The Plant Nation, Frederick Urban Growers

SIGN UP NOW FOR SPRING 2011

2010-10-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

NO Blogs all summer. I didn't have the time or energy to give to the garden share this year so I planted tomatoes and peppers in one big section and broadcast sunflower seeds and wildflower with zinnias in the large section. All was going well until late June when the rain stopped. Only had enough rain this year to fill rainbarrels once, for use in watering veggies. I vowed not to worry about watering the sunflowers.
Main concern is using resources for best return.
So the sunflowers hit 5 feet and stopped in July. Ragweed kept going. Now in Oct zinnias are happenin!
Next week, some serious weedwhacking and tilling out the sunflowers and weeds, raking.
Hauling will probably happen next spring, early, or November, depending on help to get it out of here.
LOOKING FOR PARTICIPANTS TO GROW FOOD FOR 2011. SIGN UP NOW.

PHOTOS OF CURRENT GARDEN

2009-06-21T16:34:00.000-07:00

LEMON MINT BY THE GALLON! LONGNECKS UNDERWAY, MOVE OVER!

Plum tomatoes will be ready in a week. Got a white bell pepper today. Nice size. Early.

HUNGRY!? I Need (and want) a person

to cut my grass

in exchange for free veggies.

It would help if they have their own

mower. I have two that are very contrary but will start with some cajoling.

THE PLANT NATION.... JUNE 19TH

WATER LILIES, MINT, LOTUS IN LE'POND.THIS IS SO COOL!

Miss Sophie, the Over-Seer of All Growing Things.She's SUPPOSED TO keep the Riff-Raff out of The Plant Nation, but groundhogs are just too shifty for her...

2009-06-20T09:55:00.001-07:00

JUNE 19TH FIRST TOMATO PROGRESS June 19th, Raining this morning. Humid and hot. Went out and worked in the drizzle. Kept it cool. Low breeze wisked the sweaty rain off my head. Soaking wet. Good feeling. Found the first tomato. Red treasure. Ate it right in the garden. Lots of small yellow ones. Thousands of blossoms.Ludmilla's potato plants draping on the ground, over walking path, all the way over to the black eyed peas. Voluptuous. Small, Pink flowers. Never knew they were so lovely.Gladden's radishes came and went. Excellent, hot, spicy, beautiful pink red the size of small golf balls, some split from so much moisture. Moving plant matter from soil to compost bin. Constant. Scattering second round of seed in front of longnecks, watermelon Put in parsleys, cilantro and first planting of dill. Basil, too. Self seeded from last year, used and gone to seed already in top side herb bed.Collards a foot tall. Cut and cooked first harvest. Bacon, apple cider vinegar, collards. Threw in some broccoli and cauliflower greens, too. Sharp taste. Fresh. Gave some to the tenants. Freshest food they have eaten in a long time they said. Looked out the window one afternoon this week and small ground hog all the way up in the side yard nibbling at the beginnings of my asters and bachelor buttons. Flew out the door like a banchee and chose my weapon: a steel rakem and spear chucked it at him...wild, crazy woman. Who saw this, who cares...Ground hogs in the city must be handled. He went running. Hit him on left haunch. I chased him around the yard for 10 minutes, ended up face to face, 8 feet apart, he behind the iron fence section I have stored over by the compost. I was worried. Rabies? Let out a yelp of intention, threw the rake against the iron fence and he disappeared. Have to get ground hog dog over here to terrorize the gh population. Honey the half shepherd, half Akita. Just goes for them, picks them up and shakes them by the back of the neck until gone to heaven. They don't have a chance. So says her mom, Sue Ellen. The Korean's next door host two huge pig ground hogs. Arrogant creatures. Make yum, yum on our crops. Not on my time, piggies.If I had known they like bachelor buttons and asters I woulda planted some just for them.Crab grass getting away with a lot this spring. Lots of planting bed, 45 FEET. Will go back out and attack it. Volumes of rain this summer. 5 rain barrels filled up twice, could have been filled a hundred times. Rain spout blew off in storm last week. All 25 feet of it. Need help to put it up. I have used pond and pump with hose to water garden twice. Turn pump on, hose on end, and water. Easy. Refill pond from rainbarrels. Hose from the last one, running slightly downhill into pond. Easy. One RB just for washing hands and feet, and filling up watering cans. Glad we did this. Very efficient. Wish I had more.

9:27:00 AM
by The Plant Nation Frederick Urban Grower's
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2009-05-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hi. Am picking up some donated aquatic plants and fish today, sunday may 3 and will have some to share. please email me. plantnation@gmail.com or laurie.zook@gmail.com.
got the squash, cantalope, white and small sugar pumpkins, black eyed peas, long necks, wildflowers and some herbs in the ground. now to mulch.

The Plant Nation of Frederick Urban Growers

2009-04-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

Check it out, we got a write up! The newly formed PLANT NATION, of the FREDERICK URBAN GROWERS, created from the dirt in my back yard, and sweat of a group of committed gardeners. http://www.gazette.net/stories/04212009/frednew71723_32483.shtml

Ludmilla, Gladden and Jennifer, 3 of the Urban Growers, got their planting mojo going last Saturday.

Gladden is planting from seeds, Jennifer and I from seedlings and Ludmilla, our eastern European planter, is growing mostly potatos, and some seedlings.

Every garden has it's own personality. All the little guys got their feet wet this week with good April showers! Today, it's too hot to work outside!

Altogether we'll have red ones, white ones, black ones, green ones, yellow and purple ones, orange ones and brown ones. Every color available in a veggie is at the PLANT NATION.

Striped ones, mini ones, monster ones, and good old normal ones, too, believe it or not. And lots of wildflowers for attracting hummingbirds and bees, and for cutting, too!

Curtis Starr, mechanical genius, earned his 'leaves' yesterday by installing the 300 gallon rainbarrel 'system' to the main downspout of the house. It will feed into the 250 gallon pond which will water the garden on a timer, as needed, according to rainfall. <

Chris Kohler and Leah Hall, each earned their leaves ( on both sets of shoulders) in late March, by contributing the rototiller and most of the labor to til the 45 x 25 foot garden. We have re-tilled it with Mantis' mini tillers right before planting, and they work great!

MizKitty, ultra cat, has been busy ridding the land of rabbits this week. Angel the shepherd likes to stay out of the entire mess and I have been doing my part overall, planning, plotting, hauling manure, shoveling, etc.

Yesterday, I created a new 'patio' of pea gravel and set up the Market Umbrella and chair. Gardener's need some shade and a place to drink an ice tea and watch their work take form.

Thank you Howard Spicer for the trailer and Kristo for the manure. And to Kate and Tony Constable for their contribution of $50 that came in handy to purchase some supplies.

Great veggies will be ready in July. Early tomatos in June.Up-side-down tomatos on the porch near the kitchen door. (Just used a plastic hanging pot and cut a hole in the bottom and secured the plant with coco fiber or even an old cotton rag to hold root ball in place.)

HEY WORLD! Always food on the table at The Plant Nation.

Plant Your Own!

Frederick Urban Growers

Plantnation.com