SACG Has Been Blessed With Seeds and Seeks to Share Good Fortune

Four days before we broke ground for the 2010 season, I attended my monthly Knitwits meeting at Church. I was running late because I had been soliciting gardeners and volunteers for the weekend. When I arrived, the table which is usually filled with yummy goodies was instead overflowing with packages of seeds. I was speechless. Linda, one of my fellow knitters, had mentioned about six weeks ago that her cousin sold seeds and she could get some from last season for me for free for the SACG. They are organic seeds from the Botanical Interests Seed Company in Colorado (which has a very nice website). A huge number of them are heirloom varieties. She asked what I wanted: anything and everything. Boy oh boy. She and her parents took a stab at organizing them and banding them. For the edibles, I then put like things together in bags.

BISC has a great website. For example, it has lots of great tips about planting and saving seeds, etc., like this:

Can I use seeds leftover from last year?

The life span of seeds varies by variety and storage conditions. Some seeds like beets, swiss chard,gourds, squash, and tomatoes can keep for several years. Others, like onions, chives, shiso, edamame, and fennel may lose viability in less than a year. For best results in your garden, we recommend buying fresh seed every year. We pretest all of our seeds at an independent laboratory and only accept seeds from our suppliers that exceed federal standards for germination, so you can be sure that you are purchasing high quality seeds from us each season. If you do have leftover seed after planting or are unable to plant seeds that you purchased during that season, the best method for storing is to put them in an airtight container (such as a sealed Ziploc bag) in your refrigerator or a cool basement. Cool, dry air prolongs the life of seeds and hot, humid air can kill them quickly.

So we at the SACG are overflowing with blessings: two garbage bags filled with more seeds than we could plant in three years. So, with giving the SACG gardeners their first choice of the goodies this weekend and last weekend, I am opening up our good fortune to other community gardens which want to share in our bounty for the greater good of the community. I don’t want to lug these around in the hot trunk of my car indefinitely or let them go to waste in my basement. Contact me next week if you’d like to share some of our seeds.

I’ve already planted chamomile and it’s already sprouted. Here’s what else we have:

• Peas: Oregon Sugar Pod II, Green Arrow dwarf shelling pea heirloom, Wando shelling pea heirloom, Snap Pea Cascadia
• Broccoli: Di Cicco heirloom
• Cauliflower: Chef’s Choice Blend heirloom,
• Onion: Ringmaster, Flat of Italy heirloom (red),
• Beet: Gourmet Blend, Early Wonder heirloom,
• Parsnip: all American heirloom,
• Kohlrabi: purple & white Vienna blend
• Lettuce/Greens: Nero Toscana Kale heirloom, Gef’s Gourmet Spicy Mix lettuce, mustard heirloom greens, arugula roquette heirloom, Big Seeded mache corn salad heirloom, Red Giant mustard, Bright Lights Swiss Chard, Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard heirloom, Olesh Tres Fine Endive, Palla Rossa Shalim Radicchio, Asian Salad Mix Mesclun, Lolla Rossa lettuce heirloom, Tom Thumb lettuce butterhead heirloom, Little Gem Romaine lettuce heirloom, Rouge d’Hiver romaine lettuce heirloom (red), Broadleaf Batavian Escarole heirloom, Oak Leaf Blend lettuce heirloom, Red Sails lettuce, Great Lakes lettuce heirloom, Farmer’s Market mesclun blend, Gourmet baby greens mesclun mix heirloom, Salad Bowl blend heirloom lettuce, Black Seeded Simpson lettuce,
• Cabbage: Copenhage Market heirloom, Wong Bok Chinese cabbage heirloom,
• Bok Choy: White Stem heirloom, Rosette heirloom,
• Turnip: Purple Top White Globe heirloom,
• BEANS, BEANS AND MORE BEANS: White Dixie Butter baby lima heirloom, Windsor broad fava heirloom, Scarlet Emperor pole heirloom, Liana Yard Long pole, Romano pole heirloom, Blue Lake pole, Contender bush heirloom (my most reliable), Royal Burgundy heirloom (i.e., purple beans), Pencil Pod bush heirloom (yellow), Kentucky Wonder pole heirloom, Buttterbean (edamame/soybean), Purple Queen heirloom, Tavera bush, Blue Lake 274 bush,
• Pumpkins: Big Max, Jack O’Lantern, Howden, Moon & Stars Heirloom, Sugar Pie Heirloom,
• Melon: Mickylee watermelon, Melon charentais heirloom
• Peppers: Cayenne Blend heirloom, Yolo Wonder heirloom, Early Jalapeno heirloom, Ancho/Poblano heirloom, Canary Bell, California Wonder heirloom, purple beauty,
• Tomatoes: Celebrity, Silvery Fir Tree heirloom, San Marzano heirloom, Jelly bean red & yellow, Italian Roma heirloom, Gardener’s Delight heirloom, Rainbow blend, yellow pear, Cherry heirloom, Speckled roman heirloom, Sun Gold, Brandywine heirloom, Black Krim (Russian heirloom), Aunt Ruby’s German Green heirloom,
• Corn: Spring Treat (hybrid), Delectible (hybrid), (white) Agent (hybrid), Bodacious (hybrid)
• Carrots: Carnival blend, little finger heirloom, purple haze, scarlet nantes heirloom, Tonda di Parigi heirloom, Royal Chantenay heirloom,
• Cucumber: Japanese Soyu Burpless heirloom, Armenian burpless, Spacemaster
• Eggplant: Black beauty heirloom, Long purple – Japanese/Chinese
• Squash: Vegetable Spaghetti heirloom, summer cocozelle heirloom, Early Yellow Crookneck heirloom, Early Prolific Straightneck heirloom, Burgess Buttercup heirloom, Dlicata Honey Boat winter squash, Waltham Butternut heirloom,
• Herbs: Florence Finocchio Fennel heirloom, Common English Thyme heirloom, Rosemary heirloom, Broadleaf Garden Sage heirloom, Bouquet Dill heirloom, German Chamomile heirloom, Spearmint, Common Chives, and several varieties of basil (including Genovese Italian, Dolce Vita Blend, Purple Petra, Italian Large Leaf & Napoletano).

Flowers. And that’s just the edibles. Then there’s an equal amount of flowers, including sweet peas, zinnias, morning glories (which you must plant far, far away from the SACG, daisies, candytuft, nicotina, cardinal climber, cosmos, penstemon, lupines, poppies, coleus, forget-me-nots, hyacinth bean, nasturtium, black-eyed susan vine, butterf]y flower, celosia, jupiter’s beard, statice, columbine, moon flower, snapdragon, lobelia, hollyhock, four o’clock, vebascum mullein, Chinese lantern, money plant, and more!

Miscellaneous: Corsican hard-shelled gourd, Broom Corn heirloom (for those of you wanting to make your own brooms from scratch), Cat Grass, Liquid Sunshine Wheatgrass heirloom, Goblin Eggs ornamental gourds, ornamental eggplant, etc.

SACG Has Been Blessed With Seeds and Seeks to Share Good Fortune

Four days before we broke ground for the 2010 season, I attended my monthly Knitwits meeting at Church. I was running late because I had been soliciting gardeners and volunteers for the weekend. When I arrived, the table which is usually filled with yummy goodies was instead overflowing with packages of seeds. I was speechless. Linda, one of my fellow knitters, had mentioned about six weeks ago that her cousin sold seeds and she could get some from last season for me for free for the SACG. They are organic seeds from the Botanical Interests Seed Company in Colorado (which has a very nice website). A huge number of them are heirloom varieties. She asked what I wanted: anything and everything. Boy oh boy. She and her parents took a stab at organizing them and banding them. For the edibles, I then put like things together in bags.

BISC has a great website. For example, it has lots of great tips about planting and saving seeds, etc., like this:

Can I use seeds leftover from last year?

The life span of seeds varies by variety and storage conditions. Some seeds like beets, swiss chard,gourds, squash, and tomatoes can keep for several years. Others, like onions, chives, shiso, edamame, and fennel may lose viability in less than a year. For best results in your garden, we recommend buying fresh seed every year. We pretest all of our seeds at an independent laboratory and only accept seeds from our suppliers that exceed federal standards for germination, so you can be sure that you are purchasing high quality seeds from us each season. If you do have leftover seed after planting or are unable to plant seeds that you purchased during that season, the best method for storing is to put them in an airtight container (such as a sealed Ziploc bag) in your refrigerator or a cool basement. Cool, dry air prolongs the life of seeds and hot, humid air can kill them quickly.

So we at the SACG are overflowing with blessings: two garbage bags filled with more seeds than we could plant in three years. So, with giving the SACG gardeners their first choice of the goodies this weekend and last weekend, I am opening up our good fortune to other community gardens which want to share in our bounty for the greater good of the community. I don’t want to lug these around in the hot trunk of my car indefinitely or let them go to waste in my basement. Contact me next week if you’d like to share some of our seeds.

I’ve already planted chamomile and it’s already sprouted. Here’s what else we have:

• Peas: Oregon Sugar Pod II, Green Arrow dwarf shelling pea heirloom, Wando shelling pea heirloom, Snap Pea Cascadia
• Broccoli: Di Cicco heirloom
• Cauliflower: Chef’s Choice Blend heirloom,
• Onion: Ringmaster, Flat of Italy heirloom (red),
• Beet: Gourmet Blend, Early Wonder heirloom,
• Parsnip: all American heirloom,
• Kohlrabi: purple & white Vienna blend
• Lettuce/Greens: Nero Toscana Kale heirloom, Gef’s Gourmet Spicy Mix lettuce, mustard heirloom greens, arugula roquette heirloom, Big Seeded mache corn salad heirloom, Red Giant mustard, Bright Lights Swiss Chard, Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard heirloom, Olesh Tres Fine Endive, Palla Rossa Shalim Radicchio, Asian Salad Mix Mesclun, Lolla Rossa lettuce heirloom, Tom Thumb lettuce butterhead heirloom, Little Gem Romaine lettuce heirloom, Rouge d’Hiver romaine lettuce heirloom (red), Broadleaf Batavian Escarole heirloom, Oak Leaf Blend lettuce heirloom, Red Sails lettuce, Great Lakes lettuce heirloom, Farmer’s Market mesclun blend, Gourmet baby greens mesclun mix heirloom, Salad Bowl blend heirloom lettuce, Black Seeded Simpson lettuce,
• Cabbage: Copenhage Market heirloom, Wong Bok Chinese cabbage heirloom,
• Bok Choy: White Stem heirloom, Rosette heirloom,
• Turnip: Purple Top White Globe heirloom,
• BEANS, BEANS AND MORE BEANS: White Dixie Butter baby lima heirloom, Windsor broad fava heirloom, Scarlet Emperor pole heirloom, Liana Yard Long pole, Romano pole heirloom, Blue Lake pole, Contender bush heirloom (my most reliable), Royal Burgundy heirloom (i.e., purple beans), Pencil Pod bush heirloom (yellow), Kentucky Wonder pole heirloom, Buttterbean (edamame/soybean), Purple Queen heirloom, Tavera bush, Blue Lake 274 bush,
• Pumpkins: Big Max, Jack O’Lantern, Howden, Moon & Stars Heirloom, Sugar Pie Heirloom,
• Melon: Mickylee watermelon, Melon charentais heirloom
• Peppers: Cayenne Blend heirloom, Yolo Wonder heirloom, Early Jalapeno heirloom, Ancho/Poblano heirloom, Canary Bell, California Wonder heirloom, purple beauty,
• Tomatoes: Celebrity, Silvery Fir Tree heirloom, San Marzano heirloom, Jelly bean red & yellow, Italian Roma heirloom, Gardener’s Delight heirloom, Rainbow blend, yellow pear, Cherry heirloom, Speckled roman heirloom, Sun Gold, Brandywine heirloom, Black Krim (Russian heirloom), Aunt Ruby’s German Green heirloom,
• Corn: Spring Treat (hybrid), Delectible (hybrid), (white) Agent (hybrid), Bodacious (hybrid)
• Carrots: Carnival blend, little finger heirloom, purple haze, scarlet nantes heirloom, Tonda di Parigi heirloom, Royal Chantenay heirloom,
• Cucumber: Japanese Soyu Burpless heirloom, Armenian burpless, Spacemaster
• Eggplant: Black beauty heirloom, Long purple – Japanese/Chinese
• Squash: Vegetable Spaghetti heirloom, summer cocozelle heirloom, Early Yellow Crookneck heirloom, Early Prolific Straightneck heirloom, Burgess Buttercup heirloom, Dlicata Honey Boat winter squash, Waltham Butternut heirloom,
• Herbs: Florence Finocchio Fennel heirloom, Common English Thyme heirloom, Rosemary heirloom, Broadleaf Garden Sage heirloom, Bouquet Dill heirloom, German Chamomile heirloom, Spearmint, Common Chives, and several varieties of basil (including Genovese Italian, Dolce Vita Blend, Purple Petra, Italian Large Leaf & Napoletano).

Flowers. And that’s just the edibles. Then there’s an equal amount of flowers, including sweet peas, zinnias, morning glories (which you must plant far, far away from the SACG, daisies, candytuft, nicotina, cardinal climber, cosmos, penstemon, lupines, poppies, coleus, forget-me-nots, hyacinth bean, nasturtium, black-eyed susan vine, butterf]y flower, celosia, jupiter’s beard, statice, columbine, moon flower, snapdragon, lobelia, hollyhock, four o’clock, vebascum mullein, Chinese lantern, money plant, and more!

Miscellaneous: Corsican hard-shelled gourd, Broom Corn heirloom (for those of you wanting to make your own brooms from scratch), Cat Grass, Liquid Sunshine Wheatgrass heirloom, Goblin Eggs ornamental gourds, ornamental eggplant, etc.

SACG Hero of the Day

Every community garden is a little different from the other, but one thing binds us all together: the need to till the soil for the gardeners. There's not a lot you can do about the slope of the land, the shade caused by trees and neighboring buildings, rain or clouds, but every garden manager has to get their garden tilled each Spring. Anyone who has met me knows that I'm not big enough to till the SACG (or any other garden, for that matter). Lucky for me, I'm pathetic enough to pity.

Last year, Bill G from Canal Winchester drove to the SACG four times: First, to meet me and examine the garden; second to spray weed killer; third to till it so that we could remove the construction debris and finally to till in the compost which we spread over the Garden a year ago this upcoming weekend. He refused to tell me when he was coming, so there are no pictures; only urban legends.

This year, I was timid about asking Bill for such a big favor again. When Ms. Anthony heard that, she reached out to a quality guy she knew tilled his own large garden and he readily agreed to till the SACG for us. We had planned on last Thursday, but Elder Theodore came on Tuesday and then it rained on Thursday. So, we finally met yesterday and the sun shined on us. We picked up the rear-tined rototiller – which was loaned to us for free by Rebuilding Together's Tool Library at the corner of Fourth and Morris – just north of Bexley and just off Cassady Avenue. When I explained that I hoped that he would be done by 2:30 so that I could be on time for my meeting at the UWCO, Theodore pulled my leg and told me that he thought it would take him longer than that. I expressed surprise because, I told him, Bill did it in about two hours – even with all of that construction debris. The challenge laid down, Theodore likewise tilled our entire garden in about two hours. In addition, he cleaned up the tiller to sparkling condition so that when I returned it, the Tool Library employees extended their compliments and appreciation for a job well done.

We wouldn't be ready for planting today if it weren't for Theodore P, so he is the SACG Hero of the Day. He took the day off work from his home remodeling business to help us even though he is not gardening with us. Say hello if you see him around. We talked about what he likes to plant and he seemed fond of his butter beans and green tomatoes.

Luckily, there wasn't as much construction debris this year (since anyone who has seen our makeshift "curb" along Cherry Street can witness a lot of what we have dug out of the garden – and there's more underneath the rain barrels). However, there were still some bricks which floated to the surface during the tilling process. The kids next door thought it would be fun to tip toe through the garden and retrieved some of the bricks and stones for us. Some of these bricks and rocks are stacked near Betty's plot (in case you're curious what that stack is about). I would recommend that gardeners take advantage of the loose soil to remove the other obvious debris sticking up before the ground hardens again and you have to use a shovel.

SACG Hero of the Day

Every community garden is a little different from the other, but one thing binds us all together: the need to till the soil for the gardeners. There's not a lot you can do about the slope of the land, the shade caused by trees and neighboring buildings, rain or clouds, but every garden manager has to get their garden tilled each Spring. Anyone who has met me knows that I'm not big enough to till the SACG (or any other garden, for that matter). Lucky for me, I'm pathetic enough to pity.

Last year, Bill G from Canal Winchester drove to the SACG four times: First, to meet me and examine the garden; second to spray weed killer; third to till it so that we could remove the construction debris and finally to till in the compost which we spread over the Garden a year ago this upcoming weekend. He refused to tell me when he was coming, so there are no pictures; only urban legends.

This year, I was timid about asking Bill for such a big favor again. When Ms. Anthony heard that, she reached out to a quality guy she knew tilled his own large garden and he readily agreed to till the SACG for us. We had planned on last Thursday, but Elder Theodore came on Tuesday and then it rained on Thursday. So, we finally met yesterday and the sun shined on us. We picked up the rear-tined rototiller – which was loaned to us for free by Rebuilding Together's Tool Library at the corner of Fourth and Morris – just north of Bexley and just off Cassady Avenue. When I explained that I hoped that he would be done by 2:30 so that I could be on time for my meeting at the UWCO, Theodore pulled my leg and told me that he thought it would take him longer than that. I expressed surprise because, I told him, Bill did it in about two hours – even with all of that construction debris. The challenge laid down, Theodore likewise tilled our entire garden in about two hours. In addition, he cleaned up the tiller to sparkling condition so that when I returned it, the Tool Library employees extended their compliments and appreciation for a job well done.

We wouldn't be ready for planting today if it weren't for Theodore P, so he is the SACG Hero of the Day. He took the day off work from his home remodeling business to help us even though he is not gardening with us. Say hello if you see him around. We talked about what he likes to plant and he seemed fond of his butter beans and green tomatoes.

Luckily, there wasn't as much construction debris this year (since anyone who has seen our makeshift "curb" along Cherry Street can witness a lot of what we have dug out of the garden – and there's more underneath the rain barrels). However, there were still some bricks which floated to the surface during the tilling process. The kids next door thought it would be fun to tip toe through the garden and retrieved some of the bricks and stones for us. Some of these bricks and rocks are stacked near Betty's plot (in case you're curious what that stack is about). I would recommend that gardeners take advantage of the loose soil to remove the other obvious debris sticking up before the ground hardens again and you have to use a shovel.

SACG Opening: Many Hands Make Light Work

Saturday was our BIG workday at the SACG and I'm still sore. I can't believe how much we got done and how blessed we were with the beautiful weather. Of course, our work yesterday did not begin yesterday.

Wright's Tree Service earlier in the week delivered two truckloads of chipped wood for us to spread along the paths and the outside of the fence line. On Friday, I picked up groceries for our lunch and refreshments, baked brownies and brewed iced tea. I then picked up the pick-up truck which BTBO loaned us to pick up supplies and drove it to Sutherland's to pick up 50 bags of top soil and back again to pick up 100 landscaping stones (after they agreed to match the price offered by Home Depot). As I was unloading the topsoil bags, some neighborhood fellows stopped by, took pity on me and finished the job – even neatly stacking all of the bags. They said they would come back to help me unload the stones when I came back, but thought better of it when they saw how many there were;) Only Kevin came and helped me unload and stack the stones. That was a giant help. But the highlight of my day was coming home and finding a package from Louisville's Bunton Seeds in my mailbox addressed to the SACG Garden Manager. Inside, was a note from my friend Mary wishing us good luck on Saturday and enclosing a package of Taylor Dwarf shelley bean seeds which I've wanted so desperately, pink half runner (aka red peanut) beans, and arugula seeds).

The next morning, Mike and I loaded the truck and drove it over the SACG and later, Barb & Frank picked up extra wheelbarrows, shovels and garden rakes from Rebuilding Together's Tool Library just north of Bexley. As we began to unload the truck and then pick up the litter which had accumulated on the lot since November, we were pleasantly surprised to be joined by the Mike W, President of The Cougar Group, and Kathy W, who is handling their PR. The Cougar Group is hosting a fundraiser for the SACG as part of the grand opening of its new headquarters at the end of April. We are extremely excited, but more on that later. If you show up at the SACG, I'll put you to work. All in all, fifteen adults and around 10 youths came to help us get the SACG ready for the 2010 growing season.

This is what we accomplished:

• We filled at least three garbage bags of litter, etc. with the help of the two Mikes, Beth, Betty, Mari & Betty.
  
• Mike and I hooked up the rain barrels, but are holding off on our rain dance until after the garden is tilled on Monday. (This is despite my ditziness because I had forgotten to pack the downspouts, hoses and baskets for the barrels and had to run back home to get them and my reel mower). I had hooked up one barrel last week (so that we would be able to water in our new rose and blueberry bushes), but I failed to notice that the faucet was on and all of the Thursday's rain flowed out of the spicket. Dinonte and his cousin then worked on converting the bricks from my failed pumpkin turrets into a new platform for one of our new rain barrels (once it's been built). This involved filling a wheelbarrow with the bricks and pushing them up the hill and then stacking them.
  
• We were able to spread mulch along the paths by 11:10. Rayna and Betty spread it while Martha (our new neighbor on Morrison), her several grandchildren, Frank, Barb, & Mike filled the wheelbarrows with mulch. We didn't have enough shovels for the kids (many of whom were shorter than our shovels). I also seemed to have run out of kid-sized work gloves, but they were good sports made do with adult gloves and filled the wheelbarrows with their hands.
  
• We planted four rose bushes and five blueberry bushes and five black raspberry bushes. Mike W and Beth worked on digging holes for our four new rose bushes by the front and back gates and then Mike W dug several more holes along the north fence for our new blueberry bushes (which were donated by Oakland Nursery and I picked up on Thursday). Mike W and Beth also planted the rose bushes and Quiante brought us water from her house so that we could water them in. Rayna then took charge of the Cherry Street side of the garden and marshaled the considerable number of children to help her. They picked up the fallen turrets and moved the stones down to our make-shift curb. Because the Cherry Street side of the garden is pretty much solid brick and concrete below the two inches of top soil, Dwain and Rayna took the landscaping stones and built raised beds for the blueberry bushes. She then filled them with compost (from our own compost bins, top soil and lots and lots of peat moss (some of which was donated by Oakland Nursery for just that purpose). They're very pretty and a vast improvement over the pumpkin turrets. Beth and Dwain worked on stabilizing the fences with sturdier metal stakes.
  
• Mike and Jeannie then built two raised beds behind BTBO out of cedar boards (which I picked up and had cut down at Lowe's on Friday) for BTBO's Moms on the Move program and then carried up 40 bags of top soil to fill them.
  
• Frank and Barb picked up and reinstalled our front and back gates as well as the signs.
  
• We secured the benches and put arm rests down the middle of the benches. I started to let the kids help me saw down some boards with my handsaw to use as arm rests, but Frank pointed out that he could do it in minutes with his power saw at home. Although the kids were disappointed that I didn't let them finish, I'm all about saving effort. Then, Frank and Mike screwed the arm rests to the benches. Frank and Barb used their own post hole diggers to dig holes to bury some the bench anchors and then Frank and Mike screwed the bench to the anchors (after going home again to pick up washers since my screw initially fell through the bench holes).
  
• We moved the northern two compost bins to the south side of the garden. I took one apart and stacked the lumber. Eric, Mike and Lawrence took apart the other bin and carried the wood pallets to the south side of the garden and held it while I screwed it back together. Lawrence and I then used wheelbarrows to transport the partially-decomposed compost to its new location. We had about 1 cubic yard of compost created from our first compost bin. Pity Eric. He volunteers with Urban Connections, stopped by to take Dionte and Keayante to the arts festival at Upper Arlington High School and I put him to work while he waited for them to finish their gardening tasks and clean their rooms.
  
• Betty, Dinote and his cousin began planting spring vegetables (particularly cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower seedlings) which had been donated by Oakland Nursery in our community plot on Cherry Street. Dwain said that he would finish planting the rest this week.
  
• We mowed the grass. Keyante started to do it with my reel mower (which is challenge on any day when grass is that high, but even more so when the mower is turned backwards). Then Lawrence gave it a try, without much better success since the blades were not correctly calibrated and it hasn't been sharpened in five years. Dwain then borrowed a power mower and gave us a nice, even cut.
  
• Rayna found at least five new raspberry volunteer bushes which she and I transplanted them along the south fence.
  
• Jeannie, Mari & Lawrence spread mulch along the fence. Jeannie did this by herself last year (without the benefit of a wheelbarrow) and really took charge to make sure that it was thick enough.
  
• Rayna helped me feed the kids, who were more interested in the broccoli tray and bananas than the oreo cookies. However, my brownies were gone by lunch.
  
• Barb planted some coneflower seedlings in the front flower bed.
  
• We picked through the thousands of Botanical Interests 2009 seed packets which were donated to us via Linda (from my church Knitwits group) as well as seeds we received from Seeds of Change. More on this later.
  
• Mike & I reloaded the truck around 3 p.m. and unloaded it at my house.

• I returned the BTBO truck and harvested a four-foot row of spinach (which was in my plot, grew from seeds I planted last August and survived over the winter). Rayna had at least as much in her plot and planned to harvest hers today because, if the weather holds, the garden will be tilled on Monday.
  
• I collapsed and made myself many cocktails before attacking the dandelions in my own yard. Then I posted the pictures from yesterday and watched my weekly Legend of the Seeker. I was in bed at 8 and amazed that anyone would call me at 10:30 p.m. (It was Mary wanting to know if we got anything done besides making lunch for the kids).
  

FOUND: One black ladies jacket was left on the BTBO truck. Email me if it is yours. I'll bring it with me to the SACG on Saturday.

Funding for our new roses, the stones for the raised blueberry bush beds, top soil and lunch came from the Scotts Miracle-Gro Fund at The Columbus Foundation.

Maxcine called today about gardening with us again this year. She had moved and I didn't know how to reach her.

We have a wait list of gardeners who want to garden with us in 2010 because most of last year's gardeners will be gardening with us again this year. Barring a pouring rain, we'll be building raised beds to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday from 10-2, transplanting strawberries (again, donated by Oakland Nursery) and planting flowers. Green Columbus gave us goodies to distribute to our volunteers. Because Martha was the only new gardener to help out on Saturday, the remaining 3-4 plots will be assigned based on who helps on Saturday, April 17, 2010.

While this is great work and all for a good cause, I was not the hero in my family this week. My sister -- the nurse -- flew to Haiti Friday night to volunteer at a medical mission for a week.

SACG Opening: Many Hands Make Light Work

Saturday was our BIG workday at the SACG and I'm still sore. I can't believe how much we got done and how blessed we were with the beautiful weather. Of course, our work yesterday did not begin yesterday.

Wright's Tree Service earlier in the week delivered two truckloads of chipped wood for us to spread along the paths and the outside of the fence line. On Friday, I picked up groceries for our lunch and refreshments, baked brownies and brewed iced tea. I then picked up the pick-up truck which BTBO loaned us to pick up supplies and drove it to Sutherland's to pick up 50 bags of top soil and back again to pick up 100 landscaping stones (after they agreed to match the price offered by Home Depot). As I was unloading the topsoil bags, some neighborhood fellows stopped by, took pity on me and finished the job – even neatly stacking all of the bags. They said they would come back to help me unload the stones when I came back, but thought better of it when they saw how many there were;) Only Kevin came and helped me unload and stack the stones. That was a giant help. But the highlight of my day was coming home and finding a package from Louisville's Bunton Seeds in my mailbox addressed to the SACG Garden Manager. Inside, was a note from my friend Mary wishing us good luck on Saturday and enclosing a package of Taylor Dwarf shelley bean seeds which I've wanted so desperately, pink half runner (aka red peanut) beans, and arugula seeds).

The next morning, Mike and I loaded the truck and drove it over the SACG and later, Barb & Frank picked up extra wheelbarrows, shovels and garden rakes from Rebuilding Together's Tool Library just north of Bexley. As we began to unload the truck and then pick up the litter which had accumulated on the lot since November, we were pleasantly surprised to be joined by the Mike W, President of The Cougar Group, and Kathy W, who is handling their PR. The Cougar Group is hosting a fundraiser for the SACG as part of the grand opening of its new headquarters at the end of April. We are extremely excited, but more on that later. If you show up at the SACG, I'll put you to work. All in all, fifteen adults and around 10 youths came to help us get the SACG ready for the 2010 growing season.

This is what we accomplished:

• We filled at least three garbage bags of litter, etc. with the help of the two Mikes, Beth, Betty, Mari & Betty.
  
• Mike and I hooked up the rain barrels, but are holding off on our rain dance until after the garden is tilled on Monday. (This is despite my ditziness because I had forgotten to pack the downspouts, hoses and baskets for the barrels and had to run back home to get them and my reel mower). I had hooked up one barrel last week (so that we would be able to water in our new rose and blueberry bushes), but I failed to notice that the faucet was on and all of the Thursday's rain flowed out of the spicket. Dinonte and his cousin then worked on converting the bricks from my failed pumpkin turrets into a new platform for one of our new rain barrels (once it's been built). This involved filling a wheelbarrow with the bricks and pushing them up the hill and then stacking them.
  
• We were able to spread mulch along the paths by 11:10. Rayna and Betty spread it while Martha (our new neighbor on Morrison), her several grandchildren, Frank, Barb, & Mike filled the wheelbarrows with mulch. We didn't have enough shovels for the kids (many of whom were shorter than our shovels). I also seemed to have run out of kid-sized work gloves, but they were good sports made do with adult gloves and filled the wheelbarrows with their hands.
  
• We planted four rose bushes and five blueberry bushes and five black raspberry bushes. Mike W and Beth worked on digging holes for our four new rose bushes by the front and back gates and then Mike W dug several more holes along the north fence for our new blueberry bushes (which were donated by Oakland Nursery and I picked up on Thursday). Mike W and Beth also planted the rose bushes and Quiante brought us water from her house so that we could water them in. Rayna then took charge of the Cherry Street side of the garden and marshaled the considerable number of children to help her. They picked up the fallen turrets and moved the stones down to our make-shift curb. Because the Cherry Street side of the garden is pretty much solid brick and concrete below the two inches of top soil, Dwain and Rayna took the landscaping stones and built raised beds for the blueberry bushes. She then filled them with compost (from our own compost bins, top soil and lots and lots of peat moss (some of which was donated by Oakland Nursery for just that purpose). They're very pretty and a vast improvement over the pumpkin turrets. Beth and Dwain worked on stabilizing the fences with sturdier metal stakes.
  
• Mike and Jeannie then built two raised beds behind BTBO out of cedar boards (which I picked up and had cut down at Lowe's on Friday) for BTBO's Moms on the Move program and then carried up 40 bags of top soil to fill them.
  
• Frank and Barb picked up and reinstalled our front and back gates as well as the signs.
  
• We secured the benches and put arm rests down the middle of the benches. I started to let the kids help me saw down some boards with my handsaw to use as arm rests, but Frank pointed out that he could do it in minutes with his power saw at home. Although the kids were disappointed that I didn't let them finish, I'm all about saving effort. Then, Frank and Mike screwed the arm rests to the benches. Frank and Barb used their own post hole diggers to dig holes to bury some the bench anchors and then Frank and Mike screwed the bench to the anchors (after going home again to pick up washers since my screw initially fell through the bench holes).
  
• We moved the northern two compost bins to the south side of the garden. I took one apart and stacked the lumber. Eric, Mike and Lawrence took apart the other bin and carried the wood pallets to the south side of the garden and held it while I screwed it back together. Lawrence and I then used wheelbarrows to transport the partially-decomposed compost to its new location. We had about 1 cubic yard of compost created from our first compost bin. Pity Eric. He volunteers with Urban Connections, stopped by to take Dionte and Keayante to the arts festival at Upper Arlington High School and I put him to work while he waited for them to finish their gardening tasks and clean their rooms.
  
• Betty, Dinote and his cousin began planting spring vegetables (particularly cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower seedlings) which had been donated by Oakland Nursery in our community plot on Cherry Street. Dwain said that he would finish planting the rest this week.
  
• We mowed the grass. Keyante started to do it with my reel mower (which is challenge on any day when grass is that high, but even more so when the mower is turned backwards). Then Lawrence gave it a try, without much better success since the blades were not correctly calibrated and it hasn't been sharpened in five years. Dwain then borrowed a power mower and gave us a nice, even cut.
  
• Rayna found at least five new raspberry volunteer bushes which she and I transplanted them along the south fence.
  
• Jeannie, Mari & Lawrence spread mulch along the fence. Jeannie did this by herself last year (without the benefit of a wheelbarrow) and really took charge to make sure that it was thick enough.
  
• Rayna helped me feed the kids, who were more interested in the broccoli tray and bananas than the oreo cookies. However, my brownies were gone by lunch.
  
• Barb planted some coneflower seedlings in the front flower bed.
  
• We picked through the thousands of Botanical Interests 2009 seed packets which were donated to us via Linda (from my church Knitwits group) as well as seeds we received from Seeds of Change. More on this later.
  
• Mike & I reloaded the truck around 3 p.m. and unloaded it at my house.

• I returned the BTBO truck and harvested a four-foot row of spinach (which was in my plot, grew from seeds I planted last August and survived over the winter). Rayna had at least as much in her plot and planned to harvest hers today because, if the weather holds, the garden will be tilled on Monday.
  
• I collapsed and made myself many cocktails before attacking the dandelions in my own yard. Then I posted the pictures from yesterday and watched my weekly Legend of the Seeker. I was in bed at 8 and amazed that anyone would call me at 10:30 p.m. (It was Mary wanting to know if we got anything done besides making lunch for the kids).
  

FOUND: One black ladies jacket was left on the BTBO truck. Email me if it is yours. I'll bring it with me to the SACG on Saturday.

Funding for our new roses, the stones for the raised blueberry bush beds, top soil and lunch came from the Scotts Miracle-Gro Fund at The Columbus Foundation.

Maxcine called today about gardening with us again this year. She had moved and I didn't know how to reach her.

We have a wait list of gardeners who want to garden with us in 2010 because most of last year's gardeners will be gardening with us again this year. Barring a pouring rain, we'll be building raised beds to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday from 10-2, transplanting strawberries (again, donated by Oakland Nursery) and planting flowers. Green Columbus gave us goodies to distribute to our volunteers. Because Martha was the only new gardener to help out on Saturday, the remaining 3-4 plots will be assigned based on who helps on Saturday, April 17, 2010.

While this is great work and all for a good cause, I was not the hero in my family this week. My sister -- the nurse -- flew to Haiti Friday night to volunteer at a medical mission for a week.

SACG 2010 Opening Day: Story to Follow

SACG 2010 Opening Day: Story to Follow

SACG is Making Preparations for Spring Planting and Earth Day

With only a little more than a week to go before we break ground for the 2010 planting seasons, the SACG is making preparations for our anticipated ground-breaking next Saturday, April 10, 2010. However, we still have open plots available for gardeners and will need lots of volunteers to get the work done. We plan to start at 10 a.m. Refreshments and lunch will be served.

This is what we have accomplished so far:

• I have reserved 2 wheelbarrows, 2 garden rakes and 2 shovels for the weekend of April 10 from Rebuilding Together's Tool Library (at the corner of East Fourth and Morris) just north of Bexley. Frank and Barb have agreed to pick up the items. Like last year, I will have gloves available for volunteers (and I even washed them over the winter). Gardeners should still bring their own rakes and shovles, etc.
  
• I have reserved a rear-tined rototiller for Wednesday April 8 and Ms. Anthony from BTBO has arranged for Elder Theodore Picken to till the garden for us. Mr. Picken and I will pick up the rototiller from the Tool Library around 10 a.m. and return it by 3 p.m. the same day. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate (because it is currently forecasted to rain). I'll rake away some of the mulch from the island part of the garden in order to widen the growing space and decrease the width of the path by approximately 1 foot on each side. [Editor's Note: Because of the forecasted rain, we've postponed the tilling until Monday, Apri 12.]
  
• Bryan Wright from Wright's Tree Service has again agreed to donate two truckloads of wood chips (which we can spread on the paths and around the perimeter of the fence). They will be delivered before April 10.
  
• Seeds of Change (from New Mexico) sent us 100 free organic seed packets, including Peppers (Purira Chile, Corno de Toro sweet pepper, Paprika alma pepper, Habanero chile heirloom, Fresno Chile, Relleno Chile), Tomatoes (Santiam, Brandywine heirloom, Roma, Wisconsin 55, Garden Peach heirloom, Peron Sprayless, Double rich, Silvery Fir Tree heirloom, and Matina), Lettuce/Greens (Little Gem Lettuce, Barcarole lettuce, Red Giant Mustard Greens, True Siberian Kale, China Choy Chinese Cabbage, Early Palla Rossa Radicchio, Wild Garden Chicory, Gourmet Salad Mix, Large Leaf Purslane, Sucrine Lettuce, Cosmo Savoy Lettuce, Red Ursa Kale Rare, Nutri-Bud Broccoli, Green Deer tongue Lettuce, Ruben's Red Romaine lettuce, Persian Garden cress), Cucumbers (Armenian heirloom, sweet marketmore), Carrots, Imperial Black Beauty Eggplant heirloom, Detroit Dark Red Beet heirloom, Red Stalk Celery, Watermelon (malali, Crimson sweet, golden honey), Small sugar pumpkin heirloom, gold nugget squash, Herbs (Bronze fennel, genovese sweet basil, perfection fennel, pacific beauty calendula medicinal, sweet majoram heirloom, valerian rare heirloom/medicinal, american skullcap medicinal, hyssop heirloom/medicinal, lemon catnip medicinal, Borage medicinal, lime basil), Hooker's Sweet Corn heirloom, and Flowers (Rocky Mountain Penstemon, Sky Pink campion, Nigella (Love in a Mist), Galilee Blue Double Larkspur, Orange Zinger Calendula, Moonlight Marigold, Shungiku edible chrysanthemum, African Marigold, Purple Queen Cleome, Deep Orange Safflower, Maximillan Sunflower, Discovery Mix Sunflowers, Feverfew heirloom/medicinal, Butterfly weed). We still paid the $15 shipping cost. We also still have some seed packets leftover from last year.
  
• Oakland Nursery is giving us a few blueberry bushes (to plant along the north fence so the kids can scavenge them along with the strawberries and the raspberries along the south fence) as well as seedlings.
  
• Trudeau's Fence is giving us more cedar lumber to cut down for tomato stakes.
• I painted the back of our front sign so that it would better withstand the elements.

We do not have as much work to do this year as we did last year (since there will not be as much construction debris to remove and we already spread our compost last Fall). The primary goals for Saturday, April 10, 2010 is to accomplish the following:

• Transport our supplies back to the SACG from Mitch's basement and my garage;
  
• Spread mulch on the path and around the fence;
  
• Pick up the significant amount of litter which has accumulated since November;
  
• Put the gates back up;
  
• Plant four rose bushes and blueberry bushes;
  
• Hook up the rain barrels;
  
• Stabilize and support the fence;
  
• Secure the benches;
  
• Weed the flower bed;
  
• Mark the plots;
  
• Plant spring crops in the Neighborhood Plot;
  
• Start the raised beds along Cherry Street as well as building two raised beds from cedar boards behind BTBO; and
  
• Move the compost bins to the south side of the Garden.
  

  We'll stop when we get tired or 4 p.m., whichever comes first. A few of us got pretty sun-burned last year, so remember to wear and bring extra sun-block and a hat.

The City of Columbus is also organizing Earth Day festivities for the weekend of April 17 and the SACG will be participating. Kurtz Brothers has donated a truckload of top soil and a truckload of compost to be shared by the community gardens which participate. (We can use both to build the new raised beds along Cherry Street and for the raised beds we're building for BTBO's Moms on the Move Program and its group homes). Anyone interested in helping Rayna and me celebrate Earth Day at the SACG on Saturday, April 17, 2010 can come and help us to do the following between 10 a.m. and 2: p.m.:

• Plant flowers;
  
• Build raised garden beds along Cherry Street;
  
• Transplant strawberries to one of the new raised garden beds; and
  
• Finish whatever was left undone from April 10.
  

Refreshments will be provided. More details about the City's celebration of Earth Day and how you can volunteer are available at http://update2010.org/worksites/. The Franklin Park Neighbors Association is also participating and has organized a group litter pick-up to begin at 8 a.m. on April 17 only one block from the SACG -- at the corner of East Main Street and Fairwood Avenue.

SACG is Making Preparations for Spring Planting and Earth Day

With only a little more than a week to go before we break ground for the 2010 planting seasons, the SACG is making preparations for our anticipated ground-breaking next Saturday, April 10, 2010. However, we still have open plots available for gardeners and will need lots of volunteers to get the work done. We plan to start at 10 a.m. Refreshments and lunch will be served.

This is what we have accomplished so far:

• I have reserved 2 wheelbarrows, 2 garden rakes and 2 shovels for the weekend of April 10 from Rebuilding Together's Tool Library (at the corner of East Fourth and Morris) just north of Bexley. Frank and Barb have agreed to pick up the items. Like last year, I will have gloves available for volunteers (and I even washed them over the winter). Gardeners should still bring their own rakes and shovles, etc.
  
• I have reserved a rear-tined rototiller for Wednesday April 8 and Ms. Anthony from BTBO has arranged for Elder Theodore Picken to till the garden for us. Mr. Picken and I will pick up the rototiller from the Tool Library around 10 a.m. and return it by 3 p.m. the same day. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate (because it is currently forecasted to rain). I'll rake away some of the mulch from the island part of the garden in order to widen the growing space and decrease the width of the path by approximately 1 foot on each side. [Editor's Note: Because of the forecasted rain, we've postponed the tilling until Monday, Apri 12.]
  
• Bryan Wright from Wright's Tree Service has again agreed to donate two truckloads of wood chips (which we can spread on the paths and around the perimeter of the fence). They will be delivered before April 10.
  
• Seeds of Change (from New Mexico) sent us 100 free organic seed packets, including Peppers (Purira Chile, Corno de Toro sweet pepper, Paprika alma pepper, Habanero chile heirloom, Fresno Chile, Relleno Chile), Tomatoes (Santiam, Brandywine heirloom, Roma, Wisconsin 55, Garden Peach heirloom, Peron Sprayless, Double rich, Silvery Fir Tree heirloom, and Matina), Lettuce/Greens (Little Gem Lettuce, Barcarole lettuce, Red Giant Mustard Greens, True Siberian Kale, China Choy Chinese Cabbage, Early Palla Rossa Radicchio, Wild Garden Chicory, Gourmet Salad Mix, Large Leaf Purslane, Sucrine Lettuce, Cosmo Savoy Lettuce, Red Ursa Kale Rare, Nutri-Bud Broccoli, Green Deer tongue Lettuce, Ruben's Red Romaine lettuce, Persian Garden cress), Cucumbers (Armenian heirloom, sweet marketmore), Carrots, Imperial Black Beauty Eggplant heirloom, Detroit Dark Red Beet heirloom, Red Stalk Celery, Watermelon (malali, Crimson sweet, golden honey), Small sugar pumpkin heirloom, gold nugget squash, Herbs (Bronze fennel, genovese sweet basil, perfection fennel, pacific beauty calendula medicinal, sweet majoram heirloom, valerian rare heirloom/medicinal, american skullcap medicinal, hyssop heirloom/medicinal, lemon catnip medicinal, Borage medicinal, lime basil), Hooker's Sweet Corn heirloom, and Flowers (Rocky Mountain Penstemon, Sky Pink campion, Nigella (Love in a Mist), Galilee Blue Double Larkspur, Orange Zinger Calendula, Moonlight Marigold, Shungiku edible chrysanthemum, African Marigold, Purple Queen Cleome, Deep Orange Safflower, Maximillan Sunflower, Discovery Mix Sunflowers, Feverfew heirloom/medicinal, Butterfly weed). We still paid the $15 shipping cost. We also still have some seed packets leftover from last year.
  
• Oakland Nursery is giving us a few blueberry bushes (to plant along the north fence so the kids can scavenge them along with the strawberries and the raspberries along the south fence) as well as seedlings.
  
• Trudeau's Fence is giving us more cedar lumber to cut down for tomato stakes.
• I painted the back of our front sign so that it would better withstand the elements.

We do not have as much work to do this year as we did last year (since there will not be as much construction debris to remove and we already spread our compost last Fall). The primary goals for Saturday, April 10, 2010 is to accomplish the following:

• Transport our supplies back to the SACG from Mitch's basement and my garage;
  
• Spread mulch on the path and around the fence;
  
• Pick up the significant amount of litter which has accumulated since November;
  
• Put the gates back up;
  
• Plant four rose bushes and blueberry bushes;
  
• Hook up the rain barrels;
  
• Stabilize and support the fence;
  
• Secure the benches;
  
• Weed the flower bed;
  
• Mark the plots;
  
• Plant spring crops in the Neighborhood Plot;
  
• Start the raised beds along Cherry Street as well as building two raised beds from cedar boards behind BTBO; and
  
• Move the compost bins to the south side of the Garden.
  

  We'll stop when we get tired or 4 p.m., whichever comes first. A few of us got pretty sun-burned last year, so remember to wear and bring extra sun-block and a hat.

The City of Columbus is also organizing Earth Day festivities for the weekend of April 17 and the SACG will be participating. Kurtz Brothers has donated a truckload of top soil and a truckload of compost to be shared by the community gardens which participate. (We can use both to build the new raised beds along Cherry Street and for the raised beds we're building for BTBO's Moms on the Move Program and its group homes). Anyone interested in helping Rayna and me celebrate Earth Day at the SACG on Saturday, April 17, 2010 can come and help us to do the following between 10 a.m. and 2: p.m.:

• Plant flowers;
  
• Build raised garden beds along Cherry Street;
  
• Transplant strawberries to one of the new raised garden beds; and
  
• Finish whatever was left undone from April 10.
  

Refreshments will be provided. More details about the City's celebration of Earth Day and how you can volunteer are available at http://update2010.org/worksites/. The Franklin Park Neighbors Association is also participating and has organized a group litter pick-up to begin at 8 a.m. on April 17 only one block from the SACG -- at the corner of East Main Street and Fairwood Avenue.