Garden Journal - Woodbury Senior Center

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

2011-09-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think the late harvests are the best. It's true that they may lack the excitement of the first days lettuces are ready for picking, or the tender tastes of scallions and spinach, but the fall crops are wonderful on their own. Tomatoes are still coming on strong, with limas, butternut squash, and beans not far behind. And kale! Kale, kale, kale....we all love the stuff up here at the Center, and it's wonderful to finally have it available fresh from the garden! Recent harvests bring our current total to: 611 pounds!!!!

Will locusts and frogs be next?

2011-09-09T06:37:00.000-07:00

Well, here's the good news...despite our recent weather anomolies (hurricanes, flash floods, etc). our garden is still here! It's taken a bit of a beating; some of our plants look trodden, and others have just ended their growing season a bit early, but the tomatoes, peppers, beans and winter squash are still going and growing strong! Recent harvests bring our current total to 562 pounds of delicious goodies from the garden.

Be sure to enjoy the Bethlehem Fair this weekend!

Summer loving...

2011-08-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

The garden continues to flourish---another 36 pounds of nutritious goodies harvested today. Now the question is...will Hurricane Irene bring an early demise to the garden?

Total to date: 455 pounds!

2011-08-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

Al Caton and Bart Benedetto, two of our gardeners, with a colorful bounty of beans, tomatoes, squash, eggplant, and peppers recently picked.

More Goodies

2011-08-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

Well, the garden has certainly been more consistent in production of veggies than I have in production of updates! We've been seeing more tomatoes, squash and beans, and the cucumbers - oh, the cucumbers! With the increased poundage in the last days, we are now up to 419 pounds of freshly grown produce. Yum!

Garden Updates

2011-08-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

A person can go on vacation, but the garden sure doesn't! While I was away, our marvelous volunteers continued to work and reap from our fabulous garden. With all the produce harvested in the last two weeks, we are now up to 280 pounds of donated and delivered goodies for the folks who benefit from the garden. The best part? Now that the garden is really producing well, we will start making donations to the Woodbury Food Bank, to help feed even more people in town.

If you are a local gardener (and of course, you're local somewhere!) please consider donating your extras to your local food bank, pantry or shelter. Hunger is a real problem, even in the "best" of communities; often a hidden problem. If we all do our part, we can solve hunger issues in our neighborhoods.

Drumroll, please...

2011-07-28T05:48:00.000-07:00

Another 15 pounds today, which brings our current total to 177 pounds. Don't you love summer?

Of Groundhogs and Gardens

2011-07-26T06:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was inside the Center admiring the garden from the large windows in the Activity Room. A well-tended garden is a thing of beauty this time of year- neat rows of vegetables, the various colors of green, red, yellow and white peeking out underneath the foliage. As I watched, a groundhog sauntered in (really, he sauntered- like king of the garden, he was!), calmly sat down next to the red leaf lettuce, and began to munch. I was tickled to see him there - we like to share our garden's bounty, as long as no critter strips us clean- but it was surprising when the groundhog looked directly at me as he chewed. If groundhogs could smile, I swear he would have, knowing he was getting away with something, eating straight from the garden in the middle of the afternoon. I wish I'd had my camera with me!

This morning the garden looks even better, refreshed from the rains that fell gently through the late afternoon and early evening. Our gardeners were out there early, tending the plants and bringing in the latest harvest - squash, tomatoes, beans, onions, lettuces, chard, and the last of the peas...a total of 39 pounds today! Take that, groundhog - see, there is enough to share.

2011-07-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

Wow, summer heat is here and so are the cucumbers! Tuesdays and Thursdays are produce giveaway days, and we picked 39 pounds on Tuesday, and another 13 pounds today. Go garden go!

OK, so I wasn't a math major!

2011-07-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

A gardener uses math all the time. We lay out plots, calculate square footage and yields, plan for balanced harvests across the season. etc. Here at the Center we also weigh our produce, and measure our yield for the season by tracking the weights of the vegetables and this year, the numbers of people served (estimated).

However, THIS gardener made a mistake in her addition, leaving out one days' yield in the totals. So (drumroll please) here is our amended seasonal totals, including the forgotten figure and yesterday's harvest - 71 pounds.

Keep those good thoughts and rain dances coming!

Time Flies and Gardens Grow

2011-07-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, time has gone so quickly this spring and into the summer. After a cool, damp start, seeds did sprout and we have been harvesting greens and peas for some time now. ( Remember, as in past years we measure our yield in terms of pounds. We simply harvest our produce, bring it inside, and place it on the same antique baby scale we have used for years, and record the weight of the produce before we set it out for others to enjoy. Every bit of our harvest goes to seniors and those who need food assistance in our town. Now back to our story.) Our slow start showed in our June totals, because by June 30 we had only harvested about 18 pounds of produce. However, the July heat and sun have worked miracles - miracles!- because the garden is suddenly bursting, not only with lettuce and chard, but with English and snow peas. early squash and zucchini, and even some very early tomatoes. Now, on July 12, we can announce our current total sits at 50 pounds, with larger totals in the very near future.

We need to thank all the crew who spend their time and energies in our garden so that so many people can enjoy the fresh food. These include Al, Rose, Mike, Bart, Ruby, Clare, Frank, Barbara, and Dagmar. Friendships have struck up among these gardeners, and so the fruits of the garden are not limited to food. Long live the garden.

We're Baaaaaaack!

2011-05-31T06:51:00.000-07:00

This has been an interesting spring in New England. We started off with the most severe winter we've seen in years, followed by 2 days of warmth, followed by weeks of cool, wet weather. Our cool weather crops, as determined by the gardening crew, will be English peas, sugar snap peas, a variety of lettuces, spring onions and rhubarb. All were duly planted, but germination was hard to come by as the weather continued to be downright cold and rainy. Then - Halleluiah!- the sun finally came out, and with it came some summer-style heat and humidity. Now our spring plants are thriving, but can they continue in this heat? Time will tell.

That is one of the miracles of the garden; it's a whole new game every year, no matter how dutifully we turn and amend the soil. Each time we plant a seed and a green, living plant appears, we celebrate. We nurture the plants, hoping for growth and yield to feed our neighbors. The weather will cooperate, or it will not. Time will tell. The garden teaches us patience without words.

Having just passed Memorial Day, we now have the garden mostly planted for the season. Thanks to all who donated plants, including tomatoes of several varieties, zucchini and yellow squash, yellow, red and green peppers, parsley, green and lima beans, oregano, cucumbers, and eggplants. These have proven to be our most popular veggies at give-away time, so we've concentrated on these crops this year. Thank you to the folks who helped with planting- Al, Rose, Clare, Frank, Barbara, Mike, and Bart. Thank you to the people who have donated seed and or supplies, and have chosen to remain anonymous, and thank you to Barbara for creating several beautiful planters which raised money to buy new garden hose and tomato stakes. And here is another, greater, miracle of the garden- even before the plants give fruit, the garden yields a bounty of giving, of friendship, of connections and community. Long live the garden!

Garden Summary

2010-11-15T06:34:00.000-08:00

Well, with the fall season flying by, more than a few entries have been left behind. Suffice to say, it's now mid-November, and the garden is looking clean and mostly bare - just some kale left to enjoy for the Thanksgiving season. The produce throughout October and November kept coming in, however, and the grand total for our season came in at just under 700 pounds!

Total for 2010 growing season = 697 pounds of fresh, chemical-additive free produce distributed to our community free of charge, including seniors, the homebound, and our community Food Bank.

Many, many thanks to our friends and supporters this season. We appreciate your donations and support. We look forward to next year's garden!!!

and more!

2010-10-14T05:55:00.000-07:00

add 6.5 pounds to our total!!!

Total to date: 759.5 pounds

A new record!

2010-10-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

At first we thought we'd never pass 200 pounds of fresh, chemical free produce, tended with care and lovingly harvested, then given away free to seniors and homebound or struggling folks here in our own community. Then 400, then 600. When we neared 700 pounds, we were sure the harvest was nearly over, and yet - and yet- it keeps coming! With sweet peppers, yellow beans and the season's best broccoli, we add another 6.5 pounds to our total, with more still on the vines and plants. Truly, a garden is a miracle there for the seeing.

Total to date: 753 pounds

Fall rains

2010-10-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

The rains come down, and keep coming, and keep coming...well, we've made up the deficit in rainfall for the year! A senior recently told me the Native Americans from the area had a saying "The snows won't fall until the rivers run full". I guess winter could come any time now!!!!!

Still, fall is such a beautiful season here in New England. You can see that many people agree from the increased traffic on Main Street on weekends, at the many antique stores for which Woodbury is famous. Fall is also a beautiful time here in our garden, which is still producing a few tomatoes, peppers etc!

Today= 7.5 pounds
Total to date= 746.5 pounds!

Limas and more limas

2010-09-28T06:45:00.001-07:00

Quick note: the garden is still producing tomatoes, lima beans and more.., now, with the good drenching rain we've so needed, we may be able to save some of the fall lettuces and spinach as well!

With 7 1/2 pounds harvested last Thursday and again today, our grand total (to date) stands at 739 pounds.

Nearing the End Now....

2010-09-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

While the gardening season (at least for fruits and vegetables) is nearing completion in New England, we are still coming up with some fall harvest - squash, tomatoes, limas, snow peas, green and yellow wax beans, fall crop spinach, broccoli....

While the yields are smaller now, there are rewards for the gardener this time of year. The light is absolutely stunning now, and the vegetables tend to be sweeter. Even the birds sound better, and certainly the sky offers more in the way of beauty, with bright blue skies and puffy clouds. And those New England leaves are turning now, with shades of russet, gold and burgundy among the greens...

Oh, all this wordy meandering has me neglecting to tell our news! Last week we brought in a total of 49 pounds, and today we gathered in another 8 pounds. So our season total now stands at (drumroll, please...) 724 pounds!!!!!

Garden Clean Up Day

2010-09-10T07:00:00.001-07:00

The garden season is winding up, and we have a work morning planned for next Thursday, September 16, starting at 8 a.m. You are invited to come help us pull up weeds and spent plants, turn the soil over, and generally get the early fall chores done. Come one, come all...and bring your gloves!

Squash, Anyone?

2010-09-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

Again with the squash! Our garden, like so many in our area, has been going gangbusters with the squash - of all varieties. The vines are enroaching on the remaining garden space, and even the lawn...seriously, it's like kudzu, this stuff. Fortunately, along with the vines we are getting bumper crops of fresh squash - zucchini, hybrid, and delicata. We even sent a giant zucchini up to the Bethlehem Fair!!!

More importantly, we are still feeding people with the bounty of the garden; local seniors know that Tuesdays and Thursdays are free fresh produce days at the Center, and the Food Bank benefits from the Friday harvest.

Total on Thursday: 25 pounds

Total to date: 667 pounds

Earl a no-show, but boy, what a weekend!

2010-09-07T07:04:00.000-07:00

Earl blew on by, but except for some wind and perhaps 6 raindrops (we were hoping for more!), our part of New England was untouched. Thankfully, the humidity and heat blew on by, too, leaving us with ideal early autumn weather just in time for the Labor Day weekend.

All this sunshine is helping our late garden flourish, but the rainfall is low...the plight of gardeners and farmers everywhere. Hopefully some fall rains are on their way.

In the meantime, the Bethlehem Fair is coming up this weekend and we are proud to annouce the Center will have an entry in the giant zucchini contest! Pictures are forthcoming, so stay tuned.

What are we taking from the garden these days? Lots of tomatoes, late cucumbers, second crop peas, beets and beet greens, and squash in all its forms - zucchini, yellow squash, butternut, delicata, and more.

Total today : 33 pounds

Total to date: 632 pounds!

No Thanks, Earl

2010-09-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

Hurricanes come and go, and New England is apparently "overdue" for a big one. That said, we do hope Earl takes a turn out into open water and leaves us alone over the upcoming Labor Day weekend. While we know the garden is slowing down a bit, there are still several weeks in the growing season! Rain- okay, we could use the moisture, but wind and damage...let's hope for the best!

Meanwhile, today's harvest was a whopping 33 pounds - after a similar harvest on Tuesday, our totals are surely heading skyward!

Happy Labor Day, everyone (except Earl!)

Total to date: 599 pounds

Love that late summer fun!

2010-08-31T07:24:00.000-07:00

Today's harvest - beets, bright orange carrots, broccoli, eggplant, zucchini, hybrid squash, green beans, wax beans, herbs, greens, and the first kale of the season!

Total - 38 pounds

Total to date: 566 pounds!

Weekly Update

2010-08-26T10:03:00.001-07:00

Finally, we were blessed with lots of rain, rain, rain. Days of steady rain, soaking the ground and greening up our brown lawns, and filling the ponds.

Here at the Center, the water has brought new life to the garden, which was already producing well. We harvested 43 pounds of produce on Tuesday, and another 16 today. With the birthday lunch crowd coming in today, it wasn't long before all that produce disappeared, to become tonight's dinner.

Signs of fall are steadily appearing; early maples are turning red, the greens of the trees are becoming that olive shade of September, and the air is clearing, leaving behind the wonderful light of early fall to dapple the garden. Soon our fall lettuces will be ready!

Total harvest to date: 528 pounds

More pounds, please!

2010-08-19T11:18:00.001-07:00

Really -- we never could have predicted the outpouring of veggies from the garden this year. With 26 pounds of goodies harvested on Tuesday, an additional 8 pounds (!) of beans for Wednesday, and another 29 pounds brought in today, we are now at a total of 469 pounds of fresh produce, all given away to area seniors and families in need of affordable, fresh food. Now that's a good day''s work!

2010-08-12T06:50:00.001-07:00

We passed the 400 pound mark! After harvest on last Thursday (29 pounds), this Tuesday (9 pounds) and today (56!!! pounds), we have given away 406 pounds of delicious, free produce from our garden. We are so grateful to be able to do this.

This just in...

2010-08-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

...beans, tomatoes, greens, cukes, and squash - another 23 pounds of food to give away!

Season total: 312 pounds and growing

Bean-town is here!

2010-08-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

The beans are big, beautiful and bountiful - green bush beans, long slender pole beans, tender pale yellow wax beans...they are simply wonderful! Try them sauteed very lightly in garlic olive oil just until tender crisp, or simply eat them raw with a vegetable dip, or blanch lightly and add to a delicious tuna nicoise salad.

Also harvested today - broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, mixed lettuce from the shady patch, purslane, long English cukes and the stubby pickler cucumbers, tomatoes of all varieties, zucchini, hybrid summer squash, yellow squash, and delicious early hard squash, just the right size for roasting or stuffing.

Today's harvest = 38 pounds. Total this season to date = 289 pounds, with more to come.

August Comes in on Stealthy Squash Vines!

2010-08-02T05:38:00.000-07:00

March may have its lions and lambs, but August means squash here at the Center garden. Literally overnight, these vines, which have been growing magnificently all season long, threaten to swallow up the tomatoes, eggplant, broccoli, and anything else in reach. Ninja squash! Our dedicated volunteers daily train the vines to go to calmer, more open environments - and leave the other veggies alone- but nightly, those sneaky squash reverse their spread and colonize their neighbors. Makes for interesting mornings!

Produce is still being drawn from the garden regularly, and all of it is distributed either here at the Center or at the local Food Bank, free of charge.

With an additional 13 pounds gathered on Friday, our season total now stands at 251 pounds.

Hot Days and Cool Veggies

2010-07-29T12:28:00.000-07:00

The hot July days (and we do mean HOT!) and abundant sunshine, along with the occasional rain and judicious watering have led to amazing harvests of goodness here. Georgeous squash, Japanese eggplant, tomatoes of many varieties, green and yellow beans, beets, cukes, and herbs are being harvested and distributed. Our largest harvest day yielded 40 pounds of produce! Today was another wonderful day, with 19 pounds brought in (and that's on top of the 30 pounds we harvested on Tuesday!)

Year to date total: 238 pounds of fresh produce harvested and distributed, free of charge, to area seniors and to our local food bank.

2010-07-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

One of the pleasures of our garden is introducing seniors to different ways to enjoy fresh produce. Earlier this week we featured nutritionist Judy Prager as she taught class members to grill fruits and vegetables on the dual-surface contact grill (think George Forman style grill) The most popular taste was fresh pineapple basted with lime juice, honey and freshly cracked black pepper. Who says cooking for one or two has to be boring?

This week, seniors stopping by the Center also were treated to tastes of fresh sliced baby turnips and purslane. Most of our seniors thought of turnips as large waxy bulbs used for mashing. This time, we sampled tiny thin slices of fresh turnip as a crunchy addition to a salad. Purslane, known for its high quality anti-oxidant characteristics and omega-3 acids, grows wild in Connecticut, and many homeowners and gardeners pull it up as weeds! Seniors were able to identify this common herb, and taste the sweet tender leaves. Many took a small amount home to enjoy with an evening salad of fresh garden lettuce. Here's an interesting tidbit - purslane is reputed to have been Ghandi's favorite food!

Today we had a visit with journalists from the Waterbury Republican Newspaper, who are doing a story on our unique project. From seeds to food, from seniors to the students in the Agri-Science program at the local high school to the Food Bank, this garden truly is a community wonder. The picture above shows some of our harvest on Tuesday --- it all went home with seniors to provide delicious, nutritious dinners. This Friday, we plan to deliver some greens to the Food Bank.

Beautiful, beautiful

2010-06-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

Look at the beauty in our garden this morning. A feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

Squash blossom under the most beautiful variegated leaves

Tidy rows of cabbages, lettuces and cauliflower

Eggplant! In June! In Connecticut!

The garden miracle never ceases to amaze...

2010-06-29T07:46:00.001-07:00

The early, abundant warmth this year has all area gardens producing ahead of schedule, and ours is certainly going all out. Posts here have been meager because we are spending much time out in the garden harvesting sugar snap and snow peas, lettuces, greens of all varieties, and other spring crops. Now the spring greens are beginning to bolt, and summer veggies are coming on strong. Today's harvest includes those wonderful 7-top greens, baby turnips, purslane, bush and english cucumbers, yellow summer squash, green hybrid summer squash, zucchini, and our first tomatoe of the season. We also took in several heads of lettuce, including butter lettuce, boston lettuce and red leaf lettuce, and more - nearly the last - of the mesclun mix, the first of the pole beans, and fresh herbs including summer savory and sage.

Every year we gardeners are humbled and delighted to see that from our seeds and seedlings, with a bit of care, so much delicious and nourishing food can be raised! And truly, is there anything in the world as beautiful as a fresh young garden early in the morning? It simply gives a person hope.

If you are growing a garden and your abundance is similar to ours, I ask you to follow our lead, and give away your bounty. Our seniors are trying new and different produce, full of vitamins and minerals and exciting flavors. Our food bank will benefit as well from any produce we cannot give away here at the Senior Center. Won't you join us?

Total produce harvested today: 28 pounds!
Year to date total: 65 pounds

...of plants, and seeds, and rabbits....

2010-05-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

The garden is at its early season best right now. Plants are sprouting and growing quickly, including zucchini, eggplant, pole beans, beets, kohlrabi, carrots, mixed and individual lettuces, red cabbage, rhubarb, sugar snap peas, okra, spinach, green peppers, beets, tomatoes and cauliflower. The upper bed has tomatoes, parsley, dill, sage, and a peach tree! Still to come - more veggies, herbs, and even a cutting garden for fresh flowers.

Today's chores included early morning weeding, and putting up fences around our tender lettuces and cabbages, in hopes of keeping out our little rabbit friends. We spotted baby zucchs on a few vines, and even a few tiny green tomatoes. Last winter's leftover kale is going to seed, which we'll harvest for a new crop later on, and our student helper Andrew was busy training bean vines to climb the pole. A plot map and a task list have been placed in the garden shed for volunteers' use.

Please note: volunteers are always welcome to stop by and pitch in. There are always tasks to be done! Weeding never ends, and is easier if we catch them early with our donated "claw" cultivator - no bending required. Work sessions (okay, play) are scheduled for each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8 - 10 am, weather permitting. These are great opportunities to meet other gardeners, share in the labor of the garden, and invest in the dream. See you there!

Hello Spring! Can Planting Season Be Far Away?

2010-05-14T09:54:00.001-07:00

Our garden crew has been active this spring, with the help and inspiration of some of our friends. Thanks go to the Nonnewaug High School Agriscience students, who volunteered their time to till the garden and add some much needed mulch. Donations of seeds have begun to arrive. and several cool weather crops have gone into the ground, including peas, okra, turnips, kohlrabi, lettuce, carrots, and mustard greens. Onion sets are in and are flourishing. Friends have delivered a wonderful tower on which to train beans and peas. The plant swap is under way, and will continue next week. New rhubarb has been planted to replace the plants that didn't overwinter well. Hand digging and tilling continue as we keep working on our soil to improve our growing conditions. The Senior Council generously provided funds for a tool shed, which has been delivered, assembled, and installed. Whew - we have been busy!

Exciting news - this season the garden will take part in the national Plant a Row for the Hungry program. THe horticulture students at NHS are currently sprouting the seeds, and baby plants will soon be arriving for planting, tending and harvesting. The produce will then be given to area seniors, and the local food bank. This is exactly in keeping with our philosophy of using the harvest to help as many people as possible by providing good, naturally healthy fresh produce - for free!

Next up: PLANTING TIME! Look for salad greens of all types, direct-sow seeds for beans, snow peas, radishes, spinach, and more going in early next week, and the full range of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash and more going in around Memorial Day. GARDEN SEASON HAS ARRIVED!

Please note : This garden exists entirely because of volunteer committment and community donations. If you can share some plants or seeds with us, please do so. If you can help us plant, tie up vines, put in low fencing, till, weed, or even speak gently to the plants and the gardeners, we welcome you! Please do stop by!

Planting Seeds of Salads and Friendships

2010-05-07T07:36:00.001-07:00

So you have leftover salad seeds? Plants? Herbs or flowers? Veggies?

Our garden crew will gratefully accept all donations to make our garden grow. Please help. Donations can be dropped off at the office on weekdays, or call us at (203) 263-2828.

Thank you!

Planning Meeting Scheduled

2010-02-11T10:19:00.001-08:00

It's almost garden time (I can hear the pages turning on those seed catalogs!), and we're having a planning meeting. We want this year to be better than last year! To that end, we'll have an informal gathering on Friday, March 5 at 11:00 a.m.

Bring a sandwich, your best ideas, comments on what worked last year and what didn't, and most of all, your enthusiasm. WE NEED YOU, so consider yourself invited. To sweeten the deal, Loryn will make a pot of one of her famous soups to enjoy while we chat and plan.

Do say you'll join us. Call the Center at (203) 263-2828 to register.

Racing Past the 100 Mark

2009-09-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

When we started this little garden project, we did not know what to expect in terms of production, especially as this summer unfolded as such an oddity in weather-terms. Then the tomato blight hit, and took with it some of our most-anticipated produce. And yet- and yet!- we have still passed a major milestone. With the 4 pounds of produce brought in on Friday, and the 15 1/2 pounds today, we have officially harvested over 100 pounds of produce- 116 1/2, to be exact! Even better, every bit of that was given away to people to enjoy the fruits of a healthy, pesticide free bounty raised by a community of concerned citizens.

There's still more time in the growing season!

The Bounty Continues

2009-09-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted here...so much has been happening, at our Center, and in the garden; it's difficult to find time to write! We've continued to harvest produce, even as the ground grows rock hard in the late summer sun. The clear winners this year are the little orange cherry tomatoes and the yellow crookneck squash, along with Hungarian and red cayenne peppers and the deep green pickling cucumbers. Our produce is still being weighed each and every time a volunteer brings a basket in from the field, with average baskets coming in at 16-18 pounds of produce each! The latest basket yielded 17 pounds of produce just yesterday (you can see the goodies in the photo from 9/2); our total to date exceeds 97 pounds of produce!

While we see certain signs of waning ( none of our second crops are doing well, probably as a result from the unusual weather this summer, and the leafy plants like cukes are beginning to yellow), there are still great meals coming from the garden. If you are a senior in the Woodbury area, you're invited to a free food demo on September 18 at 11:00. Chef Jim from the Watermark in Southbury will be here to make luscious nibbles using garden produce and commonly found farm market items. Called "How to Get the Most from Your Garden", this promises to be a fun and tasty hour. Come join us!

2009-09-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

Where Have All the Zucchini Gone? (Everybody sing along now...)

2009-08-17T09:53:00.001-07:00

Well, I returned from vacation happy, rested and eager to see the garden. Of course, it was in excellent shape, due to the efforts of our dedicated volunteers In fact, while I was gone they picked more than 10 pounds of fresh produce. However, something is amiss in the zucchini patch. Two zucchs rotted right on the vine, and other flowers aren't developing well. It's not that we don't have zucchini - we do, a few - but we surely are not having the typical zucchini crop this year. Of course, this would be the year I plan a cooking class called "9000 Zucchini and Counting..." With a little help from our friends, we will have enough for the demo and class, and we certainly can substitute a few of our very abundant crookneck squash if necessary. For our fresh gaspacho, I will use all garden produce- basil, tomatoes, onion, squash, and pepper, along with a secret ingredient to make it truly irresistable. Other dishes at tomorrow's class include zucchini chutney, baked zucchini chips, zucchini slaw, and even a double chocolate zucchini cookie- See you there!

Another Good Work Day!

2009-08-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

We tore out the old pea plants and replanted the dried peas for a second crop. Shaking out the New Zealand spinach yielded so many seeds we were able to loosen soil in two plots for a fall crop of spinach. Also, I hope everyone is in the mood for salsa, because the peppers are H...O...T! Additionally, our crew tied up tomatoes, harvested cukes and squash and beans.

Today's take: 6 pounds

Total to date: 50 pounds!!!

Hot and Hazy, but not Lazy!

2009-08-04T08:07:00.001-07:00

What a beautiful morning to be out in the garden. A small-town garden is really a wonderful place- scarecrows and birdsong to keep us company, the delicious smell of the tomato plant leaves as we brush by on our way to find new treasures under the prickly cucumber plants...today was no exception, and the bounty was admirable, as you can see! We harvested the first tomatoes of the season (they're looking good, despite the blight that is hitting so many plants in our area); perfect orbs of orange sweetness - we put one at each senior's place at the lunch program today. Also freshed picked today: green beans, yellow Hungarian peppers and little green super-hot peppers, ruby red radishes, rainbow chard, green chard, cukes, zucchini and yellow crookneck squash. It makes me hungry just writing about it, and I'll bet the picture has your mouth watering, too!

A note about the squash: after a gangbuster start, the plants have slowed production considerably, and I'm hearing from other gardeners that they have a similar dilemma. The consensus is that we've just had too much rain lately; the next week or so should be much sunnier (and today is downright HOT- already in the high 80s and it's not yet noon). Viva la zucchini!

Produce totals to date: 44 pounds

Hot Pepper Hot!

2009-07-28T08:23:00.001-07:00

Well, it's certainly hot and humid now- starting about mid-week last week we began seeing hot humid days and stormy nights...more like typical summer weather than the cool days we've had so far this summer. While we may "glow" (alright, let's be honest - it's sweat, plain and simple) more than usual, the garden certainly loves this weather. Today Tim, Alvan and I checked the garden, and along with the usual tending chores, brought in another 13 pounds of produce, including the first hot yellow peppers, called Yellow Cuban Hotties! And, as usual, seniors attending Center programs were happy to have the fresh goodies - beans, lettuce, peas, zucchini, crookneck squash, and cukes. I've never seen crooknecks grow so quickly - the babies one day are a good 6-7 inches long the next! I'm learning good gardening lessons,too, especially from Al, our veteran gardener. Today I discovered that to get the onions to grow well underground, you need to bend the stalks over before they flower - now all our proud onions look a bit trampled, but I have faith that sweet beauties are growing by the minute under the dark (wet) earth!

More storms predicted, but at least we're not watering!

Total produce harvested and given away so far: 37 pounds!

Rainy Wednesday

2009-07-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

It's a cool and rainy morning- sadly typical of our New England summer thus far. Despite the unseasonal weather, the garden continues to flourish- it is one of life's greater miracles that you can plant a seed, add water and sun, and harvest food to nourish a family. If you put a cash value on the produce (and you should, if you are raising food- compare to prices at your local farm market, or even the produce section of your grocery store) the miracle extends further - you are harvesting money in those savings! Our senior center family is enjoying the fresh produce so much - the cooking class on Monday added fresh sugar snaps to their salad, our lunches are enhanced by basil, oregano and parseley, and several times a week people are seen leaving with bags of fresh veggies to enjoy with (or as!) dinner. The health planner in me just loves seeing seniors reach for the fresh veggies instead of a salt-laden frozen dinner, and as always, I am putting out recipes for simple, delicious preparations of those fresh treats to encourage even more people to eat local, eat fresh, and dine well. I am planning a "what to do with 9 million zucchini" class in August, for those who enjoy new recipes. WHile I do enjoy a good zucchini bread and I love me some fried zucchini buttons once in awhile, there are so many other great things to do with the popular squash...look forward to the class, and sign up early!

A break from the gray drizzle and a peek from the pool table room window enticed me to the garden this morning to check out those zucchini. Sure enough, there were several more squash available, and they came in to be weighed and given away, along with surely the last of the sugar snaps, more of those delicious first green beans, red radishes, and the very first cucumbers of the season.

As an added bonus, as I carried the produce in from the back, I walked near the retention pond to see if the daylilies and flags are taking root; their blooms will make that stroll even more beautiful next year. A flash of movement from the pond toward the rock wall turned out to be a small fox, more afraid of me than I of him. He stopped by the safety of the rock wall for just a moment to check me out over his shoulder, then disappeared beyond the wall. Yet another small miracle from the garden.

Total Produce to date: 24 pounds

Sunny Days and Mondays always get me happy!

2009-07-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

Teenya and I went out the garden this morning, just us and the bees and the Japanese beetles. We took care of business first thing, hanging a Japanes beetle trap out by the far evergreens (and the compost pile). Minutes- I tell you - only minutes later, the trap was surrounded by little flying beetles, attracted to the floral and pheremone lures. While I feel a little bad for the beetles, I hope it helps the garden stay intact.

We restaked the peas, which are getting top heavy as their season nears an end. We were able to harvest another 4 bags of sugar snaps, and supplied today's cooking class with sugar snaps for their salad as well. The early green beans are ready, and we brought in 7 bags for seniors to enjoy with tonight's dinner. Who doesn't love fresh picked green beans? At my home, the first beans never even get cooked; my kids will happily eat them all raw. Try them, or lightly blanch and then chill them if the grassy taste of raw is too sharp for you, yet you'd like to enjoy the crunch and flavor of a not-cooked green bean. They are beautiful on the crudite plate, and delicious with your favorite dip.

Two more heads of lettuce came inside, and it looks like the rest will be harvested this week, before the July heat causes them to bolt. (Look for more this fall as we plan to reseed for an autumn harvest.) And then there are the zucchini. It's beginning to look like Lake Wobegon around here, with rumours that zucchini are soon to be left on your doorstep! In the meantime, we brought several in today to share...hope you got one!

Back to reseeding, which makes me think of secondary plantings. The white radish seeds Tim planted last Thursday are already springing up! The chard is also starting to pop up behind the radishes. No sign from the sugar pumpkins, but we have hope that the speedy variety he planted will have time to get established and turn out some tasty treats for us this fall. We are hoping for a donation of more sugar snap pea seeds to carry us through the fall. Can you help?

Remember, we weigh all our produce on our antique baby scale to get an estimate on our yield: to date, we have harvested and given away 16 pounds of produce. Long live summer!

More Peas, Please!

2009-07-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

Peas! Salad Greens! Green Onions! Zucchini! A total of 7 pounds of produce out of the garden so far, and more coming soon!

Snow Peas are a Treat

2009-07-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

Really, is there anything more enjoyable than a beautiful sunny morning spent with friends, leisurely tending to a garden bursting with fragrant goodness and tasty treats? That was our task this morning, as we pulled a few weeds, staked some tomatoes, and recultivated patches needing new plantings. We planted more rainbow chard, some lemon cukes, and white radishes, and harvested a bounty (4 1/2 pounds!)of snow peas, radishes, romaine and butter lettuces, spring onions, and zucchini.

It was wonderful to see the cabbages and cukes returning now that our chipmunk troubles have been addressed (amazing what a little fencing can do - thanks, Rose!). The mystery tomatoes are developing well, and it seems many of the early varieties are mini tomatoes, perhaps cherry or grape, or pear shaped. It'll be fun to continue to monitor their growth and guess what type of tomato is on each plant. The pepper plants remain small, although the spicy varieties (red cayenne and yellow wax cayenne) have many immature fruits. Green beans are coming along nicely, but our cabbages are going to be hit or miss this year.

The sun was warm, the air not humid, the conversation snappy, and our basket is full of wonderful veggies to give away (and they're going fast!) You should have been there! Come join us next Tuesday morning!

Drum roll, please...

2009-07-09T08:33:00.001-07:00

I see zucchini! And snow peas, and tiny green tomatoes, and onions, and beets, and radishes......

Garden Crew meeting today

2009-06-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

At the garden crew meeting today,we decided to do succession plantings of beans, peas and beets. Some of our lettuces and cabbages have been nibbled (okay, eaten) by rabbits, so Rose volunteered to bring in some old wire fencing to put around those crops. Loryn reported we have received promised donations of seed potatoes, herb plants and even a small peach tree!

Weeds are under control, just barely. Anyone with a spare half-hour of a morning or evening is invited to help keep our weeds at bay.

We are searching for donations of used tools, such as a garden rake, hoe, hand spades, etc. if you can donate, we would really appreciate it. Thank you in advance.

Our Second Harvest

2009-06-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

Loryn and Dorie worked in our garden today weeding and staking the tomato and bean plants. They harvested 3/4 pounds of scallions and radishes, for a total of 1 pounds of fresh vegetables so far.

If anyone would like to donate garden fencing, speak to Loryn.

Congratulations, Its a...Radish!

2009-06-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

Several proud seniors were on hand to take part in the harvesting of our first produce of the year- a handful of red radishes. The veggies weighed in at 1/4 pound of spicy delight. True to our mission, all the radishes were quickly given away. It looks like we'll have lettuces and peas soon as well!

Garden Crew Meets

2009-06-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

The garden crew will meet tomorrow to WEED! See you then!

Girl Scout Troop 64045 Hard at Work (Photos)

2009-06-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

Girl Scout Troop 64045 Community Service (Photos)

2009-06-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

Garden Preparation (Photos)

2009-06-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

The First Planting (Photos)

2009-06-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

Organizational Meeting (Photos)

2009-06-08T07:07:00.001-07:00

Growing comes naturally

2009-06-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

The recent rains and warm sunshine are working wonders on the garden now. The sprouts of nearly all we have planted are visible, and some are quite well on their way. It is amazing how diverse and beautiful even the sprouts are! We have the brilliant greens of peas and corn, the deep shadowed reds of beets, the variagated look of the chard, the faint pink striping and the broad leaves of the rhubarb. Today the wonderful girls of Girl Scout Troop 45064 came to the garden to donate and spread mulch along the walkways. Not only will it keep weeding to a minimum, the mulch will also help the garden retain water, define walking paths,and it smells delicious- of warm hay and sweet straw. Stop by and indulge your senses, and keep tuned here for photos!

Wow, the garden grows, veggies, flowers, friends...

2009-05-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

The garden is really taking shape now...the seeds are sprouting, onion sets and hot weather crops like eggplant and zucchini have been planted. The best thing? Friendships are being formed over the hand rakes and shovels, right there between the peas and the beets! Our garden crew is still going strong and more are welcome- do plan to attend the next Garden Meeting on June 1!

Special thanks go to Sharon for the onions and the hard work, to all the seniors who volunteer their time to make the garden a success, and to Abby Ray for clearing the raised garden to make room for our wildflowers.

Planting Time Continues

2009-05-20T06:37:00.000-07:00

Our garden crew is in full planting mode right now; in the past week we've sown seeds for cucumbers, green and yellow wax beans, sugar snap peas, swiss chard, sweet corn, summer squash, lettuces of all tpes, basil, oregano, parsley, scallions, and leeks. We've also planted seedling lettuces, squash, and transplanted garlic chives and rhubarb. It's so exciting to see the daily changes in the garden. Later this week, we plan to put in 18 varieties of tomatoes for a real treat. Still to come when the ground warms a bit more - eggplant, green and red peppers.

As a staff member here, I am so thankful for the efforts our enthusiastic volunteers are making. This garden would not exist without their efforts, so thanks to Al, Rose, Dorie, Teenya, Delores, Tim, and Barbara for working hard to plant the garden, and thanks to Tim for saving our tender plants from the freeze earlier this week!

Thank you for donations!

2009-05-14T05:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the following folks who have recently donated or pledged plants, seeds, time, tools, and energy to the garden project: Carolyn Jensen, Barbara Potter, Karen Blanchet, Sandee Vicari, Barbara and Frank Quadrato, Vickie Davis and Philip Bambino.

We are currently seeking donations of the following: any hand tools, garden hoes, rakes, seeds for vegetables including but not limited to spinach, chard, bush beans,
cucumbers, radishes, lettuces, and carrots, seedling plants for any vegetables or culinary herbs, and seeds or seedlings for garden flowers.
Don't forget that we need your help with planting, weeding, and general garden maintenance, too! Other ideas include gently used lawn chairs for garden workers to rest on, a lightweight watering can, buckets for carrying weeds, a lengthy hose (and hose reel would be wonderful!) or kneeling pads for those who work in the garden.

Thank you!!!!

Plant Swap!

2009-05-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

Come be part of one of our fun Spring traditions...the Plant Swap! Bring a plant,take a plant. It's free and fun! All week May 11- 14 outside on the patio.

The news is out

2009-04-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

Apparently, word in a small community travels even faster than I thought, because people are stopping in to see the garden plot and asking lots of questions about the garden. If you are among the curious, here are the FAQs:

* This is a community garden. Everything we grow here will be used in the center and made available for seniors to take home. No individual plots this year. However, if that is what interests you, Flanders Nature Center rents individual plots at a very reasonable fee for the growing season.
* We are relying heavily on your enthusiasm to make the garden a success. We will grow whatever plants and seeds we are given, and will be grateful for any and all offers of help with the garden.

To get the season off to a great start, we are planning a Garden Party on Thursday, May 14 at the Center, from 2-3 p.m. Come enjoy some lemonade and cookies, and help us plan our gardening strategies. We need your ideas and talents!

Congratulations- It's a Garden!

2009-04-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

Well, the moment people have been planning has arrived - our garden plot was successfully staked out (thank you, Tim Coyne and his SpadeReady! organization) and yesterday, it was rototilled (thank you,Cass Renkun!)

Surprisingly devoid of large rocks(which are usually the first crop from a Connecicut garden), we are now seeking donations of mulch or compost to enrich to soil, along with some able-bodied volunteers to help work it into the soil. Meanwhile, we dream of planting (despite our recent summer-like temperatures, it is too early yet for most planting in our area- witness the freeze warnings for overnight tonight.) If you, like us, are planning your garden, please keep us in mind. We'd love to take your extra seeds or seedlings!