Just a little video about the success of our GARDEN by Alma Schneider

CLICK here to see The fruits of Alma's family's labors.

Cucumber O' the bounty!

Garden update from Farmer Joan:
Sorry I am so late in providing an update but it seems appropriate given the delay in my garden, as the seedlings so graciously provided In the spring are just now reaching their garden peak. (They were replanted in my garden from a neighbor who was part of the High Street "team.")Although I've been gardening now for 5 or 6 years I still consider myself a perennial beginner, and am constantly humbled by both my errors of judgement as well as my triumphs.As usual, while others savor ripe red tomatoes mine are mostly green. I once again must face the question, to ripen on the windowsill or hope that enough sun remainsto reach that beautiful red while on the vine. Also have had bugs invade my squash plants once again - huge plants but nothing grew.(Any advice on this? It's become a yearly disappointment,) Peppers, eggplant also still not ready for the picking. Beets still growing underground,Some lovely greens, beans, lots of herbs, and a bumper crop of cucumbers. I've just purchased a juicer, after hearing raves from friends, and I must say there is nothing that beats a fresh picked smoothiefor breakfast. (I've been adding Jersey berries or peaches.) I am sending a few photos, and would welcome input on the tomato question. Brown bag it, put in a sunny spot inside, Or leave and hope for the best? I expect to be keeping my hands dirty through the Fall.

 Read Joan's posting on her cucumber adventures, her inspiration from our dear late friend Johanna and a couple of great recipes. 

http://graceanddirt.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/hidden/

The Lone Mater. All advise on increasing bounty greatly appreciated Joan Hocky

Spanikopita using garden greens - yum! Joan Hocky grows, cooks, eats..

Late afternoon picking for late summer dinner from Joan Hocky

stir fry makes younger people (kids) enjoy veggies more. it tastes real yummers with some soy sauce!!
by Tal-Rex----age 12

How does your Garden grow?

Mid August, mixed results:
My more shaded garden in a new raised bed has the mystery squash plant taking over the world.

Wild and gorgeous squash, lots of flowers but no fruit

Can you spot lavender, mint, cherry tomatoes, grape vine, nasturtiums? There are also some pepper plants in there somewhere. This spot is shady until noon.

Meanwhile over in the sunny, official vegetable patch.......

This garden had to recover from the crafty groundhog who got around all the fencing and stripped it almost bare. A couple of weeks post groundhog and one feeding later (I used an organic herb and vegetable solution in lots of water) eggplants are producing, tomatillos have flourished, I have one squash variety unknown and the world's saddest tomato collection (almost nil but a few brave romas coming in).

It appears the tomatoes prefer a little less intense sun, comments, thoughts welcome.

Post your gardening results, the triumphs, the tragedies, the inbetweens.

Checkin' Out the Swap Crop

This is our pre-swap crop delivered earlier today.  Kitty was so curious!

Tomorrow's Plant Swap Will Also Feature A Mini Bake Sale!

We're so excited for tomorrow's Plant Swap!

We'll also be hosting a small bake sale. Proceeds will be used to support Montclair Township Animal Shelter. Munch on cookies or a slice of citrus blueberry bundt cake as you swap seedlings!

See you soon...

More seedlings coming in, this time from the lovely Ms Elizabeth

Pattypan, Zucchini, Bell Peppers and Tomatoes see below for a sampling...........

4' x4' raised bed, food for a family before and after pics - GO ANNIE J!

A neat square of soil, ready for sowing.

1 month later, radishes ready to be harvested - YUMMY!

Scrumdiddly seedlings ready to be potted up for the swap, come and get them this Saturday!

One more report.......

Efforts somewhat thwarted by too much shade and the late cold snap

Further seedling status updates

From another Fullerton Family, different part of town tho'.

Don't these look ravishing!

Potty for Pots

Come and get yourself some of these this Saturday, May 18th 2-5pm
 Urban Farm at Crane House, 108 Orange Road, Montclair NJ 07042

thank you Sharon and Maya!

Squash, just one of these will keep you in squash all summer long!

Tomatoes and Peppers, look small now but just wait and watch these grow and feed you!

How does your garden grow?

LOOK AT THESE NEWBIES GO!

YOU ARE LOOKING AT RADISHES, BEETS, SPINACH, LETTUCE!

From NYT: Urban Gardening: An Appleseed With Attitude

Reading and watching this now:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/05/fashion/urban-gardening-an-appleseed-with-attitude.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&


From NYT Article on Ron Finely: Last winter at TED, the annual ideas confab in Long Beach, his rousing 10-minute talk about guerrilla gardening in low-income neighborhoods was the hug-your-neighbor presentation of the week, and Mr. Finley was suddenly the man to meet. 

“South Central Los Angeles [is the] home of the drive-thru and the drive-by. Funny thing is, the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys.” ~ Ron Finley
  

A Call to Art

Fellow guerrillas we need lots and lots of art to promote our 

Seedling Swap, Saturday May 18th 2-5pm. Tomorrow I will confirm the venue. 

Meanwhile please recruit your good selves, partners, friends, offspring and others artistically inclined to be ready to make a myriad of posters to spread the word around town. 

We are looking for:

posters with details of the swap - to be confirmed tomorrow 

signs to identify the seedlings by vegetable and variety

anything from this

run, don't walk to the Guerrilla Gardening Seedling Swap etc.

to this

 or wherever else your artistic inclination takes you

As soon as we have details, everyone please get busy postering and telling people, tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell your cat, tell your cat to tell your neighbor's cat.

Vive la veggie révolution, mes petit choux!

Getting your Raised Beds Ready

For those planting out in a raised bed now is your moment to put the thing together. If you do you can direct plant radish, beet and carrot seeds now and beans in a few short weeks.

Don't let the critters get you down by chomping on your beloved veggie babies.

I put up an ever so simple barrier of cheap and not so beautiful 'yard guard' from home depot.

Here are some of the many items you can use, mine is supported with some strategically placed wooden posts and over generous use of a staple gun. I also made the world's simplest gate although, at the low height of my fence, I more often climb over the fence instead of opening it.

Also see the wonderful gardens constructed and planted out by www.alottogrow.org a great organization who grow for food pantries and soup kitchens in the area.

A Lot To Grow Garden, note arcs supporting protection.

Usually keeps out everyone.

Called rabbit proof but the groundhogs can't read so they stay away too. For true groundhog protection you will be getting into trenching and lining the bottom of your bed with chicken wire. You should be just fine with this though.

Will also do the job nicely.

Seedling Swap May 18th 2-5pm - SAVE THE DATE

Well, my fellow guerrilla gardeners the time is approaching for the seedling swap. 

To reiterate: the seedlings you are growing include keeping enough for yourselves. The remainder are for the community swap, for most people that would be two thirds of the seedlings.

We will need volunteers for set up and for the swap itself a sign up sheet will go out as soon as we confirm the venue.

The afternoon will be great fun with people on hand to offer advise and guidance.

Our next step is to explore the guerrilla side of our project, 'finding' unused spaces where we can put some plants beyond our own and other people's homes.

Have a look at these fun locations from around the world. 

A new meaning to the term wallflower

Newspapers  are so last year.

Repurpose those shoes

So cool for a wall anywhere!

all those little roadside spots, hungering for plantings

Stealth Planting

Wouldn't it be lovely to be greeted by sunflowers along Bloomfield Avenue and other main streets. 

Potting Up

So many have been delighted to have their seeds grow into little plants and now they are bursting at the seams of the starter pots so it is time to 'pot them up' to give more room for them to grow.

Blimey! It's getting a little tight in here!

Take your larger pots (if they are new just use them, if they are being reused it is a good idea to clean in a bleach and then rinse them off).

Fill pots with either left over seed starter mix or potting soil, whichever you have to hand. Make a hole in the center of the soil mix.

Carefully lift your plant out of it's little original home. DO NOT LIFT BY THE STEM, RELEASE THE ROOTS AND STARTER MIX FIRST (NOTE SOIL ON FINGERS FROM DIGGING OUT WHOLE ROOT SYSTEM AND SOIL.

ONCE PLANT IS OUT OF THE CONTAINER THEN YOU CAN HOLD BY STEM BUT TREAT WITH GREAT CARE

Tomato Plant, note roots dangling at bottom

Carefully place plant in hole so roots go down

Plant tomato soil covering stem ALL THE WAY TO FIRST TWO LEAVES

NOTE: You will get a much sturdier tomato plant is you do this as the whole buried stem will create roots.

Gently pat in soil around plant so plant is firmly in place.
COMPARE THIS PICTURE WITH THE TOMATO PLANT FIRST TAKEN OUT OF THE ORIGINAL POT. SEE HOW MUCH OF THE STEM WAS PLANTED IN THE SOIL HERE.

Pot up all your squash, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants when they are ready, you can also pot up leafy greens or, when it comes time for the swap you can wrap them in newspaper cups. 

You won't need to remove the newspaper when you plant them out as it will decompose. If you make a firm base add some drainage holes. 

Here are a couple of pics of pots made:

and here is link with step by step how to make them: How to Make newspaper pots