Summer Update-Portland, OR





Cucumbers grown in the GreenStalk system

Below is a bed of Cosmos ready to flower. Cosmos is one of the annuals that I direct sowed this year that is doing well. Zinnia is the other one. Both should put on a fabulous show into late fall if I continue to keep cutting them for bouquets. This year I grew florist quality seeds which means these varieties are for cutting and have longer stalks than seed varieties grown in your garden.

The Cosmos are nearly my height

More mini beds of flowers in salvaged drawers. I love mini beds because they can act sort of like a new plant nursery. This year I used them to grow new varieties of annuals. 

 



Mini beds of annuals

 

I have two kinds of strawberries, the ones that fruit once and the ones that fruit several times. This year I am in a losing battle with birds. Just when a strawberry is ready to harvest, I notice the next day that a bird has consumed it. It is most frustrating. I wonder if it is the family of Bluebirds that make their home in my garden.

Strawberries in the "Greenstalk" container

 This was my first salad of 100% harvested vegetables. The tomatoes have just started to fruit. This is the SunGold variety. They are always sweet.

Salad from the garden

 Here is a photo of my mother with a fresh cut bouquet from the garden.

Flowers included snapdragons, roses and herbs for greenery.

 

Mum gets a bouquet of garden flowers

 

Recipe for Summer Squash

Portland Community Garden Late Summer

After one of the wettest summers in the Pacific NW we finally have had a few weeks of warm weather. Here you can see that the Rainbow Chard continues to do well and the leaves are getting quite large now. I love Chard because as soon as you harvest a few leaves, more grow back and Chard grows here spring through early winter.

I have been harvesting tons of the Yellow Wax Beans. They grew and started producing beans very quickly even though they are only a foot tall. I would definitely grow more of these next year.

Pictured is one of the many squash plants that have started to product. I like the Lemon Squash we are growing because the plants don't get that big, but produce a great deal. I also found the squash easy to cut and the peel very soft.

There is a lot of talk in the garden about winter gardening. I was told that we can grow a great deal here in the Pacific NW just by using a row cover. The best time to sow seeds for winter gardening is now. I have read that the trick is not having too much top growth by the time the cold weather starts in most plants. Not sure if I want to take a break or continue to garden all year round.

Genetically modified Foods Video

This is a great video that explains the basics of genetically modified food. It is a great resource to educate the general public, friend and family about the dangers of genetically modified food. It is simple to understand. Please share this video we found on You Tube.

Growing food on 1/10 acre

Check out this front yard in California. It is not the prettiest garden I have seen, but it grows enough food to feed a family of four. Actually, it looks like a mini farm to me that could feed the whole neighborhood.

Portland Community Garden June 19th

It was another wet morning at the garden. One bonus was that I was able to pull many of the grass type weeds growing out easily. I got to the garden a tad earlier than I usually do and what a surprise I had in store for me. Slugs. There were slugs everywhere in my peas, lettuce and more. Yikes? I guess I have a slug problem. I am wondering how to get rid of them without harming them. Any ideas? I think the extended wet weather this year does not help either.

I found some new flowers on my garden break walk around the garden.

This is a popular plant in Portland. It grows everywhere and the blooms remain like this even in fall and winter.

My Yarrow is in bloom. Soon it will be ready to self seed all over the place.

My Lettuce. This variety has a Pepper like taste.

Egyptian Onions in Portland. I have started to notice that every community plot has a clump of these growing.

The Children's area compost bin is full. My plot is next to the Children's Garden.

Overall view of part of the garden.

Maine Community Garden Update

We spent yesterday afternoon at the community garden mulching and giving the garden a good soaking.

The plants looked a little droopy but not as bad as I expected. I'm hoping the mulch will help and we'll add more mulch when we visit tomorrow. We did get heavy rains today which made me happy thinking of my little plants getting the water they need. At home, I'm able to water as often as necessary so the starts I've planted here are not quite so droopy looking. It will be interesting to see which do better long term- those with full sunlight with less frequent watering, or those at home with less direct sun but more daily attention.

Australian version of an outdoor living wall

Here is a video from Australia that shows how to make a outdoor living herb garden. As a side note we think the contrast of the plants against the coral painted walls are just fabulous.

Peat Pellet & Seed Starts Update

I just wanted to update everyone on the Peat Pellet seed starts. I located a nice cozy, warm home for them on top of my dryer at my business and they are doing very well. Most of the seeds started to emerge after 1-2 weeks. There was no need to water because the pellets came with a tray and plastic cover. Sort of like a mini greenhouse.

This week I was able to transfer the seeds(Tomato, Pepper, Egg Plant) into their own pots and located them on one of my bright and sunny picture windows at my business. I also started Ground Cherry seeds in egg crates. I found that they did not germinate as fast without a cover and the egg crates seedlings were more susceptible to developing a fungus. However, they work in a pinch.

The only other problem I experienced was with the wooden sticks I used to label each tray of seeds. After a few days I had to dispose of the sticks because they developed a fungus too. Labels falling off or ink disappearing on labels seem to be continuous challenges for me. So basically I am guessing what plants are in the trays. I can tell which ones are tomatoes, but right now the Peppers and Egg Plant look pretty much the same. My next challenge is to start hardening off the seedlings so they can go outside. I have read that this is a 2 week process. I will keep everyone posted.

California Poppy Invasive in Oregon?

Today I found this clump of lovely California Poppies close to our community tool shed. It almost looked tropical against the sea of green leaves and pastel color palate of the spring garden. I imagined how wonderful my summer garden might look as the California Poppy seemed to scream "summer" to me. Then it suddenly struck me that someone at the Community Garden had told me that the California Poppy was considered invasive in the garden. Or did they say it was invasive in Oregon? Or both?

I did an Internet search this evening for more information and found that although the the California Poppy is drought tolerant and self seeding it is only recognized as a potentially invasive species. Another question. What is considered invasive in Oregon? I did not find the California Poppy on the list, but did find other plants such as Ivy. It might be a good idea if you don't know what is on your state's invasive species list to take a quick look.

What do you do when you have a invasive plant growing in your garden? Here is a video from the University of Maine Extension Services.

Stevia

Stevia is one of the herbs that we are growing this year. After receiving a "tweet" on how to use it we decided to do a little research. We had heard that it is often used fresh in teas and that was what we intended to do with it being avid tea drinkers. We found two alternative ways to turn Stevia into a liquid while cutting most of the bitter after taste.


We are growing Stevia from seed starts. The seeds are tiny and we did not get many seeds in each packet so we suggest that you check how many seeds you are getting and if it is under 20 you may need to buy two seed packets. With that being said we did get a few sprouts after a few weeks that seem to be growing quite vigorously now.

Here is the information via video on how to turn Stevia into a liquid sweetener while getting rid of the bitter after taste. In both videos there are no preservatives used or mention of how to store.For that reason we highly suggest that you store your extracted Stevia liquid in the fridge and use within the week.











We intend to try both methods (with glycerin and without) and report back to you which version works the best.

Rhododendron-Portland, Oregon

Saw some great Rhododendrons in bloom on my way to work this morning.

Vegetables gone to Seed in the Portland Community Garden

I noticed that most of the over wintered plants in the community garden plots have gone to seed and wonder why. I would like to find out why because I plan to over winter Broccoli, Lettuce, Cabbage, Kale and some other veggies this fall. Anyone know why?

May 1, Photos from the Portland Community Garden

Dave Hunter on Solitary Bees-Guest Blogger

Are you raising solitary bees? It’s easy, fun, and extremely important for you to do so! The honey bees and bumble bees face an uncertain future. You may be needed to help keep food on your table in a few years!

Spring has arrived for both coasts. Social and solitary bees are here just in time to pollinate our flowers and fruit trees. Social bees are what we typically think of when we say “bees”. Honey bees and bumble bees are two popular bees that live in hives and work “socially” towards a common purpose; to rear their young and keep the hive humming. Whether they’re in a tree, a box, or underground, social bees work as a team. Solitary bees are just that… they each live a life by themselves. The females do each need a male to mate with. But once mated, each female performs her queenly duties by herself for about 4-6 weeks until she dies. For the spring “blue orchard” mason bees, their life begins when the day temperatures reach about 55 degrees (March-April) and finishes in late May. Because these solitary bees have only a hole to be concerned with, they are extremely gentle. Only when caught in a life threatening position will they sting. They make the perfect garden companion!

Both coasts are home to the native blue orchard bee with the Rockies separating two “cousins” or sub-species. What about the honey bee and bumble bees facing severe challenges? Within this decade, many scientists suggest that our commercial crops may not achieve adequate pollination. Costs of food will rise because we won’t have enough produced. This could happen to many orchards within 5-7 years. What can you do to help? Consider successfully raising solitary bees, beginning with the blue orchard mason bee. All it takes are a few correctly sized holes in your garden, a bit of pollen, some nearby mud and you’re good to go. You can buy mason bees online or try to find them in your yard. Crown Bees is teaming with gardeners across the US to help them be successful.

Read more at www.crownbees.com. Within 5-7 years, depending on where you live, your excess native bees may be vital to your regional orchards or crops. Crown Bees’ far reaching newsletter “Bee-Mail” helps gardeners know “when to what” so that you can be more successful. Your success with mason bees may be critical to help pollinate your local orchards! If you’re lucky enough to already be raising them, please don’t use drilled holes in blocks of wood. Why? Read our FAQ section in our website http://crownbees.com. Happy pollinating! Dave Hunter O. 425.949.7954 C. 206.851.1263

Grounding in the Garden

Grounding and the Garden
There are many ways to replenish one's spirit in the garden. Spirit can be thought of as energy, worship, or any spiritual practice that restores our sense of self. This restoration of self is known to many as grounding oneself. Grounding concepts are focused on restoring a connection with the earth and your body. Those that feel ungrounded can feel stressed, dizzy, deep in thought and not connected with their body. Restoring grounding reduces stress, clears the mind, and promotes inner peace. Because of its connection with the earth, the garden is the perfect place to ground oneself.

Ways to ground oneself in the garden:
1. Find a place to meditate. It can be any place in your garden where you can place a chair. Among some scented herbs such as Lavender or Rosemary would be ideal. If it is summer you will be able to take off your shoes and place your bare feet on the ground. If it is winter time, bundle up, keep your shoes on, but find a sunny spot to sit if possible.
2. Sit with your body relaxed, legs uncrossed, eyes closed with hands resting on your knees palms up.
3. Close your eyes and try to quiet your mind. Try to inhale deeply and exhale slowly. Imagine that you are a beautiful butterfly in your garden flying from one beautiful flower to the other. Imagine the intoxicating smell from the flowers in the garden. Imagine yourself as the butterfly admiring the kaleidoscope of flower colors. Try to imagine yourself becoming the butterfly
4. Try to block out any worrying thoughts or concerns that you have.
5. Next imagine a root growing from the ground up through your feet grounding you to the earth.
6. Use the above forms of guided imagery for 15-60 minutes each day.
7. When you feel ready to end your grounding session imagine a white light cleansing your body. Imagine this light entering your crown and moving down your body. Also, imagine the white light around your body.
8. Open your eyes and just sit for a few moments to readjust to your surroundings.
9. Enjoy the feeling of being grounded in your body and have a glorious day.
Try to take the time each day to do this exercise or do whenever you feel out of sorts. You can even create your own imagery and change your gardening environment. For example, imagine that you are on a beach or in a Zen garden. If you take this time for yourself you will find that you will be more at peace with yourself and others.
Namaste

A Garden in Every Childhood

There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place
where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning
more fragrant than ever again.- Elizabeth Lawrence

Anyone who remembers the gardens of their childhood realizes that every child deserves to have the experience of gardening. The smell of the warm earth after a rain, the feel of dirt under the fingernails, the taste of peas right out of the pod tugged fresh off the vine...these are memories imprinted upon a child's memory and soul.

Gardening with children provides endless possibilities for learning and growth, both physical and emotional. Learning how to grow ones own food could very well be a valuable survival skill. Gardening involves all the five senses, and when the senses are engaged, holistic learning happens.

While digging, planting, caring for and harvesting food is a magical activity in and of itself, kids also love crafts, science experiments and imaginative activities. In this space, we hope to share some cool ideas to add to the fun of gardening.

The Bean Tipi

So easy to do! The most difficult part is finding the poles. We used saplings culled from our property. Once you've located poles, form a tipi and fasten with rope at the top. Make sure the tipi is secure and will not fall. Using string, wind string around each pole of the tipi leaving about 12 inches of space between rows (though closer spacing will work if you like) Leave an open space for a door. Plant pole beans and morning glories at the base of the tipi. As the vines grow, train them around the structure. Over the summer, the vines will cover the tipi creating a hideaway for the kids.

Above: Our bean tipi early in the season. We planted summer squash around the base and trained the vines around the outside of the tipi. Cukes will also climb the poles.

Signs of Spring on my Way to Work, Portland

I am lucky that I can walk to my business every day. It always amazes me how green Portland looks. Even in February there is always something in bloom.

Community Garden, Portland February