Monday, January 17, 2011
Seeking FREE 1500 Gallon Vertical Slimline Cistern for the Plant Nation!
Last year I was out of water by the 3rd week of June! It was a lost growing season here! Drought- like everywhere else.
I have 5 rainbarrels, 55 gallons each that feed into a 250 gallon plastic utility pond. I use that pond as a reservoir to pump out of into soaker hoses through out the garden. In 2010 I was a lone gardener and used a third of the space to plant with tomatoes, peppers and some squash, only.
I ran out of water very early. I refused to supplement with city water. I knew I would get enough food for me through the summer, but none to freeze, so I lived with that.
My great wish for this year is to find or have donated to us a slim line, ( 60" diameter, 147" high) 1200 or 1500 gallon cistern! Wow! Holy artichoke!
Used is fine, new is fantastic! Another size would be tough to accomodate on the small footprint I have but if you have one that is larger, please let me know and I will try to make it work.
Ideally, it should be ON my house roof, not on the ground, with an open top. But I don't want to take that chance right now-testing the old joists.
Last summer, as a preventative to sure premature death of the tomatoes and peppers, I routed my basement washing machine drain hose out (through a hole I had drilled into the grout that used to run drip waste water from water filtration system,) the side of the house, into a garden hose, that was set up to run into the pond. It really helped supplement the plants through September, although still not adequate. It was a sad summer.
Soapy water is good for plants, as it is phosphate free, and my tomatoes and peppers were essentially bug free. Grey water recycling. Into the soil. Soil is a filter, soap is phosphate free.
2011 Garden Plat Overview, Ready to Design !
For the new Growing Season of 2011, I used the PlanGarden.com, on line interactive tool to draw out my existing property plat, complete with buildings, rainbarrel locations, permanent plantings, trees, sun exposure, indicating flower beds, ornamental beds and future flower locations.
http://www.plangarden.com/garden_pics/img/myGarden_33827.png
The Frederick Urban Grower's first meeting is this Saturday at 1 PM. We'll go over the garden concept, gardening agreement, possible costs, list of vegetables and herbs to consider planting, ( final to be decided upon at next meeting,) and get to know each other, what each of us can bring to share with the others.
See the result above.
The Frederick Urban Grower's first meeting is this Saturday at 1 PM. We'll go over the garden concept, gardening agreement, possible costs, list of vegetables and herbs to consider planting, ( final to be decided upon at next meeting,) and get to know each other, what each of us can bring to share with the others.
Monday, January 10, 2011
2011 Growing Season, Welcome New Members!
copyright Laurie Zook
We welcome new active gardeners for the spring, summer and fall garden at 256 South Carroll Street, Plant Nation, stomping and growing ground for The Frederick Urban Growers. Give Laurie a call at 301-332-5585 or email here for info.
Join up at
Saturday, June 20, 2009
JUNE 19TH FIRST TOMATO PROGRESS
June 19th, Raining this morning. Humid and hot. Went out and worked in the drizzle. Kept it cool. Low breeze wisked the sweaty rain off my head. Soaking wet. Good feeling.
Found the first tomato. Red treasure. Ate it right in the garden. Lots of small yellow ones. Thousands of blossoms.
Ludmilla's potato plants draping on the ground, over walking path, all the way over to the black eyed peas. Voluptuous. Small, Pink flowers. Never knew they were so lovely.
Gladden's radishes came and went. Excellent, hot, spicy, beautiful pink red the size of small golf balls, some split from so much moisture.
Moving plant matter from soil to compost bin. Constant. Scattering second round of seed in front of longnecks, watermelon Put in parsleys, cilantro and first planting of dill. Basil, too. Self seeded from last year, used and gone to seed already in top side herb bed.
Collards a foot tall. Cut and cooked first harvest. Bacon, apple cider vinegar, collards. Threw in some broccoli and cauliflower greens, too. Sharp taste. Fresh. Gave some to the tenants. Freshest food they have eaten in a long time they said.
Looked out the window one afternoon this week and small ground hog all the way up in the side yard nibbling at the beginnings of my asters and bachelor buttons. Flew out the door like a banchee and chose my weapon: a steel rakem and spear chucked it at him...wild, crazy woman. Who saw this, who cares...Ground hogs in the city must be handled. He went running. Hit him on left haunch. I chased him around the yard for 10 minutes, ended up face to face, 8 feet apart, he behind the iron fence section I have stored over by the compost. I was worried. Rabies? Let out a yelp of intention, threw the rake against the iron fence and he disappeared. Have to get ground hog dog over here to terrorize the gh population. Honey the half shepherd, half Akita. Just goes for them, picks them up and shakes them by the back of the neck until gone to heaven. They don't have a chance. So says her mom, Sue Ellen. The Korean's next door host two huge pig ground hogs. Arrogant creatures. Make yum, yum on our crops. Not on my time, piggies.
If I had known they like bachelor buttons and asters I woulda planted some just for them.
Crab grass getting away with a lot this spring. Lots of planting bed, 45 FEET. Will go back out and attack it.
Volumes of rain this summer. 5 rain barrels filled up twice, could have been filled a hundred times. Rain spout blew off in storm last week. All 25 feet of it. Need help to put it up.
I have used pond and pump with hose to water garden twice. Turn pump on, hose on end, and water. Easy. Refill pond from rainbarrels. Hose from the last one, running slightly downhill into pond. Easy. One RB just for washing hands and feet, and filling up watering cans. Glad we did this. Very efficient. Wish I had more.
Found the first tomato. Red treasure. Ate it right in the garden. Lots of small yellow ones. Thousands of blossoms.
Ludmilla's potato plants draping on the ground, over walking path, all the way over to the black eyed peas. Voluptuous. Small, Pink flowers. Never knew they were so lovely.
Gladden's radishes came and went. Excellent, hot, spicy, beautiful pink red the size of small golf balls, some split from so much moisture.
Moving plant matter from soil to compost bin. Constant. Scattering second round of seed in front of longnecks, watermelon Put in parsleys, cilantro and first planting of dill. Basil, too. Self seeded from last year, used and gone to seed already in top side herb bed.
Collards a foot tall. Cut and cooked first harvest. Bacon, apple cider vinegar, collards. Threw in some broccoli and cauliflower greens, too. Sharp taste. Fresh. Gave some to the tenants. Freshest food they have eaten in a long time they said.
Looked out the window one afternoon this week and small ground hog all the way up in the side yard nibbling at the beginnings of my asters and bachelor buttons. Flew out the door like a banchee and chose my weapon: a steel rakem and spear chucked it at him...wild, crazy woman. Who saw this, who cares...Ground hogs in the city must be handled. He went running. Hit him on left haunch. I chased him around the yard for 10 minutes, ended up face to face, 8 feet apart, he behind the iron fence section I have stored over by the compost. I was worried. Rabies? Let out a yelp of intention, threw the rake against the iron fence and he disappeared. Have to get ground hog dog over here to terrorize the gh population. Honey the half shepherd, half Akita. Just goes for them, picks them up and shakes them by the back of the neck until gone to heaven. They don't have a chance. So says her mom, Sue Ellen. The Korean's next door host two huge pig ground hogs. Arrogant creatures. Make yum, yum on our crops. Not on my time, piggies.
If I had known they like bachelor buttons and asters I woulda planted some just for them.
Crab grass getting away with a lot this spring. Lots of planting bed, 45 FEET. Will go back out and attack it.
Volumes of rain this summer. 5 rain barrels filled up twice, could have been filled a hundred times. Rain spout blew off in storm last week. All 25 feet of it. Need help to put it up.
I have used pond and pump with hose to water garden twice. Turn pump on, hose on end, and water. Easy. Refill pond from rainbarrels. Hose from the last one, running slightly downhill into pond. Easy. One RB just for washing hands and feet, and filling up watering cans. Glad we did this. Very efficient. Wish I had more.
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