Garden Update!

um, our garden exploded!

Butternut squash took OVER!

Freshly planted spinach (and the ultra invasive grass I can't get rid of)

Butternut Squash

Up closer.

My carrots, being suffocated by the butternut squash.

Broccoli

Just starting to bud!

Yay! we eat a LOT of broccoli 

Cucumber finally taking off...

Cucumbers starting to bloom.

More broccoli, on the 2nd plot, planted later in the season.

Eggplant! just got a flower on these guys last week, hopefully some fruit to follow.

Our Shadows and the Zucchini, planted in the 2nd plot, doing WELL!

see for yourself below.

Little Zucchini.

Tomato plant NOT from seed.  Would be doing better if Lola didn't eat them off the vine :(

Corn.

It's got ears but they weren't ripe last time I pulled one off, lots of the kernels looked dehydrated (any advice?) 

Watermelon planted just a few weeks ago.

Sonja loves picking the veggies with me:

Some seriously large zucchini

Also, my midwife's assistant, Tracy, just posted this on facebook: sprout robot.  It's a website that tells you when to plant what, based on your location.  Isn't that awesome!

So, now you know, an ORGANIC garden can be easily maintained, even in the desert.  BEST part? no e coli recalls!

Happy Gardening!

Community Garden Update

My friend J.P. came over this Thursday to help with the garden.  He basically created a new plot, so I'm including him in the share.  I now have 5 shares total!  Husband and I take up 2 shares but it's still so exciting to work hard on something, grow something and then share it with everyone who was involved!  Here are the befores and afters.

Before(ish)

The "grass" that keeps taking over my yard.  

The roots are SO deep we have to dig them out...

Almost done...

New plot, with Cucumber mounds, watermelon, onion and spinach!

Happy Gardening!

Did you know...

You can upcycle green onions? After you cut up and use the green part the little bulb is still living and can be replanted to continue growing more green onions!  These are my replants after we used the original onions we bought at the farmers market.  I just saved them in a cup of water for a day or two until I had time to replant them.  I used a cracked bowl, that I had, so it would let the water drain slightly. I have these in our front yard with minimal shade and they are growing wonderfully, this is the second round of onions (or 3rd I guess). I used them once from this bowl for a cous cous recipe.  I just brought a knife out front and sliced them down and then they re-grew again!  Note to self: buy food scissors, because that would be so much easier.

Happy Upcycling and Green Onion Regrowing!

Garden update!

So, as many of my active followers know, I am really making an effort to grow all my own food, and have a well established community garden.  I've only had one other person contribute to our garden so if anyone in the Phoenix area is interested, all it takes it 2 bags of organic garden soil for one share.  Anyway, here is the progress so far:

Baby Broccoli (PLEASE, ignore that gross lawn chair)

Baby Broccoli again

Baby Butternut Squash

Baby Eggplant (seriously?! I NEED to take that thing to goodwill)

Baby Corn... although, my dad told me it wouldn't produce anything because I don't have enough of it :(

Baby Lettuce

More baby lettuce

I bought this plant at the farmers market last week

It just started producing fruit!

It's very well established in such a short time.

Yay for Tomatoes

The whole garden as is, right now. 

Going to weed whack this weekend...

My planted Mint from last fall still going strong

Organic Tomato in our front yard, in a pot.  

From last summer, thought it froze but I kept watering it anyway, now it's got a fruit!

Baby Spinach! 

I will have to transfer this seedling soon.

Babies Spinaches

Oregano, from an organic store bought plant, but it's 3x as big as it was from the store.

Organic Rosemary, store bought but doing great!

My little ceramic mushrooms I made

Organic Fenugreek (for healthy lactation!)

More mushrooms

Organic baby Cilantro from seeds

Mint from store bought plant, going to make soap with it :)

Mini garden gnome and sprouting Organic Parsley

Humming Bird Haven seed mix from Whole Foods, just starting to sprout

Well, that's all for my garden tour for now!  Happy Planting and Growing!

Community Garden

So, I've been thinking about this a lot lately.

I have a decent size back yard, that is more than half dirt.  I've prepped a small area for a garden (the image above) but need time, money, planter soil (our top soil isn't the best) and some community involvement to get the rest of the area going.  So, Phoenix friends (in real life or otherwise) I'm opening my back yard up to the opportunity of a community garden.

Right now I have what I'll consider 2 shares invested in the garden.
To invest in a share you will need to donate 3-5 ORGANIC seed packets, and 2 bags (or the cost) of Organic PLANTER soil (not to be confused with potter's soil) if you want more than 1 share you just multiply these requirements by the amount of shares you want.

I will cover the cost of water.
You can come pull weeds with me or not.
You can help pick fruits and veggies or not.
You can bring your compostable items and add them to my compost to help our future produce grow or not.

I will keep track of who invested what seeds and I will divide the produce accordingly based on contributed shares.

This is similar to community supported agriculture or CSA but I'm taking it one step further, as you will physically be welcomed to help maintain the garden (if I know you, or if you are referred by someone I know in real life).

I have 12 shares open as of 2/21/2011.  It is important that any and all friends interested email me here as soon as possible as the spring planting season is upon us.

I can not guarantee that we will get a lot of crops but if we do you will have the freshest, pesticide free, organic produce available to you.

Yay, for Community Gardening!