VILLAGE
GARDENS
VILLAGE
GARDENS
VILLAGE GARDENS
It takes a village to create a garden and keep it beautiful. On campus, our residents enjoy gardening in many ways. Some lease raised beds in the Community Garden; others cultivate in their cottage courtyards; others garden in containers on their balconies and patios.
SPRING TOUR OF COTTAGE COURTYARD GARDENS AND PATIOS
Gardens in April and May
Gallery
GARDENS AROUND CAMPUS
Click on the photos to enlarge
What We Do
It takes a village to garden -- we dig, we plant, we weed, we admire, we sweat, we compost, we observe, we learn.
The end result is a beautiful community we love.
News from the Community Gardens
Summer is here. The first of the 100+ degree days has arrived. Now we begin the struggle to keep our plants well watered. The strawberries and blueberries are producing well. The tomatoes are loving the heat and soon we will see the first tomato ready to pick.
Next Community Gardens Committee Meeting
MONDAY, AUGUST 26 at 1:00 pm
LOCATION CRAFT ROOM
Who We Are
We are a community of independent seniors who find joy in a healthy, active and fulfilling life. Part of that joy comes from gardening in whatever way we can. Some of us even garden indoors.
To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.
- Audrey Hepburn
How This Website Came To Be
Our Garden Committee started planning for a spring tour of our Cottage Courtyard gardens in mid-2019. The proposed tour date was late April/early May of 2020. Those who wanted to participate began planning and planting and sprucing up. The excitement and flurry of activity was fun to watch. Then, along came COVID 19 and our lives went tilt. The tour was canceled. The son of one of our courtyard gardeners (Box 14) knew his mother was extremely disappointed about the cancellation. He suggested a virtual tour. Pictures would need to be taken and displayed somehow. Why not put them on a website? The result was Village Gardens.
Please return often to see how our gardens change with the seasons and the years. And, if you need gardening advice, we have some of that as well.
INTRODUCTION TO THE
GARDEN COMMITTEE
FOR NEW MEMBERS
Submitted by CS, Box 1
ORGANIZATION
The Garden Committee is a “self-supporting committee” under the Environmental Services division of the Resident Council. As such, all income and expenses are kept separately by the Council Treasurer in a Garden Account. Income and expenses are determined by committee members. The Garden Committee has a Council liaison who receives all income and expense receipts before forwarding them to the Council Treasurer for deposit or payment.
The committee officers are the Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Web Page Manager and Assistant Web Page Manager. Election for chairperson is held yearly at the December meeting. The Treasurer and Secretary are appointed by the Chair.
Revenues are derived from leasing boxes. Expenses include soil amendments and tools.
Meetings are held once a month. Information is exchanged and questions answered.
MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES
- A 4’ by 4’ box for $18.00, a 4’x 8’ box for $35.00 or a 4’x 2’ x12” box on legs (on the right) for $13.00 for one year. Note: Boxes on legs are only for members with limited mobility.
- Extra bedding soil, fertilizer, water and the use of tools.
Funds for expansion of the garden including additional raised beds came from donations from a non profit corporate organization
MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES & GUIDELINES
- Attend meetings, usually held the fourth Monday of the month. An agenda will be emailed 5 days prior to the meeting.
- Boxes should be planted most of the year.
- When watering plants, water should not go onto or flood the crushed granite.
- The granite walkways should be kept weed-free around boxes.
- Help with general garden maintenance (weeding and pathway upkeep) is appreciated.
- Visit the Web page regularly for notices: https://www.takesavillagetogarden.org. You may also send a message to takesavillagetogarden@gmail.com. Responses will go out under the pseudonym Green Thumb.
THE SHED
Funds for purchase of the shed came from donations from a non profit corporate organization
- Soil, fertilizer, tools, irrigation supplies, etc. are stored in the shed. If you wish to put fertilizer and other chemicals that only you use, put your name on them.
- Attached to the shelves are a list with members’ names and phone numbers, and a supply order-pad. Please contact members if their water system isn’t working properly or for other problems with their box. A First Aid Kit, a Sunset Garden Book, and various supplies can be found on the shelves.
POLLINATORS
What Are They and Why Are They Important?
Submitted by LK, Box 15
Edited by HNR, Box 10
Pollinators make it possible for flowering plants to reproduce which, in turn, makes it possible for us to grow and eat many fruits and vegetables. Since almost 80% of the crops grown worldwide require pollination by animals, terrestrial ecosystems (that include humans) would not survive without them. Examples of pollinators that you have likely seen in your own gardens are bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds.
I hope you have had a chance to see Emma’s gardens. Emma is a neighbor who lives close to Village Gardens. Her gardens are fantastic year-round. She has a corner lot which is filled with unusual and also familiar flowers that she plants, cares for, and cultivates. In addition, she has a huge vegetable garden in the back yard with various fruit trees near the fence. Tucked in behind the fruit trees she keeps beehives. On my walk to recharge my spirit and soul by viewing the beauty of her flowers, I found Emma with some of her hives empty and disassembled. When I asked what she was doing, she told me that a neighbor had sprayed, and the Queens had died.
As a child I was always deadly afraid of bees. As I grew up and had children of my own, I would put on a brave front to, hopefully, halt that unwarranted fear from being passed on to them. Then, I saw the “Bee Movie” which told the tale of the demise of the world’s flowers due to the lack of pollination from bees. Without bees and other pollinators we would lose so much of the joy and beauty from our lives not to mention all our fruits and vegetables.
My story has a happy ending for now. The neighbor has agreed to stop spraying and Emma will be able to replace her Queens and restart the hives. Long live the Queens!
Each one of us can take steps to ensure that pollinators keep thriving. We can grow plants that attract them, we can avoid applying chemicals that are toxic to them and we can provide habitat where these animals feel protected while they gather nectar and pollen.
Fertilizers and Plant/Soil Health
Essential Plant Nutrients
Submitted by HR Box 10
Fertilizing plants can be confusing. The questions of when, what, how and why all apply. The answer to the most basic question of why plants need nutrients is that they are required for the plant to grow and develop. Fertilizers are needed on an ongoing basis, but it might depend on the time of year or stage of plant development as to what fertilizer to apply or when to apply it. The list of nutrients required for plant survival and development are listed below.
Primary non-mineral nutrients (air and water)•
- Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen
Primary mineral nutrients
- N, P, K (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium)Secondary mineral nutrients
- Ca, Mg, S (Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur)Micro mineral nutrients
- Fe, Cl, Mn, B, Cu, Zn, Mo (Iron, Chlorine, Manganese, Boron, Copper, Zinc, Molybdenum)The terms primary, secondary and micro do not imply that one type is more important than another: all nutrients are required for healthy plant growth, some in larger amounts than others. Commercial fertilizer products display the levels of the primary nutrients, e.g. N-P-K; 10-10-10, on either the front or back panel of the bag. The numbers mean, in this particular example, that the bag of fertilizer contains 10% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 10% potassium. Levels of the other nutrients are shown in smaller print, if they are present.
Organic vs. Synthetic Fertilizers
Does it matter where, when or how plants get their nutrients? Yes!
Read below to see the pros and cons of each fertilizer type. You might conclude there is a time and place for both.Organic Fertilizers
Organic fertilizers are not readily available to the plant and are typically not water soluble. Organic fertilizers are sold as naturally occurring materials such as bone, blood, plant meal or composted manure. The nutrients do not become available to the plant until soil organisms have utilized these materials for their own needs and in the process released the nutrients.
Because organic fertilizers are composed of naturally occurring materials, they build soil health by stimulating soil microbes and improving soil structure. They are best applied in the fall to allow nutrients to become available by spring.
Synthetic Fertilizers
Synthetic fertilizers are made by chemically processing raw materials, e.g., mining rock to extract potash (potassium, the K in NPK). They are water-soluble and can be taken up by the plant almost immediately. Synthetic fertilizers give plants a quick boost but do little to improve soil texture, stimulate soil life, or improve soil's long-term fertility. Some synthetics, such as Osmocote, have been formulated to slowly release nutrients so the frequency of application and the risk of “burning” the plant is reduced.
Plants can absorb nutrients eight to 20 times more efficiently through their leaf surfaces than through their roots. Consequently, spraying foliage with liquid nutrients can produce quick results and remarkable yields. In these instances, synthetic fertilizers are typically the ones to use.
The Role of Soil pH in Fertilizer
Uptake by Plants
The chemical balance of the soil, i.e., its acidity or alkalinity, can have a dramatic effect on the health of the plants growing in that soil.
The first chart shows the pH of substances with which we have some familiarity. The next chart illustrates the uptake of nutrients by plants as a function of soil acidity and alkalinity. Green indicates good uptake, red minimal. If you remember your biology lessons, a pH of 7.0 is neutral. Green represents high nutrient uptake, red low. As can be seen, some nutrients, such as potassium, are absorbed across a fairly wide range of soil pH. Other nutrients, such as iron, are absorbed primarily at lower pHs. Some plants are not “picky” about their soil conditions and nutrient uptake, while others will not do well if the pH is not optimal. A good example of a “picky” plant is the blueberry. Blueberries grow best in soil pHs of 4.5 to 5.5. The reason — they require iron for optimal growth and fruit production. As seen on the chart, iron is best absorbed at a pH of 4.0 to 6.0.
Generally, it is difficult to change a native soil’s pH to a significant degree. To make a soil more acidic, soil sulfur is one additive that can be used (carefully), and to make a soil more alkaline, lime is one amendment. The best approach is to select plants that grow well in the native soil pH. An alternative is to use containers where small quantities of the chemicals necessary to change the pH have a bigger effect, plus it will not cost as much as trying to change an entire section of a yard.
Resources for learning about the specific nutrient requirements of a plant might include the nursery tag that accompanies it at sale, consulting with the nursery professionals or your local Master Gardeners.
COVER CROPS
My Small Experiment
Submitted by LK, Box 15
The Inspiration
“The Biggest Little Farm” movie filled me with excitement and good intentions to try some of the methods that were shown. It was about a young L.A. couple who wanted to farm sustainably and in cooperation with nature. To bring back life to the overworked soil on their farm, they instituted composting. To hold that soil in place they planted cover crops.
We had already started composting in our community garden so I wanted to try a cover crop in my 4 x 4 box. Definitely a small experiment. Besides keeping the soil in place I learned the cover crop or “green manure” adds nitrogen and organic matter to the soil to eliminate the need for chemical fertilizer. With this bee in my bonnet, I started my search for cover crop seed. I knew I wanted legume seeds to fix the nitrogen in the soil. What I found was a combination of radish, grass and oat seeds. I decided to add fava beans (the legumes) to the cover crop mix and reserved one corner of my box to grow them for harvest.
Planting the seed was easy. In the autumn, I cleared my box of the old plants and leveled the soil. I threw the cover crop seed on top as if planting a grass lawn, raked it lightly and sprinkled it with water. I had to wait through the winter and into the spring. Then, before the plants went to seed, the work began. I had to chop down the plants, wait three days, then spade the plant matter into the soil. At this point I started wondering if this was worth the backache, and thinking about how easy it is to sprinkle chemical fertilizer on your plants. After all this, I had to wait another 4 -6 weeks to plant my desired plants. I planted Asiatic lilies, butternut squash, and red Mexican sunflowers. The fava beans were in one corner of the box and bearded iris from the year before was in another corner. As well as being impatient, I am an eclectic gardener.
The Results
Everything grew like great guns. The iris bloomed in profusion, I tasted fava beans for the 1st time, the lilies were beautiful and the butternut squash could have won a prize at the county fair for the biggest squash. The sunflowers grew to an amazing height. All this with no chemical fertilizer! The downside was having a sore back for a couple days and giving up my winter crop of arugula, and I love arugula. But, it was a small sacrifice for my small experiment.
On the left at the bottom is a link to a website that describes planting a cover crop. Different seeds than those I planted were used but gardening is all about experimentation.
COMPOSTING
GARDENING ALCHEMY
Submitted by LK, Box 15
Kitchen scraps, dried leaves, branches, newspaper, etc., can turn into Gardener’s Gold: rich, fertile soil that can give seeds and plants the nutrients to grow lush and healthy flowers, fruits, vegetables and foliage. With time, water, and turning/stirring, the microbes and friendly earthworms go to work to decompose these items into compost. Whether you call it chemistry, Mother Nature, a miracle or alchemy it is amazing and gratifying to watch!
You can see and participate in this wonderous process in the Community Gardens. There is a circular composting bin to the left of the sheds. The Garden Committee would be happy to accept your kitchen fruit and vegetable scraps. You will need to transport the scraps to the garden in a container, then simply dump them in. Your left-overs could contribute to next year’s bounty of flowers and vegetables. But, before you start, we have some simple do’s and don’t’s as to what to put in the bin.
DO ADD
- vegetable, fruit scraps (banana peels cut into 2-inches)
- coffee grounds and filters
- tea and tea bags
- eggshells
- stems (no rose stems with thorns) cut into 2-inch pieces, leaves and flowers
- newspaper cut/torn into 2-inch pieces
DON'T ADD- meat, bones, fat or any dairy products
- oily foods
- dog or cat waste
- diseased plants
- weeds
OUR COMPOST BIN NEEDS GREENS!Connect with Us
takesavillagetogarden@gmail.com
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