Tomatoes and Terracotta Pots

Terracotta Pots on Right

 I had to work memorial day at my job (Joann's Fabrics and Crafts) for an extra long shift, so there wasn't extra time to play in the garden; however, I did harvest some green leaf lettuce from the containers on the left and had a wonderful salad. I brought 3 large terracotta pots from my backyard down to the ranch as well. They looked kind of lonely and empty, so I headed over to the Garden Resource center in Foster park (3 blocks from my garden) and I saw they had many donated plants today with a limit of 10 free plants today. I told the volunteers to surprise me and gave them a bucket to load up.

Free Items From Garden Center

 I got 3 celeriac, 2 kale, 3 tomatoes, and 2 peppers. The tomatoes are a climbing vine type, Heritage, and Purple. The peppers are Flavorburst and Cayenne. The celariac is called Grande Prague variety. Some of the tomatoes and peppers are in pots and some are in the straw bales. It is hard to see, but I used that free piece of wood from the garden center to bury in a pot and I am going to let the climbing tomatoes climb it. Right now they are small plants, so they are staked at the bottom of the board. The cayenne is in that pot, too. I have been reading about drying hot peppers in my car as a technique to dry and save them for a long time.

View Facing East May 27th

The pots on the left hand side contain lettuce that was harvested and eaten. It was delicious. In the cordoned off square on the left, there is popcprn and bush beans planted. The central bales have tomatoes, peppers, sunchokes, and a winter squash plant. The third bale will be for annual flowers that I am buying when I get paid.

Hostas And Sunchokes

Hostas Replanted From Rear of House

 Yesterday's gardening project was delayed by rain, so I decided to do another small project. I dug up some hosta plants, which are great for shade, from the rear of our house and planted them out front. While I was planting them, I found 2 sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) coming up that I had planted last year, I dug these up to transplant at Las Vegan Ranch, my community garden plot, and planted the hostas in their place.

Sunchokes

Spreading Straw

May 22 Garden View

Today was a double shift in the garden. In the morning, my sister and I mowed the grass and spread 4 bales of straw in the garden. The remaining 3 bales we are using for straw bale gardening. In the evening, we went to the garden resource center in Foster Park on Marcus Street to see what they had available for plants. We got Swiss chard, tomatoes, parsley, and pac choy, an oriental vegetable. Pac choy is a brand new vegetable for me, but it is supposed to be good in stir fries.

Flat of Free Plants from Foster Park Garden Project

Straw Bale Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry Tomatoes Planted in a Straw Bale

A few years ago, a good friend told me about straw bale gardening,a technique where you plant your crops directly in a bale of straw (not hay) and at the end of the season, till the straw back into the garden bed. The advantages of straw bale gardening are the same as a raised bed garden- fewer weeds, protection from critters, and more heat to fuel the growth of young plants. The straw bales are also supposed to soak up water, like a mulch, and protect the plants from drought. I planted cherry tomatoes in my bale today, and I hope they grow and cascade over the edge of the bale, like a min-tomato-mountain.

Plants from Horrock's In Lansing, MI

 I bought the plants from Horrock's on M43 in Lansing, MI. They have a huge selection of gardening supplies and plants. Here are black cherry tomatoes, crimson sweet watermelons, and grape tomatoes.

Pot of Leaf Lettuce

 This is some leaf lettuce almost ready to harvest. I started it in seed pots indoors 5 weeks ago. Below, you can see me watering the bale of straw. The final picture is a wide view of our garden of May, 20th 2015.

Watering The Bale

Melons and Soybeans

Wide View of Garden May 20th

Just Like Christmas!

Compost and Straw Has Been Delivered!

Yippee! Today the Landbank of Ingham County, Michigan delivered the compost and straw that I had purchased. Compost costs 11 dollars a square yard (2/3 of what is pictured) and straw is 2 dollars a bale, delivery included. I purchased 1 square yard of compost for my vegetables and 10 bales of straw. There is a lot of land in my garden plot where I haven't planted yet, and I plan to mulch that with straw to discourage weeds; however, today, I wanted to lay down compost and then a layer of straw around the plants that I have growing now. The weather is starting to feel summery and it is going to get hot and dry soon.

My sister and I were out watering the garden this morning. when we were surprised by a young man on a tractor, delivering garden supplies. It was just like getting Christmas presents, I was so giddy about my new supplies. Immediately, I set to work using the compost and straw.

Adding Compost, Then Straw

First, I piled compost around each plant to ensure it has a good supply of nutrient rich organic matter for the season, then I formed a nest of straw around each plant to hold in moisture. I also weeded by the plants and used some of the compost to reinforce my garden stakes and to build up a berm in the front of the garden. I have sunflowers and zinnias planted on that berm in the front. Below, are 3 weeded and mulched rows of plants.

3 Finished Rows

Here are 2 shots of the garden facing east, after I was done working for the day.

The Season's First Bloom

Zinnia

 In anticipation of drier weather ahead for the rest of the week, my sister and I headed over to "Las Vegan Ranch" today for some watering and to check on the progress of our garden. First, we noticed that our zinnia, a gift from Delphina, one of the neighbors had a bloom on it! This is our first flower of the season from these perennials. She gave us 4 plants, which we have planted as a border for the front of the garden, along with sunflowers.

Cabbage, Kale, and Broccoli 

 Here are some of our cool season crops that are doing nicely; however, I worry that it will get too warm for the crops to fully mature. There is no sign of florets on the broccoli or of a head forming on the cabbage. I have read that these crops do best around 70 degrees Fahrenheit; however, the forecast is calling for 80's the rest of the week, and 90's very soon.
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Salsa Quartet

 Planted here is the salsa quartet I bought yesterday at the MSU Plant sale. It has 2 varieties of tomatoes, hot peppers, and cilantro. Below, is some squash coming up. I plant to thin them when my mulch and compost arrives. I also plan to mulch over a lot of the weeds coming up and lay down burlap between the garden rows.

Squash

Michigan State University Plant Sale

Greenhouse Number 1

Yesterday, in my Greater Lansing Food Bank email newsletter, I got an announcement about the annual plant sale at MSU, and wanting to get out and explore the community, I decided to go check it out. The sale was held on Sat. May 16, 2015 from 9 am until 2 pm. The newsletter urged patrons to bring their own carts and wagons. I certainly agree with that and can attest that if I had a cart to hold more, I probably would have bought many more plants!

Succulents

 The sale was held in the horticulture building and filled 3 huge greenhouses with a variety of annuals, perennials, houseplants, herbs, fruits, and vegetables. They even had some exotic and tropical plants. The prices ranged from 2 dollars to 5 dollars, with several special assortments for a sale price. For example, I got a 4 pack of veggies for 3 dollars that included 2 varieties of tomatoes, an early variety of jalapenos, and slow-bolt  cilantro, all bundled together in the "salsa pack". I also purchased a honeydew melon plant, Minnesota Midget melon plant, and a large aloe vera. The aloe is now in a pot in my kitchen and the melons and vegetables are planted in my community garden plot.

Plants I Purchased

Beaded Hoop Earrings From a Pinterest Tutorial With Link

Last night, I tried another Pinterest tutorial for their Crystazzi beaded earrings. Crystazzi is a brand of glass crystal beads sold at Michael's craft store. I did not have the beads or sizes specified in the tutorial; however, I followed the patterns and added some variations to come up with the earrings seen in this post. All of these were handmade, following the basic techniques in this tutorial, just substituting different size and shape beads. For the last pair, done in coral, I added additional beads to make them bigger, after I got the hang of the technique. I would rate this tutorial excellent and very easy to follow. I did a version using very thin copper wire, as well as some using tigertail beading wire. If you use the beading wire, you will need crimp beads and a crimping pliers. Here is a link to the Pin. Click on the pin to follow the link to Michael's and see the tutorial. The tutorial is free, but you can buy the recommended supplies there: Pinterest Earring Tutorial

All of the earrings I made, along with other jewelry and scented drawer sachets, can be found online at Tundra And Taiga

Transplanting Sunchokes

Sunchokes Coming Up

Last spring, in the beginning of June 2014, I bought some sunchokes, a native, Michigan root vegetable from the Allen Street Farmer's Market in Lansing and I planted them in my yard. Most of the bulbs got dug up and eaten by squirrels, but 3 plants survived and grew to a height of about 6 feet during the summer. Today, I went out to mow the lawn, and I noticed the plants had proliferated. I dug up 7 bulbs with a trowel to take over to my community garden plot and transplant in a sunny place. Sunchokes are also known as Jerusalem Artichokes. Here is a link to a Wikipedia article about these plants: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_artichoke

Sunchokes Dug Up For Transplanting

 Here are my sunchoke bulbs dug up and ready to plant. I could cook and eat them at this size, but I want to have a bigger yield. When I was in college at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, I was a student in the dietetics program and we prepared local, roasted sunchokes, mixed with potatoes, and they were delicious! We simply washed and sliced them into 1/4-1/2 inch coins, tossed them with sliced yellow potatoes, olive oil, coarse salt, and Italian seasoning, and then roasted them in the oven on a sheet pan at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes. They were nutty and buttery.

In a Nice, Sunny New Home

A Cold and Cloudy Week

Facing East

 It's been a cool and overcast week here in Lansing, with temperatures in the 40's-60's and lots of rain. Because of the rain, it hasn't been possible to get out and work much in the garden, but I headed over there today to see what was sprouting. Quite a few of the crops I have planted are coming up; however, it looks like there are plenty of weeds and volunteers from seeds in the compost or crops that were planted last year. 4 days ago, I put out tomato and pepper seedlings, and although I think it was too early, they do not seem to be negatively affected by the cool weather. There has been no frost, freeze, or snow though. The weather forecast predicts it will start warming up tomorrow.

Facing West, Wildflower Meadow Section

 This portion of the garden is a mix of native wildflower seeds to attract pollinators. I see some weeds in here, too. I plan to let this section grow as a cover crop and have it tilled up next year.

Turnip Greens

 Here are some turnip greens coming up. I plan to harvest the baby greens for salads and sautes, then thin the turnips and let them mature.

Lettuce, Flowers, and Herbs

Finally, I have some assorted potted plants here. The lettuce is doing well. I have dwarf sunflowers planted along the wooden beam on the left hand side of the picture, but they have not sprouted yet.

Beadsmith 1 -Step Looper Review: A New Jewelry Making Tool

One Step Looper Tool

I got my 1-Step Looper at Michael's craft store about 6 months ago for around 30 dollars, although, you can buy one on Amazon for 21.99 here: http://www.amazon.com/Beadsmith-1-Step-Looper-Pliers-Create/dp/B00BOZ79UO/ref=cm_cr_pr_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8

This tool has 4.5 star rating for over 300 reviews. Personally, I love the tool and would recommend it; however, I would only give it a 4 star review for the following reasons. When I took it out of the packaging, there were no instructions, although, I did visit a website listed on the back of the box for tips and project ideas. I ended up figuring out the basics in about 10 minutes, but my loops weren't coming out right. I practiced and practices, and still, after about 50 loops, they were lopsided, crooked, or cut too short. Finally, I went to you tube and watched a short video. In the video, she suggests to pull back on your bead while squeezing. Now, this, made all the difference in the world and I was shortly making nearly uniform loops! If you buys this tool, watch the video. It is only 2 minutes long. The video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUAG8JBltEE

The other thing that is mildly irritating about the product is that the finished loops are not closed enough. I have to go back and finish the loop with a pliers, a minor annoyance, since the finished loops look professional and uniform. Aside from a few minor hiccoughs with use, I am glad I purchased the looper and I would buy it again.

Earrings I Made Using The Looper Tool; They Are For Sale Here https://www.etsy.com/listing/232703277/green-swarovski-crystal-chandelier?ref=shop_home_active_2

Krissy Likes It! Catnip Iced Tea

Krissy Paws The Fresh Catnip Tea

 Whew, today was a busy day down at "Las Vegan Ranch", my community garden plot. My sister and I did a lot of planting, raking, hoeing, and watering. We planted tomatoes, peppers, melons, beans, corn, squash, and more. I am worried it is a little early; however, we have no frost in the forecast for the next 10 days and if it turns cold, I can cover the seedlings with plastic. The big success of the day, though, was my organic catnip iced green tea. I harvested some fresh catnip from the plot and tied it in a bundle with twine, washed it, put the herbs in a pitcher with 4 green tea bags and a pinch of sweetener, then filled it up with hot water from the tap and put it in the refrigerator to steep while it cooled. I served it in a mason jar over ice. Our cat, Krissy, went absolutely crazy for the fresh catnip!

Tomato Cages On Left

Basil, Chives, and Mint

Herb Plants Donated By Meijer

 This post is an update on my garden progress as of May 6th, 2015. I blogged yesterday about the Garden Resource Center giving away free herb plants, and I have a picture of "The Mother-lode" above, a collection of chive, mint, and basil herbs that were donated to the Garden Center by Meijer stores. I also got a small amount of more cool season crops to put in, such as lettuce and cabbage. Unfortunately, most of my greens and early crops I planted last week have been eaten by bunny rabbits.

Garden May 6th 

This shot of the garden shows a small square pen in the foreground. This is the herb garden area with the basil planted in it. I also have dill and fennel seeds planted there in the ground. Below, is a picture of the catnip that was growing on the plot when I first leased it. The person who gardened there last year planted it. I dug some up and planted it at my house and it has really taken off! I plan to brew some catnip iced tea soon and give some to the felines.

 Cantip

 Here are my heirloom tomatoes and peppers at week 5. I plan to put them in the ground today, which is a little early, but there is no sign of a cold snap in the weather forecast and plenty of rain in the days ahead. For tomatoes, I have a mixture of Brandywine, Black Krim, Purple Cherokee, and Early Girl. The peppers are Jalapeno, Poblano, and sweet red peppers.

Heirloom Tomatoes And 

Urban Beautification In Lansing, MI Eastside Neighborhood

Lansing, MI is a town filled with old trees, historic homes and distinctive neighborhoods. I live in the Eastside district and I also rent a large community garden plot there. Currently, there are 80 community gardens that are being leased in the city by the Ingham County Land Bank, plus additional shared gardens organized by the Garden Project. This morning, I drove to the resource center to pick up some plants. Along the way, I snapped some photos from my car that are representative of some of the neighborhood houses. It is a mix of residential and light industrial, with mostly older homes. Some of them are in a sad state of disrepair or abandoned, and that is where the Land Bank and Garden Project is stepping in to revitalize the area. Here are some pictures of the blighted areas. After the first set of pictures, I will show 2 of the larger community gardens that are built where there used to be abandoned homes. My garden is on the block with the last picture, showing the house with the red van. 

Now, here are the photos of the community gardens that are being integrated into the neighborhood. The great thing about this project is that excess food grown in the gardens is also donated to a food bank and distributed into the community, plus the gardens are a great place for people to volunteer and socialize. I often see senior citizens working in the gardens, chatting, and giving gardening advice. These 2 particular gardens are located on Marcus Street, behind Foster Park.

Finally, here are some pictures of the Garden Project Resource Center, also on Marcus Street, in the rear of Foster Park. I was able to pick up some free plants today that were donated by Meijer, mostly herbs like mint, chives, and basil. You need to register online to use the Garden Center and it is for home gardeners and community gardeners. So, if you want to spruce up your home with some flowers or grow your own food, you can register online to obtain free plants and borrow tools from the Garden Center. They have friendly volunteers that have plenty of advice about gardening and cooking your produce.