Winding Up for the Year at the SACG

Our hardworking SACG volunteers

As faithful readers know, every year I think that noone will come to help clean out the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden at the end of the season.  I tried recruiting new volunteers through NextDoor (without luck).   I emailed Cathy on Friday that I thought there might just be three or four of us this year.  Every year, I am delighted to be wrong (although I noted the repeated and conspicuous absence of Neal, Curt and Charlie).    We had a great turnout today, accomplished a lot and donated over 50 pounds of produce to Faith Mission AND the Lutheran Social Services food pantry.


I borrowed six loppers and hedge trimmers from the Rebuilding Together Tool Library on Thursday.  Yesterday, I made some chocolate no-bake cookies and picked up some supplies from Lowe’s. Our new neighbor emailed me Friday morning that they would be installing a chain link fence along our western border and it would affect our rose bushes. 

      This morning, I dressed in six layers, made some coffee (which no one drank), loaded the car (with tools, goodies and apple cider) and hit every single traffic light between my house and the Garden.  I was a bit frustrated when I pulled onto Fairwood. But when I arrived on Stoddart, Susan, Sabrina, Tom and Zephyr were already at the Garden working.  Susan even brought a box of Starbucks coffee (with cups and everything).   

I turned Susan loose on pruning the front flower bed, Sabrina on harvesting the remaining produce in the Garden while Tom and I turned to relocating the knockout rose bushes.  While I pruned back the rose bushes, Tom dug their new holes and then dug out the bushes (which is much easier said than done).    I brought an ax to disconnect the deep tap roots (based on prior experience in relocating rose bushes).  I helped to plant one and then watered both of the bushes in.

Lea and Zion arrived.  This was the first time that Zion and Zephyr (who are roughly the same age) had a chance to play together all year.   Lea cleaned out Charlie and Curt’s plot since they apparently will not be returning and didn’t care about leaving rotting produce or a mess for the rest of us to clean up.  Mari came and helped her.    It was great to see Mari working hard in the Garden because there was a time in the Spring when we thought that she might not be able to return.  I helped her to locate more of her Irish potato crop since I knew that it had been more productive than she believed.   She also lopped off and composted our broccoli plants after I harvested the spears that remained.



Barb contemplating a rose bud

Rayna came with Joseph and Audrey.   They brought candy and donut holes.  I turned Rayna loose pruning the raspberry bushes.  Susan joined the task on the south side of the Garden.  Lea and Joseph bagged and bagged and bagged.  Tom trimmed and bagged. Audrey dug out Rayna’s giant carrot crop and bagged kale.   I emptied and disconnected the rain tanks and pruned some brambles and bagged.  Then, I turned to harvesting.  Susan helped me harvest and compost.



Frank and Barb came.  They had taken down and stored the gates yesterday and took down the sign today. They also tidied up the area near the shed with our tomato stakes and cages.  They also loaded their truck with the dozen bags of garden waste to take them to Ohio Mulch on Fairwood.  (That leaves only four or so bags that I’ll have to return and take to the curb in 9 days on the city’s yard waste pick up schedule). 

Cathy came (because class let out early) and brought some plastic bags for our food pantry harvest because I ran out a few weeks ago.  (Luckily, Sabrina had also brought me a lot of bags).  Urban Connections donated a giant turning compost bin to us and delivered it yesterday.  I never realized how big it was, but it is as tall as our shed.  Its door is missing, but her father will be fixing that. 

We have three stationary compost bins and two turning bins.  We put most things in the bins, but we can’t put certain garden waste in the bins because they do not generate enough heat to kill everything bad.  For instance, we don’t put tomatoes in the bins because their seeds would create volunteer tomatoes when we eventually spread compost.  We also don’t put sunflower seeds or cosmos (or other seedy weeds) in the bins.  I also discourage putting sick tomato plants or sick tomato straw in the bins to diminish changes of viruses being transmitted later. So, if a tomato plant died back early from any number of viruses that tomatoes get (like wilt, blights, etc.), we put those plants and the straw that mulched them into bags instead of into our bins.  We also do not compost things that will not decompose within a year – like thick stalks of our sunflowers or corn.  That being said, all of our bins were full.

By lunch time, we were all tired and I had promised them a short day.  We gathered our collection of tools and returned them to their assigned places.   The kids carried the bags of produce to the front curb and they were loaded into my and Rayna’s car around 1:30.  We had kale, collard greens, turnips and greens, beet greens, cabbage,  parsley, sage, chives, oregano, dill, broccoli, bok choy, napa cabbage, carrots, arugula, endive, chard, and lettuce.   Rayna followed me home and we set up an assembly line:  Joseph would hand me a bag to weigh; Audrey (with her superior penmanship) recorded the item in my produce notebook; and Rayna would stack the bags on the other side of my patio.  While I added up the numbers on my ancient calculator, the kids played with my new kitten.

Going in the Out Door at LSS Food Pantry

Then, we caravanned over to the Lutheran Social Services food pantry on Frebis.  My gardeners thought I was exaggerating about how popular our fresh greens are.  I rarely get to this or the St. Vincent de Paul pantry without getting stopped by someone wanting a bag.  Sure enough, they were stopped by departing patrons (since we go in through the out door).  Told you so.  We seem to be one of the few gardens donating kale and collard greens.  I would devote our entire food pantry plots to greens if it weren’t for the fact that aphids wiped out our entire kale and collard crop during 2013.  So, I tend to devote about a third of our space to tomatoes, a third to greens and the rest to peppers, beans, and squash.

LSS's Infamous Gene hard at work

 Gene hadn't seen me in a few weeks because I've been busy with auntie duty at my nephew's JV football games.  He usually pesters me with lawyer jokes (when I'm least in the mood and suffering from low blood sugar).  However, today he was a bit distracted and barely noticed that I brought helpers for the first time in four years.  (Betty Weaver used to make our pantry deliveries before I started growing greens that need to be delivered within an hour or so of their harvest). 



Faith Mission's Kitchen Door

Since it was rather late in the day and we had a lot of herbs, we caravanned over to Faith Mission to deliver the second half of our last harvest of the season.  I explained to the kids that this in the only place in town serving three free meals every day of the year.   The cooks were also very excited to receive fresh greens (kale, turnip, collards and beets) and fresh herbs (i.e., sage, parsley, dill, chives, and oregano).

Of course, I have a yard of my own to rake and laundry to do, so I’m pretty wiped out. (Thank goodness I put my heated mattress pad on my bed last night).   Again, I failed to give my annual report (but I’ll circulate a summary of it among the gardeners and the Board this week).  I gave Susan her awards for being our Volunteer of the Year AND our tidiest gardener (which comes with a travelling gnome trophy).   More on this later.  She’s such a sweetie: she gave me (and my kitten) a gift, too.  Sigh. 

So, the SACG is looking pretty empty right now – just in time for the upcoming frigid winter nights.  We always close on the second weekend in November and we always have great weather.  We considered closing a week early this year, but it didn’t work out.  Good thing; it was a lot colder last weekend and is supposed to be even colder next weekend.   Clearly, we have a Guardian Angel in the weather department.

Winding Up for the Year at the SACG

Our hardworking SACG volunteers

As faithful readers know, every year I think that noone will come to help clean out the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden at the end of the season.  I tried recruiting new volunteers through NextDoor (without luck).   I emailed Cathy on Friday that I thought there might just be three or four of us this year.  Every year, I am delighted to be wrong (although I noted the repeated and conspicuous absence of Neal, Curt and Charlie).    We had a great turnout today, accomplished a lot and donated over 50 pounds of produce to Faith Mission AND the Lutheran Social Services food pantry.


I borrowed six loppers and hedge trimmers from the Rebuilding Together Tool Library on Thursday.  Yesterday, I made some chocolate no-bake cookies and picked up some supplies from Lowe’s. Our new neighbor emailed me Friday morning that they would be installing a chain link fence along our western border and it would affect our rose bushes. 

      This morning, I dressed in six layers, made some coffee (which no one drank), loaded the car (with tools, goodies and apple cider) and hit every single traffic light between my house and the Garden.  I was a bit frustrated when I pulled onto Fairwood. But when I arrived on Stoddart, Susan, Sabrina, Tom and Zephyr were already at the Garden working.  Susan even brought a box of Starbucks coffee (with cups and everything).   

I turned Susan loose on pruning the front flower bed, Sabrina on harvesting the remaining produce in the Garden while Tom and I turned to relocating the knockout rose bushes.  While I pruned back the rose bushes, Tom dug their new holes and then dug out the bushes (which is much easier said than done).    I brought an ax to disconnect the deep tap roots (based on prior experience in relocating rose bushes).  I helped to plant one and then watered both of the bushes in.

Lea and Zion arrived.  This was the first time that Zion and Zephyr (who are roughly the same age) had a chance to play together all year.   Lea cleaned out Charlie and Curt’s plot since they apparently will not be returning and didn’t care about leaving rotting produce or a mess for the rest of us to clean up.  Mari came and helped her.    It was great to see Mari working hard in the Garden because there was a time in the Spring when we thought that she might not be able to return.  I helped her to locate more of her Irish potato crop since I knew that it had been more productive than she believed.   She also lopped off and composted our broccoli plants after I harvested the spears that remained.



Barb contemplating a rose bud

Rayna came with Joseph and Audrey.   They brought candy and donut holes.  I turned Rayna loose pruning the raspberry bushes.  Susan joined the task on the south side of the Garden.  Lea and Joseph bagged and bagged and bagged.  Tom trimmed and bagged. Audrey dug out Rayna’s giant carrot crop and bagged kale.   I emptied and disconnected the rain tanks and pruned some brambles and bagged.  Then, I turned to harvesting.  Susan helped me harvest and compost.



Frank and Barb came.  They had taken down and stored the gates yesterday and took down the sign today. They also tidied up the area near the shed with our tomato stakes and cages.  They also loaded their truck with the dozen bags of garden waste to take them to Ohio Mulch on Fairwood.  (That leaves only four or so bags that I’ll have to return and take to the curb in 9 days on the city’s yard waste pick up schedule). 

Cathy came (because class let out early) and brought some plastic bags for our food pantry harvest because I ran out a few weeks ago.  (Luckily, Sabrina had also brought me a lot of bags).  Urban Connections donated a giant turning compost bin to us and delivered it yesterday.  I never realized how big it was, but it is as tall as our shed.  Its door is missing, but her father will be fixing that. 

We have three stationary compost bins and two turning bins.  We put most things in the bins, but we can’t put certain garden waste in the bins because they do not generate enough heat to kill everything bad.  For instance, we don’t put tomatoes in the bins because their seeds would create volunteer tomatoes when we eventually spread compost.  We also don’t put sunflower seeds or cosmos (or other seedy weeds) in the bins.  I also discourage putting sick tomato plants or sick tomato straw in the bins to diminish changes of viruses being transmitted later. So, if a tomato plant died back early from any number of viruses that tomatoes get (like wilt, blights, etc.), we put those plants and the straw that mulched them into bags instead of into our bins.  We also do not compost things that will not decompose within a year – like thick stalks of our sunflowers or corn.  That being said, all of our bins were full.

By lunch time, we were all tired and I had promised them a short day.  We gathered our collection of tools and returned them to their assigned places.   The kids carried the bags of produce to the front curb and they were loaded into my and Rayna’s car around 1:30.  We had kale, collard greens, turnips and greens, beet greens, cabbage,  parsley, sage, chives, oregano, dill, broccoli, bok choy, napa cabbage, carrots, arugula, endive, chard, and lettuce.   Rayna followed me home and we set up an assembly line:  Joseph would hand me a bag to weigh; Audrey (with her superior penmanship) recorded the item in my produce notebook; and Rayna would stack the bags on the other side of my patio.  While I added up the numbers on my ancient calculator, the kids played with my new kitten.

Going in the Out Door at LSS Food Pantry

Then, we caravanned over to the Lutheran Social Services food pantry on Frebis.  My gardeners thought I was exaggerating about how popular our fresh greens are.  I rarely get to this or the St. Vincent de Paul pantry without getting stopped by someone wanting a bag.  Sure enough, they were stopped by departing patrons (since we go in through the out door).  Told you so.  We seem to be one of the few gardens donating kale and collard greens.  I would devote our entire food pantry plots to greens if it weren’t for the fact that aphids wiped out our entire kale and collard crop during 2013.  So, I tend to devote about a third of our space to tomatoes, a third to greens and the rest to peppers, beans, and squash.

LSS's Infamous Gene hard at work

 Gene hadn't seen me in a few weeks because I've been busy with auntie duty at my nephew's JV football games.  He usually pesters me with lawyer jokes (when I'm least in the mood and suffering from low blood sugar).  However, today he was a bit distracted and barely noticed that I brought helpers for the first time in four years.  (Betty Weaver used to make our pantry deliveries before I started growing greens that need to be delivered within an hour or so of their harvest). 



Faith Mission's Kitchen Door

Since it was rather late in the day and we had a lot of herbs, we caravanned over to Faith Mission to deliver the second half of our last harvest of the season.  I explained to the kids that this in the only place in town serving three free meals every day of the year.   The cooks were also very excited to receive fresh greens (kale, turnip, collards and beets) and fresh herbs (i.e., sage, parsley, dill, chives, and oregano).

Of course, I have a yard of my own to rake and laundry to do, so I’m pretty wiped out. (Thank goodness I put my heated mattress pad on my bed last night).   Again, I failed to give my annual report (but I’ll circulate a summary of it among the gardeners and the Board this week).  I gave Susan her awards for being our Volunteer of the Year AND our tidiest gardener (which comes with a travelling gnome trophy).   More on this later.  She’s such a sweetie: she gave me (and my kitten) a gift, too.  Sigh. 

So, the SACG is looking pretty empty right now – just in time for the upcoming frigid winter nights.  We always close on the second weekend in November and we always have great weather.  We considered closing a week early this year, but it didn’t work out.  Good thing; it was a lot colder last weekend and is supposed to be even colder next weekend.   Clearly, we have a Guardian Angel in the weather department.

Count Down to 2014 Closing Day

2011 Closing Day SACG Crew

We have one week left in our 2014 growing season at the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden.  In light of the anticipated snow this evening (and because of the rain anticipated today), I harvested our remaining summer crops for the Lutheran Social Services food pantry on Thursday.  Susan was already there cleaning out her plot when I arrived.  She stayed behind to also clean out our southern flower bed. 



2013 SACG Closing Day Volunteers

The butternut squash growing in our front flower bed was still there and ripe, and so I harvested it for our food pantry donation.  There were three more growing in my plot, so two of them went to the food pantry as well.  I pulled the food pantry plot beans and harvested a slew of peppers and green tomatoes.  The bean plants were still flowering (if you can believe that) and there was still basil growing.    I also dug up the remaining leeks. 

I finally dug up our sweet potatoes, which were disappointing this year.  For starters, no one else seemed to know where they were and didn’t water them for a few months.  I also didn’t get around to mounding them until September.   However, more importantly, instead of the large orange ones we usually grow, I used a different type of potato that I picked up at the grocery last Spring.  They were red and narrow.  They didn’t produce many or very large potatoes.  Live and learn.   Always start with an orange variety . . . . .  

2012 SACG Closing Day Crew

Either tomorrow, or next week, I’ll harvest the remaining second cabbages.   Marge from the St. Vincent DePaul pantry had told me a few years ago that if I left the cabbage roots and a few leaves in place when I harvested our cabbages, the plant will form new cabbages (albeit smaller ones).  The truth is, the plants will form multiple new cabbages that look a lot like brussel sprouts.  However, if you pick one and discard the rest, it will grow into a small cabbage (of a half to pound weight) depending on how much of the growing season remains.    We haven’t had much luck with this in the past, but this year, we’ll have a half dozen second cabbages.

2010 SACG Closing Day Crew

It’s always a toss up about what to leave in the Garden for our final day because of the weather.  We’re expecting a hard frost (or freeze) on Saturday night, but balmier temperatures next week.  Right now, there is still kale, chard, lettuce, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, turnips, beets, collards, broccoli, parsley, sage, and cabbage.  Botanical Interest Seeds has a web page explaining what crops can survive cooler temperatures.   We’ve had kale and collards survive uncovered all winter in the past.  However, nothing survived last year’s polar vortex and I usually end up getting my last Fall harvest from my back yard around Xmas time.   We generally leave some kale and collards in the neighbor plot all winter. 

According to Botanical Interest:

In early fall, it pays to keep an eye on nighttime temperatures. Don't get caught off guard by frost. Make sure to get the last of your crops harvested in time. To help you, here's a simple list of common vegetables and their frost tolerance.

Light Frost - Temperatures 28-32 degrees F
Hard Frost - Temperatures below 28 degrees F.

Likely damaged by light frost: Beans, cucumbers, eggplants, muskmelon, New Zealand spinach, okra, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, sweet corn, tomatoes, watermelon, amaranth, and winter squash (plants).

Can withstand light frost:Artichokes, beets, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chinese cabbage, endive, lettuce, parsnips, peas, swiss chard, escarole, arugula, bok choy, mache, and radicchio.

Can withstand hard frost:Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, onions, parsley, peas, radishes, spinach, turnips, leeks, and sorrel.

It is important to understand that temperature is not the only factor affecting survivorship of plants during a frost event. The further a plant or its parts are from the ground, the more likely it is to be damaged by frost. The ground is usually still warm in early fall and will radiate some warmth to plants that are close to the ground. Humidity can also help protect plants from frost. Humid air holds more heat and reduces the drying effects of frost. Air movement also has an influence on frost damage. When wind blows during cold nights, it sweeps away any warm air trapped near stuctures or the ground, eliminating their insulating capabilities.

Tender plants can be protected from a few light frosts with row covers or blankets. Mulched beets, carrots, leeks, onions, radishes, and parsnips can be harvested later in fall before the ground freezes. Light frost makes leafy greens and root vegetables sweeter, so it's worth leaving some of your kale and carrots in the ground until you're ready to use them. Regardless of the protection from frost, natural or man-made, any temperature below 25 degrees F is dangerous territory for vegetable plants.

Anyway, next Saturday, we’ll be cleaning up and closing for the season.  We always need and appreciate lots of help.  These are our major tasks to accomplish:

·        Pruning the raspberry bushes back to the fence;

·        Pruning the perennial flowers back to a foot in our front bed;

·        Cutting back all of the sunflowers and cosmos growing wild in the Garden;

·        Disconnecting and mostly emptying the rain tanks;

·        Cleaning up the tools and organizing the shed;

·        Cleaning debris out of the Garden and raised beds so that they bugs don’t overwinter there;

• Prune roses;

     ·        Taking down our sign and gates; and

·        Making our last food pantry harvest for the season (of mostly kale, broccoli, cabbage,  collards, beets and turnips)

2009 SACG Closing Day Crew

As you can see from our photographs, the SACG is always blessed with great weather (no matter the weather forecasts).  So, if you’re looking for something fun and worthwhile to do with really nice people next Saturday morning (hours and hours before the Buckeye-Spartan football game), come to the SACG and help us clean up for the year.  Many hands make light work.  And, we can reward our volunteers with seeds, raspberry bush seedlings, and sugary goodies. 

Our closing work day is also when I bestow the awards for Volunteer of the Year and Tidiest Garden Plot and make a report about the past year.

Be there or be square.

Count Down to 2014 Closing Day

2011 Closing Day SACG Crew

We have one week left in our 2014 growing season at the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden.  In light of the anticipated snow this evening (and because of the rain anticipated today), I harvested our remaining summer crops for the Lutheran Social Services food pantry on Thursday.  Susan was already there cleaning out her plot when I arrived.  She stayed behind to also clean out our southern flower bed. 



2013 SACG Closing Day Volunteers

The butternut squash growing in our front flower bed was still there and ripe, and so I harvested it for our food pantry donation.  There were three more growing in my plot, so two of them went to the food pantry as well.  I pulled the food pantry plot beans and harvested a slew of peppers and green tomatoes.  The bean plants were still flowering (if you can believe that) and there was still basil growing.    I also dug up the remaining leeks. 

I finally dug up our sweet potatoes, which were disappointing this year.  For starters, no one else seemed to know where they were and didn’t water them for a few months.  I also didn’t get around to mounding them until September.   However, more importantly, instead of the large orange ones we usually grow, I used a different type of potato that I picked up at the grocery last Spring.  They were red and narrow.  They didn’t produce many or very large potatoes.  Live and learn.   Always start with an orange variety . . . . .  

2012 SACG Closing Day Crew

Either tomorrow, or next week, I’ll harvest the remaining second cabbages.   Marge from the St. Vincent DePaul pantry had told me a few years ago that if I left the cabbage roots and a few leaves in place when I harvested our cabbages, the plant will form new cabbages (albeit smaller ones).  The truth is, the plants will form multiple new cabbages that look a lot like brussel sprouts.  However, if you pick one and discard the rest, it will grow into a small cabbage (of a half to pound weight) depending on how much of the growing season remains.    We haven’t had much luck with this in the past, but this year, we’ll have a half dozen second cabbages.

2010 SACG Closing Day Crew

It’s always a toss up about what to leave in the Garden for our final day because of the weather.  We’re expecting a hard frost (or freeze) on Saturday night, but balmier temperatures next week.  Right now, there is still kale, chard, lettuce, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, turnips, beets, collards, broccoli, parsley, sage, and cabbage.  Botanical Interest Seeds has a web page explaining what crops can survive cooler temperatures.   We’ve had kale and collards survive uncovered all winter in the past.  However, nothing survived last year’s polar vortex and I usually end up getting my last Fall harvest from my back yard around Xmas time.   We generally leave some kale and collards in the neighbor plot all winter. 

According to Botanical Interest:

In early fall, it pays to keep an eye on nighttime temperatures. Don't get caught off guard by frost. Make sure to get the last of your crops harvested in time. To help you, here's a simple list of common vegetables and their frost tolerance.

Light Frost - Temperatures 28-32 degrees F
Hard Frost - Temperatures below 28 degrees F.

Likely damaged by light frost: Beans, cucumbers, eggplants, muskmelon, New Zealand spinach, okra, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, sweet corn, tomatoes, watermelon, amaranth, and winter squash (plants).

Can withstand light frost: Artichokes, beets, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chinese cabbage, endive, lettuce, parsnips, peas, swiss chard, escarole, arugula, bok choy, mache, and radicchio.

Can withstand hard frost: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, onions, parsley, peas, radishes, spinach, turnips, leeks, and sorrel.

It is important to understand that temperature is not the only factor affecting survivorship of plants during a frost event. The further a plant or its parts are from the ground, the more likely it is to be damaged by frost. The ground is usually still warm in early fall and will radiate some warmth to plants that are close to the ground. Humidity can also help protect plants from frost. Humid air holds more heat and reduces the drying effects of frost. Air movement also has an influence on frost damage. When wind blows during cold nights, it sweeps away any warm air trapped near stuctures or the ground, eliminating their insulating capabilities.

Tender plants can be protected from a few light frosts with row covers or blankets. Mulched beets, carrots, leeks, onions, radishes, and parsnips can be harvested later in fall before the ground freezes. Light frost makes leafy greens and root vegetables sweeter, so it's worth leaving some of your kale and carrots in the ground until you're ready to use them. Regardless of the protection from frost, natural or man-made, any temperature below 25 degrees F is dangerous territory for vegetable plants.

Anyway, next Saturday, we’ll be cleaning up and closing for the season.  We always need and appreciate lots of help.  These are our major tasks to accomplish:

·        Pruning the raspberry bushes back to the fence;

·        Pruning the perennial flowers back to a foot in our front bed;

·        Cutting back all of the sunflowers and cosmos growing wild in the Garden;

·        Disconnecting and mostly emptying the rain tanks;

·        Cleaning up the tools and organizing the shed;

·        Cleaning debris out of the Garden and raised beds so that they bugs don’t overwinter there;

• Prune roses;

     ·        Taking down our sign and gates; and

·        Making our last food pantry harvest for the season (of mostly kale, broccoli, cabbage,  collards, beets and turnips)

2009 SACG Closing Day Crew

As you can see from our photographs, the SACG is always blessed with great weather (no matter the weather forecasts).  So, if you’re looking for something fun and worthwhile to do with really nice people next Saturday morning (hours and hours before the Buckeye-Spartan football game), come to the SACG and help us clean up for the year.  Many hands make light work.  And, we can reward our volunteers with seeds, raspberry bush seedlings, and sugary goodies. 

Our closing work day is also when I bestow the awards for Volunteer of the Year and Tidiest Garden Plot and make a report about the past year.

Be there or be square.

Winding Down, But Not Out

It’s unusual that we have not yet had any frost or snow at the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden so far this year.  I’m not complaining, but it’s remarkable to still have basil and green beans in the last week of October.  As a result, I’m quite a bit behind in clearing out my plot (and the food pantry plots), although I am enjoying our bean harvest.  On top of that, I’ve had auntie and daughter duty the last three Saturdays, so I haven’t much done at the Garden the last three weeks.   That being said, when I am at the Garden, I feel like the Grinch that stole Christmas because I always spend a little time pruning the dying sunflowers, to the great disappointment of the neighborhood finches that flock to them all summer and fall.  Sorry birdies.

The Great Saffron Bust of 2013-14.  Prepare to mock me.  Last year, I experimented with a new financial project to improve the Garden’s finances.  In February, I purchased about 50 saffron crocus bulbs.  I planted half at the Garden and half in my own backyard (under chicken wire to keep my squirrels from feasting on them).   We kept the gates on the Garden all winter to keep the neighborhood kids from wondering in and picking the pretty flowers that we hoped to have.  

I thought that they would be as easy to grow as my Spring crocuses (and had been lead to believe that by the flower bulb company).  In fairness, all of the bulbs spouted in October, but we didn’t get a single flower.   The foliage remained until late Spring and, sadly I had to transplant the Garden set in April because of how the plots were reconfigured.  None of them survived the trauma. Our poor bloom rate was probably because our soil is not the correct pH, too fertile and/or too wet.  I haven’t spent any time researching their special growing requirements, but plan to be more expert about it by this time next year.

Saffron is freakishly expensive.  CNNreported a few years ago that it sells for $1500+/pound.  It can take an acre of land to grow that much, though.    Iranpretty much controls the saffron market and the U.S. military has spent considerable efforts to convince Afghan farmers to grow it instead of opium poppies because it is every bit as financially lucrative.  The BBC published pretty pictures of the Kashmir saffron harvest.  The American saffron bulb is supposed to have a slightly mellower taste than its asian cousin and the Amish have been growing it for ages.  They even have special jars to store it (in case anyone wonders what to get me for Xmas).   However, I now understand that it is probably not as reliable a crop. 

This year, I had three bulbs bloom.  One harvests the red stigma for saffron (which must be done by hand and explains why the spice is so expensive).  I hope to have more of these next year and maybe I’ll try again some day to raise money for the Garden by growing a cash crop.

Other News.  I am very sad to report that Stephanie Blessing from Rebuilding Together of Central Ohio’s Tool Library has moved onto to greener pastures (literally).  If you’ve ever borrowed anything from the Tool Library in the last few years, you’ve undoubtedly been served by Stephanie, who is extremely helpful, friendly and supportive of community gardening.  Seth (from the City) broke the news to me and Julie confirmed it.  I then tracked Stephanie down.  She’s starting a small organic farm up state.  “[W]e hope to host workshops on how to do chemical-free holistic gardening, as well as how to build low-energy homes and greenhouses.  We hope to keep animals and grow veggies, herbs, etc. “  Good luck Steph!

Food pantry.   As I mentioned many weeks ago, our produce thieves have really made a dent on our annual food pantry donations.   While they haven’t visited in a few weeks, they did their damage in August and September.   Nonetheless, this year’s donations to date have topped our annual donations from 2009-11 and we’ve got two more weeks to go.  (For those of you keeping track, IT is still there).

Closing Day Plans.  Our annual closing day will be Saturday, November 8 beginning at 9:00 a.m.  We will be pruning our perennial flowers in the front flower beds, cutting down the remaining sunflowers, emptying and disconnecting the rain tanks, pruning the raspberry brambles to the fence and bagging the cuttings, harvesting the remaining greens, etc. for either the LSS Food Pantry or Faith Mission (depending on when we end for the day), cleaning out the beds, mowing our lawn for the last time of the year, cleaning up our tools and packing the shed, etc.  We will need much help to finish by lunchtime (which will be plenty of time before the 8p.m Spartan/Buckeye kickoff that night).  Of course, there will be refreshments.  We will also be bestowing our annual awards for tidiest plot and volunteer of the year. 

Volunteers will get free seeds, free raspberry bush roots (to plant in your own garden), gardening tips and a higher preference in plot assignments in 2015. Be there or be square!   

Winding Down, But Not Out

It’s unusual that we have not yet had any frost or snow at the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden so far this year.  I’m not complaining, but it’s remarkable to still have basil and green beans in the last week of October.  As a result, I’m quite a bit behind in clearing out my plot (and the food pantry plots), although I am enjoying our bean harvest.  On top of that, I’ve had auntie and daughter duty the last three Saturdays, so I haven’t much done at the Garden the last three weeks.   That being said, when I am at the Garden, I feel like the Grinch that stole Christmas because I always spend a little time pruning the dying sunflowers, to the great disappointment of the neighborhood finches that flock to them all summer and fall.  Sorry birdies.

The Great Saffron Bust of 2013-14.  Prepare to mock me.  Last year, I experimented with a new financial project to improve the Garden’s finances.  In February, I purchased about 50 saffron crocus bulbs.  I planted half at the Garden and half in my own backyard (under chicken wire to keep my squirrels from feasting on them).   We kept the gates on the Garden all winter to keep the neighborhood kids from wondering in and picking the pretty flowers that we hoped to have.  

I thought that they would be as easy to grow as my Spring crocuses (and had been lead to believe that by the flower bulb company).  In fairness, all of the bulbs spouted in October, but we didn’t get a single flower.   The foliage remained until late Spring and, sadly I had to transplant the Garden set in April because of how the plots were reconfigured.  None of them survived the trauma. Our poor bloom rate was probably because our soil is not the correct pH, too fertile and/or too wet.  I haven’t spent any time researching their special growing requirements, but plan to be more expert about it by this time next year.

Saffron is freakishly expensive.  CNN reported a few years ago that it sells for $1500+/pound.  It can take an acre of land to grow that much, though.    Iran pretty much controls the saffron market and the U.S. military has spent considerable efforts to convince Afghan farmers to grow it instead of opium poppies because it is every bit as financially lucrative.  The BBC published pretty pictures of the Kashmir saffron harvest.  The American saffron bulb is supposed to have a slightly mellower taste than its asian cousin and the Amish have been growing it for ages.  They even have special jars to store it (in case anyone wonders what to get me for Xmas).   However, I now understand that it is probably not as reliable a crop. 

This year, I had three bulbs bloom.  One harvests the red stigma for saffron (which must be done by hand and explains why the spice is so expensive).  I hope to have more of these next year and maybe I’ll try again some day to raise money for the Garden by growing a cash crop.

Other News.  I am very sad to report that Stephanie Blessing from Rebuilding Together of Central Ohio’s Tool Library has moved onto to greener pastures (literally).  If you’ve ever borrowed anything from the Tool Library in the last few years, you’ve undoubtedly been served by Stephanie, who is extremely helpful, friendly and supportive of community gardening.  Seth (from the City) broke the news to me and Julie confirmed it.  I then tracked Stephanie down.  She’s starting a small organic farm up state.  “[W]e hope to host workshops on how to do chemical-free holistic gardening, as well as how to build low-energy homes and greenhouses.  We hope to keep animals and grow veggies, herbs, etc. “  Good luck Steph!

Food pantry.   As I mentioned many weeks ago, our produce thieves have really made a dent on our annual food pantry donations.   While they haven’t visited in a few weeks, they did their damage in August and September.   Nonetheless, this year’s donations to date have topped our annual donations from 2009-11 and we’ve got two more weeks to go.  (For those of you keeping track, IT is still there).

Closing Day Plans.  Our annual closing day will be Saturday, November 8 beginning at 9:00 a.m.  We will be pruning our perennial flowers in the front flower beds, cutting down the remaining sunflowers, emptying and disconnecting the rain tanks, pruning the raspberry brambles to the fence and bagging the cuttings, harvesting the remaining greens, etc. for either the LSS Food Pantry or Faith Mission (depending on when we end for the day), cleaning out the beds, mowing our lawn for the last time of the year, cleaning up our tools and packing the shed, etc.  We will need much help to finish by lunchtime (which will be plenty of time before the 8p.m Spartan/Buckeye kickoff that night).  Of course, there will be refreshments.  We will also be bestowing our annual awards for tidiest plot and volunteer of the year. 

Volunteers will get free seeds, free raspberry bush roots (to plant in your own garden), gardening tips and a higher preference in plot assignments in 2015. Be there or be square!