Garden update

I was looking at my garden the other day thinking how sad it looked but nature was busy at work even without my help. My Zinnia bed was covered with dead plants but to my amazement below all those dead leaves were many small volunteer plants. I removed all the dead material and watered the new plants. Soon I will have new flowers and the garden will look beautiful again. 

In other parts of the garden, the alfalfa hay mulch I used in early spring is all gone. Broken down by microbes and other decomposers in the soil. Evidence that the garden is alive and well just in a state of hibernation during drought conditions and my absence. Of course weeds were invading many beds taking this opportunity to expand their range. Passion Vine which was planted for butterflies was now dominant, smothering everything in its path and even covering the fig tree.

I have several more months of recovery before I can devote more time to my garden but it is alive and well and constantly changing. I hope it provides beauty to the community as it changes as well.

Local, seasonal, organic (part 3)

What does "organic" mean?

Simply stated, organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.

The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) defines organic as follows:

Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rule s necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.

I believe organic is also a way of living. For many of our parents and grandparents, growing your own food was a way of life. Many times food used to feed the animals was grown right on the farm. The farmer used very few inputs from outside the farm and a cash crop could be grown to pay for those items not produced on the farm. At meal time you knew exactly where your food came from. You knew how it was raised, fed, processed and prepared.

I am not suggesting that everyone move to the country and live on a farm but we can all be more selective about what we eat. Choosing to eat food that has not been fed antibiotics or growth hormones is just part of the process. I believe we are our own worst enemies by over medicating and always searching for that magic pill. Diseases like diabetes, obesity, heart disease and others could be reduced by changing our lifestyle. Instead we take medication and continue eating the same food and living a sedentary life.

My vision is that everyone eat as much fresh food as possible. A small backyard garden can supply a lot of food for anyone willing to put in a little work. Gardening provides healthy food, exercise and sunshine for the body and soul. An hour working in the garden provides many more benefits like a good sweat. I believe a good sweat is essential to healthy living. After a good workout in the garden a cleansing hot shower or bath may help with depression. Feeling good about yourself will change the way you look at life but most importantly how you view your own life. This is what Off Texas Avenue Garden is all about.

I know that not everyone may be able to garden but everyone deserves to eat good food. I believe it is my duty to provide good food for my family but to also help my community. I can educate my neighbors about growing good food and I can share this food with those not able to grow their own. A simple gesture of caring like a bouquet of flowers as a gift can make someone smile just like a puppy or kitten makes a child smile.

I hope your garden is growing well and if you don't have one I hope you start one. Together we can change our community and make it a better place to live in.

Anyone Can Garden

It has been nearly a month since my last post. This is the time of year when many gardeners retreat to the comforts of their homes and leave their gardens to fend for themselves. I am guilty of this myself, and my garden shows it. With recent rains and plenty of heat, the weeds have really taken over. It's time to take my garden back!

Lately I've been thinking about the food we eat, and where it comes from. Although this years garden supplied tomatoes, green beans, onions, peppers, and fresh cut flowers, there is so much more I could have planted. Fresh vegetables are a delicious addition to our diets. It does not require a farm out in the country to have this produce. All it takes is a small garden in the back yard, a few pots on the patio, or even a flower bed filled with herbs instead of landscape plants. I believe anyone can garden, and enjoy some fresh tomatoes. Many people are doing just that. In our own history, many of our parents, or grandparents, probably did this. I recently read a book, " Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer " by Novella Carpenter, that has inspired me. In this book she describes her life as an urban farmer in the city of Oakland, California. On a small, abandoned lot, she planted a garden, and raised her own animals for meat. I know this would not be for everyone, but it shows what we could do to eat the very best food we can have. Food that we can feed our family with, and knowing what went into growing this food. Better yet, knowing what didn't go into it, or on it. Reading this book brought back many memories.

Growing up, we always had a garden where we grew many vegetables, and herbs. We raised animals for meat, and on neighboring property, we grew corn, cantaloupe, pumpkin, cucumber, and hay. We did shop for things we did not grow, but we grew as much as we could on half an acre. I remember going to the small town of Staples, Texas to do our shopping. And I remember going out to the garden with a salt shaker to eat fresh tomatoes for a snack. Not many chips, or candy around our house those days. I remember butchering our animals to fill the freezer, my younger sisters and I could kill, pluck, and clean chickens all by ourselves. This was all a process of preparing, and preserving food for the coming months. This was a tradition my parents, grandparents, and their grandparents had done for many years before me. I hope to share that knowledge with my children.

As time draws near to start a fall garden, my mind wanders with thoughts of raising animals and expanding my garden. Raising animals will take more planning, and may have to be a future project. The garden is something I can work on now. I plan to have a greater diversity of food in my garden from now on. I vow to keep gardening, keep volunteering as a Master Gardener, and to keep learning. Gardening keeps me connected to my family, my ancestors, and the earth.

For anyone interested in starting a garden, I say go for it. There is a world of information on the internet, and many books on the subject. There are also many organizations that are very helpful like the Extension Service, Master Gardeners, and Urban Harvest to name a few. There is probably someone in your neighborhood already gardening that has years of experience. Introduce yourself, and ask questions. Gardeners are always willing to share information, and possibly plants , or seeds.

Eat local, eat fresh, support your local farmers by visiting farmers markets, and sample food as good as if you grew it yourself. Support local businesses, and get involved in your community, like volunteering at a community garden. Of course you can always stop by Off Texas Avenue Garden, and I will help you any way I can.

Work Day in the garden

I believe summer is upon us. Our weather has gone from nice spring to scorching hot. No gradual increase in temperature so we can get used to it, just straight to the 90's.

With these hot temperatures, our gardens may begin to suffer. Adequate moisture will be critical if we don't get timely rains. Water early in the morning or late in the evening. This allows the plants to absorb water, less evaporation, and less water use. It's also cooler for the person watering. Plants in pots may need daily watering as these tend to dry out faster. Keep up your feeding schedule with your fertilizer of choice, I am watering in liquid sea weed once every two weeks, and have been happy with results so far. Weeding is of course a never ending chore, apply more mulch as needed. Monitor plants for bugs or disease, early detection is the best strategy. Take frequent breaks, drink plenty of water, and enjoy some fresh food.

This past weekend, we had our first work day in the garden. With the help of family and friends, the last four beds were filled with soil. Two were mulched with alfalfa hay, I will have to get more to finish the rest. We transplanted 10 volunteer chile pequin plants from another bed, I hope they survive the move. If they don't, I have many more. The "wailing wall" was restacked, and repositioned to make it more stable. It looks great. We had a lot of fun, although it was very hot, and shoveling 4 yards of soil is hard work.

As we left that afternoon, the garden looked different, but it also felt different. I felt tired, but relaxed, and had a great sense of accomplishment. But what I felt the most was a sense of peace, and love. A feeling of community. I believe that comes from family, friends,and community coming together to take care of each other. It's parents teaching their children how to take care of themselves and others. It's all of us caring for our family, our community, our planet. This garden has been touched by many loving hands, and I hope many more will join us next time.

You say work, I say fun...

Gardening is a lot of work, but I find it very relaxing. Like all worthwhile things in life, if you are patient good things will come.

This weekend was very productive at the garden. My first task was to mow, edge, and trim around the beds. There was trash to pick up and general clean up of the whole place. Next I added two long beds and two smaller beds using recycled fence pickets. I then dug inside those beds to a depth of 4 to 6 inches and overturned the entire length of the bed, sod and all. I amended this soil with about an inch of cow manure donated by a friends herd. Also added was 2 to 3 pounds of cotton seed meal, an excellent slow release organic fertilizer. All this has been tilled to incorporate all ingredients and then allowed to rest for 1 to 2 weeks. This will allow enough time to kill the grass and clover. Exposing their roots to the sun and wind will dry them out and will add organic matter to the soil. More recycling! After this time period I will fill the beds in with soil mix and plant more flowers.

At the beginning of this endeavour I wanted to plant only flowers, excluding vegetables for now. I felt that flowers would be easier to grow and would provide a more colorful show. Having a bigger impact on the beautification of Texas Avenue and the community. But I think someone is trying to tell me something. In one bed that was filled in a couple of weeks ago, there are numerous volunteer tomato plants. I don't know what variety they are but they are thriving. So I will add vegetables throughout the garden. This is after all the beginning of a community garden and the possibilities for education are endless. This new direction inspires me to do even more. It's exciting, it's fun! So get ready to see tomatoes among the sunflowers.