start thinking about crop rotation and what you’ll plant next year.  

One of the greatest joys of gardening is sharing the results with others.  This year we actually had some produce to share and we did so with great joy.  Do you have any gardening or horticulture highlights from 2013?

Yes, we grew this.

Virtual Soup Across the Miles

by barbstruestories, posted in Community garden plots, Green (sometimes) thumb

We have a dear friend who loves soup.  Any kind of soup.  I wish we lived closer together for I think he would like what I made yesterday.  It started with this picking from the garden: 

And thought I’d make cream of broccoli and cauliflower soup.  Most of the ingredients were fresh from the garden. 

Onions, broccoli, cauliflower simmered together


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used a hand blender to puree the soup.  Add a little cream and fresh parsley and there you go!  Now if I could just figure out how to get a bowl of it across three provinces and still serve it hot.  And so it is really a virtual bowl of soup across the miles.  I hope it’s the thought that counts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gardening Update-The Good The Bad and The Ugly-continued

by barbstruestories, posted in Green (sometimes) thumb

Jumping to Conclusions

When we started gardening at the community plots, we were told that, over the years, there had been issues of theft and vandalism.  With that information in the back of my mind and based on my neighbour’s observations, I took it that we were the target of a poacher.  I found out today, that it was indeed a friend who dropped by to look at our garden when we weren’t there.  He didn’t meet with a very friendly reception.  

I take it back

I apologize to an innocent party who was only trying to have a look at the status of our garden and for my willingness to prematurely jump to conclusions.  I should have more faith in mankind.  For sure I should check around before I blog.  If we had chickens at the farm I could say I had egg on my face.  Having cabbage on your face doesn’t really have the same ring to it.

I got it wrong.

Gardening Update-The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

by barbstruestories, posted in Green (sometimes) thumb

Here we are, nearing the end of August and there is more gardening behind us than there is ahead of us.  I think people’s enthusiasm wanes a bit at this time of year.  It seems there are fewer people out “on the land” (at the community gardens in our case) than there were in June and July.  For us, year two of at the community garden, it s been a much better year than our first foray into urban agriculture last year.  Now, we have invested quite a bit more but it’s paid off,  for the most part.

With a garden, it’s always something:

It’s been a very hot and dry year in our neck of the woods and a tough time for plants, crops and trees.  It’s apparently been forty years since we’ve had such drought in these parts.  The weather impacts the other cycles of life at the garden too so it’s hard to know if a problem is due to the seed used, one’s gardening practices or the year that was.  

And just like the old Clint Eastwood movie, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly:

The Good

Bounty of many types-swiss chard, beans, patty pan squash, beets, tomatoes, carrots, beans, cabbage and so on.  The joy of starting seedlings and then watching them grow and then harvesting is tempered somewhat when you bring it home and have to figure out what to do with it.  At least this year we’ve been able to share more with others this year where last year that was laughable.

The Bad

You can visit the garden one day and things look great and two days later there are aphids or beetles or the leaves have turned brown and rolled up.  Note to self for next year, if it looks good and is ready, don’t leave it and think you’ll come back in a few days and harvest it for it may not be so beautiful on your next trip.  We are learning we need to be more on the watch for brussels sprout beetles, potato bugs and potato leaf rollers and squash beetles and slugs and four-legged animals that eat cabbages and beets and carrots.  Our poor brussels sprouts will never be allowed to make those little darlings because of the beetles and we didn’t realize what was after them until it was too late.  

The Ugly (and The Good at the same time) 

Yesterday our neighbour at the garden told me there was a “man in your garden with a large black bag”.  He was apparently helping himself to our produce.  Our neighbour, who is likely in his eighth decade and whose mobility is limited, walked over and told the man to “get out”.  The brazen fellow told our neighbour, he was our friend.  Our neighbour retorted, “I don’t care if you are her brother.  If she isn’t here, you get out!” and the poacher did just that.  Brazen,  ugly poacher.  Good neighbour.  

Gardening is not for those who are easily discouraged.  It’s not for those who are unprepared to be humbled by making mistakes.  When you think of it, between the weather in any given year, the winged attackers, the multiple legged bugs, the beetles, the slugs, the four-legged animals and now, our own species, it’s amazing we bring anything home.  No matter, I’m already thinking what we might do differently next year.  

What’s an organic treatment for human interlopers in one’s garden?  Any (lawful) recommendations?  How about advice on keeping down the beetles, bugs, aphids and so on.

Morning Glory-ous

by barbstruestories, posted in Green (sometimes) thumb, Happiness

Green (sometimes) Thumb -Year Two

It’s been hot and dry in our neck of the woods this year.  We have been declared in a  Level 2 drought.    This isn’t good for all sorts of reasons but there are some benefits-fewer mosquitoes, not much for lightning and thunder (not enough humidity to muster up a decent boomer), reduced e.coli counts for beach swimming-thought I’d throw that one in.  

Crop Report

Dry as it’s been, our garden, or maybe it’s the gardeners, is showing much improvement over  last year (so far).  Yes we’ve invested in all manner of things and we know more than we did last year.  We declare (to ourselves) that we have moved from the bottom rung of community gardeners to possibly mid-range.  One early morning last week I spent a glorious few hours-no mosquitoes-pulling weeds, talking to the plants, chastising whatever varmint is chewing on the yellow beets and thoroughly enjoying just being.  It was a morning glory-ous.

Healthy beets

Evidence about dirt and happiness

There is some evidence that digging in the dirt..and breathing it in-maybe ingesting some is good for your health.  Growing up my Mom would bring us lunch out to the field.  We’d eat sandwiches with our very dirty hands (from hours of operating a tractor with no cab-there might be some grease in there too).  You could literally see the dirt from your hands transfer to the homemade bread and then into your mouth.  Mom used to say “everybody’s got to eat a pound of dirt a year”.   We secretly thought we ate 2 pounds a year to make up for the city kids who likely didn’t eat any.  

Good News and Not So Good News

Pumpkins

Good news-two rather robust looking pumpkins.  Bad news-some nefarious insect or blight is trying to suck the life out of the plant. Any idea what that might be or what we can do about it?

Good news-potato plants very big.  Bad news-potato bugs plus some sort of insect or blight is turning leaves brown and causing them to curl up-any idea what that might be? Or what we can do about it?

Bounty

We are enjoying a much improved bounty this year, so far.  Lettuce, radishes, swiss chard, new beets, patty pan squash and just today-baby potatoes!

Homemade borscht (beets from the garden)
New potatoes and patty pan squash. Beets unavailable-busy in the soup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We held a breakfast come and go at the “farm” yesterday and we were proud to show people our gardening efforts.  Those who attended were likely hoping that once they showed up maybe we’d quit talking about the garden and they’d get some peace and quiet (or maybe a butternut squash come harvest time).  It was a pleasure to have people drop by.  

Summer garden party-our youngest guest was four months old


 

 

 

 

Three Truths of Community Gardening in Ottawa

by barbstruestories, posted in Community garden plots, Green (sometimes) thumb, Life's observations

Green (sometimes) Thumb-Year Two

A former colleague used an interesting phrase when trying to make a point and wanting to convince you of the veracity of his comment.  “There is a truth”, he would say and then he’d go on to tell you that “truth”.  I always thought it odd, that phrase, and a bit of a push to have you believe something or make it true by prefacing it with that phrase.  

Yesterday at the “farm” (community garden plot), in addition to several weeds, I unearthed the following three “truths”.

1. There is no such thing as making a “quick visit to the garden”  

If you are a gardener, do tell me if it’s possible to have a quick visit to your garden.  There’s no such thing in my experience.  Oh, I’ll just go quickly and see how the tomatoes are doing.  I’ll pinch them back and bit and then I’ll leave.  Well, the tomato pinching is one thing, then you see potato beetles and off you go down those rows, and hey what about those squash that need watering and well look at how the weeds are taking over in that corner.  And so the planned 20 minute visit ends 2.5 hours later.  It is a truth there is no such thing as making a quick visit to your garden-whether it be flower or vegetable.  

2. Gardeners are generous in spirit and advice

Gardeners are a friendly sort.  It’s not a competition and they give freely of their advice.  “Cover up your cabbages until they are stronger or the moths will eat them”.    They commiserate in your sorrow.  They say, “Yes,  those cucumber beetles are terrible and no I don’t know what to do to combat them.  It really is too bad after all the effort you’ve put in but it’s a bad year for them this year. ”  If they have too many plants, they will ask you if you want some for your garden.  Here, take these.  I thought they were romaine lettuce plants and turns out they are swiss chard and now I’m drowning in swiss chard.  Or, have some peas and some beans, they are very good and here’s how I cook the beans.    It is a truth gardeners are generous in spirit and full of advice.

3. Gardening in Ottawa is an opportunity or observe the interaction of many cultures and to joyfully watch the mingling and richness of the interaction.  

Ottawa, Ontario is a very multicultural city.  This city has the 5th largest immigrant population in Canada.  Our neighbours in the allotment garden are a shining example of Canada’s rich multicultural citizenry.  Here’s an example of interactions yesterday in our little corner of the garden:

  • Lebanon: Lebanese born neighbour (Lebanese-first language, English-second language) brings over some sort of beans.  He doesn’t know their English name but explains how to cook and serve them and hands over a goodly amount to this unilingual anglophone.  He grows Lebanese beans.
  • Burundi: Burundi born neighbour who speaks either Rundi or Swahili along with French and English.  He grows African corn. He is a neighbour to the man originally from Lebanon.    They don’t seem to understand much of what each are saying but they stand around and point at different plants.
  • Francophone: the man who does roto-tilling with his garden tractor speaks French as a first language, English as a second.  The Lebanese neighbour tries to explain some sort of request to the francophone who does not understand.  When he’s not understood the Lebanese man starts to speak louder, as if that would help.

Quite a thing to be part of and to observe.  Makes you happy to be Canadian…even if you aren’t much of a gardener compared to many of those around you.  

If we stay at it long enough perhaps we will be able to make short visits to the garden (because we are on top of everything), we will have bounty to give away to others.  We already are part of the culture, although learning some new languages like Lebanese and Burundi would be a nice touch.

Do you have any garden observations to share?  Or multicultural experiences?

Gardening-Crops Improve, Fashion Deteriorates

by barbstruestories, posted in Green (sometimes) thumb

Green (sometimes) Thumb-Year Two-Update

Crop Report

The true story of our ‘farming’ efforts this year is much different from last year.  And so it should be, for hopefully we learned something from last year.  We got our dibs in early to have our plot turned over, we built raised beds with the now very easy to manage soil (thanks to a very large input of mushroom compost), we added a drip irrigation system and we know to cover the plants in their early development to help protect them from various enemies.  

We started many plants indoors ourselves this year.  Another experience.  While my little plants all came up, they didn’t seem to grow much after a while.  I think I should have put them in bigger pots before their final journey to the farm.  When you start plants indoors and are preparing them for their journey into the big wide world, it’s advised that you “harden them off”.   This means setting them outside for short stints, lengthening the time until they have been out all day and all night.  My plants looked like 90 lb weaklings on the beach-trying to make their way in a sea of muscle men.  I decided on an additional step in  ‘hardening off’.  That was speaking sternly to those plants, telling them to smarten up and get growing or they’d be compost.  So far, it seems to have worked to a certain degree-a few plants didn’t make the grade but the rest are looking like 120 pound weaklings on the beach.  They are gaining ground.

We still have bugs-potato bugs and cucumber beetles and some cut worms but so far we are keeping the pests at bay.  This year we do have earthworms-lots of earthworms.  Last we didn’t amend the soil but this year we invested and it’s worth it.  Although instead of the carrots for $3/bag you can buy at the grocery store, our carrots will likely cost us $15/bag.  But that is not the point.  We love it and it’s still cheaper than therapy.

We talk gardening talk now.  We say “Of course, the amendments have improved the tilth of the soil. We think the micro herd is very happy as a result.”

We are optimistic about this year.  Aren’t all gardeners, all farmers optimistic every year?  



Fashion in the Garden

When you are engaged in everyday office work you spend time on choosing clothes, matching colours, doing your make up and hair and making your way to your desk job.  When you are engaged in gardening the clothes choose you, the colours are not a consideration, the make up stays in the drawer and your hair is under a sun hat.  I looked at myself in the garden today and thought there was hardly a colour that wasn’t represented.  The photo doesn’t show the bright orange blouse that was part of the layered look.  And the thing is, it is highly likely I will do a bit of shopping on the way home and not think a thing about it.

Do you have a favourite gardening outfit?  Is it colour coordinated?


Green Thumb 2012-Year 2

by barbstruestories, posted in Green (sometimes) thumb

Caroline, my dear friend and gardening partner, and I are embarking on our second year of “farming”.  The plot is the same 20 ft by 50 ft garden we rented from the city last gardening season. 

During our first year, 2011, we decided not to invest too heavily in inputs (ah, the farming language is wonderful) in case we decided not to garden beyond year one.  After last year, a year of mixed success, we decided to invest in more inputs or soil amendments as Caroline calls them.  Late last fall that took the shape of 10 cubic yards of mushroom compost delivered by a dual axle dump truck that beeped when it backed up and then spewed out a great mass of steaming smelly compost onto our plot.  I was speaking with Bonnie (from Bonnie’s Lavender Farm) about gardening this coming season.  When I told her we’d purchased mushroom compost, she said “that’s just horse shit”.  I thought at first she was dissing our investment but then realized she was calling a spade a spade or in this case, calling mushroom compost horse….well you get it.

No matter what we call the inputs, we are hoping it will turn our 2012 farming season into a smashing success.  We feel very good about trying to grow our own food.  We are hoping this year our bounty will increase and that the compost will make a world of difference.  

Some things that would make us very happy this year:

  • to have more than one resident, migrant earthworm in the whole plot
  • to produce carrots that don’t look as if they were grown in a nuclear waste site
  • to have fewer than 4, 427 potato bugs to squash throughout the season
  • to really sit down, once in a while, in the lawn chairs we take out and store in the little shed

 We do get teased about how you can buy 20 lb bags of carrots in the fall for $3.50 a bag.  No matter, those are not our carrots, that were started by our hands and our attention to water and our monitoring and our great discussions about thinning the plants and on and on.    In a way we may be living the old joke about the farmer who won a million dollars and was asked about his plans. “Oh, I dunno”, he said, “probably keep farming till it’s all gone”. 

Do you have some gardening experience to send our way?  All guidance and advice is most welcome.