The yellow plots have already been taken.
We have some topics and speakers lined up for the next meetings AND we have opportunities for others to share. Please take a look. We'll send reminders but want to get on everyone's calendar.
April 19, 2012. Noon at the Parsons Community Garden. Topic: Planting Questions & Answers. Jacob Weber, Horticulture Agent, from Wildcat Extension District (Crawford, Labette, & Montgomery) will answer questions. Folks have asked about information on spacing for planting, thinning, and input on companion plantings. This is your chance to get some advice. If you have a question, you want answered, this is the time to ask. Please come and learn with the rest of us! IF IT RAINS, we'll be at the Municipal Building.
May 3, 2012. Noon at the Parsons Municipal Building. Topic: Canning Jams and Jellies. Kylie Ludwig, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, from Wildcat Extension District. Kylie will explain how to safely and successfully can jams and jellies. We'll share information on the U-pick and picked fruit stands and agribusinesses in the area. Plus some of us put up tomato preserves and pepper jellies. Invite a friend or two.
May 17, 2012. Speaker, topic and location (PCG or Municipal Building) to be determined. Is there something you want to share with other gardeners? Is there someone you know who has information that others want to hear? Let us know and this date is open.
June 7, 2012. Speaker, topic and location (PCG or Municipal Building) to be determined. Is there something you want to share with other gardeners? Is there someone you know who has information that others want to hear? Let us know and this date is open.
June 21, 2012. Noon at the Parsons Community Garden. Topic: Gardener cookout and social. Bring a drink and a chair. We'll provide hot dogs, chips, and cookies. Plus we'll have gardeners share some of their experiences. Come socialize and learn ….before the July heat wave gets us all! (Maybe we'll be lucky and it won't be 105 in July this year!).
Invite a friend. We still have room to grow! The membership packet can be found here:
http://parsonscommunitygarden.posterous.com/reminder-march-1st-meeting-to-sig...
Sheila, Patty & Sara
421-8367
To date, we have 36 gardeners (and 1 that I'm still trying to catch up with!). It's very exciting – some folks have been part of the garden for all three years and some are just joining. Gardening experience runs a wide range too, but that's part of the fun. This post provides some handouts that we promised.
Sweet Potato Starts
Leon Gimler shared us how to start sweet potatoes a few weeks back. We just got around to writing it up so we thought we'd share. It's below. Pretty plants for a container and yes, you can use a deep container and try for sweet potatoes. Good luck.
Handouts from last meeting
1. Last week, we discussed container gardening. We based our discussion on a PowerPoint borrowed from the Wichita Community Garden blog --http://thedemogarden.org/.
The handout we used is below. Check out the demo garden blog link for other great ideas. Look at the tabs for topics and browse the archives.
We also had articles from the House and Home section of the Kansas City Star (April 1, 2012 & April 3, 2011 – yes, 2011, I am a pack rat).
2. Please see POTS OF PLENTY on Page D-1 of Sunday, April 01, 2012 http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODE/KCStar/LandingPage/LandingPage.aspx?href=S0NTLzIwMTIvMDQvMDE.&pageno=NTk.&entity=QXIwNTkwMA..&view=ZW50aXR5
This link will take you to the text on gardening in containers from the Sunday issue of the Kansas City Star.
3. A second article provided advice from Farmers Market vendors in Kansas City.
Photo and page 1 link: Please click on the following link to read the item:
Full text of article link is here: http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=S0NTLzIwMTEvMDQvMDMjQXIwNDUwMA%3D%3D&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Sheila, Patty & Sara
421-8367
A few of our community gardeners have tried the interesting technique of growing plants in a bale of straw. Patty tried it during the first year of the community garden with her dad's help at his farm. You may also remember that during the second year, we had the straw bales at the community garden on the west side. Patty has shared her information in the power point below.
The Sedgwick County Extension Master Gardeners' Demonstration Garden is on the grounds of the Sedgwick County Extension office in Wichita. These are people who understand the joys and challenges of gardening in the Southern Kansas heat. You can check out their blog at this link:
Rebecca has included the handouts to their March 17th workshops, including "Planning Your Garden," "Recommended Vegetable Varieties," "Vertical Gardening," "Success with Tomatoes," "Unusual Vegetables and Edibles" and a lot more.
In the toolbar at the top is a link to garden plan templates that are just the right size for a community garden plot.
Check it out!
Our next Parsons Community Garden meeting is for member sign up for plots.
The meeting is Thursday, March 1, at 12:00 (noon). It will be in the Parsons Municipal Building basement. We will have seeds to share - seed starting time is coming plus you might want to just try seeds for something different this year. The free seed packets arrived so we have a nice variety to share.
You will be able to complete a member packet and sign up for a space. We will hold people's spaces for them through March for sure. Be sure to invite people you think might be interested. It's always good to have new members!
Hope to see you there.
Sara, Patty & Sheila
Parsons Community Garden
421-8367
Update your calendar! Future meeting dates:
April 5
April 19
May 3
(download)
Check out the 2012 Urban Farm Handbook Challenge posted at www.sustainableeats.com/sign-up-for-the-urban-farm-handbook-challenge
They have created activities for twelve months--eleven challenges and one reflection month--for 2012.
The challenge for February is Soil Building and they have some great ideas and resources for composting, green manures, soil amendments, worm composting, and more . . .
In March you can learn how to make cheese from the folks at the Goat Justice League.
Sound interesting? Want to play with us?
Patty and Rhonda (Garden Gal)
Here is are video instructions for making your own Worm Compost Tea, a great natural fertilizer:
If you want to learn more about worm composting, read Sunflower Houses: Garden Discoveries for Children of All Ages, by Sharon Lovejoy. She keeps her "girls" in a 4 x 8 worm bin created from cinder blocks stacked three high. It is divided into two sections, each with a plywood lid. She waters the "girls" often and feeds them daily on kitchen scraps (including birthday cake) and shredded clippings. Sharon turns them with a pitchfork once a week and harvests some of the worm compost for her garden.
