UrbAg Blog

I just want to direct your attention to John's new blog, it's hilarious! I've posted a link in the sidebar as this threatens to become a 'thing' ...anyway, it's here: darthcricket's UrbAg Blog

Marie :-)

Wow! Has it been this long???

Okay, I am here...uh, I think. ;-) So news...and I don't know where to start...

I'm working on updating the Lick Diner.com site there's a new page posted on the Stop's section with spring articles we wrote for the West End Gardener the Stop's garden newsletter, you'll find those here: Spring Comes Early.

I've also a new Urban Farming section on the site for news and pics of my balcony & window sill gardens along with I'm hoping to get a community garden plot this summer, more about that later...

Oh, and Happy Spring!
You don't wanna know but it's minus ten here in T.O!
....can you believe it!!??? ~ 8-)

Light Garden & Greenhouse

In the past week we've started setting up a light garden at the Stop as well as "spring cleaning" the greenhouse location. I'm excited to have so much gardening activity over the winter months, we might even be able to finish setting up the light garden and putting in some seeds before Christmas! :-)

I'll also be attending the Stop's Winter Solstice event this week, we'll be sampling foods from differant cultures and I hope learning something about their celebrations. I'll be taking pictures of the event and they'll be posted on the Lick Diner website sometime this weekend...

Window Sill Gardening-Beets

OK I've started, picked up a "16" Peat Moss kit with dome" from Canadian Tire, and planted 16 beet seeds, the instructions say to plant 2-3 seeds in a cell and re-plant the entire peat cell, but I put one seed per cell and I'll remove them from the cells when they've grown to seedling size, figured that would work better for beets. Then I'll plant the seedlings three to a coffee can size pot, which I happen to have you could also use a coffee can, and make holes on the side of the can (rather than the bottom) about 1 inch above bottom of the can.

I don't have much window ledge space yet and what I have I invented with a board and bricks on top of the radiator that's held in place (weighted) with a soapstone carving and a few crystal specimen rocks. I also have an A/C in that window so that's a bit of a prob. as well. But it's a start and that's important! ;-)

I'll post a pic when the seedlings are up and they're large enough to remove the dome. (when they're about an inch tall)

I chose beets to start with because of their beautiful red leaves which are edible as well as decorative and I'll pickle the beets in vingear and sugar when they're ready.

Cleanup & Planting

We've been busy cleaning up the Stop's community garden, last week we also planted leeks and garlic for next year. For garlic you take a clove, seperate the buds and plant the individual buds by setting the bud upright in the hole with the 'stem' end up about 8 inches apart then cover with an inch nor so of soil. We harvested more chives and sorrel and covered the stacked strawberry plant containers (plastic milk crates)by wraping a few burlap bags around the stack of containers.

Rally

I attended the Rally Against Poverty on October 17th, photos of the event are posted on The Lick Diner website, you can go to the pics by clicking: Rally Against Poverty