Hands of a Master Gardener

Hands that love this earth
Create sustainable land
That nourish us all

~

We've begun a lecture series at our Fodor Farm Community Garden and the first lecture I was able to attend was given by a gentleman who is a Master Gardener. Wow! In the hour and a half he spoke, I learned more than I thought possible! Did you know you should use shredded newspaper beneath your tomatoes so they're protected from splashing water and because they're also a good form of nourishment? Me neither! And that we who live by the shore are lucky enough to be able to harvest our very own oyster and crab shells - free of charge - that when crushed are wonderful additions to our gardens? Or to plant your tomato seedlings in no less than a 5" pot and when it's ready to be transplanted, strip all but the top leaves off, then plant it horizontally in not-so-deep (amended always) soil, then cover it with a section of banana peel and then soil? WOW! Whoda thunk? He taught us about the whole nitrogen/phosphorus/potassium conundrum, which I wouldn't possibly remember if I hadn't written it down. Hopefully that'll be on his web site soon (hint!). Then, to top off a most excellent talk, he walked to all our plots and told us what we were doing correctly and then also told us (quite gently) what we were doing wrong (that was just about everything for me...sigh).

A very loverly, most wonderful Saturday morning!

~~~

xoabb
expecting good garden things!

P. S. - Here's the most bizarre thing that happened at the lecture/talk: I raised my hand to ask a question of this master gardener, (who had an accent and told us he, too was an interloper like many of the species we find in our gardens). He said: "Yes, Ann, what is your question?" I thought I knew I'd never seen him before so convinced myself he said "Yes, ma'am, what is your question?" He never said another word, we went on our garden tour, I showed him my plot (totally overplanted the carrots, among other things), he gave me tomato and other advice and I took his card.
Flash forward 4 hours. I finally looked at his card so I could go to his website and get the formula for sterlizing seeds. And found out:

His name is Nick Mancini.
The very gentleman who cut my hair for years, years ago...
Before he disappeared off the face of the earth.
Now I know, it was to become a Master Gardener.
(And also lose quite a bit of himself.)
He looks just wonderful - and seems so damn happy!
He recognized me after all these years and I had not a clue!

Strange how paths reconnect...
Wonder if he'd give this old mop of mine a new do...
Boy is it ever needed!

You can visit Mr. Mancini's gardening site here.

Overplanted Wonderland

Do you also have a small 4' x 12' plot that's being eating to the quick by the marauding bunnies and such who are chewing holes through the chicken wire (what's up with that?) surrounding your community garden? Really...you do?? Me too!
My solution, unproved tho it is, is to totally over-plant my little plot...I'll let you know how that goes...and to heavily spray it with bunny-be-gone... I'll let you know how that goes, too.

~~~

xoabb
expecting bunny nightmares

On another very happy note, 26 years ago today George and I welcomed into our world the most wonderful son any two parents could ever hope to be blessed with. The happiest of birthdays to you, Bly-Guy, you are the very very best and loved more than you will ever know!!

First Community Garden Kate Bag Harvest!

OK, so I cheated a bit! Along with planting burgundy green bean beans that I got from a friend to plant (thanks Nurse Nancy!), I also bought a burgundy bean plant that had beans already on it.

Voila!

My first harvest!

And probably the last until late July.

~~~

xoabb

expecting good future Kate Bag* harvests!

P.S. My ~Kate Bag~ was given to me by my dear friend Kate (duh) of Chronicles of a Country Girl. I don't recall exactly when (hey, I'm eligible for AARP, so gimme a break! Please??) but since she gave it to me it has faithfully gone with me to my community garden plot. For the entire last summer my Kate Bag carried home our CG harvest. And surprisingly there was quite a bit of it!

So! Thank you dear Kate for my Kate Bag! I love it!
Here's to big harvest days this year as well!

Le Plot? Planted...

From the bottom up: pepper plants, on left 2 cucumbers and 3 squash, on right along side are sugar snap peas. In the barren area, 2 rows carrots and a whole bunch of onion set, I have no idea how many and I know the rows are far from straight. In the top area, on the left a bunch of garlic sets, two broccoli plants, 3 pea plants and tomatoes. In the middle 2 eggplants and even more onion sets. On the right, German yellow flat beans, burgundy beans, more tomatoes and a bunch of onion sets. (Over-planting at least one veggie seems to be an on-going theme.)

Whew!
Sure hope everyone wants to grow!

As of May 30th we finally have our entire Community Garden (CG) plot planted, and sooner than last year! As you can see, this year we have just four pepper plants, unlike last year when we planted 20 (what were we thinking??). There are lots more different veggies this year - in that big blank area we've planted many onion sets plus two rows of carrots; both a first. There were about a bajillion carrot seeds in the packet...so I planted every single one of them. I understand I'm going to have to thin them. Vigerously. And often. And if all the peas and beans do well, we're gonna have to open a farm stand. Or maybe we'll just leave anonymous bags of beans on front porches. (O how I hope that comes true!)

And now the waiting begins.
I am not good at waiting.

~~~

xoabb
expecting to wait for the harvest!