Friday, October 2, 2009
Throw Your Voice tomorrow!
I know I've been on hiatus this season, but I wanted to let my fellow Oklahoma bloggers know about Throw Your Voice TOMORROW, October 3rd. It's a blogging and podcasting conference in Oklahoma City. Check it out!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Gardening with Children; a Guest Post
This is a special post for Urban Garden Hoe: a guest post on gardening with children from a good friend of mine, Sara. Sara is fairly new to gardening and had a fair number of questions this Spring, but she has really taken to square foot gardening... and she does it with far more style than I!
It’s never too early to learn to garden. And lucky for me, it’s never too late, either.
Because I’m a creative person who has a short attention span and doesn’t always fully research things before jumping in, my previous attempts at vegetable gardening were massive failures. For example, throwing broccoli seeds into red dirt in June in full sun was not the best plan, even though the seed packet recommended full sun. Oh, and I kind of forgot to water them.
Then there was the time I tried to accidentally poison myself, thinking I was eating little black tomatoes which were really something like nightshade berries. I could have sworn I had planted some cherry tomatoes in that spot!
After those embarrassments, I swore off gardening and admitted defeat. My other interests would keep me plenty busy, not to mention raising a toddler and keeping him entertained.
But this DIY craze runs deep and wide, and growing your own is worth reconsidering.
This year’s garden was a spur-of-the-moment decision, inspired by a simple Tweet from Elizabeth: something along the lines of “getting ready to plant another Square Foot Garden.” I was intrigued – it sounded simple yet fun.
A quick perusal of http://www.squarefootgardening.com/ had me thinking in grids and making lists of vegetables we love. I bought the book at Full Circle (our local bookstore) and built my own garden box with lumber and a drill, which made me feel empowered and self-sufficient. I also built a small 2’x2’ for my son, who was very interested in digging, as a way to keep him out of trouble and to share the excitement.
We started seeds indoors, and every morning he’d wake up and want to look at the baby plants. He began to understand they were delicate and growing, and learned to be careful when touching them.
Little did I know how educational this project would prove. My son has started learning about broad concepts such as patience, sustainability and farming while trying new things and spending time in the backyard.
He’s getting dirty and watching bugs crawl and working up the courage to hold worms in his hand. He’s learning about compost, about being gentle to plants and waiting for produce to ripen. He’s learning to snack on sugar snap peas and beet greens right there in the garden. This experience is one we can share and enjoy, and we are rewarded for the work we do.
Fun plants to grow with kids:
It’s never too early to learn to garden. And lucky for me, it’s never too late, either.
Because I’m a creative person who has a short attention span and doesn’t always fully research things before jumping in, my previous attempts at vegetable gardening were massive failures. For example, throwing broccoli seeds into red dirt in June in full sun was not the best plan, even though the seed packet recommended full sun. Oh, and I kind of forgot to water them.
Then there was the time I tried to accidentally poison myself, thinking I was eating little black tomatoes which were really something like nightshade berries. I could have sworn I had planted some cherry tomatoes in that spot!
After those embarrassments, I swore off gardening and admitted defeat. My other interests would keep me plenty busy, not to mention raising a toddler and keeping him entertained.
But this DIY craze runs deep and wide, and growing your own is worth reconsidering.
This year’s garden was a spur-of-the-moment decision, inspired by a simple Tweet from Elizabeth: something along the lines of “getting ready to plant another Square Foot Garden.” I was intrigued – it sounded simple yet fun.
A quick perusal of http://www.squarefootgardening.com/ had me thinking in grids and making lists of vegetables we love. I bought the book at Full Circle (our local bookstore) and built my own garden box with lumber and a drill, which made me feel empowered and self-sufficient. I also built a small 2’x2’ for my son, who was very interested in digging, as a way to keep him out of trouble and to share the excitement.
We started seeds indoors, and every morning he’d wake up and want to look at the baby plants. He began to understand they were delicate and growing, and learned to be careful when touching them.
Little did I know how educational this project would prove. My son has started learning about broad concepts such as patience, sustainability and farming while trying new things and spending time in the backyard.
He’s getting dirty and watching bugs crawl and working up the courage to hold worms in his hand. He’s learning about compost, about being gentle to plants and waiting for produce to ripen. He’s learning to snack on sugar snap peas and beet greens right there in the garden. This experience is one we can share and enjoy, and we are rewarded for the work we do.
Fun plants to grow with kids:
- Sugar snap peas – sweet and ready to eat
- Mint – great for putting in ice water
- Onions - the tops are irresistible to my young farmer straight out of the garden
- Beets - even if you don’t like them, they make great natural food coloring, and the greens cook up just like spinach.
- Cherry tomatoes - fast-growing, snackable and yummy
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Gazette
Check out this small article about my garden and blog in the (Oklahoma City) Gazette!
This means I need to start updating more frequently again. :) I'll sit down and do a full post tonight!
This means I need to start updating more frequently again. :) I'll sit down and do a full post tonight!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Rain, Rain, Go Away...
It has been insanely rainy for the past week or so, totally preventing me from being able to harden off my last remaining seedlings. I will have to take pictures of some of my plants when it calms down, however, because some of them are just HUGE!!!!
I do have something pretty exciting coming up this weekend, though: A SEED EXCHANGE AT the Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar!
Free Admission
May 9, 2009 12-6
We'll be exchanging seeds and seedlings at 4pm (envelopes and envelope supplies will be provided), and I'll probably talk about gardening and try to answer people's questions. So bring your extra seeds and seedlings and join us!
I do have something pretty exciting coming up this weekend, though: A SEED EXCHANGE AT the Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar!
Free AdmissionMay 9, 2009 12-6
in Oklahoma City
at the State Fairgrounds Centennial Building
We'll be exchanging seeds and seedlings at 4pm (envelopes and envelope supplies will be provided), and I'll probably talk about gardening and try to answer people's questions. So bring your extra seeds and seedlings and join us!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
New Tomato Plants
It's a beautiful day for gardening! Cool air, warm sun, mild wind... So unlike the gusts and gales that swept fire across Oklahoma and Texas a couple days ago. How horrible that was!
I actually came home to my seedlings strewn across the backyard, despite the shelter the back corner should have provided them. The damage wasn't too horrible though, and I'm certainly bearing in mind that a few lost seedlings is nothing compared to the homes people lost that night.
But today is another matter, for us at least. We took a trip to the farmer's market to replace the stunted Pink Brandywine seedlings. I picked up a traditional Brandywine and a Cherokee Purple. I'm especially excited about the Cherokee Purple since it's my first time trying it at all.
So I put those and most of my other seedlings on the back steps to harden off then went about seeding and watering the garden. I have to take and post pictures soon, as the garlic plants are huge and the spinach is starting to look like spinach (cool!).
For now though, I'm going to enjoy my iced green tea then start cleaning up the house. Goodness, it's a mess...
I actually came home to my seedlings strewn across the backyard, despite the shelter the back corner should have provided them. The damage wasn't too horrible though, and I'm certainly bearing in mind that a few lost seedlings is nothing compared to the homes people lost that night.
But today is another matter, for us at least. We took a trip to the farmer's market to replace the stunted Pink Brandywine seedlings. I picked up a traditional Brandywine and a Cherokee Purple. I'm especially excited about the Cherokee Purple since it's my first time trying it at all.
So I put those and most of my other seedlings on the back steps to harden off then went about seeding and watering the garden. I have to take and post pictures soon, as the garlic plants are huge and the spinach is starting to look like spinach (cool!).
For now though, I'm going to enjoy my iced green tea then start cleaning up the house. Goodness, it's a mess...
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Gardening on a Budget: Containers
This topic could turn into a huge post, but I'll try and keep it simple. The most basic commandment of container gardening on a budget is: Try and view everything you come across as a potential container.
Everything.
I've seen old boots, blue jeans, and broken down cars turned into containers. Practically anything could work if you get creative enough!
Funkiness aside, there are some pretty good standbys that thrifty container gardeners fall back on often...
If you want to find "real" pots at good prices, there are usually plenty of cheap options at discount stores like Big Lots and Wal-Mart. The dollar tree often has really cute little pots, but they usually need to have drainage holes drilled in them. End-of-season sales are a great way to find deals at local businesses, which we should all support whenever we can.
Plastic is usually the cheapeast option... But if you'd like to avoid plastic, terra cotta is probably the cheapest way to go.
And take care of your pots so you don't have to spend money replacing them. Put them away when not in use (especially over winter) and treat even the plastic ones as breakable.
I know there are a million and one other tips out there, so please share yours!
Everything.
I've seen old boots, blue jeans, and broken down cars turned into containers. Practically anything could work if you get creative enough!
Funkiness aside, there are some pretty good standbys that thrifty container gardeners fall back on often...
- Food grade buckets. Sometimes you can get these for free from food establishments, and they're a good size for plants that need a little more room to spread their roots.
- Big plastic tubs. Again, these can come in good sizes for plants that need legroom. Some people have also converted them into DIY Earthboxes.
- Trashcans as huge planters. Some of the larger tomato plants could even flourish in a big enough trashcan.
- Two-liter bottles. Check out this older post wherein I illustrate how to turn one into a pot with drainage.
- Plastic butter/spreadable cheese/yogurt containers, for smaller plants. Reserve the lids to use as water trays, but be sure to water slowly to avoid overflow.
- Soda bottle, upside-down, as a DIY Topsy Turvy. Is there nothing these plastic beauties can't do?!
- Really ugly pots that you already have or find free/cheap.... just turn them upside down and spray paint the pots to spiff them up. (Avoid getting paint inside the pots.)
If you want to find "real" pots at good prices, there are usually plenty of cheap options at discount stores like Big Lots and Wal-Mart. The dollar tree often has really cute little pots, but they usually need to have drainage holes drilled in them. End-of-season sales are a great way to find deals at local businesses, which we should all support whenever we can.
Plastic is usually the cheapeast option... But if you'd like to avoid plastic, terra cotta is probably the cheapest way to go.
And take care of your pots so you don't have to spend money replacing them. Put them away when not in use (especially over winter) and treat even the plastic ones as breakable.
I know there are a million and one other tips out there, so please share yours!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Today is a beautiful spring day despite yesterday's cold and snow.
I finally seeded some carrots and will continue to seed a bit more for the next three weekends. I seeded them all at once last year and had one giant harvest that I didn't use up. It's a lesson I learned for this year, as I seed my lettuce, chard, spinach, and carrots a little at a time.
It's so exciting to see seedlings coming up in the garden. I'm most excited about the sugar snap peas, and I need to fix the trellis before they're tall enough to start climbing. I'm also thrilled to see the spinach doing well, as last year's fall spinach crop was foiled by the burglar breaking the window right above their pots. Even after picking them over, I just wasn't confident there were no tiny shards of glass on/in the seedlings.
I definitely need to take photos to post.
I finally seeded some carrots and will continue to seed a bit more for the next three weekends. I seeded them all at once last year and had one giant harvest that I didn't use up. It's a lesson I learned for this year, as I seed my lettuce, chard, spinach, and carrots a little at a time.
It's so exciting to see seedlings coming up in the garden. I'm most excited about the sugar snap peas, and I need to fix the trellis before they're tall enough to start climbing. I'm also thrilled to see the spinach doing well, as last year's fall spinach crop was foiled by the burglar breaking the window right above their pots. Even after picking them over, I just wasn't confident there were no tiny shards of glass on/in the seedlings.
I definitely need to take photos to post.
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