Pac Choi try out

 Dear Gardeners,

 Just with the idea of trying it out we have just planted some Pac Choi, in small amounts, to learn more about it as a possible vegetable for us to grow at DIGS. The West Coast Seed Planning Guide says that Pac Choi can be started from seed and then covered over winter all through this month. I checked out a few informative videos and will see if "cut and come again" is a good method for us this winter. Here are the videos I found most helpful.

Pak choi 

Bok choi and pak choi; how to grow (video)

How to utilize "Cut and come again" to get three heads from one (video):

The first video also covers how to avoid bolting in this sensitive-to-heat plant.

Enjoy watching them grow in square bed 17a with more to come, as they are sprouting on the baby lettuce table.

Best, Jen

Garlic Braid How-To Demo

 Dear Gardeners,

Mike G. will be giving a "How to make Garlic Braids" demonstration at the DIGS garden Labour Day weekend, on Saturday Sept. 2nd at 10:30 am. It would be a quick, 15-minute demo covering cleaning the garlic bulbs for tying, and then wrapping them with twine into a fantastic hanger.  Just as last year, the magnificent braids (there are four this year) that Mike and Andria made will be raffled off so you can win one!

We will be holding two separate garlic braid draws this year, doubling your chances to win with two braids in each draw. The garlic is the Community Garden’s finest — jumbo-sized European Purple Stripe, which will last all winter when hung in your kitchen. Each braid has 16 bulbs. 

Ticket prices are the same as last year — $2 for one raffle ticket, or three tickets for $5.

Garlic Braid Raffle Tickets will be available every Saturday morning at the Community Garden (between 10 and 11:30 A.M.), at the DIGS  Fall Fair on Sept. 9 at Beacon House, or by contacting Veronica Z. or Mike G.

 Draws to be held Thanksgiving Weekend, Saturday, Oct. 7, and for Christmas, during the Art Walk at Beacon House Dec. 3. The funds raised go toward DIGS garden.

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps Recipe

 Zucchini Parmesan Crisps Recipe

What to do with all your zucchini? Well, this recipe looks absolutely perfect! (video)

Ingredients

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tbsps or more of olive oil

3 medium zucchini

Mix with your hands 1/4 inch sliced zucchini in a large bowl with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oil.

Oil a baking tray. Dip each piece of zucchini in a mixture of grated parmesan and panko. Press to adhere.

Bake at 450 for 18-20 minutes until crunchy and brown.

Greenhouses or poly-tunnels

 The fabulous Charles Dowding market gardening videos that we've been watching have terrific greenhouse  or poly-tunnel specific information that will be useful for us making the most expedient use of our year round cool greenhouse.

Right now in late July our poly-tunnel at DIGS has cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes (sometimes melon and eggplant too.) 

Here's a video showing how crops are changed over in May/June to tomato/cuke/melon/basil and every heat-loving plant that prefers protection from the elements: video.

And here is specific information about tomatoes in the poly-tunnel: video.

At the end of the hot season, the poly-tunnel is often used as a holding area for plants that will grow slowly over the winter, but be harvestably in small amounts: video.

Here's Dowding's poly-tunnel in December where they harvest the outer leaves of salad in winter, as salad is the most in demand food they grow. This video will start right at that part of the entire tour video: video set to start at winter salad.

And more information on salad in the winter (Nov-Feb) from an unheated greenhouse: video.

Another way to grow salad indoors is on trays set on tables (staging.): video.

And here is a longer comparison of greenhouses to polytunnels: video.

Guide to sowing seeds in the greenhouse: video.

Germinating seeds in a greenhouse hotbed: video.

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And finally, Charles Dowding has had a seeding tray manufactured (in UK and USA) that is unbreakable and lasts for over 15 years, while reducing soil required.

See Dowding's higher quality seed modules: video.

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Charles Dowding Videos

 A new market gardening expert has uploaded tons of educational videos that are so helpful. Thanks to Jane T. and Jane F. for forwarding this incredibly valuable information. And please help yourself to the free Charles Dowding's "how to grow" videos. Dowding is a lifelong farmer and market gardener and has dedicated himself to making videos of each season of his garden.

Here is a very quick tour of his garden and greenhouse/polytunnel: quick tour video. 

And here is a deliciously LONGER tour: video. (20 min.)

And if you're curious about the validity of the "No Dig" method (putting compost on top of a bed once a year and leaving the bed undisturbed), Dowding has run a ten year trial side by side of two identical beds to prove that "no dig" produces more food and stronger plants: video of No-Dig vs. Dig over ten years.

And to start off with one or two focus areas, perhaps some of the most useful topics for us at a Community Garden would be: 

Grow more food in less space!

Intensive Summer planting: video.

High Yields in Small Spaces: video.

Clearing one crop to plant another quick and easy: video.

Spacing plants efficiently: video.

Soil doesn't need to rest: video about non-rotation of crops.

Multi-sowing seeds in the greenhouse: video.

_____________________and of course....

Best method of composting

The "How to compost" videos are in a playlist, which is helpful too.

Most importantly:

How much compost do you need? video. and

Making compost in 3 bays: video.

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 I found while watching that we're already doing so much of what Dowding recommends already at DIGS community garden, that we're ahead of the game here.

 Please feel free to comment (comment button below). 

And more films to follow in next blogpost.

What can you plant in July?

 Dear Gardeners,

Note from future selves: If you haven't planted your carrots by mid-July, you are too late for winter carrots. Plant plant!! Just had to write that as a reminder to our carroty breatheren. Plant early, plant often and keep seed moist.  :>)

Now that we're coming into the second half of July the question is: Can any veggies still be planted from seed? The answer is YES! Here's a video to give ten bountiful crops from beets, kale and chard to a few less well known crops (video):

And here, looking ahead, are some educational videos about what to sow in the upcoming months before the sun gets too low in the sky. These are Charles Dowding videos.

What can you plant in August through October?

Winter crops sown in August-Oct: video.

Winter crops sown in September: video.

No dig, easy and speedy (Sept crops): video.

Also, if planning ahead to winter edibles, very easy-at-a-glance is Linda Gilkeson's month by month winter planting guide: 

More to follow, as we're planning our new greenhouse/polytunnel in the upcoming months! Also the garden is full of produce from garlic and rhubarb to raspberries, blueberries, lettuce zucchini and potatoes. So much going on in July!

Jen

What's up in the early June garden?

click on photo to enlarge

 Well now that the plants sale is over, the Dessert Auction is imminent, and crops are being planted like crazy in the garden, what else is going on at DIGS? How nice of you to ask!! Click on the above picture to see that we now have a new special reserved section for propagating native plants, a new cucumber trellis, and mysterious white fabric floating row covers over certain seeded crops. The white Remay cloth or row-cover-polyester is keeping out bugs that destroy carrots/turnip/radish. So after watering underneathe you want make sure it's sealed down with rocks and corner-clothes-pegs afterward so the bugs cannot enter and take up residence while the plants are young. 

click on photo to enlarge

When you first enter the front gate, if you turn to the left you'll see the tallest wooden beds 15 and 17 which are currently part of our Coleman Project (growing more veg in less space throughout the cold seasons too). 

Here we've been having good success so far featuring "Cut and Come Again" Mesclun (mixed seed packet of small sized lettuce/kale/arugula that is meant to harvest as "baby greens"), a mixture of full-sized spinach, lettuce and parsley, and transplants from Jim's garden of leeks and scallions to fill in spaces not taken up with carrot and turnip. The Little Diggers Sunday 10am program is also using Remay cloth to cover radishes, and soon, carrots in the littlediggers L-shaped bed near the center of the garden front.

click on photo to enlarge

 

Elsewhere, peas and broadbeans are almost ready to harvest, and the asparagus is finishing. Note that asparagus stems that were simply broken off above the soil-level ended up dead and withered (see photo above top left), whereas if broken/cut below ground asparagus stems stay alive.  In starch-land, the large row potatoes are flowering, and the shorter potato towers by the gate are also doing well.

Green beans have had germination problems (bush beans will likely need to be resown but that's better for succession planting if done weeks apart anyway) and the squash transplants are struggling in the cold weather. Not pictured, but a great new feature, the new raspberry cane pattern of semi-circular bending to produce three times more fruit and at a lower height has been a huge success. More photos of that to follow as the season progresses. Exciting stuff!!

Best, Jen

Fall Fair Sept.9 2023

 

Get ready; there are three months until......

DIGS Ninth Annual FALL FAIR 2023

Saturday, September 9 at Beacon House here on P. I.

Submit your entries at Beacon House on: Friday, September 8: 6-8 pm  or

Saturday, September 9: 8-9:30 am

On September 9 Saturday

10 am to noon Beacon House will first be CLOSED for judging.

Doors open at 12 noon to the public to view exhibits

12-3pm Food Available: Hot Dogs, Chips, juice/soft drink.

What you can do:

View the exhibits

Enter the Garlic Braid Raffle - 3:30pm for the Draw

Cock-a-Doodle Poo contest

Coconut Shie

Participate/Watch the Kids Races on the field below:

Egg tosses – 1) kids 2) adult

Adult Tug of War

1st Ever Electric Bike Race

Electric Wheel Barrow Race

PI Beacon Library Book Sale/Design-A-Bookmark Contest Display

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Exhibits to remain on display until 3pm.

Pick up your entries and winning ribbons between 3 to 4pm

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GENERAL RULES FOR ENTRIES

1. NO LATE ENTRIES will be accepted. See times at top.

2. Adults...one dollar PER entry. NO entry fee for children, even if entered in an adult category. Enter as many items as you wish.

3. Two age categories for children and teens: Primary 7 years and under ; Junior 8 to 14 years

Children and teens may enter in their age category OR they may choose to challenge the adults in their categories

4. Entries must be MADE or GROWN or BAKED by the entrant within the last 12 months.

5. There are 5 categories and several classes within each category. Ribbons for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places will be awarded for each class within a category.

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CATEGORIES (please read instructions carefully)

VISUAL ARTS

1. Painting

2. Sketch in black and whitemounted on a black mat (no frame or glass) (black mat supplied if required)

3. Photograph mounted on a black mat (no frame or glass)

4. Natural Beach Art

5. Carving/Sculpture/Wood Working

5. Card Making using photographs

HORTICULTURE

“BEST” means best representation of species

1. Biggest Squash

2. Best Root Vegetable

3. Biggest Zucchini by Weight

4. Biggest Onion by weight (roots removed, tops folded over with elastic)

5. Largest Garlic Bulb by weight (roots removed, top trimmed to 1”)

6. Biggest Tomato by weight

7. Best Potted Herbs

8. Flower arrangement of any variety

BAKING/PRESERVES

1. Pie, any variety, topped (crust, crumble etc.)

2. Muffins (4 of one variety)

3. Yeast Breads or Buns...white, brown, whole grain, sourdough

4. Coffee cake or Loaf cake

5. Cookies, six of uniform size, same variety

6. Cake, any layer cake with icing or frosting

7. Fruit Crisp

8. Homemade Candy, Fudge, Peanut Brittle

9. Kombucha (fermented tea in clear glass container)

NOTE: The following must be in containers with standard 2 part lids, hot water sealed and labelled with the date.

10. Jam, Jelly, Marmalade

11. Pickles, Chutney, Relishes, Salsa

12. Fruit preserves

HOME ARTS AND CRAFTS

1. Knitted or Crocheted item

2. Ceramics, pottery

3. Sewn item

4. Felting

5. Spinning

6. Weaving

7. Dyeing

8. Needle Work

9. Quilting

10. Rug Hooking

11. Card making – crafted or drawn

CHILDREN'S CATAGORIES– Primary (7 and under)Junior (8 to 14)

1. Visual Arts (painting, sketch- mounted on black mat, beach art, photograph – mounted on black mat)

2. Best dressed or decorated veggie or fruit

3. Baking

4. Fabric or Wool craft

5. Ceramics – pottery or woodworking

6. Lego structure

7. Play dough structure

8. Biggest Maple Leaf

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At the end of the day, PLEASE PICK UP YOUR ENTRIES and take them home afterwards,  between 3 to 4pm. Thankyou!!

Plantsale half-price 2023 plantsale

May 20th, Saturday Half-Price Sale

 SATURDAY May 20th, 2023 - 10:30 a.m. to Noon

Please bring loonies, toonies, paper money or cheques, writing utensil and something to carry your plants home with.

 No change will be available. There is an "Honour box" only.

Half Price Plant Sale List

Flowers

6 Packs - $1.50 - alyssum, asters, cosmos, dianthus, impatiens, lobelia, marigold, nicotania, pansy, salvia,  viola.     

3 ½” pots - $1.50- geraniums 

Basket stuffers - 2 ½” pots - $1.00 - bacopa,  myositis

Hanging Planters - Violas - $7.50

 

Vegetables

6 Packs - $1.50 - basil, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, dill, ground cherry, kale, leeks, mint, onion, lettuce, parsley, pepper

3 ½” pots - $1.00 - cucumber, giant leek,  giant onion, squash, zucchini 

Tomatoes

3 ½” pots - $1.00 -  Cherry - Sweet Million, Gardener’s Delight, Sun Gold, Golden Nugget & Red Robin - Regular -  Early Girl, Super Fantastic, Tasti-Lee, Old German, Roma - San Marzano.  

Perennials - ****NOT HALF PRICE***. Available @ regular price.

3 ½” pot – $3.00 - columbine, dahlia, daisy, delphinium, fox glove, grass, hellebore, hollyhock, hydrangea, lavender, lily, lupin, mint, nirene, phlox, sage, saxifrage, sedums , veronica, yarrow.

1 gallon pots - $5.00 –bleeding heart, cone flower , dahlia, daisy, delphinium, fox glove, fern, hellebore, hollyhock, hosta, hydrangea, lavender, red hot poker, rhodos,

Fruit in 1 gallon pots - $5.00 – asparagus, fig, raspberry, rhubarb

$10.00 large Pots – rhodo, rhubarb

May & June Events Upcoming

Dessert Auction of The “Douglas Island Garden Society” Upcoming

When: 2:00 pm, Saturday, June 17th 2023

Where: Beacon House, Protection Island

We are pleased to present this fabulous event, where our Community gets together to bid on fabulous desserts, which supports the Community Garden.

These creative, culinary masterpieces showcase the artistry of islanders, and while you take a tour of these tantalizing treats, enjoy some light refreshments at Nicky’s Booth with lilting harp music played by Tamara.                                                       This is a bidding auction, where the 1st prize for the dessert with the highest bid will be a lovely dinner for four, courtesy of David Essig, (Chef Extraordinaire) either at his house or the winner’s house. A prize will be given to one of the bakers of these fabulous desserts by random draw.

Put on your designer dessert hat for this upcoming Dessert challenge.

We will be accepting desserts from (12:30 to 1:30 pm) on June 17th 2023.

Please notify Us about how many & what type of Dessert You will be bringing at jfoxwell@shaw.ca

The doors will be open to the public at 2:00 pm when bidding commences and bidding will stop at 4:00 pm 

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DIGS 2023 Annual Spring Plant Sale

The Plant Sale will be held at The Community Garden Saturday May 13, 2023 from 10:00 a..m. to 12:00 noon.

1.  15 people at a time will be accommodated - no socializing in the garden. Please shop and exit, so the next person in line can enter,.

2.  Bring your own boxes/containers to carry multiple pots - only have a limited number available on site. 

3.  Due to the  limited space, there will be no holding area.

4.  HONOUR SYSTEM - Plants will be clearly marked with the type & price. No change will be made - tally up your order and drop you cheque or cash in "the BOX" as you exit.(Assistants will help mathematically challenged.)

NOTE:  There will be a limited number of "consultants" on hand to answer questions.  A price list of available plants will be posted ahead of time and also put up here on the blog, to assist shoppers in planning & costing their purchases.

Hope to see you Saturday May 13th!

DIGS Plant Sale Committee

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June 4th 2023 Garden Tour!

The Protection Island Garden Tour Returns!

After a three-year break due to Covid, The Protection Island Museum is pleased to announce that the annual PI Garden tour is back.

Save the date! Sunday, June 4, starting at 10 am at the traffic circle where maps will be given out.

Seven island gardens will be open for your personal viewing.  You are invited to wander around, learn from the gardener, take note of what plants work where on our island, and appreciate the personal vision of each garden owner. 

The tour will be followed by the greatly anticipated barbecue and multi-prize raffle on the museum grounds. 

Tour entry and barbecue by donation.  Raffle tickets are $4 each or three for $10.

More details to be posted. 

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.