Victory Garden - Part II

A few weeks back I mentioned that towns will often set aside space for community gardens.  Our town opened up the application process for first time applicants the first week of March.  We applied for and got two plots.  The cost is $30 per plot for the entire season.  The plots themselves are fairly large and it looks like I've increased my total space by threefold. 

The gardens themselves are not too far from the house and the plan is to ride bikes there during the warm months to maintain them.  The plan is keep the fast growing crops, like cucumbers, in the home garden and the slower crops, like melons, in the town garden.

It is funny to note that there is a caution in the rules regarding anyone caught growing illegal drugs will both lose their garden plot and be prosecuted given that the land is owned by the town and the application form is submitted at the town hall.

Putting Up The Fence

Last year, we had a problem with a ground hog. That was the first time we had a serious problem in the vegetable garden as the rabbits are usually content with the flower bed. We tried several things including a rock boarder along the base of the fence, fox urine, and a ground hog repellant that killed more plants than anything else, but he ended up ruining a substantial part of the crop.

The garden itself is surrounded by two deep railroad ties. The fence I use is just 3 foot chicken wire that I got at the Home Depot. I've dug a trench about a foot deep around the perimeter and buried about the bottom foot of the fence. This gives me about a foot below the ground and three feed above the ground which will hopefully be enough to limit going both over and under the fence.

The First Transplants of Spring

We stopped by the nursery and the first transplants of spring were out. Lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, red onions, and cauliflower are all a little bit more cold tolerant and can be put out in the earliest in the spring. The winter has been the strongest in several years and I don't think we are past the last frost yet, but we got some lettuce, cabbage and broccoli all the same.

Vertical Apartment Garden

People often comment to me that they do not have enough space to grow a garden.

Here's a clever use of vertical space in an apartment. An old bookcase set next to a window gives space both horizontally and vertically and the varieties selected lend themselves to this type of set up. Most of the types are either short plants or, in the case of the peas, vines which can grow down the length of the bookcase. Another nice feature of this set up is that if you decide you are not getting enough / too much sun, you can move the garden to another window.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35952825@N02/sets/72157614654796077/

The Giving Gardens Project

The Giving Gardens Project at Wagner Farms Arboretum could not be a more perfect volunteer opportunity for me.  The project donates land for a garden and the tools to work it.  Volunteers work the soil, plant the plants and maintain them throughout the season.  The crops are then donated to local charities to provide fresh vegetables to people in need.  A group in the community working the land to help another group in the community is about as simple and honest as a charity can be.  I've submitted my application and I am looking foward to the orientation later this spring.

Sprout Clean Up

Today I thinned the sprouts to two per container by snipping the extra sprouts with a pair of scissors. I also reseeded some of the containers that had no sprouts in them. Overall, it looks like about a 75% germination rate. The tomatoes are doing well and seem strong, but the herbs are a little bit slow. I've noticed the upstairs bedroom is very sunny in the afternoon and might move the trays up there.

Victory Gardens

Many towns offer "Victory Gardens" or "Liberty Gardens" for free or little money ($20 per year in the next town over) to local residents. These are areas of land owened by the town split into medium sized plots which are used by people who don't have their own space to grow a garden. The town provides the land and a water hook up. The resident provides the plants, the time and maybe a small fence. In addition to providing the space, this is also a good opportunity to speak with other gardeners about what they are doing and what is working for them. Check your township web site as spring approaches. The posting on the web site for my town is as subtle as "Victory Garden lot applications are now being offered in the Mayor’s Office. For more information contact Leslie at 973-555-1212. ".