Fruits of Gardening

Farming in the Community Garden affords many benefits: enjoying the fresh air, sharing gardening tricks with others, and enjoying the bounty of fresh vegetables that come our way. Here is a picture of some the amazing produce from the one of our gardeners.

Fruits of the Garden

Alas! The sweltering heat and the natural "aging process" of our garden plants are beginning to show their effects in the garden. Vines are wilting, tomato plants are yellowing, yields are slowing or even stopping on many of our precious jewels. That means, it's a great time to begin uprooting the old and planting the new. Yes, this is a great time to begin our Fall gardens that can include more tomatoes, as well as, some of the cooler weather plants.

Don't forget, if uprooting old plants, DO NOT discard seed bearing material (e.g. old tomatoes, beans, squash, etc.) in the compost pile. Also, DO NOT put weeds or diseased plant material into the compost pile. These items should be disposed of in the trash can or taken home and disposed of properly. Happy gardening!

New Toy_Mantis Tiller

Look! We have a brand new toy at the SCP Community Garden. It's a 4-cycle Mantis Tiller.

"4-cycle" you say. What does that mean. Well our previous tiller was a 2-cycle, which required carefully mixing a special oil into the gasoline. The 4-cycle engine uses gasoline without the oil mix. However, there is oil in the engine...just like an automobile engine.

Our previous tiller was constantly having engine problems because of the ETHANOL found in most commercial gasoline. The ethanol seems to gum up small engines. Yuk! Hence, in the new tiller we WILL USE ONLY ETHANOL FREE GASOLINE. Located in the tool shed is a red fuel can labelled "MANTIS TILLER ONLY". If that can becomes empty, please inform Mater Man. (There are very few outlets for ethanol-free gasoline in the area and Mater Man knows where.)

If you follow instructions (posted in the tool shed), the Mantis Tiller easily starts on 2 pulls and runs like a charm. Happy tilling!!

Mantis 4-cycle Tiller

Mantis Tiller in Action!

Spring is in the Air_2017

Yes, indeed. Spring has sprung and early crops are well underway at SCP Community Garden.

Tomatoes and Pole Beans

Lettuce, Beans and More

Beans and Cabbage

Some Mighty Fine Cabbage

Cherry Tomatoes--almost ready.

Garden View

Fall Crops and "Making the Bed"

While a few maters continue to produce, now is the time for getting those fall crops in the ground. Several farmers are enjoying the bounty:

Fall Cabbage

Juicy Carrots

Crisp Radishes

Fall Eggplant

Let's not forget about "bed making time". As your gardens begin to "fizzle" at the end of the growing season, don't forget to CLEAN your garden beds of weeds, spent veggie plants, and trellises, etc. Please DO NOT place seeds (okra pods, old tomatoes, beans, peas, etc.) or WEEDS into the compost pile. This absolutely ruins the compost for future use. Place such "nasties" (seeds, weeds) into a plastic bag and REMOVE from the garden site. This cleanup helps get your bed ready for next season.

Great Crops...Coming Along!

Here are a few pictures of our spring and early summer crops. Looking good! Congratulations to SCP-Community Garden "farmers" on your handiwork. It's time to start planning for that 1st "mater samich" with your very own home-grown mater. Yummy!!!

Cabbage--Some Fine Slaw

Hot Buttered Corn-on-the-Cob

 

Luscious Maters On the Way

Summer Squash

 The Community Garden "Berry Patch" is still in its infancy. Let's continue to nurture these babies along so we can harvest a bounty of blackberries, blueberries, and figs in coming years.

Blackberries

Yes, they are "thornless". Lots of little green berries now promise some giant, ripe beauties soon. Can you say "blackberry cobbler"? Ummmm....

Fig Tree--maybe next year!

Blueberries--little bushes now...but wait!

New Toy for Gardeners

This handsome garden cart was donated to the Community Garden by "front desk Ed". Wow! What a handy device for those of us with achy, tired backs and legs.

The seat raises and lowers to a convenient height by spinning the seat either clockwise or counter clockwise.


The 5-gallon bucket and tray under the seat provide ample spots for keeping tools, seeds, and other supplies close at hand. Don't forget to rinse and wipe down the cart after use and before storing in the tool shed.

2016 Kickoff Breakfast

On January 30th, most of our Community Gardeners gathered at "the club" to kickoff our 2016 gardening year. In addition to a bountiful buffet, there was a brief program focusing on recommended soil amendments and "organic" approaches to insect control. Gardeners also had the opportunity of paying yearly fees and getting new garden keys. With a few warmer, sunnier days popping up, gardeners are beginning to get green thumb twitches...

The "Gardening Crowd"

Farmer Craig Loves that Black Kow

Paying Fees..Gettin' Keys

Crops are In

We've had a relatively good year of gardening, with some exceptions. Squash vine borers continued to sneak in but otherwise pests were not as nasty this year. An over friendly armadillo seems to have taken a liking for our mulched pathways. An "anti-armadillo" blockade is underway. In addition to that rascally armadillo, this blockade will, hopefully, help keep wondering puppies, rabbits, chickens and turkeys from sneaking under our garden gate. Here are a few pics of some interesting crops this year:

 This grand prize winning tomato weighed 1 lb. 11.9 ounces. The proud parents are Sara and Ferol farming in Bed B-2.Now this is what makes a great "mater samich". All this needs is some extra fresh white bread and Duke's mayonnaise

   Sara and Ferol were also blessed with this1 pound, 11.3 ounce whopper.

This interesting sweet tater was harvested by Helen, Mary Carol and Craig from Bed E-7. Can't decide if it looks like a goose, a penguin, or totem pole. Maybe we should  have a "name the tater" contest.

    

Most crops have been harvested, including a fall bounty of lettuce, greens, and cabbage. Most farmers are getting beds cleaned up and prepared for a nice winter nap. Soon the time for browsing seed catalogs and dreaming of future crops will be upon us.

Experts Share Advice

In early April, our garden was visited by UGA County Extension Agent Wade Hutcheson and local farmer and Master Gardener Bobby James. They shared information and guidance about proper planting, watering, fertilizing, controlling weeds and pests, and harvesting of vegetables. After the presentation, these experts toured the gardens and answered individual questions. Mr. James also brought a variety of certified, organic heirloom tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and other vegetables for purchase. All these plants were raised from seed in the James Family Farm greenhouse located off Harlow Avenue in Griffin.

UGA Extension Agent & Master Gardener Share Gardening Advice

Certified, Organic Maters & Other Stuff

Spring and early summer crops are coming in nicely. Several farmers are beginning to harvest some lettuce and the beets, radishes, and broccoli aren't far behind.


Here is the beginnings of one proud gardener's first lettuce harvest. Bring on the "oil and vinegar"...or maybe the Ranch.

Spring has Sprung

The dogwoods and daffodils are blooming...the birds are singing....and the Community Gardeners are busy getting their Spring crops planted. In fact most garden beds already have healthy stands of young lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, peas, onions, and other delightful delicacies. Folks are anxious to get those luscious "maters" in as soon as the soil warms a bit more.

A Taste of  Oriental Flare Dresses Up the Tool Shed

 Check out the marvelous new landscaping at the tool shed. Special thanks to Tom, Barb, Terri, Joyce, and Diana for the planning and hard work. (Sorry if I missed anyone!) These are members of our fabulous "Herb

Garden Guru Committee". In addition to this landscaping project, this committee has been busy with on-going efforts to rejuvenate our herb garden. Thanks to these dedicated volunteer gardeners,  we will soon be enjoying a bounty of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (Sounds like an old Simon and Garfunkel song to me!), and other culinary herbs.

Happy New Year_2015!

Well, the Community Garden is fast asleep, gaining much needed rest and strength to be ready to thrive in the coming months. In late November, a cadre of highly skilled and dedicated gardeners gathered to do some much needed year-end weeding and general tidying up of the garden.  Hoses and tools were secured in the tool shed, irrigation lines drained, and a gigantic pile of plant material began its journey to becoming "magic foo foo dust" (that's compost). The truly fun adventures of the day: WEEDING, BURNING, PAINTING.

Priming the new trellis. Next comes a nice coat of paint....then some climbing, flowering botanical something!

It takes an army to burn those Pesky Weeds!

Pulling weeds is so much fun, I just want to....

...stick my head in this bucket!!

This handsome frog is (a) sitting on a bench and (b) contemplating what to plant in his garden. What are you doing?

Indeed, this is a great time to be scanning those seed catalogs and planning your Spring gardens!

Fall Harvests and Garlic Plantin'

Those community gardeners who toiled away in recent weeks are reaping some wonderful "fall crop" harvests. One of our gardening families recently had help from two precious grand daughters in digging sweet taters. The bounty included the "jumbo" in the accompanying photo. Wow!

A "football" sized sweet tater and two cute farmers.

Also, for those interested in becoming master garlic producers, the UGA recently released some tips on this venture. Now is the time to get those garlic bulbs in the ground so they are big and husky for next year's harvest. Go to this link for the UGA posting:  Garlic Planting Step-by-Step

After cleaning your garden beds, it is recommended that you either plant a cover crop, like clover, OR spread newspaper/landscape fabric over your garden and then cover that with straw/mulch. This will help keep those nasty weeds from taking hold. Plus it looks good!

As a reminder....don't forget to tidy up those garden beds before putting them to sleep for the winter. All vegetation should be removed and placed in the compost pile (no seeds please). All trellises and tomato cages should be removed and stored at your house. There is simply not enough room in the tool shed to accommodate everyone's personal stuff.

Fall Crops_Yep! It's Time.

Many, if not most, of our crops have been brought to their knees by the heat and long summer growing season. While the okra is still standing tall and blooming, it's time for those wilted tomatoes and peppers to be yanked out. The approach of cooler nights and shorter days means it's time to get those FALL CROPS in the ground. Don't forget to throw a little fertilizer around to nourish those newly planted goodies. This is also a great time to do some "catch up" weeding.

While we're tossing out the old....please be careful not to throw "seeds" or diseased plant material into the compost pile. Things like old tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash are full of seeds that will typically survive the composting process---only to sneak into someones garden next year.

Summer Crops_Coming On Strong

Bountiful crops are, well, "cropping up" all over the Community Garden. Luscious tomatoes, tall corn, squash and other veggie delights are filling our baskets. THIS is what Friends Playing in the Dirt is all about!

Workday Fun for All

 Saturday morning  June 21st saw a bushel of gardener-volunteers eagerly "weeding" and building/installing 11 new planting beds. While a beautiful morning, it was around 140-degrees with humidity in the high 99% range. Yuk!! Everyone was really dragging after a short time. Never-the-less the new planting beds were carefully installed. Also, a mountain of nasty weeds were hand-yanked from around the garden. A few brave souls whacked more of the pine saplings that threaten to shade our garden.

 Thanks to ALL who made this such a successful workday.







How much FUN 
weeding can be!

New Bed Construction

"Captain Craig's" Layout  Crew

Eleven New Beds All in Rows

New Trellis_Much Needed Shade