Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Urban Gardening in WS – The Sequel!!
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
May 10, 2008 at 4:19 pm #586943
ShibaguyzMemberHey there all! Just wanted to check in with all of you WS gardeners who were working on being just a LITTLE more self-sustainable by planting some edibles in your backyards, parking strips, flower beds, p-patch and community gardens.
As a heads up, the fabulous plant sale we purchased some items from about a month ago when we first met up with you all is happening again! Here are the details she sent us in her email:
*** PLANT SALE ***
Ready for Tomatoes?????
Backyard Greenhouse
7939 28th Ave. SW
(between Holden & Thistle in West Seattle)
Veggies / Perennials / Herbs
Organically Grown
Sat., April 26, 9:00-4:00 / Sun., April 27, 10:00-3:00
and Sat., May 10, 9:00-4:00 / Sun., May 11, 10:00-3:00
Bring your friends and family! Come rain or shine!!
Obviously, since this plant sale is kind of how we all met the last time, I wanted to pass the information along to you. We emailed Karen, the woman who has this fabulous backyard greenhouse, and she is selling her tomato starts at VERY reasonable prices. VERY!!
At her last sale, we bought two different types of lettuce starts, broccoli, broccoli-rab, brussel sprouts, Chinese cabbage, and an artichoke. So far, all of the plants are doing FAB in our little space out back and we can’t wait to get over there this morning to see what else we can find. Although… I don’t know where we’re going to plant anything else at this point! LOL We’ll figure it out after we buy the plants. hehehehe…
Second, when are we all going to have coffee again?? Wanna try a different place? We thought maybe C&P Coffee this time?? We only recently started going there and LOVE LOVE LOVE the atmosphere and the little porch out back. Of course, there is always our standard coffee haunt, Cafe Ladro.
Just say the word and we’ll work it out. Anyone have updates on your garden? Maybe a blog with pics? Post your updates here and let us know what you’ve been up to… maybe we’ll all get inspired by you and plant something NEW!!
As always, you can see our ongoing progress by checking out our blog.
talk to you soon…
The Shibaguyz
May 10, 2008 at 5:02 pm #624326
charlabobParticipantC&P would be great — we’ll come if I don’t have to bring pictures of what will someday be my so-called garden. You’ve all seen vacant lots, right?
We did get rid of the cherry tree (and find a new home for it). I’m going to be much pickier about its replacement…something I don’t hate will do for a start. Right now I’m just grooving on the bare spot where the cheery tree was.
Yesterday we cleaned out the place for tomato plants so today we’ll go to buy plants. I may try pots this year to have something higher — don’t really have time or $ to create raised beds, but that’s definitely coming.
You guys sent great recommendations and offers of help last time (Erik, you will be hearing from me!). Wish I had more progress to report–but it’s mid-may and I’m not demoralized yet — so that actually is progress in its own way.
May 10, 2008 at 5:22 pm #624327
ShibaguyzMembercharlabob – keep up the good fight!! What kind of tree are you wanting to put in there? We can keep an eye out for it and let you know where we find it.
About your pots, if you put them on those fun little roller stands, they are MUCH easier to deal with.
Let us know what you buy at the plant sale!!
Also, how “raised” of a raised bed are you looking for? Might have some options for you to look in to that aren’t expensive.
May 10, 2008 at 5:25 pm #624328
charlabobParticipantI want a pink cherry tree — the kind you see gazillions of on parking strips and front lawns everywhere (except mine). One that isn’t tall, skinny, with white blossoms. Can’t be too hard to find, since everyone seems to have one, and no one seems to have any like the one I used to have.
The roller stands rule! I have a few (I tend toward heavy ceramic pots in purple and orange, and I tend to want to move ’em around.)
More sooner.
May 10, 2008 at 5:33 pm #624329
MargLMemberWe have some sort of flowering ornamental tree with purple leaves and little pink blossoms. Could be cherry, could be plum – it’s a volunteer growing in our ditch out front. It’s about 5 or 6 feet now and needs some pruning but anyone that wants to come dig it up and trade for enough dirt to fill the hole is welcome to it!
May 10, 2008 at 8:35 pm #624330
charlabobParticipantMarg, this sounds exactly like what I’ve been looking for — could I drive by and see if it would fit the space I (now) have? You can contact me — charlarma @ gmail dot com. Thanks for the generous offer.
Here’s another source for tree adoption (given to me by Shibaguyz). I wound up giving my tree to a neighbor, but this sounds good too.
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.
May 11, 2008 at 12:51 am #624331
TheVelvetBulldogMemberI’m up for another meeting, and hopefully I can stay longer this time. I’m VERY slowly getting plants put into the nasty, rocky strips of dirt in my new yard. Don’t know if they’re photo worthy, but hearing someone say, “Well, that’s, ummmm, a good start…” might encourage me to work a little harder at it! ;-) I heart C&P Coffee and yet rarely go, so having an excuse would be fab. My weekends are pretty open, so throw some dates out there Shibaguyz.
May 11, 2008 at 2:39 am #624332
MargLMemberSo tomorrow is my 2 hour garden consultation with Marianne Binetti of the PI. I was going to put together a big list of questions to ask but couldn’t find my Round TUIT :-P
Anyone have any questions they want to ask a garden consultant?
Right now my yard is completely overgrown so it’ll probably just be 2 hours of her walking around shaking her head saying – You have a LOT of work to do here!
May 12, 2008 at 6:49 am #624333
ShibaguyzMemberMargl – how did the consultation go?
Everyone – is everyone interested in getting together again for coffee and updates as well as sharing resources? We’d love to do C&P Coffee on a Saturday. Whattaya all think?
May 12, 2008 at 2:45 pm #624334
WSMomParticipantI’d love to meet at C&P (excellent coffee & cozy atmosphere!!) Let me know the day & time.
So is it warm enough to plant out tomato starts? I have mine purchased and ready to go, just waiting for warmer nights.
May 12, 2008 at 3:38 pm #624335
ShibaguyzMemberWe’ve had ours out for a week now both in pots and in the ground. They are doing fine. Remember to bury those little suckers DEEP only leaving the top 1/3 of the plant above the ground. I think people get into trouble when they plant them exactly the way they buy them.
May 12, 2008 at 4:24 pm #624336
MargLMemberThe consultation was fun despite the rain. She had some good suggestions about how to tackle the overgrown areas – splitting the yard into pie wedge sections and start working from my front door out, layering areas with newspaper and cardboard with mulch on the top rather than trying to dig all the weeds or grass out. It’s still going to be a lot of work but if I take it a little at a time it should be manageable.
She also suggested waiting until June to put in tomato starts. She said in the past her plants produced a lot better when they didn’t have to suffer thru the cold outside in May. Just keep them indoors or outside next to the house, or cover them at night. Right now I should be planting peas, lettuce, chard and other cool weather crops. June is good for carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers. And if you’re putting tomato plants in pots it’s better to use clay than plastic because there’s better heat retention.
May 12, 2008 at 6:49 pm #624337
MunchkinMemberFirst of all, we’re the ones with the chicken that wandered into our neighbor’s yard on 4-21. We still have her. Since gardeners often also have chickens, please pass the word. We’ve had our tomatoes in for several weeks, some under water jacketed cones, some not. Most that were not covered are actually doing better. One exception was an experiment of mine. I took a 2′ early girl and stripped of the lower leaves and layed in in a shallow trench with some Cedar Grove booster blend and a mixture of alfalfa meal and blood meal. I then placed it under water jacketed cone but also layed some clear plastic over the spot where the root ball was that didn’t end up under the cone. About 2-3 weeks later the plant is now reaching out of the top of the cone.Another plant did not get the same treatment and it’s growth is nowhere near what we see on the other. I believe trenching is much better due to the roots being in a warm zone and the stem creating more new roots quickly. Burying deep also helps, but will put the root ball into cooler soil.
We too bought plants from Karen…last fall, and we’re still eating the brocolli today. I urge all of you to support her.
We garden behind our home and the one next door and all total, we have more garden than we have house, but that’s ok, because we spend more time out there anyway.
Once again, please help me find the chicken’s owner. The original plea is in the Pet’s forum under Chicken found near Ercolini Park.
BTW, how can you meet for coffee when there’s a garden waiting for you to be in it? (I don’t drink coffee)
One more thing, The Furry Faces Foundation is having a plant sale this coming weekend 10-4 on 46th SW about 3 houses south of Charlestown St.
Teri has great plants at reasonable prices and it all goes to caring for animals. I believe some of Karen’s plants will be there as well.
Happy gardening.
May 13, 2008 at 2:34 am #624338
WSBKeymasterShibaguyz, please invite your contact with this sale to add us to her list so we can put it on the WSB Events calendar.
We have most of the other sales (Furry Faces, SSCC, etc., all have e-mailed us info) but I think this is the first I’ve heard of this one.
thanks,
TR
May 13, 2008 at 2:50 am #624339
TheVelvetBulldogMemberHappy to meet for coffee on Saturday. Munchkin does bring up a good point – Saturday is supposed to be nice – maybe we should meet outdoors!
May 13, 2008 at 6:58 am #624340
ShibaguyzMemberOkay… we JUST looked at the forecast and I have to say that I really like hanging out with you all… BUT… 80+ degrees outside and we are NOT going to spend one second of it indoors! LOL
Again, you all are great but seriously… 80 degrees?? If y’all can think of an alternative meeting spot with maybe a nice white wine and outdoor seating where we can bring the Shibas along… then we’ll talk! WOOHOO!! Summer!! Well… until it snows again NEXT weekend. LOL Kidding… hopefully…
May 13, 2008 at 4:44 pm #624341
TheVelvetBulldogMemberOMG, what is wrong with you people? I am dying for hot, dry weather – BRING IT ON. I need to get the moss outta my hair… :-)
.
As for meeting, maybe an earlier cup of coffee OUTSIDE at C&P before it gets hot? Or will everyone be in the garden right then??
May 13, 2008 at 8:23 pm #624342
charlabobParticipantI wish I was going to be in a garden, or even near a window — I have a class Saturday from 8-5:30. Those of us who’ve been pining for hot weather have me to thank — I’m sure that’s WHY it’s going to be nice Saturday. So once again I will have to live vicariously and await the report.
OTOH, do it Sunday, find a place outdoors with wine and dogs, and I’ll be there early, saving seats and tables.
Speaking of outdoors, does anyone know if BPP is going to turn that nice side area into outdoor seating? Seems like it would be perfect — especially if they did it this weekend.
May 14, 2008 at 7:05 am #624343
ShibaguyzMemberWe’re meeting at the new farm of a friend this weekend. Actually, it is three gardening bloggers getting together for the first time in person. Should be fun!
May 16, 2008 at 3:30 am #624344
AshexMemberI just started my own little garden after last weekends garage sales. I’m pretty much a beginner when it comes to gardening. I used to grow a lot of houseplants when I lived with my parents, but that was a few years ago.
I’ve got cucumber, tomato, basil, and strawberry growing outside right now. So far they all look to be growing pretty well, although I may have to move the basil inside as it doesn’t look to be doing too well.
I sort of stumbled on this by accident, I wish I’d come here earlier!
May 16, 2008 at 2:45 pm #624345
TheVelvetBulldogMemberHey Shibaguyz: So, are you just having a private party then? Anyone else who might have been interested in this are summarily uninvited or just on our own?
May 17, 2008 at 6:49 am #624346
ShibaguyzMemberCharlabob said she couldn’t do it on Saturday and suggested Sunday. I was saying that we were meeting friends. Didn’t clarify in my post that we were meeting them on Sunday up at their farm. My point was that if Saturday didn’t work for people we weren’t available on Sunday.
If someone wanted to suggest a place for Saturday that would be fine. I was just agreeing that a day in the 80’s would probably mean we would have to finally get out all of the starts we have sitting here in the house. I thought that’s what others were saying too.
Sorry… didn’t mean to jump the gun there. Didn’t mean to leave anyone out of the picture.
May 17, 2008 at 7:31 am #624347
charlabobParticipantI think you guys should meet Saturday and charlabob should live vicariously for a few more gardening weeks. You’ll get to meet me and my weeds soon enough — meantime, you can continue to inspire me, as you always do.
I absolutely *never* mean saying, “I can’t come so reschedule.” I just meant I couldn’t make it — sort of a graceless rsvp.
This is actually pretty funny–while you’re all enjoying the first whiff of summer, I’ll be in a class in Conflict Resolution. All day. Saturday. Imagine where I would rather be? Almost anywhere. But maybe it will help me learn to communicate, or at least not stir up conflicts. :-)
Sunday, we go to Rosso’s and then I *will* plant. (Or cajole the Bob half into planting.)
Happy weekend!
May 17, 2008 at 3:10 pm #624348
TheVelvetBulldogMemberThanks for the clarification Shibaguyz, you didn’t strike me as the exclusive types!
May 17, 2008 at 4:38 pm #624349
ShibaguyzMemberNope… these are friends that we’ve known for a while via our blogs. It’s our first time meeting up in person.
We’re out here in the garden now. We have 100 bean starts to get in the ground this morning before it gets too hot then we’ve got another 100 to get in to starter pots.
In addition, we have zucchini, butternut squash, two cucumbers, another bush/dry bean and carrots to get into the ground/pots.
What is everyone else gardening on today?
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.