How To Use This Blog

We have set up this blog as a way to share with the community what we are up to and so members can see what needs to be done in the garden week to week.

How to use this blog:
We will post the to-do's and you simply write in the comments what you will be taking care of so we know it's getting done.
  • After you have entered your comment, simply hit the arrow next to profile, select anonymous and make sure you write your name in the comments section so we know who you are!
  • To make sure you don't miss an update, please enter your email address in the "Get Alerts for New Posts" form on the right column of this blog.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Saturday in the Garden July 27th, 2013

Hi all. I was in the garden on Wednesday. There were lots of green tomatoes, but not many ripe ones. Unfortunately, there were the usual empty chip and lunch bags next to the beds, and my conclusion is that people are taking all the ripe tomatoes. Animals leave a trail of half-eaten fruit, not empty chip bags. At this time of year, we should have many ripe tomatoes. I don't know what to do about this situation. I have spoken to "the city" about it, but not sure what can be done.

If you go up this Saturday, please give the compost barrel a couple of turns, pick ripe tomatoes and either bring them to me, or take them to All Saints for the Monday meal. Whole Foods is planning a service day in our garden on Wednesday, September 11th, I believe around 2 p.m. (details to follow). At this time we will do a fall clean-up, distribute compost, and try to get the bermuda grass out of the beds.

I met with a few of the City admin and staff last month, and told them that before we can proceed with the garden, we need them to lift the grass next to and in between the beds, and also to adjust the sprinklers so we don't get overshot.  Skip Z. is ordering a pop up crop cover that he is convinced will protect our crops. Once the city prepares the area, we will experiment with the crop cover over one of the beds, and keep our fingers crossed!

I will be in the garden on Wednesday, August 31st, around 10:30. Garden on. Barb L.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Wednesday, July 24th, 2013

My stitches are healing nicely, and I will be in the garden on Wednesday around 10:30. We should be able to start picking the tomatoes, assuming the squirrels allow us to have any! I hope to see you up there. Barb Linder

Saturday, July 13, 2013

This Week in the Garden

Hi All, I was up in the garden on Wednesday, and it looks like we should have a fair amount of tomatoes ripening soon. I have pruning workshops at UCLA for the next 6 Saturdays, so will be in the garden on Wednesdays for a while.

I am having a very minor surgery on Tuesday, so I won't get up there in the coming week. If anyone is there, please report on tomato readiness.  As to the next season, Whole Foods is planning to have a community service day in the garden in September, during which we will get the beds cleared out, and do some mulching/composting work.

I am waiting in the meantime to see whether the City gardening staff can remove the sod from around our beds so that we can start working on attaching some fencing alongside. I don't think we can plant anything new until we start doing some effective pest management, judging from what happened this summer.

More soon, love, Barb L.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Back From My Garden Tour

I'm back from a 3 week trip to Ireland, Devon and Cornwall. The public gardens in Devon and Cornwall are devastating:  If you are at all interested in gardening, I highly recommend these 2 areas. Although......the best garden I've ever seen is Kew, outside London. We visited Kew on our last day, and I almost applied for a job (just kidding). All of the English botanical gardens are highlighting edible gardening this year, and Kew has installed many new plots on areas that were previously lawns.

My trip so inspired me that immediately upon landing back in L.A. I was digging in my yard, jet lag or no. At any event, check out the photos on my FaceBook page (as of yet there are no titles, but I'm going to go back in and explain them this week).

Thank you to Lisa D., Christy, and Leyhun for checking up on the garden at Greystone during my absence. I will be up there this Wednesday around 10-10:30. I understand that we are still having predator problems, and I will see what is what. Barb Linder