Out back, in the garden...
Book of the Month!
Garden Monthly!
To Ponder
Growing Community
Closing Comments
Garden Notes Archives
WELCOME !!
New Garden Notes Subscribers!!! {{And so MANY of you this month!}}
It's JUNE already!! Where does the time GO??
I hope June finds you all with gardens in full swing and hefty,
fresh-from-the-garden salads gracing your tables. It's been a bit of a struggle
for us in Oklahoma, but after the wettest, coolest spring in recent memory,
it seems like summer might actually arrive. Planting has been delayed for many
gardeners this year and it's strange to see so much bare ground in folks'
gardens this late in the season. Of the crops that did make it into the garden,
many have struggled with their wet feet and the cold nights. It feels like we're
on our third "mud season": every time it starts to dry up the rains come again.
Someone told me it was because the oceans are evaporating at an accelerated
pace due to global warming. I hope not.
As always, hope springs eternal in the garden. A sunny day or two, the plants
perk up and all is forgotten. Crops go in behind schedule and you hope that the
killing frost will come late in the fall, or vow to cover things if the frosts
come early. If crops rot in the cold, wet earth you simply rework the soil and
plant again. The timing is always right to sow something, whether it's a
spring radish or a fall cover crop. And there are always the perennials, which
seem to hold to their innate schedule, rain or shine. The lemon balm and
licorice mint offer up a fine tea this time of year, while the valerian and
dame's rocket beckon butterflies and buzzing things.
Whatever your weather, sow some seeds and dream. Summer is here!
Note a couple of changes (read TIME SAVERS for Jodi!)
Since February,
we've been posting all our newly added pages in the newsletter for
the review of all interested. This has been so successful at keeping our
subscribers up to date, that we've decided to do away with the "Featured Article"
section. We'll just keep pertinent information in the
"Out Back in the Garden" section.
Happy Reading!
Did you know that One hundred years ago there were over 6,000 named varieties
of apples grown in North America? Less than 1,000 of these remain.
How many varieties have you seen in the grocery store?
Source: Seeds of Diversity Canada - www.seeds.ca
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Found this on the BBC...... thought you'd all get a kick out of it. And caution!
it's NOT easy!! Take this quiz
to test your knowledge of organic gardening!
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Please take a minute and check out the nursery.
There is still PLENTY of time to plant perennials, plan for your fall garden...
and speaking of fall (it is inevitable) you'll want those bulbs for spring!!
And I found this and HAD to have it, it is THE most convenient thing I've found
in a very long time. Just connect it to the hose and your SET!
Out back, in the garden...
Okay, it's June. It's starting to get hot. It's starting to get DRY. Don't
forget to use your monthly reminders,and
mulch, mulch, MULCH!
But there is another page that's got all sorts of good stuff on it too,
(checking the logs, I see it is often overlooked) and it has good info that's
not included in the monthly reminders.... it's a page all its own.
Find it!
Compost Alert
Why compost?
Composting is an easy, environmentally beneficial way to turn yard and kitchen wastes into a dark,
crumbly, sweet-smelling soil amendment that will build your soil, increase garden production and
do wonders for your landscaping.
Composting will...
- Save you money by lowering garbage bills and replacing the need for commercial soil amendments.
- Increase production by improving the fertility and health of your soil.
- Save water by helping the soil hold moisture and reducing water runoff.
- Benefit the environment by recycling valuable organic resources and extending the lives of our landfills.
Just make sure that you get one started if you haven't already. It's the lifeblood
of your garden! Not sure where to start? Learn to Compost.
Need an entire compost primer?
Check out our
Master Series Gardening Courses!
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B O O K O F T H E M O N T H
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The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food
Before it was a book, The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food was
organic gardener Tanya L. K. Denckla's highly prized personal database, the
distillation of years of careful research and hands-on, real-life,
dirt-under-the-fingernails experience in growing her own vegetables, herbs,
fruits, and nuts. Now available to all, this easy-to-read sourcebook offers
much to gardeners of all skill levels, answering questions quickly and
authoritatively so more time can be spent enjoying the garden.
Six comprehensive chapters cover vegetables, fruits and nuts, herbs, organic
remedies, and allies and companions. Within each chapter plants are arranged
alphabetically, making needed information eminently accessible. Individual
plant entries provide specific information on planting; temperature; soil
and water needs; measurements; seed-starting dates; pests, diseases, allies,
companions, and incompatibles, as applicable; when to harvest; how to store
produce; and overviews of selected varieties.
Fully half of the book is dedicated to organic remedies that can prevent or
combat plant diseases and garden pests. Hundreds of common diseases and pests
are discussed, as well as which plants are likely to be affected, how to
recognize the problem, and tried-and-true natural remedies. The Gardener's
A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food demystifies how to work collaboratively
with the complex natural systems of the environment, making gardening a little
easier and definitely more fun.
Serious Information for Serious Fun, no doubt! ..... A resource NOT to be without!
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G A R D E N M O N T H L Y
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Check out what goes on in the sustainable garden
in the month of June!
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T O P O N D E R
I read this week about the world's oldest known tree.
This 4767 year-old bristlecone pine from the White
Mountains in California is giving scientists clues as
to how we could all live extremely long lives.
The scientists say that the secret strategy to extreme
longevity is - eat little, live slowly and avoid all
kinds of danger.
How boring is that? And how many research grants did
they use up to reach that startling conclusion?
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G R O W I N G C O M M U N I T Y
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This month we spotlight the largest community gardening program in the United
States, GreenThumb. GreenThumb supports community gardens in New York City.
They have over 600 member gardens serving 20,000 city residents.
"Since 1978 we've been committed to providing support to help strengthen
gardens, strengthen gardener skills, and strengthen communities. GreenThumb's
services take the form of materials, grants, and technical assistance,
including educational workshops."
Download their latest newsletter, HERE.
Established in 1978, GreenThumb remains the nation's largest urban gardening
program, assisting over 600 gardens and nearly 20,000 garden members throughout
New York City. Our aim is to foster civic participation and encourage
neighborhood revitalization while preserving open space. Community gardens
provide green space and easily accessible recreational opportunities in the
areas that need them most. GreenThumb was initiated in response to the city's
financial crisis of the 1970's, which resulted in the abandonment of a
tremendous amount of public and private land. Residents of these devastated
communities transformed these unattractive and unsafe spaces into green havens.
Can anyone say "WOW"?? Sorry to those of you in NYC, but let's face it,
when I think of gardening, I simply don't think NYC. But urban gardening is
becoming increasingly important. I was amazed when I found this website, and
thought it would be a good resource. Their newsletters are full of ideas to play
with. (See the link above) Okay, they've got grants, full-time staff, and etc, but
you know what? All it takes is someone putting a couple of heads together, finding
a little plot of land and donating a few hours a week to make it work!! on a
smaller scale. Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day!
Conference Alert!
And for all of you die-hard, can't wait to get involoved and make a difference
angels, (especially if you live in the Twin Cities area!!) check it out...
American Community Garden Association (ACGA)
2005 Annual Conference will be in the
Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota
August 11, 12, 13 and 14
Download the 2005 Conference Brochure
For the next few months, we'll be putting information in this section of
Garden Notes for all who have requested information on community gardening
and buying locally. Do you know of any events you'd like to share??
Want to find one in your state?
See the list!
You don't HAVE a community garden where you live?
Then START ONE!
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C L O S I N G C O M M E N T S
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Thank you for your patience and understanding at not having a newsletter in
April. We spent most of the spring in Oregon. The views were breathtaking, the
countryside rife with horticultural delight. The United States is so utterly
diverse! It made us stop and ponder if we could really accomplish
the goal we have set for Garden Simply! Each area of the
world has its own unique challenges to gardening. We promise you, our readers;
to continue to add to our reading room as much a
variety of accurate and informative help we can to aide you in your pursuits
toward a sustainable lifestyle.
Your future is very much in your own hands and we hope to help all to see that
the task at hand is very 'do' able! "Every journey starts with a single step...."
Walk the road to sustainability... nothing gives more peace of mind than to be
able to supply your own needs.
We are pleased to offer products from one of the largest, most dependable, and
easiest places to navigate on the web, Gardener's Supply Company. They offer
simply everything you'll need to get done what you want to get done.
We incur expenses every month making Garden Simply a truly valuable internet
resource and with you visiting our sponsors, it will help keep us single
moms at home with our children and help us all get through school!
Thank you for your support!
One last note before the quote! We have joined an a new eZine directory called
Cumuli.com If you like
Garden Notes, would you take a minute and please vote for us! Thanks so much!
Until next month, remember the words of Winifred Gallagher ....
"Like a big mountain, a small garden stimulates, restores, and delights us,
just as it poses challenges, promotes mastery, provides exercise
and relieves monotony."
From:The Power of Place
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HELP OUT YOUR FRIENDS - - - - - -
People you care about can take charge of their garden by
effectively using the information and resources available at Garden Simply.com
Help them learn how -
forward them a copy
of this months Garden Monthly.
Let GardenSimply help you with a plan of action
for YOUR garden every month!