Urban Gardening in WS

[Shibaguyz]

We have lived here in WS for a little over a year now. Having lived in wonderful apartments right off downtown Seattle for years, we didn’t really have a lot of gardening options.

Without our move to WS, the very FIRST improvement we made to our townhouse was to convert the back yard/patio into a vegetable and fruit garden using techniques we learned growing up on farms and by studying the Biointensive Gardening techniques.

We have tried contacting the Sustainable West Seattle group but to no avail. We are looking for other urban gardeners to meet/resource/exchange ideas with. For now it could be an informal group chatting here online but who knows what it could evolve to.

Possible ideas would be an heirloom seed exchange, plant exchange, book exchange… who knows. Post here and we’ll see what we can find out there in our backyard.

You can check out our blog that focuses mainly on our life here in WS with the focus being on local food and urban sustainable gardening practices. http://shibaguyz.blogspot.com

looking forward to talking to you all soon…

The Shibaguyz…

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[WSMom]

How did you learn about Biointensive Gardening? Did you buy a book? I am very interested in learning more about this method and would like to be in your group :).

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[TheVelvetBulldog]

As I am establishing brand-new gardens at my new Morgan Junction pad, I am currently sick of all things plant-like… However I will come around (probably in about a week!) and would like to be part of a groovy gardening group.

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[herongrrrl]

I’d love to learn more about biointensive gardening too.

I’m starting to explore permaculture and think about how to put it into practice in our big backyard. Currently we have a pretty traditional organic garden (complete with chickens!) and we are trying to create an “urban croft” that provides a significant percentage of our household’s food. We’re also working on “cultivating” edible native plants and have a pretty good collection of species so far. So, count me in, I’m interested to see where this could go!

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[Shibaguyz]

Just returned from the nursery and Home Depot. We just bought the supplies to make Mason Bee nesting blocks!! Sorry… just had to throw that in. I’m excited about getting them up and going.

So what do you all think? We could all meet up at one of the local coffee shops and bring pictures, layout sketches, books and general ideas to share with everyone? We’re still mapping out our garden and how it’s going to be planted so any input from folks with more experience would be great.

Our biggest challenge right now (always) is not going overboard! LOL We are trying to plant so as one crop dies out, we can get the next one in right behind it. For example, but the time our peas finish, our runner beans are taking over the space they occupied.

WSMom – we’re using a whole list of resources to study the Biointensive Gardening method. The best thing to do would be to check out our website and click on the links on the right-hand column. We keep a list there of our favorite books including a separate section for our gardening resources. Also, we did a post not too long ago on the book we bought and the websites we used specifically for the Biointensive Gardening information. Check it out and let us know what you think.

herongrrrl – sounds like you are really doing it up right! I know we wish we had a larger backyard to do more with but that will have to wait. For now, we’re going to make the most of our little patio/yard Jungle space. We’d love to hear more about your chickens and your edible native plants. Sounds great!

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[herongrrrl]

So where do we go from here?

What’s going on in your garden spaces now? We just transplanted a plum tree and are waiting to see if it “took.” We’ve got some salad greens going gangbusters (I started them in the fall, and they just started to really take off), lots of garlic coming on strong, fava beans blooming and our sugar peas are about 5″ tall. Half the dining room table is covered with veggie and herb starts waiting for warmer weather to go out.

Question: is anyone interested in getting a LOT of free wood chips for mulching/landscaping? I learned that Asplundh gives them away free, but you have to be willing to accept an entire dumptruck load! I figured if enough folks here were interested in taking some, it might be worth it to coordinate a WS “dump” point to take advantage of the resource.

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[katydid]

I would be interested in wood chips. Let me know if and when can pick up some.

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[Shibaguyz]

Plum tree… I’m thinking jams and jellies… yum… We put in a multi-cherry (five types) and a multi-pear (also five types) last year. We got a handful of cherries the first year and tiny pears that didn’t have a chance to ripen. This year it looks like we’ll definitely have enough for eating in good amounts. It’s always that second year.

You were so smart to over winter your greens. We just got so busy that our best intentions went unmet. Right now, we have our herbs and strawberries that are all green and thriving. We have both vining and bush peas that are doing very well. Then, last night we put in about 50 garlic sets. The slower growing ones I forced indoors to get them started off. If we’ve timed our varieties correctly, we should have garlic all summer and even into fall.

We have a BUNCH of bean seeds to get out here in the next few weeks. Unfortunately, it looks like we are still in danger of a frost this week. As a matter of fact, I was checking the forecast on the website for the Farmer’s Almanac and it is showing temps in the low 30’s and snow two days this week!! Gonna have to hold off on planting those beans I guess. Might even have to put a cover over my pear and cherry trees.

Whattaya think?

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[charlabob]

I’m having the best time reading this group — brings back great memories of what grows in Boston, where I lived for 20 years and where the crocuses actually showed up through snow.

Unfortunately, I can’t crawl around on the ground and dig right now — the spirit is willing but the body won’t. Does anyone know a source of gardening “tools” and methods for the less than able bodied? I’m thinking raised beds would help; garden tools that can be used from a chair — what else should I do? I know I can hire someone but it’s just not the same.

tia, etc.

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[charlabob]

Alleged cherry tree, free for the digging: I have a tall skinny cherry tree that blooms late with white flowers. That pretty much sums up every thing I hate about this tree.

For some reason, our garden designer thought that was what I meant when I said, “I want one of those fluffy pink flowered cherry trees that show up all over town on the same day and make me happy because they mean it’s spring.” Then, to make sure she understood, I pointed to three examples on the parking strip across the street from our house.

The tree is going to go — I hate just “throwing it away” so if anyone thinks they want it, I’ll be happy to supply a shovel and appropriate cheerleading as it disappears from my life. Then I can plant “the real deal.”

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[TheVelvetBulldog]

You all are light-years beyond me and I probably won’t catch up as I live in a rental and am not allowed to go too crazy. However, I would love to absorb your knowledge and I have a LOT of gardening books that are PNW-focused that might be interesting for folks to browse.

AHA!!! I know!!! Let’s meet at South Community College’s Arboretum, take a look around at what’s blooming and then go for coffee down the hill at either Delridge’s Uptown Espresso or Bubbles. (Uptown has more person capacity.)

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[herongrrrl]

Charlabob, last year I did a certification course in therapeutic and healing gardens, and we talked a lot about Horticultural Therapy and making gardening accessible to people with different physical abilities. I would guess a hort therapist could tell you where to find tools that would help you garden. Here’s a link to the Edmonds CC Hort Therapy dept., with a contact name and phone number that might be a decent place to start http://hort.edcc.edu/.

Also, the course I took (through UW Extension)had a final project of designing (and implementing, if possible) a garden based on the design principles we learned. It’s possible a student enrolled now or next fall might be interested in helping you redesign your garden to be more accessible for you; if you’re interested, let me know and I can get you the professor’s contact info.

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[Erik]

I just planted 3 new blueberry bushes yesterday, hopefully they’ll produce something in the next year to satisfy my cravings.

Charlabob –

If you’re interested in the possibility of increasing your functioning in the garden, I can offer you some free lessons. It’s much easier to bring ourselves to our environment than vice versa, and we can playfully look for effective strategies to do that.

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[Shibaguyz]

Charlabob – also check out squarefootgardening.com. I ran across the book while doing some research for an article on small space gardening.

Give the site a good going over. I found raised bed options for this type of system that even look easy enough to build myself. I was thinking of using it for a “second layer” for one wall of my garden where I could plant sun-loving types on the top layer and shade dwellers beneath. However, it totally works for someone who finds it difficult to get up and down off the ground.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

By the way, I’m working on my Mason Bee nest today!! I’m so excited! It’s actually pretty simple. We just went out and looked at what other places were selling then got online to find out the specs and made one ourselves. I’m going to drill the holes tonight and get the thing up on the wall before our fruit trees bloom.

You all are getting the scoop on this even before our blog readers get it. I put up pictures of our plantings last night and of our potato condo we made. Go check it out: http://www.shibaguyz.blogspot.com

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[charlabob]

You guys absolutely amaze me — I expected, at most, a link to a website where I could buy a short shovel :-)

I’m going to read the references and, Erik you’ll probably hear from me before the spring is over.

I probably won’t be up for the tour of the Arboretum this year – but I will let you know how this all goes. I’m honestly sitting here, trying to decide between doing my “working from home” thing or dreaming about seeds and plants.

Thank you! (But doesn’t anybody want my damned tree? Maybe I have to work on my marketing hype.)

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[JanS]

Charla…try freecycleseattle…I see plants, trees, bushes go on there all the time…

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[WSMom]

I love the idea of the SSCC Arboretum! Count me in!!

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[Shibaguyz]

Okay charlabob, here’s a resource that we’ve used in the past to get rid of unwanted trees. We actually called them up when we wanted to get rid of the “lovely landscaping” the contractor put in here in our townhouse.

They are called Plant Amnest. Scroll down to the bottom of this page http://www.plantamnesty.org/adopt_plant.htm and you will see instructions for getting your tree listed for adoption.

GOOD LUCK!!

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[charlabob]

Shibaguy, that is the kewlest site ever–you all should go and look. It has many more things than a possible home for my dismal tree. I’m afraid the bob half may chain himself to the tree, because he’s sick of hearing about it so he’s starting to identify….

Assuming this all works, do I have to wait ’til fall/winter to plant a bare roots pink fluffy cherry tree to replace it? (See, I’m the eternal optimist.)

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[Shibaguyz]

charlabob – I’m glad you liked the website. As far as planting the new tree, head on over to West Seattle Nursery and see what they have for trees. I THINK they have those trees you are talking about as well as other ornamental cherries that you can plant directly.

Our fruit trees we purchased from West Seattle Nursery last year came in peat pots that we put directly into the ground with no root shock and they even produced a small amount of fruit last summer.

Either way, West Seattle Nursery has been our best resource for trees.

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[charlabob]

I just wanted to tell you that my tree is the object of a bidding war (if something free can be). Someone from craigslist and someone from freecycle both think they want it. It’s really not a bad or vicious or mean tree; it’s just not the tree I want.

As soon as it goes, I’m off to West Seattle Nursery. I don’t want to jinx the possibility of either of these people showing up by buying too early.

You’ve created a shopping and planting monster (as soon as Erik shows me how to do those things when I can barely walk.)

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[JoB]

charlabob..

i garden and i can hardly walk a lot of the time.. not to mention hardly use my hands, wrists, and shoulders:)

i use one of the rolling gardening seats and bought my padded and longer handled gardening tools from Big Lots this spring because i can’t find the box with my good tools in it. i hope i still own them:(

i use hanging pots and raised pots a lot…

raised beds are great.. but i have found that i like a raised platform with a pot on top better.. especially if that pot has a water reservoir on bottom. it’s not as ecologically sound.. but easier on us with limited capabilities.

I can’t wait to put pots together again here:)

shibaguyz.. mason bees? i think two things.. the first is that shiba noses are incredibly nosy and agile…. and that i am allergic to bees…. but you go for it!

i am definately up for meeting at the arboretum. perhaps charlabob and a few other not so mobile folks can come and we can hang out relatively close to the parking lot while you guys have a great time ambling.. you can take pics with your digital cameras to share with us:)

We can do the hot drinks thing after .. no trouble at all:)

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[JanS]

well, charla, JoB, and I can bring up the rear…I’m slow but steady, as long as it’s not a hike :). I’ve lived here for 33 years and have never been to the SSCC Arboretum and Chinese Garden…I hear it’s pretty nice…

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[JanS]

oh, and then rum and hot applecider afterwards :)

hey…don’t knock it if you haven’t had it…it’s yummy…

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[charlabob]

I’ve actually been thinking about getting/renting a wheelchair or scooter for doing things I can’t do otherwise.

Part of me says it’s giving up (though I’m not sure how doing nothing isn’t giving up.) I desperately want to “hike” through the sculpture garden; so I can just hike with wheels…. hmmmm.

I may see you guys in the Arboretum after all, assuming we do it sometime when I’m on this side of the lake.

I guess you can never say it too often, when you mean it–thank you!

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