Had a total of 3 people at our first zoom meeting. We re A brief viewed the Backyard Parables, A brief history of gardening, Farm City, and A weed by any other name. We discussed for about 40 min. Decided that we will follow are reading list and read Emily Dickenson’s Gardening Life for our 16th of June meeting @ 925.
starting her first garden Does it feed the soul?
she believes in parables.
Trust your gut for gardening it’s used to shed light on a topic.
nature is no fool, sets the rhythm
parables are stories on intent
it has a spiritual quality
gardening is a spiritual thing
Author has six seasons:
- conception Jan. -Feb.
- birth new birth life
- youth
- adulthood peek of growth
- Senesce – deterioration
- death
know other gardeners 🙂 make space for each other
no which end of the bulb is up!
before cultivating do a breath test
Author has a huge garden 7 hours to mow!
Not everything dies.
7%
winter Chapter 1 – water from heaven
thinking (thought) of shooting deer in winter
it hurt to be too dry or too cold (listening to hunters)
talk about water 8.22 pounds per gallon. We need to lay down during this time
in winter most item are as cold as ice. Which increases the size.
The author celebrates a happy silver anniversary for the garden
winter does not have a set time to reopen. Though, the garden never closes, it’s a teacher
wanted to build a year round garden
plants are used for birds (curiosity of birds)
fruit comes from pollinated flowers
Look out the window for a garden: page 12
Garden Design 101
- look out the window
- think about watching birds
- where do you see the gardsen most often
- maybe plant a four season shrub?
- make sure you have water
- select good plants to grow
understand light and shelter
author was talking about birds, in which the author depends on
the author talks about water gardens p. 19 This was talking about winter ice surfaces
talk about electric boxes for the garden in the backyard
talk about gas exchange with all the ice on the pond (frog pond)
even talk about feeding fish in the pond
watch out for polluted waters (have many toxins)
seed plots require much more water, but don’t prompt them on synthetics as a quick fix P.26
buy seed that are certified organic, stay away from seed strain. (if possible) for eatable seeds p26
treated seeds has fungicide included
talking about spraying the garden with spray (mentioned Roundup)
author uses dolarizing (smother weedy areas with plastic sheets)
has no horticulture soap
without insect would very simply disappear.
Author has environmental control issues
Use Blind faith, is better than expertise P.35 give it a basic home when planting
This will die and grow in the garden p.37
has a frog pond and multiple pines (dwarf) p.37 means slow growing
help the sproutsgrow (by pushing/pulling)
lots of birds in the garden
gardening is like mathematics p. 41 nature engineering
in garden you need to know when to give and when to take away
lots of counting when planting a garden (use shelf life) set like a bed or a table.
gardening is mathematical because your always looking at a unsolved problem
**p. 44 seed shopping rules like shelf life, or sell by date
look at pelleted or treated seed p. 44 pelleted is seed in natural state
maybe by a back up supply of seed
how much will fit in garden
watch out for excess shade in your garden.
- Think of what you want to eat most of
- what is available locally for a reasonableprice
grows both chare and kale
maybe grow something that scarce
don’t buy transplants (grow inside from seed)
beware of impulse buying
seeds come unprotected in the mail
seeds need to be stored cold & dry
mail order seeds ae wierd!
be a garden enthusiest!
grow hybrids or heirloom can use either
heirloom is over 50 years, but some say its before 1940
so, no cherry tomato or snap peas
use match.com for the authors seed catalog
When gardening bulbs, its good to over-do-it
Chapter 2 Earth (Spring)
good by woody plants
talk of varmints digging holes in/around your plants, damaged beyond repair
NOTE: Read upon all plants growth plus/then add about 15-20% more space (breathing room
Hands to Work & Hearts to God
When planting be modest
fencing is the only deer proof protection
Note: need to protect your garden
Why do you Garden?
- food food
- viewing landscape (no deer cage)
Ref: local Extension services P.76
2 rows of low fences
Note: lean to underplant P.82
Note: Have patients
p82 or 36% complete
Talk of chipmunk, woodhucks, mole, or vol.
underplanted around the “old tree” (apple)
think moaic ten steps
- No ring around the rosy
- no polks dots
- patience is required
- select a palette
- include ephemerals p. 83
- include ground cover types
- make space for some gems, even bulbs
- leaves are life partners for plants
- Need texture
- once a palette is selected, repeat, repeat
chipmunks move dirt in their mouths
talk of maybe doing a soil sample p.89
p.91
practice Phenology which is a study or recurring life-cycle stages
flowers and insects occur about the same time
Seek more plant, strive for new things (more knowledge)
Never stop wanting more plants!
Succession Sowing
- make a list what you want
- things you want to have p. 103
- remember the basic practices of gardening
- water deeply
- cutting back perennials
let each bulb tell you when it’s done blooming
Author has a gardening uniform! each pair hs their own DNA to it. (had 3 outfits) even had Dickeys pants.
The author also likes Dandies
talk about woodchuck….big destruction and any other mammals in the garden.
don’t plant until the round is properly prepared
for pruning take out the:
- dead
- damaged
- diseased
- take out all suckers
- water sprouts
be vigilent, keep coming back to prune
more pruning …the more you prune
Chapter 3
fire (summer)
author made gardening legs after 30 years.
author worried about gardening heat
Have some Earth smell is the organic compound for dirt (it’s a so-called bifunction enzyme).
dirt smell is good for depression.
Difficulties with gardening tools (like shovels)
Rules of mulch
- slow moisture evaporation, moderates soil emperature
- good mulch:
- material aged
- organic subsance
- good price
- not a source of contaniment
- no saw dust
- local material
- what do you use
- wood shaving
- leaf mulch
- use stray
- barked chips
- When should I mulch
- spring
- add mulch to new plants
- Do I have to move mulch before fetilizing?
- top dress
- good mulch breaks down afte one year
- Are cocoa hulls good for mulching
- no p. 145
- Can worn tires be used for mulch
- probably not
- black plastic is not a good mulch
- garden create much mulch
- mulching containers p. 148
Storing a year of green herbs
Winston Churchill compared war to the garden p. 152
freeze as pesto cubes and others in logs of leaflets
parsley logs p. 154
The author deals with trying to catch a woodchuck…but ended up catching skunks.
all critters like the smell of dirt
Author knows a few of her weeds those competing with gardening plants
for weeding: what greens do you take?
talk of pesticides/herbicides P.162
* A dandelion can produce two thousand seeds
weeds can be counted on, they are clever, need to go into own compost pile
talk about being a neighbor (love they neighbor as thyself)
Order Now:: animal proof flower bulb ; like Daffodils (skunks), Hyacinths and foxtails (deer resistant). List of recommended bulbs on page 167.
talk about mile-a-minute weed (imported from asia)
looking at a plant you need to check out the leaves
talk about weeds from animals and fungi P. 170
*fungi sets up a boundary for growing
for fungi 250 are edible, and 250 can kill you (mushrooms)
without bats we would have many mosquitos
To Ripen a tomato (chemistry of a tomato P179-180)
- root prunning
- plastic to keep frost of vined
- could be a regular practice
- like window cell
- sort in catgories
- wrap in brow paper bags
- do this in 65-70 degree Fahrenheit
- put a bit of apple peel inside bag to up the ethylene
double freeze than putting in fridge
Author is thinking about snow blowers
Chapter 4 Wind (autumn)
Making a bird friendly gaardem
- water is required (floating heater)
- less mown lawn means more botanical
- Edge habitat a place to hide
- bruh pile
- evergreen cover
- nest boxes
- a chemical-free environment (need bugs)
- clean feeder-regularly (10 to 1 bleach to water p.191)
- right diversity of living foods (trumpet vines for hummingbirds) grasses, composites, fruit
trees an shrub list on p.192
10. birds like to be watched
11.reduce danger of window strikes
12. No marauding cats
wind is a powerful pollinator between 12-20% of plants
refrigerated pickles p. 200 recipe
don’t overwater houseplants
begonia “bonfire” keep in basement at 45-50 degrees F.
listed gardening Elephant ears P.213
You eat what the garden produces (like sime animals)
Frost is coming
eat what the garden serves up
much talk about manty animals
plants look dead but it has foliage with seeds/chemical
plant act more intelligently than we do P.221
A chemical Sevin; limits the number of fruits in favor of a premium size
talk about having a garden in snow storm
talk of bees and geese
issue with trees/shrubs from first snow storm
for garden losses, erase the dead…..fast
A garden is like a new Gospel
nature is to be conquered pp.236
mother nature destroys what it creates p. 237
recipe of vegetable stock from snippets (soup base) use trimmings
likes “peels on” ingredients
never stop wanting more plants
why do I garden:
it’s a thing to do, can’t help myself!
looking for a way thru….I am alive! P.250
I do need more practice says the author. She doesn’t include politics, faith, or wealth
she thinks everyo0ne should have a bontiance as a neighbor
MG Buds book club 