Filling Out Like a Pre-Teen...

We've decided on names. Ready for it? Primero, Gusty, Stretch, Missy Misfit, and Gordo, where many multi-fingered seekers of life now dwell.

You, me, and Gordo

Saturday was a hot one,  and the main objectives were 1) replacing a few of the greens that fell prey to some hungry neighbors - o' kale & broccoli, may you rest in peace - and 2) separating out the carrots so that they each have some personal space.

Jeff weeding Stretch

What we're doing about the voracious natives? Making sure to keep our organic homemade spray handy, and are planning to be more diligent, particularly after rains (which is when the "incident" occurred while we were snug as bugs visiting our fams out of town). Fortunately, we'd had kale & broccoli sprouts coming out our ears in trays, and were able to give ourselves another chance at parenthood...

The Carrot Ordeal..

If we thought for a moment that the carrots might not take, just one word comes to mind - WRONG. Around about 150 or so of those Cosmic-Purple-Compost-Eaters are now wriggling their little roots right down into Primero (the lower bed) and Gordo (the western-most spot with the view). We did have to lay to rest some of the uprooted unfortunates who we simply didn't have room for. We hope they don't think we didn't appreciate their efforts...really, it was us, not you....

Goldie Beets!

Everyone is growing great so far. The beets are absolutely b-e-e-tiful, the beans are beaming right up their teepees, the squashes have invaded the tree linings, the onions' stalks are fattening up, the new sweet peppers have found a sweet spot,  and the rest appear to be happily settling into their new abodes...

5 Beds. 4 Taken. 3 Ways. 2.5 Month Checkup. 1st Fruits Photoshoot.

Miss Sugar Ann (snap peas have arrived!!!)

Beauty on the decks. Love meandering the trails, breathing life into these new grounds.  I swear its like watching babies' first steps.

J and Tony (THANK YOU TONY!!!- yes, I'm shouting) got there hands on that garden mix I mentioned last time and filled the last 2 of the 5 beds...YIPPEEE!

 Um...so now what to do with all the extra space? We're thinking that one of them we might reserve for all the thinning we'll likely have to do once some of the seeds/seedlings get a little bigger. The other one? Well we dug new homes for a number of the kale & broccoli sprouts, and sowed more golden beet seeds and the last of the fancy signature lettuce mix from HighMowingSeeds.com. We consulted the "Seed to Seed" spreadsheet to be sure we planted everyone companionably so they all fall in love with each other and help fend off each others' undesirable, uninvited house guests. We also inadvertently "succession planted" too, due to the time delay in getting the beds filled. Perfection in timing, I must say, since we wouldn't want all our guests to arrive at the same time...

I think we may have forgotten to tell you about the fabulous ways we're learning to fend off some of the locals from bullying the new kids. From our "Growing Vegetables" book, we learned how to make an insect repellent by blending a whole garlic clove, 3 red peppers, plant based liquid soap (we use Seventh Generation), and about 12 cups of water. So far its kept our flying moochers, including fanged ones, out of our greens.

We got a tip that putting corn meal around the leafy plants will keep the hungry caterpillars from munching on your pretty, helpless, defenseless seedlings that you just let leave the safety of your nest...I mean balcony (how dare they???). Well, we showed them (hmmph).

Also, J put up a physical deterrent today around the perimeter of the upper beds that apparently like to attract creatures with rather large feet (prints). Its pretty spiffy looking - made of bamboo poles & twine. Take that!


Btw, J wants to emphasize the coolness of actually having detected the invaders' foot prints. It was pretty wild :)


J and I are so happy that a few of you made it for a visit today to share in the warmth and fun. Big hugs to my dad Michael (who will soon be revolutionizing the world of garden irrigation), Cheryl Cross (the Fabulous Facilitator), and Allie (who makes a mean fresh pumpkin & banana bread which I am currently crumbing down my front side). Happy November!

Lauren, Cheryl, and L's dad, Michael on the top deck :)

Rainy Days are Good for Reminiscing

So few occupied trays now linger on our dripping patio. There was a time when we could hardly find a place for our own back-sides to convalesce...
Truly we are happy to see our little ones growing up and leaving us for the big wide world, aka Charlie's back yard. Well its bigger than our patio, anyway.

We got down and dirty yesterday in the 2nd and 3rd beds to some surprisingly appropriate Led Zeppelin. We've heard plants like rock 'n roll, and Robert talks a lot about making gardens grow and making the ground rich with tender care. Who'd've guessed? Maybe its in his "Plant" roots.. (Terrible I know but I couldn't help myself *covering my face in embarrassment*).

I mentioned my love for Excel last time, and here's part of why. We made a fabulously helpful spreadsheet listing everything we've planted and all the particulars we need to keep in mind as we care for them, such as what season and how deep to sow each one, whether we should sow directly into the ground or in a tray, when to transplant, how much "personal space" they need, who they like to neighbor with, and specific tips for each type. We also included sowing dates, transplant dates, and general notes on how its going. Didn't know we were so savvy and organized did ya?

 We consult the list every time we are working out the layouts of the beds, and also before putting any different kind of seed or seedling in the ground. We've started to develop our own way of sowing and transplanting by creating a little cozy nook lined with nourishing compost and/or organic potting mix. By leaving the area where we plant them slightly depressed, we envision them being a bit more protected from the environment, as well as directing water to them. We really feel like we're giving them the best homes we can, and sometimes feel a little jealous!



J has been hard at work getting the grounds to a hospitable state. The upper deck, where 4 of the total of 5 beds are located, has a lovely view of the ocean and gets plenty of sun. However, the ocean breezes (gusts) can be pretty harsh, and the soil (sand) has needed lots of attention (amending with compost). J built some great plexiglass barriers to hopefully protect one of the beds, and yesterday we chatted with the owner about getting a fence put up for some overall cover.

To get you up to speed, only 3 of the 5 beds are complete; the other 2 are awaiting soil filling. J contacted a place nearby that sells a pickup truck load of "Garden Mix" for $30 each, and he now has a date with our good friend Tony to do the manly job of hauling a load over to the garden. After mixing that with some the existing stuff and a bit of the "special blend" King Harbor compost, we'll let it settle for about a week before we do anymore planting.

What, you ask, are we now growing? Here's the list:
Cosmic (yes, cosmic) Purple (yes, purple) Carrots
Sugar Ann Snap Peas (growing up beautifully)
Royal Crescent Beans (very fancy)
Good ol' fashioned Broccolli
Honey Butternut Squash
Fancy Lettuce mix (a signature of High Mowing Seeds.com)
Sweet Walla Walla Onions
Red Baron Onions (just barely sprouting on the patio)

Arrow Shell Peas
Long Standing Spinach (Sown yesterday)
Kale
Basil
Nasturtiums
Sage
Marigolds (Just sown yesterday. So far just the African Crackerjack variety, will try the Frenchy kind soon ;)
Night Watchmen (Sown yesterday. Edible dark burgundy flowers...so cool!)

Ms. Sugar Ann (Snap Pea)

Aspects of a Garden

Introducing: Onion, Walla Walla and Broccoli, De Cecco

We’ve been holding out - its true. There are a few things we haven’t told you. Sigh.

There’s been some “experimentation” going on.  No, we have not treated all life with the same attention; and yes, there were a few plant friends harmed in the process. Their sacrifices were for the good of the whole. That’s what we’re telling ourselves anyway.

Remember when we talked about the “sucker” leaves that come out first and are to be pulled off at a certain point? Well we’re not sure if that advice is only applicable to certain plants, but we found out that the innocent little Sugar Ann Snap Peas did not agree with the idea. In fact, their little bodies got the message that they didn’t need to grow anymore. Today, they met their new humble abode: the compost bin. 

BUT WAIT! There’s good news too! A few weeks ago, J had the foresight to transplant the peas from their tiny individual cubbies to a tray where they could do some stretching and mingling, and what perished this weekend was only a percentage of the total (we have to de-personalize the whole affair, otherwise we feel like bad people and get all choked up). There they grew to be 3 times the size and sturdiness as their neutered and ill-fated counterparts, and are now getting settled into their new home (yes, right where their siblings once lay. Shudder.) But hey, we think they like it!!! 

One part we think is important to mention is that there’s been some behind the fence planning going on. First, we made a list of what plants we were hoping to coax into producing ediblicious goodness for us. Then we looked up what neighbors they fancied in that special way the plant world calls “companion.” The true definition of “friends with benefits,” companion plants get cozy and take advantage of each other…but in a mutually beneficial way. Seriously! For example, planting the odiferous, superficial onion near the sweet and deep carrot helps fend off each others’ pests. A true fifty-fifty relationship. Amazing. 

 

The next step was putting together the magic spreadsheet. I heart Excel. To be continued...

Does "Peri" work?

Nasturtium Dreams

On the road to deeper lands!

Ahhh where were we?? Pre-transplantal phase, methinks...
Well so now we're what one might call peri-transplantal..maybe?

Jeff's almost done with the grounds, and we're planting as we go since the seedlings are looking anxious to spread their winged rooted.

Thank You ALLIE

Ideal market beans and sugar snap peas are now rooting themselves in the J-prepared earth owing thanks to Allie's loving hands. They're now reaching for the stars...the perforated, buried, watering Dr.Pepper bottles (thanks to Randy for saving'em for us!)...and the new teepee rungs...

  

Many more will be meeting their new muddy fates within the next few days: butternut squash, peas, Walla Walla onions, nasturtiums, golden beets, and the Mr. Basils.


Also, in the mail came some of the next phase of seedlings from High Mowing Organic Seeds! http://www.highmowingseeds.com/
Crazy purple "Astro" carrots, fancy purple onions, a lettuce mix, lacinato kale and arugula (we're gonna try'em again!), and fingerling eggplants. Wish us luck!

The little Seeds that Could

This one could also be called "Cathcup 2," but what fun would that be??

A week or two ago, the trays with our little'ns in them weren't showing so many signs of life. So we brought them to our patio for some morning sun, breakfast smoothie infused water (we use our used water to feed the plants:), fresh air (freedom from the domes), and some stimulating conversation (well we think we're interesting anyway..).

We also sowed the new seeds into a few more trays a week ago last Sunday...
The results? Some of the first batch are coming out to play (some bean sprouts, broccoli, 2 eggplants, and golden beets).

The second sowing started sprouting last Friday and is greening up by the day....YAY!!!

We learned that those little winged leaves that sprout up first are called "Suckers" because apparently, once the real leaves come in, the suckers hog all the good stuff from the soil for themselves...who knew the plant world was so competitive with itself?!

Speaking of soil, J and I spent a lovely Sunday (yesterday) in the sun yanking weeds, building beds, and visualizing the tasty future that lies ahead :P

Stinkpost

Hot, steamy, rich, aromatic, Organic Special Blend - servin' it up fresh at Redondo Beach's Wilderness Park...

J lending a hand

L's morning face

Plucked this last Spring from King Harbor...remember that mass sardine wash up? It made a few month's stop in the high desert to be turned turned and turned again, then back to its home in Redondo Beach. This morning, thanks to our new disposal service (YAY Athens!), we acquired the perfect nourishing blend - for free I might add - to amend our sandy soil with, and hopefully to coax a few of our seeds out of their cozy nooks.

Mr. Moayad Naquib - thank you!

Thanks to Charlie and Moayad for lending yourselves and your mornings to the cause :)

Of note - check out the digs! 

..plus we got more seeds in the mail yesterday from High Mowing Seeds - SO EXCITED FOR THESE BABIES!!!
http://www.highmowingseeds.com/

Catchup

The top shelf I mean tier - J's de-rocking/rooting process...

So if you think we're just sittin' on our bums, watchin' for signs of life...well you're about 50% correct. At least for the L of the JnL.

The trays are sunning themselves on Cheryl's patio, and J and I did a bike-by yesterday to say hello and give the wee ones a little encouragement - Come on already!!! Its been an entire week...geez...

I had a hankering to order some more seeds, so here's the list of Organic additions from High Mowing Seeds (chosen for the friendly looking farmer guy on the home page - such suckers we are, I think they do studies on people like us): green peas, sugar snap peas, walla walla onions, mini butternut squash, nasturtiums, basil, and sage! :P

Had some fabulous chats with some of our amazing community friends who all swarm around Planet Earth Eco Cafe in Hermosa for its yummy eats and lovely attendance list. Moayad, Christina, Julie, and Allie - what a lovely Saturday afternoon it was :) http://www.planetearthecocafe.com/

Anyway, in the "Other Exciting News" category, we were attacked by a flyer at Whole Foods earlier for a clean, organic, free compost pickup this coming Saturday just a mile or so from home and the yard. Thank you, Dictionary.com, for the following definition:  

ser·en·dip·i·ty [ser-uhn-dip-i-tee] noun

1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.

2. good fortune; luck: the serendipity of getting <free, organic, clean, compost, presenting itself nearby, on the very weekend one wants to start amending soil>

Speaking of soil, J has been busy digging up the grounds (which at some point in the evolution became the back, and not the front, yard of the dwelling. He's finding super fun things like rocks, roots, and tires to play with...as mentioned before, only 50% of us is sitting on our behinds.....

The 2nd Tier down from the top...and Pepper

Sow in Love

The Setting: Cheryl's Courtyard of Light

7 trays of future foodie fun. 3 hours of playing in the dirt. Methodical. Peaceful. Community. Dig it.
The process went a little something like this:

• Organic fertile mix heap.

• Top the trays off - loosely, levely. 

• Study seed depths. Generally, bigger seeds 1-2,   1" deep in the degradable bigger cups; smaller seeds 2-3, 1/4" deep in the domed trays.

       

• Soaker spray and sun, the key ingredients.

Many thanks to the gracious hostess and to those whose comings and goings made the party, well, a party.

Phase 1 - Part 8?

Soil - tested at 6.9pH (awesome!) and nearly 0 (that's a big fat ZERO) for fertility. Compost will save the day, I'm sure of it. Feel it in my bones.

J found places that give away the stuff, and considering ours is just getting started, that's great news.

Been working on layout designs, and we're going for different sized/shaped raised beds and whiskey barrels. What do you think of that? They're pretty. And tidy. J plotted with plastic-ware and twine. Lookin' good....

I'm hearing sounds that phonetically are like, "eh...ah....ehhh." Get yer mind outta there. That's J bringing more fresh goods for the bin from the Cafe. I love that we've got them saving their scraps for us. http://www.planetearthecocafe.com/

Ordered seeds online last night for our winter (Ha! considering we're in growing Zone 8 or 9, you might say we don't have a 'winter,' but we're goin' with it). Seed Savers is what was recommended for good Organics, and Obama is currently making a cameo on their website - http://www.seedsavers.org/

Here's what we got:

Arugula OG
Beet, Burpee's Golden OG
Kale, Red Russian OG
Kale, Lacinato OG
Spinach, Bloomsdale OG
Carrot, Dragon (Its RED!)
Bean, Ideal Market OG
Bean, Sultan's Golden OG
Pepper, Aurora OG
Pepper, Napoleon Sweet OG
Broccoli, Romanesco

Working on the tentative plans to show to the house dweller, but we'll be enjoying our first anniversary this weekend, so we'll be back next week for what will hopefully be the last part of Phase 1......

The Compost Post

As I watch J cut up the rest of our non-edibles into our patio bin, I'm taken back to some weeks ago...prior to our apartment-hold growvolution evolution. Nebulous. That's what the word "compost" was to me.

What is compost? I think what we've gleaned from our small pile of nearly overdue library books is that it is basically by far the best form of fertilizer a plant being can get.

• It helps to keep our plant friends free of pesky pests 
• Encourages a healthy pH balance which liberates much loved and needed nutrients 
• Warms the soil with its chocolate-y rich color....
• Speaking of rich, it helps the soil retain water and nutrients that our wee ones will be so grateful for, they'll be positively popping come harvest time (we're thinking big here...just go with it) 
• The best part is that you're not carelessly chucking what can be truly amazing stuff into landfills where they will only take up and stink up the place, never coming to any use to me, my belly, you, or your belly (which like the idea and can't wait for the fancy home grown goodies that are no doubt going to be entering them soon!)

Is composting difficult? No
Can I compost if I live in an apartment? Yes
Is it smelly? NO (not if it has the right balance....)
What goes into our Compost? Thought you'd never ask. There are different ways to compost. Some people just throw their kitchen and garden extras into a heap in their backyard and let it decompose on it's own sweet time. Because we would like to get this green party started ASAP, we decided to do a "hot" bin to speed up the process.
The goal for our compost is for it to have a Carbon to Nitrogen ratio of 30:1. With this ratio, we'll get the temp's up to about 130*F, which will be perfect for all the friendly bacteria, worms, fungi and everyone else involved to do their jobs (eating, pooping, eating, and pooping...having fun yet??)
The trick is to have a fairly equal amount of browns versus greens...
      The Greens: 

• All of your food scraps (cut small, preferably), except animal products and oils (egg shells work, just not the innards). I also have heard mixed thoughts on citrus peels, but we don't discriminate. What do you think?
• Grasses, but no weeds
• Tea/tea bags/Coffee grounds are AWESOME (we like the way they make our pile smell...mmmmm)

      ...and on the Brown Team, we have...:

• Dried leaves
• Pine cones
• Mulch (smaller pieces)
• Small branches will do, but they take a long time to decompose
• Nothing painted or treated

Basically, all we have in our kitchen now are a to-be-composted can and a recyclables. Its pretty awesome.
There are so many different containers for composting. J made our patio one out of a medium sized plastic storage tub thing. Some cities actually even supply the bins for free...
We think everyone should make the world a better place, and start composting. Then you can send us pretty packages filled with all of the happy fruits, veggies, and strawberry pies to come.

Here are the names of a couple of the books we've grazed:
Easy Compost by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Talking Dirt by Annie Spiegelman
The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Edward C. Smith
Thank you for sharing your green/brown wisdom!

Kindergarden

Today was the day! Our first one alone with our new land of opportunity.
Apartment compost, meet the wild insides of the proper backyard bin.  Honored, I'm sure.

Top 5 happenings of the day:

1. Learned that the goal compost ratio of Carbon : Nitrogen is 30 : 1...and what that means (green stuffs are about 10-20:1 and the thin browns are about 50-70:1). All I know is that our compost actually smells kinda...great!
2. 1 stolen survivor heirloom beauty to take home, taste, and decide whether her seeds will make the cut
3. Discovered that there is a soil like dirt substance (sort of) under all of those magnolia leaves
4. Learning, learning, learning! Nose in the book "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible" - amazing how much info we packed into our brains in just 9 pages! Makes us ravenous for more..
5. Thursday morning sounded like...hmmm it would be a good idea to find out if the library has a gardening 101 video or something...10 minutes pass as L changes her clothes for work, once again....a message from Lady Cora, you might want to check out this show on KCET, the Edible Garden      http://www.kcet.org/shows/the_edible_garden_breaking_ground/   - ps. it was everything we dreamed it would be, and more :)
6. Ok, there's a 6th - we now know why gardeners dress how they do. Umbrellas for hats and canoes for shoes are now on our shopping list.

Compostal

18 days. 18 days and we already have a front yard and pieces of the back to piece together - for apartmenteers, that's pretty impressive, don'tyathink? (thank you thank you thank you Charlie & Cheryl!)
Plus, we're now combining scraps from Planet Earth Eco Cafe with our own kitchen's to make one hot pile! Of compost (we're dirty, but we're not that dirty). Smelly? Just add more brown! (I'm talking leaves, people...)

Everyday, learning so much. The more we get into it, the more of the perfect things - and people - keep making their ways to us. Keep it coming!

Cherry bomb

A memory...of you - no, wait - of looking over at you as we started our journey northbound (some weeks ago now) and being cherry tomato bombed smack dab in the face. Was that the first message from our Vision Quest guide? Some people see signs in everything.
Since Friday our thoughts have been all aflutter; granted with a few inhale-exhale type moments tucked in here and there. Apartment dweller composting and a crash course in gardening - we sure are on a mission... Funny that study feels less like work when we let go and let the Universe do the steering.

Sprouts

I know you've been here working all day and you just got off, but I'd like to hang out for a bit. A chance (arguable, I know) meeting with Cheryl at Planet Earth Eco Cafe in Hermosa; just the woman. An afternoon convergence told us that ours was not the first seed, but may have been in actuality the sprouting new green leaves of a nearly forgotten universal request. Now's the time; lets play.
http://www.planetearthecocafe.com/

Morph-time

In the 2 weeks leading up to this, the idea kept reemerging. Taking and changing form. Generating energy. Starting to fill our tool bags with gifts from the Library and the Blogosphere (namely, Ode Magazine and Lifelines - check them out, NOW!). Let's talk to Cheryl; she'll have some ideas for sure!
    http://www.odemagazine.com/  ;   lifelines-globalcommunity.blogspot.com  

Walk about ideas

It started as a we strolled through San Francisco's Haye's Valley; on a little side street, sippin' coffee, soakin' up the city. Check that out, they've got a community garden going - cool! Jeff was smitten from that moment on, and the seed of intention was sown.