Little Diggers First Lesson for 2017

The lesson for Little Diggers on their first time back in the garden for 2017 was: Learning to Grow Pancakes. Jim discussed what went into a pancake. Held up a stalk of wheat and asked them what wheat turns into - FLOUR! The diggers then groomed their bed and planted wheat berries. See them in action below.  See also pics of the big diggers in action working on the communal beds.

Allotment Bed Rules and Guidelines - amended version 2017

DOUGLAS ISLAND GARDEN SOCIETY – ALLOTMENT BED RULES AND GUIDELINES

MISSION STATEMENT: Our purpose is to create a self - regulating community garden on Protection Island that will promote organic gardening, contribute to community development, foster positive social interaction and increase environmental awareness.


1. Registration Fees and Allotment Reservation

A. Each island resident is entitled to lease a plot if space is
available. As of February 28, 2017 allotment lease holders must be a current DIGS member.
B. Annual allotment fees are full $30 per plot or $15 per half lot or $10 for a third of a plot.
These fees are non refundable.
C. The fee includes frugal use of water and soil amendments (fertilizers). Compost including seaweed and leaves from the community garden supply is for the communal beds only.
D. Allotment leases are good for one year (March 1 to February 28). DIGS reserves the right to change location and availability of allotments in future years. DIGS reserves the right to refuse to rent allotments if there is just cause.

E. Allotments leases are to be renewed and signed annually by March 1. Reminders will be emailed to current gardeners at the beginning of each calendar year. Plots will become available to those on the wait list if any lease holders have not signed and paid the fee  by March 1
F. Allotments must be cleared of weeds by April 1. Failure to do so will result in the plot being reassigned to another gardener.
G. If, for any reason, a renter finds that they cannot care for their garden, they are required to notify the allotment coordinator and make arrangements for the care of their garden during their absence. The care giver needs to be made aware of all the guidelines concerning the allotment beds including mowing and watering duties. If the lease holder’s absence extends beyond one year his/her case will be reviewed by the allotment coordinator. If the lease holder is unable to complete watering and/or mowing duties he/she must discuss this with the allotment coordinator.

2. Wait List

Any Protection Island resident can be on the wait list for an allotment bed as

long as they are a member of DIGS. As a full bed becomes available it will be divided in half and the gardeners in the overflow bed will get first option to take a lease on ½ of the bed.

3. Watering:

The rental fee includes the frugal use of water. A gardener must remain in the community garden while his/her garden is being watered. Gardeners must monitor their water to avoid flooding of or her
plot and neighbouring beds.

4. Planting Restrictions

A. Only organic methods of growing are permitted - no toxic chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Gardeners using these items will lose their gardening privileges.
B. No trees are allowed because of shade and root problems.
C. No invasive species (eg. bamboo, scotch broom, purple loose-strife)
D. Care must be taken with hard to eradicate plants such as bindweed and berry vines. If not kept in check they may be treated as weeds.
E. Tall plants can only be planted where they will not shade neighbouring plots.

5. Smoking 

Smoking is not permitted in the garden area. This is a safety issue and a means of preventing the spread of the tobacco mosaic virus.

6. Weeds and Trash

It is the gardener's responsibility to control the weeds and trash in their own plots and adjacent pathways and to clear their plot of trellis and staking material, plastic mulching, and plant debris when not in use.

7. Rebar

Exposed rebar is not allowed for staking or trellising for safety reasons.

8. Pets

Pets are not allowed in the garden.

9. Storage

Storage on site for gardeners' tools or supplies will not be provided. Gardeners must pack what they need in and out.

10. Gates     Gardeners are asked to close and latch all gates when leaving to keep the deer out.

11. Compost and Garbage

A refuse bin (for non organic garbage), a closed or sealed compostbin (for fruits and other organic foodstuffs) and an open compost bin (for leaves, stem and root material) will be available on site. Gardeners
are encouraged to recycle their garden wastes in the garden's compost bins.

12. Harvesting
No one may pick another gardener's crop unless he/she has been given permission by that plot user.

13. Cooperation and Community

 A.  In addition to the annual fee gardeners are requires to make a contribution of their time by participating in the following communal tasks:

 i) grass cutting – each allotment lease holder will be required to cut the grass and trim edges of the whole garden (inside and out) for an assigned one week period;

ii) watering – each allotment lease holder will be required to water the communal beds as needed during an assigned one week period;

iii) construction tasks and maintenance tasks;

iv)Lease holders are encouraged to attend weekly work party meetings to contribute in discussing issues pertaining to the garden.


B. Conflicts or concerns with other gardeners should be worked out privately. If not, the coordinator will arbitrate.

14. Privacy of Personal Information

All information collected on registration forms will be compiled in a database accessible only to the executive and will be kept confidential. This information will not be lent, rented or sold.

15. Subletting:

The leased bed is to be used as a garden by the lease holder and may not be loaned or sublet except as decided in section 1. G   

These rules will be reviewed annually and may be improved.

Annual Plant Sale May 2016

Have a look at some photos of today's plant sale.




To make slideshow bigger, click on it, choose "Full screen" on upper left (still bigger? press F11).

Fun (and baked goods!) was/were had by all.
Jen

LITTLE DIGGERS BUILD POTATO TOWER

Little Diggers Build Potato Tower

On April 30 the Little Diggers were busy filling their potato tower with soil and planting potatoes. This is a great way to maximize yield in a small space. The Little Diggers are competing with the Big Diggers to see whose potato tower produces the most potatoes when they harvest them in the fall.

Carrot Pudding Recipe

LITTLE ISABELLE'S CARROT PUDDING RECIPE
(from the story book The Giant Carrot by Jan Peck)

Combine and blend until smooth:

1 cup peeled and grated carrots
2 whole eggs
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons melted butter 
1 cup honey

When smooth stir in gently:

4 slices bread cut into cubes
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped nuts.

Pour into greased baking dish and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.
Serve hot or cold. Delicious with ice cream! Yum!

Planting Giant Carrots

The Little Diggers Program is underway at the garden. At last Saturday's lesson the little diggers planted three giant carrot seeds. They filled three log tubes with soil and planted the seeds in the top. They will keep the plants watered and watch for them to send their leaves out the top. We may even see little doggers dancing around the tubes throughout the summer as Isabella, in the story, The Giant Carrot, did this and her carrot grew to be very big.

successively planting salad stuff ..

beds numbered 1 and 3 are this year's salad beds .. for the most part, these beds hold lettuces .. bed 3 has the broad beans at the back and a colourfull array of different lettuces growing in the rest of the bed .. spacing of plants in this bed is based on the square foot gardener's method of planting .. lettuces are four to a square foot .. bed 3 is growing 'heads' of lettuce that are and will continue to be picked at their peak through the coming seasons .. as the heads are picked more lettuces are planted, either by transplant, or by seed, thereby ensuring there will always be fresh lettuces coming .. we hope to plant lettuces and other greens right on through the winter ..

bed 1 has been divided in half .. the back half, near the gate to the compost, is planted in a cut and come method .. the lettuces in this bed are planted about two inches apart in a row just less than ten feet long .. as these lettuces grow they blend into long colourfull lines of lovely lettuces .. to harvest, the largest leaves of these lettuces are picked .. i think i've had more than a dozen pickings since mid may .. however, as the plants grow and mature they become bitter at which point they will be relegated to the compost and new lettuces, or other greens, will be planted .. again, the idea is to continue picking and planting right through the winter season and into spring ..

the second half of bed 1 is planted with a few more lettuces that will grow into heads .. there are also two cherry tomatoes .. a patch of soybeans for edamame .. an our scallopini squash .. scallopinis are a summer squash, and they're already beginning to produce tiny squashes .. again, as the produce matures and is picked from this bed, other hardier greens and plants will be planted to last through the winter .. that is the hope, at least .. as gardening always carries with it a strong element of hope ..

i have been, and will continue to harvest the salad beds two or three times a week, and i also encourage you to come into the garden and harvest .. go to bed 1 and/or bed 3 and take yourselves home some fresh lettuces for salads ..if you'd like to, but are uncomfortable or unsure how to harvest the lettuces and other greens, just come and ask me .. better for us to get these little beauties before the slugs get to them ..

E at Your Fruits and Vegetables

A Guide to Fruits and Vegetables 

Double click on the pictures to enlarge.

The nutrients found in plants offer a lot of help in decreasing the risk of severe health issues like cancer or heart disease. Unfortunately, most people don't consume enough of these vital substances. This infographic will show you how to incorporate more crucial nutrients into your diet. There is a rainbow of foods to eat, and this color-coded chart will help you select the best produce for improving and maintaining good health. Whether you're looking for a specific nutrient or want to know more about creating a proper diet for you and your family, read through this, some of the information may surprise you!   Click Here or on the photo to see the information in full size!

a bit about broad beans ..

i have to admit something before i get started here .. i don't honestly have much experience with growing, harvesting or eating broad beans .. also known as fava beans or horse beans .. i've grown them the past couple of years at the garden .. not because people rave about them but because my friend, phil, introduced them to me years ago as one of his favourite beans .. so when i saw the opportunity to grow some at the community garden, i took it .. now, i like growing them for a few different reasons .. for one, they're a beautifull plant .. tall and somewhat stately, they stand upright on their own until june's westerlies whip through the garden and knock them over .. secondly, although i didn't do it this year, they can be planted as late as october for a late winter early spring crop as their preference is for the cooler weather .. (i planted them in february this year) .. and, thirdly, they are one of those remarkable plants that add nitrogen to the soil ..

i was down checking on them today, and i've just returned home .. i had to give my makeshift broad bean cage one more wrap .. bringing in the fallen and bent stalks that were knocked over by the wind we had last night .. interestingly, the stalks of these beans are hollow, making them somewhat fragile .. but, only two or three smaller stalks broke when they fell against the string .. other than that they're fine .. and the beans are beautifull right now .. bright green, about three inches long, and lookin' good enough to eat .. according to broad bean lovers ..

broad beans grow three to five feet tall, with flowers similar to other bean flowers in shape .. a bit like a tight sweet pea flower .. in the case of broad beans the flowers are black and white .. they don't seem to keep their blooms for long before little beans start forming where the base of the flower joins the stalk .. and the beans grow relatively quickly from that initial point .. sometimes it seems inches in a day .. the beans are a bit unusual in that they grow pointing upwards along the stalk .. some say that when the beans begin to fall from their vertical position, that they are ready to be picked .. and that they can be picked from three or four inches to eight or ten .. the smaller beans can be eaten pod and all .. as they grow and mature, the pod gets tough and so is discarded, while the beans inside are deliciously sweet .. then later, when the beans reach their maturity, the relatively large beans are taken from the pod, steamed, and then peeled, revealing a delightfully brilliant limey green sweet bean .. the fava beans can also be dried and used in soups and stews .. 

as far as harvesting goes there are different ideas out there from broad bean lovers .. one site .. (gardenbetty.com .. search for fava beans) .. gives a down to earth description of broad beans .. a bit of history .. and good information on when to harvest and how to cook them .. one other site i've taken note of is harvesttotable.com .. good information there, too, about broad beans .. and i also happen to know of at least one broad bean lover on the island ..

now, armed with the information i've gathered so far, i'll be starting the broad beans harvest at the community garden in the next day or two .. i'll pick beans of varying maturity and size .. and i'll take some home and cook them up for myself and frank .. i have eaten broad beans at the later stage .. when you pop them out of the skin that encases them, and sauté them with butter and garlic and a bit of salt or soy sauce .. delicious ..

but not to everyone's taste .. do you like eating broad beans .. ? .. what's your preferred bean size and how do you like to cook them .. ? .. and if you've never tried eating a broad bean here is your opportunity .. give them a try .. let me know what you think ..

jane

Little Diggers Lessons Change to Sunday

Little Diggers have been busy getting their hands dirty at their lessons on Saturday mornings at the community garden. Please note that April 25 will be the last lesson on Saturday Starting May 3 their lessons will take place on Sunday's from 10 - 12.

Spring is Here