January 30, 2005
Lettuce & Onions
My yard is very shady, and other than the occasional tomato or pepper in a pot, I have not been able to do much vegetable gardening. But last year, I had pretty good luck with lettuce in pots even in the heat of the summer, so I thought I'd try some in the ground this winter. I also grow onions all winter long: they never get to be big bulbs because I use them green in dips and cooking.
After flipping through an old Rodale book on vegetable gardening, I saw a lot of references to "tin can gardening." Although they claim it works wonders because of the electrical fields (sounds sketchy to my skeptical mind!), the practical aspects of it in our dry climate seemed to make sense. Punch holes in the bottom of the can and embed it in the ground. Fill it with compost or other soil amendments, and top it off with water. Not only will it slowly water your garden, but will feed the plants as well. I am notoriously neglectful when it comes to watering and fertilizing, so the milk jug is another way of watering when I'm not around. It's full of rainwater from my rain barrel, along with some fish emulsion.
Floating row cover has been pulled back, but kept handy in case we get another freeze. The lettuce plants were transplanted from pots, but I have also sown lettuce seeds in between the onions. The whole "garden" is probably less than 15 square feet.
Coyote
I walked outside this morning to dump some stuff in the compost pile, and surprised a coyote back in the woods. Unfortunately, he moved too far away by the time I went inside and grabbed my camera. I have heard them back there before -- rather, I have heard their victims back there before -- but this is my first sighting.
January 14, 2005
Community Gardens of Arlington Has a Location!
On Monday, January 10 the Parks Board of the Arlington Parks and Recreation Department considered CGA's application to use property at Bob Cooke Park for our first community garden location. It has been approved!
Many thanks to all who have put in a lot of hard work to make this happen. Now that we officially have a location, our work has just begun. Stay tuned for more news!
January 11, 2005
TGS Arlington Goud Patch meeting
January 16, 2005
Texas Gourd Society's (TGS) Arlington Gourd Patch will hold its monthly meeting Sunday January 16, 2005, at the Fielder House Museum, 1616 West Abram (corner of Abram and Fielder Roads), central Arlington, Texas.
Meeting is 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Refreshments. Demonstrations and program. Show-and-Tell.
January 06, 2005
January AOGC Meeting
Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, January 27, 7pm, at the Bob Duncan Community Center in Arlington.
We are kicking off this year with a potluck, a social occassion where we can get to know our current members and welcome new ones. Bring a dish to share, and questions about what's been bugging you in your garden.
Our meetings are open to the public. Got a gardening question? Come join us and ask the gardeners!
Stop by and see us at the Arlington House and Organic Gardening Show this weekend (January 7-9). Our booth is right across from the green home display.
Community Gardens of Arlington
The Community Gardens of Arlington has been posting copies of their minutes on
communitygardensarlington.blogspot.com. Check it out to see the progress we are making with plans for Arlington's first community garden.
We should know more about the location within a week!