Electric Lawnmowing & Trimming

Dear Allotment Bed folk & DIGS members,

As you may know, the mowing of the grass at the DIGS community garden is the responsibility of the Allotment Bed folk. There is a schedule that shows whose turn it is to mow and trim at DIGS, both inside and outside the fence.

 Today at the Saturday work party we briefly discussed the tricky business of the Allotment Bed & DIGS members using our brand new electric lawnmower without prior instruction on its delicate parts and battery insertion direction etc.

How will we go about making sure that every Allotment Bed person knows exactly how to use the new lawnmower without breaking it? (For example, Kevin told us that getting too close to structures on the sides causes catching of the side bits of the mower). How can they learn to weedwhack (or whipper-snipper) successfully and at the right angle so that the string doesn't run out from breaking off countless times? How do you charge the batteries, and when should you change batteries?

How does one move the hoses that are lying on the ground? How do you mow around so many hoses?

Should you keep the mower going between patches of mowing, or should you turn it off to save the battery so you don't run out of battery before you're finished?

Where and when are the batteries charged? How high should the grass be cut?

What do you do when you're unsure? Where is it dangerous (rocky) to mow?

Last season when the mower was purchased we held an announced training day for Allotment folk, but none of them attended. So can anyone use the comment button below, or make suggestions as to the best way to keep our lawnmower safe from forgetful/stubborn/hasty/unsure human use? 

One suggestion that Jim Harris made was for the mowing to be done Saturday morning during the work party so we all could be there for it. Another person suggested putting the instructions up on a clearly printed large outdoor poster? But would people read it and follow it?

We really need to solve this going forward. Thanks for any and all help with this conundrum. Please help, thanks.

Jen for Jim/Veronica/Kevin etc.

Metal roofing raised beds

 Here at DIGS, we need to rebuild and replace some of our raised beds, and since the lumber we used to use (4" x 4" yellow cedar) has become prohibitively expensive at approximately $500 for a 24 foot by 4 foot garden bed, we took a look at two local designs that utilize a timber frame mounted with corrugated metal roofing.

 Firstly, a brief field trip to the Co-Op Greenhouse at Beban Rec. center gave us a good look at their use of horizontal metal roofing (click on photos to enlarge):

The design requires plenty of costly 2x4" wood, and the Co-Op volunteers showed us how the longest pieces of wood do warp, bend and bow over distances, which looks slightly irregular. Also the flaw in this particular build was that the wood is exposed to the wet soil where it would rot and need replacing at the corners. The above beds were obviously also too tall for our uses at DIGS (they filled the height of the beds utlizing "hugelkulture" to save on the amount of soil required) so we'd need to re-think the design for our own uses.

On the other hand, utilizing the metal roofing vertically, as our P.I. neighbour Gordon did in his garden on Pirates' allows perfectly strong and stable beds of any length, and have no wood exposure to wet soil at all. Just brilliant. The cost is approximately $140 worth of metal for a 24 foot by 4 foot garden bed (we still have to price the lightweight lumber). Plus we have the nearby expertise of the inventor himself, who has built several, to show us the easiest way to put them together. What a win all around!

click on photos to enlarge

Note that all the roofing comes pre-cut from the store, and has standard nut fasteners that affix it to the lightweight wood.

Note too that in the preferred second design, with the metal used vertically, there are no corner posts at all. The strength of the product is in its vertical positioning.

Jim Harris has asked that we take more DIGS garden measurements and really sort out how many beds will fit. Our priority is to plan on the maximum grow area for the left front of the garden where the beds will be replaced first (the clematis and rose trellis area will be replaced with public and possibly some allotment veggie beds). All of this will be voted on and planned as we go.

We can put the new beds closer together than lawn-mower-width, Jim suggests, and use mulch on the paths instead of lawn, as long as the paths are wide enough for wheelbarrows. So this could be fun to work out using graph paper and little paper pieces, if folks are into it.

We should also decide on whether, over time, all the rotten timber should be replaced with vertical metal roofing in this new design. They should last for decades without the need for further investment. The Zinc coating is foodsafe and does not break down over time, and the 1"x3" trim will be Yellow Cedar. (Red Cedar suffers from a powder beetle problem).

So this is part of the success of our tiny field trip this week, as well as finding the structural engineer who will help us build a healthy/organic footing for the greenhouse (timber, gravel, rebar anchors etc.).

All the news, now for some measuring and planning!

Jen (for Jim Harris) (who doesn't use computer)

Little Diggers April 2nd start

 

The community garden will once again be offering a "Little Diggers" program. The program this year will be a series of Sunday morning lessons dealing with plants and will be held in the community garden each Sunday morning starting April 2 until September 2023. The lesson will start at 10:00 am and go until 12:00 and children of all ages are welcome. There is a $5.00 registration fee per child payable at the first lesson.

All parents are asked to accompany their children so they can help them with some activities.

Jim Harris

March plantings

 These past few Saturday work parties have been full of fun and greenhouse work and baked goods. Many new crops have been started, and many many more are at people's homes, started as seedlings (such as Snowpea, Onion, Leek, Tomato) waiting to be planted in the Community Garden. Here are some photos from the past two weekends.

Firstly, so many hanging baskets, Geraniums, Sweetpea pots, Annuals (such as Pansy, Viola & Petunia) and outdoor perennials have been transplanted in huge numbers by some pretty amazing volunteers. They move tiny plants on to larger and larger pots, in readiness for the plant sale on May 13th, and for transplanting into our own community garden beds too. This is steady work, and we are so grateful to those who come on weekdays as well to transplant so much!

click on photo to enlarge

Started two weeks ago, in Bed 17 we have repeated the spring planting for "The Coleman Project" with two kinds of Radishes and some mixed Lettuce (Mesclun) to start off (see last year's success!). Later there will be Turnip, Carrot and other crops added. These Radish varieties are not "hot" and are very juicy and delish, plus will be completely worm-free as they were grown beneath "Reemay" cloth which keeps the chewiest of bugs out of them.

 Meanwhile, in the larger public beds, the Garlic and Kale have been joined by Broadbeans and Potatoes! The Reemay cloth is to stop the birds from making a buffet out of newly sprouted beans.

The compost corral now out of sight at the back of the garden, has begun again, with layers of dry leaves and seaweed starting to be piled up alternating, inside of a pallet wood rectangle next to Joyce's Greenhouse. We no longer mow the leaves to break them down, as we're using an electric lawnmower now instead of gas, so we will be adding beneficial bacterial powder to help break the leaves down faster. We lost a couple of years of composting over lockdown so have to speed it up again so we can constantly replenish the beds. Folks with raked and bagged leaves at home are welcome to donate them to DIGS to add to our compost corral. 

 Although it's difficult to photograph, I did note that chicken manure was top dressed over the Rhubarb crop (yummy for them!) and also thanks to volunteers, the heavy-duty arches were raised in beds 2 &3 to support the Squash and Beans plantings.

click on photos to enlarge

Finally, we'll be researching changing the raised veggie beds from (expensive) wood to corrugated metal roofing material with wooden top edging this week. Many of the beds have rotten wood now, and they fragment. It will be a large ongoing project to gradually replace them with more affordable alternatives. Photos of the metal beds will appear on the blog shortly so stay tuned.

Jen

P.S. Good tips on how to get more food in less space from Linda Gilkeson! See the pdf here from March 2022.

Veg in Feb

 A nice bunch of folk have been coming out Saturday's at 10am for our garden work parties. Sure there's not alot of "Veg in Feb", but we do have some plants ready to take off as soon as the weather warms and the sun is a little higher in the sky. Here they are: Lettuce, Spinach, Broadbeans, Kale, Swiss Chard, and of course, the Garlic is up (it was planted last summer).

A reminder to Kale lovers; please don't pick the leaves from the middle of the plants, but just the very lowest leaves. They do not grow at all in the winter, so there will be no new leaves growing until there's more sunshine.

 The news from the City is that we're in line for a grant to replace the rotting 4x4 wood that comprises the raised beds, and a small grant for a slightly larger greenhouse to sit on the same site as our existing greenhouse. Here are a couple of photos showing the kind of wood rot problem we face (it's natural) and our current "cool" poly greenhouse which is well utilized.

click on photos to enlarge.

Also, last week a team of volunteers cleared a small patch of blackberry, roots and all, in order to re-create a place for the seaweed/leaf corral. This is where we build a bin out of wooden pallets to layer seaweed and mown leaves to create soil. In the coming workparties we'll further this corral and fill it, hopefully.

New Greenhouse Plan

Update: Feb 2024 The City has asked we try 8x12' or 10x10' instead.

 Gothic Arch style - Poly covered - no foundation.

The DIGS members are considering the future of their greenhouse growing at the community garden, and whether to increase the size in order to one day have winter meetings in there. There's also planning for three season vegetables,  and considerations of year round food crops while growing in a cool greenhouse.  

Just in case we decide to upgrade we have obtained a 2021 estimate on a very affordable 20x30 foot poly house in the gothic arch style. Click on the photos to enlarge them.

Update: Note that the site for this NEW greenhouse will be on the exact same site as the existing poly greenhouse. It's just 8 feet wider and 10 feet longer. This location (on the right hand side at the back) is the shortest distance to water and power in the garden.

Antler Swamp Restoration Project

 Dear Garden Lovers,

Just next door to the DIGS garden is a wetlands that is being restored, called "Antler Swamp". The creek that feeds it runs along the back of the Community Garden, deep in the blackberry bushes. Right now the swamp is fairly dry, but with enough winter rains, it will become lake-like, and supports wildlife, birds and an incredible number of plant species. Here it is on the map:

 It's named that because of the antler found stuck in a tree. Nancy also spotted a deer missing an antler of the same vintage a few years ago. Here are those photos!

The Restoration project was begun in 2020 and volunteers removed Himalayan Blackberry and other invasives, and cleared the way to planting species that would have flourished prior to the blackberry tangles. Here are some photos of the various plants that Nancy Turner put together in a pdf handout.

You can click on the photos to make them bigger. One of the things that was noticeable from the aerial views is just how much space is taken up by Himalayan Blackberry to the left of Joyce's Greenhouse. This area might be useful for future greenhouse structures, or storage, or compost making activities if cleared.

The City Parks Dept. has been making suggestions as to how best use our boundaries, so we're all looking forward to that. Meanwhile many thanks to the volunteers saving Antler Swamp. What a fabulous project!

October's Dry Weather

click on photos to enlarge them

Gosh has it ever been the longest, driest, warmest autumn that I've ever experienced here on this small island on the west coast of Canada. Holy unexpected long summer. And it follows on the heels of a protracted cool spring that lasted through July.  Very different outcomes for some of the plants!

 We had some heavy raccoon activity in the Community Garden and there was much evidence of dining and digging. Almost every single apple was eaten (from around thirty dwarf trees with at least two dozen fruit, or more, on each tree) over the course of a week, and that represents at least five full families of raccoons, perhaps more!

click on photos to enlarge them

This photo shows raccoon evidence.

 The garlic was harvested, and the squash was cured in the sun inside the garlic/raspberry cage. The loss of three butternut squashes (not raccoon related) required us to lock the gates at night during one month of harvest.

The squash locked inside a raspberry cage 

Note that thieves take sweet things, like carrots and butternut squash, and not broccoli or kale and chard. Hmmmm. Wonder why it's sweets that appeal?

The City Parks Department once again gave very positive feedback about our boundaries within the park, and all is well with the issue of future green houses and storage sheds. We all agree to utilize the screening cover of foliage for the outbuildings, but we do look forward to planning a new greenhouse and perhaps moving it to the sunnier spot where the raspberry bird-netting cage is now.

The Coleman Project (based on the Eliot Coleman Winter Gardening double-greenhouse idea) continues with some success.

A new kneeling/seating stool was purchased to allow a more restful posture while gardening for those who need to use it. It is a green folding metal stool and has a light blue waterproof cushion attached to it. It is folded and kept next to the filing cabinet in the "social shed" (the coffee-pot and calendar shed in front). Help yourself to using it, or bring your own gardening kneeler or stool to save your back when you work raised beds. 

Harvest continues and the broccoli is amazing this year!

New mesclun, lettuce, spinach and and some other winter vegetables have been planted, and the turnips and rutabega and other crops are looking fine! Kale and Chard are beyond tall and gorgeous; they are stellar. Congrats on a great fall despite the strange weather. :>)

Obviously our friends in Azerbaijan don't have the raccoon problems we have:

Grape Harvest and cooking (video) on the other side of the world where they don't have raccoons (probably because they have a great number of dogs!)

Best, Jen

Cooking over wood fires in Azerbaijan

Dear Garden-lovers,

This is my new favourite show on youtube; and I am in love with this peaceful place! It has fruits and vegetables being picked and prepared freshly every few days, it has the seasons as they change in the garden, and it is full of food and pets!! In Azerbaijan in a small village, the best village cook prepares traditional food for weddings and special events. The cameraman/editor is a professional chef who has come home during lockdown and is filming his Mom. The little house has been built especially for filming. Everything is done without electricity and in the old way. Fabulous, restful, no talking, just beautiful landscapes, food and animals.

Very peaceful. See all their videos on one page here.

Cooking over wood fires in Azerbaijan

Preserving pickled vegetables (video on youtube)

Grilled Chicken with vegetables: (video on youtube)

Enjoy! More gardening news to follow, but this is such a great inspiration!

Gorgeous Garlic Braids

 The DIGS garden will be raffling three garlic braids this year, all of which will be drawn at the Island Christmas craft sale at Beacon House Dec. 3. Tickets for the raffle will go on sale shortly.

 Pricing same as last year — $2 a ticket or three tickets for $5. Proceeds go toward our Community Garden.

 The braids are made from the garden’s finest organic European garlic, each containing 16 bulbs and when hung up at home, should last well into next spring. They make fine Christmas gifts for the gourmand in your life.

Also: If you ever wondered how the community garden’s braids are made, there will be a short, 15-minute, how-to demo at the garden next Saturday morning (Sept. 10) about 10:30 a.m. All are welcome.

Written by Mike Gillespie

ps. Jen adds: We even have an instructional video of Mike and Andria teaching this skill in 2009 on two computer thumbdrives for those who cannot join us at the demo.  Just ask! Mike and Andria's Garlic Braids use a different technique than those shown on youtube and are truly gorgeous to behold.

Harvest & New Lawnmower

 The summer has been HOT. Some crops have been amazing, and some have had an uphill battle. Every year is different of course. But here are some photos to give a quick glance at what is happening at the garden this past weekend.

click on photos to enlarge

Turnip, Carrot, Green Beans, Blueberries, Zucchini, and more were harvested.

 The carrots were grown under  a floating row cover (a white, polyester horticultural cloth called "Remay") to keep out carrot-fly (who otherwise wreck your carrots here). We planted them super-densely spaced, as part of 'The Coleman Project' where we imitate 1875 Paris Market Gardens, growning plants year round for food in a busy metropolis. What are the secrets? The Coleman Book on Winter Gardening explains all about it brilliantly. It's in the P.I. Library too!

 The Blueberries were grown in large pots, in a cage that was netted against birds. Some unknown children kind of wrecked the raspberries this year by bending the tall canes down to grab the berries. The canes got broken. So if you know any kids who came home with berryjuiced faces, please teach them how to pick gently, without breaking canes (or treading on the lettuce below)! Thanks!

Speaking of lettuce, to my tastebuds, it has all gone bitter (that's what it does when faced with too much sun and heat), however others are happily eating it, and don't think it tastes bitter. That's so surprising! We all have different tolerances for bitterness! Wild!!

Well done to Veronica on her direct seeding this year! All her crops have been great, but the chard and beets that just vigorously arose are very good looking this year!

Note to machine lovers, we've just purchased a new electronic lawnmower. Due to the expense of destroying machines, we've decided to have some learning sessions for new and old mowers.

Allotment members please take note; you will need/want to attend a training session on how to use our new grass cutting machines (please)!! We'll give notice on the ProIs4-email group when we're holding the next grass cutting training session. 

See below for AGM minutes and recipes for zucchini that you least expect! :>)