Sunday, June 22, 2008

notes from my garden

- Time to give up on growing soybeans at the community plot. They are being dug up by some critter. Seeds and sprouts. I'll plant these at home. They did OK in the shade last year. I figure I'm lucky that its only the soybeans.

- My potato plants keep getting bigger! I planted too many and they are way out of hand. I figure I'll end up with potatoes to last all winter. Great! I'm having fun collecting potato recipes.

- The flea beetles are gone from my potato plants now. They were real bad earlier so I interplanted with lots marigolds. These are a companion crop believed to repel the beetles. Should I conclude that the marigolds worked? Hmmm.

- The wren chirping noises from inside my bird house are getting louder. I suppose they'll fledge soon. The Rock Meadow bluebird coordinator is concerned with these additional wrens. Not the best neighbors for bluebirds.

- I enjoyed giving away heads of lettuce yesterday to the parents of the scouts at the Eagle Project. The red lettuce (var. Prizehead) has formed very nice heads. I have some green Bibb coming next and then Summer Crisp.

- It is interesting to me that the lettuce in my shady garden is bolting sooner than the lettuce in my sunny garden. I had expected the opposite would happen. Not exactly the same types to compare. Bolting shady garden varieties: Four Seasons and Black Seeded Simpson. Nicely headed sunny garden: Prizehead and Bibb.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

How a great thing having all that space to grow your own vegetables and eat a healthy diet we can't living in the city.

kathy said...

It is a great thing. Maybe there is a community garden near you. Or maybe you could start one.

Sites about community gardening in the US: Community Greens, American Community Gardening Association, international community gardening links at the Food Security Learning Center.

"To grow your own food gives you a sort of power and it gives people dignity. You know exactly what you’re eating because you grew it. It’s good, it’s nourishing and you did this for yourself, your family and your community.”
Karen Washington, Garden of Hope, Bronx, NY

schmut said...

the same thing happened to my soybeans. only my soybeans! what an odd preference...
haven't figured out what animal it was though