[Community_garden] Of winds and beds and weather

[Mike McGrath]

Harold: I've been to OK City, so I will guess that your conditions are: Hot 
and dry in the summer; cold (and dry) in the winter; fierce winds that rip 
your face off seemingly 24/7; alkaline soil; HIGHLY alkaline water; and 
gardeners with lots of courage.

Raised beds: At first I thought there'd be a fight, but I mostly agree with 
Don--things like sweet corn, raspberries, fruit trees, etc. do better in 
flat ground.

We finally got our freeze! Light a candle for my rosemary!

                                    ----McG

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Boekelheide" <dboekelheide at yahoo.com>
To: <community_garden at list.communitygarden.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2007 6:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Community_garden] Back to gardening


Hi, all,

Just back from Philly, where Sally McCabe gave me a
tour of some lovely gardens and astounding murals -
wow! Mike, you live in a great garden city.

Also, picking up on what Adam said, the weather this
winter is really warm. I saw a forsythia blooming in
Philly! All kinds of magnolias and fruit trees
starting to pop along the interstates. Wild. Might get
some cold weather tonight, here - we'll see. Strange -
here in Charlotte, my daphnes have popped 3 weeks
early, but they don't have much fragrance. Hmmm...

I'm mostly taking it easy, though - For whatever
reason, it seems as though the climate is changing and
getting warmer, but the change will be very
unpredictable. It is an el niño year, so that will
affect things... I'm sticking to my 'regular' calendar
- no unprotected tomatoes before April 15, meaning I
won't be starting them inside for a few weeks yet. I
might start some lettuces in a week or two, don't
know. We grow sugar snap peas here in the early
spring, so they will go in mid-Feb, maybe some spuds
and onions, maybe try some favas.

Our soil is a bit too wet to work with machinery, but
I'm spreading compost and turning it in with a shovel.
Little by little. Aim to have everything ready in
plenty of time.

I saw some nicely framed beds in Philly (2x12s), but I
still don't think that framing beds or plots is always
the best option. There are pros and cons.

I think the best width for a bed is completely
personal - reach to the middle. Can you reach the
middle comfortably? OK, that's the best size for you.
For me, like for Mike, it is about 1.2m (that's 4 ft
in PHAM-primitive habitual American measurements).
Beds are great for most veggies, but you know hills
and blocks are better for some things (sprawling
melons and squash vines, a stand of sweet corn, sweet
potatoes, doing 3 sisters (maize, beans, squash),
taters.

Also, on 3-4 ft wide beds, you've got to be careful
not to make them 6 ft long. Looks too much like 'here
lies Grandma'. At the Center, a couple of Latino guys
even put crosses up at the end of a couple beds one
year. Who says homelessness destroys your sense of
humor?

On my task list now is getting woodies in while they
are dormant (and moving them around), looking at the
'bones' of my gardens and doing some landscape
planning and diggin, and turning the compost and
making some more. Doing initial soil prep. Pruning
chores. For organic fruit trees, getting on the
dormant oil and other sprays. And doing a fair amount
of meeting, organizing, lesson planning and writing,
so I don't have to do that when it is nicer outside.
Adam is right - heed Honigman's Law - "community
gardening is 50% gardening and 100% grassroots
political action" or something like that.

Also, just got my Johnny's catalog today - my
favorite. I have a nice pile of catalogs now, so I sit
around in front of the fire, half watching the kids
and my wife watch American Idol, while I read about
all those cool things I'm going to grow this coming
year. Winged beans. Salsify. A new bee balm (never met
a Monarda I didn't like...)

Oh, and fixing fences, remulching paths, and pulling
out chickweed around the precocious bulbs.

Good gardening - Harold, you are in the arid side of
Zone 7 or what?

Don Boekelheide
Charlotte, NC

> From: "Harold Haas" <haastyle at cox.net>
> To: <community_garden at list.communitygarden.org>
> Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 1:49 PM
> Subject: [Community_garden] Back to gardening

> > Could we discuss some gardening issues.  What are
> you doing now to get
> > ready
> > for Spring plantings?  Composting and other soil
> amendments etc.  Let's
> > get
> > back to gardening.  Row placement east/West or
> North/South.  Raised beds.
> > Till or no till.  How do I get started letting
> other people use some of my
> > land for their garden?
> > Thanks
> > Harold in Oklahoma City

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