tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20489194578117651502024-02-19T11:33:55.288-08:00Saratoga Community Gardensaratoga community gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12910025934466165074noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048919457811765150.post-87952038073384342582012-02-19T12:02:00.000-08:002012-02-19T12:02:57.348-08:00Garden updateFeels as if Spring my be just around the corner and I would like to post some of my thoughts about the<br />
upcoming planting season. This year, I would like to back off of the decisions and planting of the vegetable beds, unless I am needed for helping. I would like to focus my energies on tending to fruit trees, berry vines and grapes. I would also intend to provide the water from my property, however I hope the actual watering can be divided among the garden participants. I had hoped that I might avoid paying for the weekly irrigation. The next item on my agenda, will be to finish connecting the grape arbor and trimming all of grape, fruit trees and berry vines. I also hope to provide a blackboard somehow, to leave messages and for little children to draw on. I had thought that I might like to have a lending library, like the ones you see spread around town on various street corners. But I think some of my ideas can be a little grandiose and first and foremost I to help provide this area with things that are most important to the surrounding neighborhood. Please feel free to e-mail me with any thoughts or ideas that any of you would like to share. Planting is still a bit of a ways out, I was just hoping to get people thinking about our up coming season. Thank you, Alan Rootsaratoga community gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12910025934466165074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048919457811765150.post-92169350870899315982011-05-29T11:23:00.000-07:002011-05-29T11:23:09.668-07:00Peppers Are Planted!Garden Friends,<br />
<br />
The peppers have been planted. There are 7 different varieties of sweet peppers and 3 varieties of hot peppers. Please be aware of the tags. The hot pepper are HOT and don't want to be accidently picked by one of our toddling children for a snack. Now we just have to hope for some warm weather for a productive crop!<br />
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Happy gardening - The Allen Familysaratoga community gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12910025934466165074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048919457811765150.post-26643248439088263752011-05-05T12:32:00.000-07:002011-05-05T12:32:33.873-07:00Starting a Facebook PageIs it silly to start a Facebook page for a garden? I've seen dogs with Facebook pages before. Surely a garden has something to say?<br />
In the hopes that this step will make posting and learning about the garden that much easier for people, I'm going ahead with it.<br />
Keep your eyes out and become a member!<br />
<br />
heathersaratoga community gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12910025934466165074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048919457811765150.post-69283852295917068132011-05-05T12:29:00.001-07:002011-05-05T12:29:17.767-07:00Note from Alan...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">I have decided to take a look at the produce list that people suggested</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">that they would like to have in the garden, and plant some of those. Some one has anonymously left a soil thermometer at my</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">door step (?????????). Thank you ! I have been checking the soil periodically, and it has stayed consistently around 55 degrees,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">which indicates that broccoli, peas, celery, onions and cabbage are good to plant. Also I would like to give a big shout out to Bob</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">and Ginger, two of our neighbors who have donated a huge amount of their personal time helping to keep our local Arbor Lodge</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">Park chemical free, which I know that many folks with children and dogs and all the ball teams that play there must appreciate.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">One good way to show our appreciation, would be to show up one of the once a month Saturday's and help out. They also graciously</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">showed up and helped out labor and their experience and valuable knowledge of gardening. Thanks so much Ginger and Bob for</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">all that give and do.</span>saratoga community gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12910025934466165074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048919457811765150.post-90880264341010103562011-05-01T11:08:00.000-07:002011-05-01T11:11:13.917-07:00Black Plastic if You PleaseErin and I (Justin) have a bunch of black plastic for covering beds if anybody needs some. Also a bit of lime.justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03986186976244776851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048919457811765150.post-69538455697710800962011-04-13T16:48:00.000-07:002011-04-13T16:48:38.271-07:00Prepped Beds and Snap PeasAlan has kindly prepared all the beds for planting. He turned the soil and added a wheelbarrow full of compost as well as a bag of additional compost. They look great and are just waiting for some seeds & starts. Thanks, Alan!<br />
<br />
Just planted 2 packets of Oregon sugar snap peas in the garden. You'll see the tomato cages in bed #4 waiting for pea vines to grow. So look forward to these treats in approximately 70 days!<br />
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heathersaratoga community gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12910025934466165074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048919457811765150.post-53730918034427404842011-04-12T09:48:00.000-07:002011-04-12T09:51:15.402-07:00Lettuce take this adviceHere's some good advice Ginger gave me on growing lettuce:<br /><br /><blockquote>Well, I am cautious in the early spring, but all my books and catalogs say it is fine to start lettuces right now. Most state that a day temperature of 55 or higher is best for germination. We are close to that now. You risk freezing, but then just plant again. <br />Here is some info and some varieties to try early.<br />Plant some now, wait 2 weeks, plant another row – so space some out and leave room for a few extra rows to be planted in 2 weeks, then 4. That will give you harvest over the extended period of time. You can keep planting lettuces up to day temps of about 80 – quite a while from now. Dill can go in now too.<br /> <br />Things that can stand lower temps include:<br />Endive-frizee<br />Any Asian mix or just mizunas, pak choi’s<br />Cress – upland varieties – 35-40 days<br />Try mesclun mixes – good to eat in 21-25 days<br />A little slower are romaines, buttercrunch and bibb<br />If you grow something like oak leaf or most leaf lettuces you can cur and it usually will come again. <br />A good rule is when a lettuce starts to bolt – eat it asap, but taste the leaves before preparing, some get bitter right when they start to bolt, some not until they flower.</blockquote>justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03986186976244776851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048919457811765150.post-24768054309946614932011-03-27T13:41:00.000-07:002011-03-27T13:42:41.075-07:00Garden Meeting #2<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Spring planting meeting TODAY at 4pm</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Sunday, March 27th</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Where: Alan's house (or the garden if it's not raining)</span></span><br />
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</span></span>saratoga community gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12910025934466165074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048919457811765150.post-36849809912572150962011-03-15T12:40:00.000-07:002011-03-17T13:20:28.226-07:00Welcome to the blog!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uCrl8ITaaQ86r2dx7E6bcHvsFKdTvN-wKMydiMlK6mPhyXZLP8JGz4dpS4W-dEcVmDYW2APy2w7UU1CU9JipGKY5Rv8HKryYZr5rKnB2DOOwT2Osv_UQFURDdtD5nw5zgv5361a-0S8W/s1600/IMG_2425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uCrl8ITaaQ86r2dx7E6bcHvsFKdTvN-wKMydiMlK6mPhyXZLP8JGz4dpS4W-dEcVmDYW2APy2w7UU1CU9JipGKY5Rv8HKryYZr5rKnB2DOOwT2Osv_UQFURDdtD5nw5zgv5361a-0S8W/s640/IMG_2425.jpg" width="425" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rainbow chard, beets and tomatoes from the 2010 harvest. Yum!</div>saratoga community gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12910025934466165074noreply@blogger.com0