Abundance

Thank you Gardeners, for donating your surplus produce to VEAP this past weekend.  I didn't weigh the VEAP donation box, but my aching arms told me there was about 20 pounds in it and overflow bag.  All the heat and rain has given us plenty for ourselves and others to enjoy.  Next VEAP donation day is not until September 24th, so you'll need to find other channels for your abundance until then.  I'm thinking about canning, and if you have canning questions, please add comments on the blog, or stop by during the Garden Open House on August 6th, 8:30 -10:30 AM, where we'll have a table with some basic canning advice.  See you there!

Meet and Greet August 6th?

I am willing to organize a small scale garden party at Harrison Park garden on August 6th, in commemoration of Community Garden Day (as suggested by Gardening Matters).  I think it might be nice to do it earlier in the day before it warms up much, also to co-incide with the Bloomington Farmers' Market hours. Maybe 8:30-10:30 am?   I will donate coffee and bagels.  We might offer a taste of our produce to visitors too.

We Beet the Heat!

Whew! Glad to walk out the door and not fry. I see there are a few gardens with beets, and I also have fennel, so I want to share our family's Birthday Beet salad recipe, so named for the summer birthdays that were the occasion of our first making this salad.  Boil, peel, chill and enjoy!

Birthday Beet Salad

3 large or 6 small beets, red or golden, cooked, peeled and chilled

1 fennel bulb

1 head of organic lettuce or other salad greens

½ cup chopped pistachios or peanuts

Parmesan cheese, fresh grated

¼ cup Balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Slice beets into small wedges and cut fennel bulb into thin strips (save the tops to cook with a pork roast). Toss beets and fennel with vinaigrette dressing made from balsamic vinegar, oil, salt and pepper (these and other herbs or seasonings in proportions to taste). Chop or rip lettuce into small pieces and place on a cold platter. Layer marinated beets and fennel mixture on top of greens. Garnish with chopped nuts and grated cheese.  More salt and pepper, oil and vinegar on top, if desired. Serve chilled.

 

BloomingtonCommunityGardens: How do I get rid of Japanese beetles?

BloomingtonCommunityGardens: How do I get rid of Japanese beetles?: "I am having a big problem with (what I think are) Japanese beetles. They are iridescent green and brown with white spots along the sides of ..."

How do I get rid of Japanese beetles?

I am having a big problem with (what I think are) Japanese beetles. They are iridescent green and brown with white spots along the sides of their abdomen, and are about the size of a dime.

I planted a crop of edamame (soybeans) and every time I visit the garden, there are dozens ... maybe even hundreds of these beetles eating the leaves. They haven't eaten anything else in my garden so far, except a few nearby green beans. I've been shaking them off or squashing them, but it seems that my efforts are in vain.

Is anyone else having this problem? At this point I'm considering getting some kind of mesh fabric to drape over the plants to create a physical barrier, since I don't want to use any chemicals on my food. Any tips would be appreciated!

Green Beans, Salad Fixin's and Kale!

On Saturday I harvested some more lettuce, onions, beats, arugala and, for the first time, green beans. They made for an excellent side dish with dinner on Saturday.

A neighbor gardener also gave me some of her bountiful harvest of kale last week. I wrapped in foil with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and peper and put it on the grill for about 12 minutes. It was the first time I ever tried cooking kale, but it turned out great.

See you all at the community gardens!

July Hothouse Gardening

The vegetables and flowers certainly like this heat and humidity - they've erupted in the past week.  Who has that 8 foot tall corn?  Wow!  And the snapdragons on the first plot next to the parking lot are stunning. The best part of the all the rain is that we don't have to haul water for a couple of days - Yeah!    I added some photos to show off our produce that was ready to harvest last weekend: beets, beans, peas, cucumber, zuchini, radish, 2 kinds of tomatoes, broccoli, basil and cilantro.  How about your plot?

How about a Garden Party?

I work for an organization called Gardening Matters, whose sole purpose is to be a resource to community gardeners in the Twin Cities. Every August, we help to organize "Community Garden Day" (formerly the Parade of Community Gardens) which is basically a day of recognition and celebration for all the work that community gardeners do to beautify their neighborhoods, increase local, healthy food consumption, and steward underutilized land. Community Garden Day this year is Saturday, August 6th, 2011.

What that means for your gardens is a party! In whatever capacity you see fit and are able. Some gardens just put out a jar of lemonade, others have a band and activities for the kids, some plant trees, some have an outdoor movie... it can be as big or small, simple or complicated as you want it to be.

Anyways, if you're interested in throwing a party in celebration of Community Garden Day, the registration is up on our website at www.gardeningmatters.org, and you can see a map of participating gardens online at www.tinyurl.com/CGDay2011 (or off of our website as well). Let me know if you have questions! Happy gardening!

Blackberries, the eating kind

A neighboring plotter share that there are blackberries - free for the pickin' - on the path down to Nine Mile Creek. I got about a cup full before the mosquitoes drove me out. I will return!

How to become a blogger

I am new to this blog thing, so I it took me a couple of days before I realized that OTHERS can't add to this blog except to addcomments on my postings, unless I give them permission to do so.  According to Google blogspot, I can add up to 100 people, so I will invite you to become a blogger if you contact me - see my Profile for an email link- and send me your email address.

Getting Started Somewhere

Hi Fellow Gardeners,

Remember the bare dirt, or better yet, the bare snow that once was the only thing covering our garden plots?  Well, we've come a long way since then - haven't we all feasted on the growing wonders of our gardens, if not the actual vegetables by now? Just like that untilled plot, I hope this blank blog page fills up with a bounty of sharing of our garden experiences, mistakes, tips, recipes and photos. Blog on!

Let me introduce myself, I am Ann, and I share plots 11 and 12 at Harrison Park with my book buddy, Michelle.  We are home gardeners looking to grow more vegetables and to get to know other gardeners in the community.  Stop and chat when you see us there.   Peace and Productivity!