Agnihotra at Hamilton Gardenz and Plant Love

Blooming Fava Beans

Circle of life

Happy May beloved friends!  This evening, Louise's Garden was offered an atmospheric cleansing through an ancient fire ceremony that incorporates the burning of a unique combination of organic compounds, as well as a blessing, and meditation.  Please learn more about the practice of the Agnihotra as well as information about the Baltimore Homa community!

 http://www.baltohomacommunity.org/index-2.html

Agnihotra preperation

Healing and Blessings begin <3

Sweet Kandel plants sweet basil at our weekly Wednesday garden gathering in Louise's Hamilton community garden!

Early Spring 2011

Spring Iris Blueberry Guild



LD at her Finest




Stop and Smell the Spinach




Pop Corn Popping




Giant Spinach!




Louise's Yad pre-planted




Alliums




The New Double Rock site




South of the "Hamilton Border"




Hoop Dreamz




Winter Carrot Harvest



Wisteria- 3/9/11

Wed Mar 09, 2011, 8:02pm

Wisteria:  Atom + Whitney + Adellade

Started Hamilton Gardenz blog...thanks Whitney!

Seed Trays:
(Atom's basement)

1 week to germinate
   -then to greenhouse

-Warm because fire-woodstove
-Light
-Spray water bottle

-Cheeks Bush - from Miguel
-Roma- tomato
-Hungarian Paste- tom.
-Brandy Wine - tom.
-Peppers
   -paprika
   -greek pepperoncini
   -sweet bannana
-Chamomile- 2
-SantoLegno - Italy -tree, brought back
-Marigold
-Lufa
-Mexican Pepper
   -2 types (from Oaxaca, from a market in Mexico)

No light need to germinate (sprout)
   -just moisture and heat
   -Use light after sprout - 1 week

Once move to greenhouse ...10-15 degree difference approx.

Hoophouse, Garden, Tasks- 3/7/11- patrick

Monday March 7, 2011

Progress has been made on the greenhouse. the face and rear of the hoop-house has been covered in plastic and the top; over the PVC. The wind has blown off the top plastic so we will obviously need more clips or better clips. We had taken off the door  to the hoop house, re-aligned the structure, screwed plywood to it to secure and stabilize it. We painted, (Adam Kandel, Lynn Dodds, Patrick Sutter) all kinds of fun designs and colors. We screwed plexi-glass to the face to preserve the integrity and life of the door : ).

Adam Fisher dropped off several boxes of cardboard, (from Hamilton Tavern) to cover the ground to kill any weeds. I had weeded the black-berry bush and crap grass. Lynn suggested spreading rock salt so Adam got some from our house and sprinkled around the perimeter inside the hoop house.

Adam K gave me a tour of Louise's garden the other day. Here are things I remember.

-2 rows of carrotts to harvest
-Leave spinich
-pull/ plant in arugala beds
-lettuce beds plant
-Weed onion  bed (spring)
-Thin rhubarb
   -weed two beds next to shed
   -plant the rhubarb there

-Harvest rest of sun-chokes, (Jerusalem Artichokes)
   -sunflower family; bulbular root veggy: looks like ginger root.
   -eat raw or in salads, flash boil and mash w/ seasoning
-Adam K. and i harvested a huge tub of sun-chokes and there is at least that much left to be harvested.
   -They used them for a topping for Falafel at Waverly/ Saturday Market
   -Ad was also making/ shaping a new bed by the sun chokes in the center of garden and was considering leaving an open space to be able to stand, sit, gather or reflect.

-The herb bed by shed needs to be weeded/ may plant more...
-the kale bed will probably stay for a few months to see if it will grow back
-Lynn had mentioned planting pole beans and stringing line between the two existing posts.
-There were beans from last yrs. by the tee-pee that will probably grow back.
-There are several beds to be turned with compost or are ready to plant as is.

-The shed needs scraped and painted
   -I volunteered to manage this and include others to help
   -Need to cover beds adjacent to shed to prevent paint chops going in
   -Prime/ Paint vertical strips of color to bring out siding texture
-Also, talked to Decker about bees; will order them/ supplies soon

Current status as far as I know:
-finish hoop-house construction : )
-start seed trays
-harvest, till/ turn soil at garden
-plant green, potatoes, herbs, peas, etc.
-paint shed
-order bees and supplies
-start a blog : )
-talk about organizing collective
-Hamilton Gardens Newsletter
-Schedule/ agree on workshops
-Weekly garden day on Wed. 6-8
-Bi-Weekly/ Monthly Workshops, Saturday morning/ afternoon?
-Sell at Tuesday Market? 4-8 Tues. (not to start until June?)

I have agreed to write
-keep journal : )
-start blog : )
-start newsletter
-help organize collective/ workshops
-paint shed at Louises
-talk to Decker about getting bees
   -order, install, learn, manage, teach

Seeds, - patrick

Seeds-->Tuesday March 1st, 2011, 6-8pm
Adam Kandel
Miranda Betts
Lynn Dodds
Patrick Sutter
Monica Sizemore
John Michael

7pm...
   -Broomcorn...
-Double Rock Gardening - wide open
   -talk to Rick/ Jeremy
   -Lynns Mom used to grow there

limited budget

Monica- seed exchange- moms group message board/ post

-broom- corn III
-cosmos

Pat Seeds
cucumber, watermelon, squash, peas, garden beans, carrot

Seed Saver Exchange- catalog

Adam Seeds
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Carrot
   -Imperator
   -Chantenay Red Core * Used All

Lettuce, Romaine
   -Sweet Valentine
   -Jericho (Super Jericho)

Cauliflower
   -Early Snowball

Chard, Swiss
   -Rainbow (Five Color Silverbeet), need more

Greens
   -Arugula, need more

Collards
   -Vates

Kale
   -Premier

Lettuce, Bibb (Butterhead)
   -Susan's Red Bibb

Lynn Seeds
2 Cucumber
2 Tomatoes
2 Green Beans - Pole

Do we heat the greenhouse?

Plant Now
Direct Plant
-Peas, Spinach, Arugula, Cilantro, Potatoes?

Last Day of Frost- May 15

2/22/11- Ideas - Adam Kandel, Patrick Sutter -patrick

Ideas -Adam Kandel- Patrick Sutter
2/22/11

Workshops
Organize Seasonally
Spring- Seed Starting; Creating Transplants
            Seed Share Day
-Plants make so many seeds
-Gather to exchange and trade seeds

-Transplant Sale- Fundraiser - involved w/ previous workshops

Random...

Permaculture Installation
   ex: -neighborhood- need a swale built- rain garden- Guilds

Plant Guilds Workshop
   -multiple plants that have symbiotic relationships
   -a permaculture concept
   ex: Kandel blueberry/ iris guild at Louise's

Companion Planting Workshop
   -various gardens/ locations in neighborhood
   -Seasons, Spring workshop

-(Permaculture Plant Guild all seasons)

Campanion Planting
   -edible com. plants
     ex: 'carrots love tomatoes'
   -right in garden bed growing - specific

Permaculture Plant Guild
   -more broad perspective, permanent agriculture, (as opposed to annual)
   -sun, slope considerations, etc.

Native Plant Workshops
   -Darrin Crew- HRWA
     -he could walk away with percentage of donations/ Hamilton Gardens the rest...

Raised Beds -incorporate other ides
   -cool idea- Cody
   -ex: Styrofoam box/ concrete for walls

Material Use
   -mattress- Lynn
   -cedar wood
   -tires, shoes
   -Rock Quarry - Fisher?
   -resources

Education
   -raised beds because of poor soil, contamination
   -place to get soil tested
   -CGRN- localize https://www.bigtent.com/groups/cgrn

Why Garden?
   -produce example- comparison
   -Harvest Fare vs. Garden
   -visual/ taste test

Now What
   -easy recipes from garden
   -simply food
   -CSA shares
     ex: what to do w/ collards?
   -what to eat raw? what to cook?

*Idea: specifically connecting with neighbors
ex: Offered a bee keeping workshop but no one else in 20 houses near by knew

'Hamilton Gardening Capitol of Urban Gardening in Baltimore'

Hamilton Gardener features Hamilton Gardenz
   -interviewed for newsletter
   -blog/ newsletter or both

Hamilton Garden Tour
   -connect w/ that flowers organization...?
   -or have our own version of edible gardens
   -Edible Garden Tour Walk

Hoop-house Workshop
   -assembly/ maintenance
   -usage
   -putting/ installing in neighbors yard and having $5 donation for workshop fund the project
   -Already know $, measurements, etc.

Basic Workshops
   -Urban Composting
   -Fruit Tree- planting/ pruning
   -Winter; indoor sprouting- Adam soon to give workshop
   -Autumn -fermenting food workshop
      -canning, sauces, soups, ex: 5 different kinds of soup in pantry for winter

-Beekeeping
-Rain Barrels
-Make Own Soup and Laundry Detergent
-Restoration Tools/ Wheel barrels
-Starting your first Garden
-Dry Herbs/ Spices
   -teas
   -ex: drying cayenne peppers
-Localizing/ Independence- Community Off the Grid
   -Interested
-Schedule of Events on Blog/ Website
   -Newsletter to show next workshops
   -Lists of months and months workshops
   -RSVP to events, does it matter?
   -respond through email if you will attend
   -Refer people to blog
   -Have the two events upfront w/ email to RSVP for attendance
-Gathering Salad at the end of work day or workshop
-Traveling Workshops

--> People to connect/ contact...
-Louise Mitchell
-Roy Skeen
-Atom Fisher
-Whitney Fisher
-Darrin Crew
-Miranda Betts
-Arthur Morgan
-Sarah Krones
-Lynn Dodds
-Regina Lansinger

-Garden Jams
   -music, yoga, tai-chi, meditation, games, art/ scultptures, sitdown and get warm in the sun -Leila : ), play, pictures -Monica

2/21/11 - patrick

Last Friday We cleared out the greenhouse out back of tools, gardening supplies and any other miscellaneous junk and/ or random stuff that has accumulated over the past two years. Well We built the greenhouse in Fall of 09. So, it's really been just over a year, but it has been through two winters. Last year it took a real beating with the back to back blizzard madness. (Winter 09/10).

Anyway, We cleared it out real nice Friday and Saturday, (I was out of town) Atom and Adam restructured the greenhouse. We had left the face and back walls intact because they were still solid. Saturday the Adams built in the ribs of the structure with PVC tubes this time instead of bamboo.Looks real good. They were planning on stretching the plastic over the frame, but it was too windy. This upcoming weekend they plan to finish the motion.

As far as the greenhouse use is concerned, as far as I know Kandel will start seed trays, Miranda too of course, for to plant at Louises' garden up the street. There has been talk to sharing the space with others. Lynn, who is a an artist that has a mosaic studio across the way (Rising Sun Glassworks), has much interest in starting seeds there too. Lynn is big on sunflowers. She is an avid gardener too!

Adam Kandel has mentioned that we have enough container/ planters for a full scale farm. He said this jokingly but he did mention he may want to sell some seedlings/ starters/ small plants/ veggies/ vines at the farmers markets. He mentioned with the right niche it could work. He mentioned possibly passion fruit vines because they are rare in these parts, they grow easy and they are unique. not to mention absolutely incredibly beautiful! And tasty, once actually ripened. Apparently in warmer climates like tropical areas such as the Caribbean they grow way bigger and juicer and all that jazz. : )

2/16/11, garden thoughts -author- patrick

This week has been incredibly warm. cooler than last few days. But very warm relatively speaking. Most if not all snow is melted...we are still burning wood stove some but during days mostly 40s-60s with sun. Been windy too. Heard up to 70s Friday.

Miranda planted snow peas and radishes on Monday, the 14th of February, (Happy Valentines Day). First I've heard of planting outside; seeds to soil. She said many people she talked to were skeptical, but she also said her kids have magic fingers for planting.

There are plans to repair our greenhouse out back at ' Da Big Green House'. Adam Fisher and Adam Kandel have been discussing a PVC method for the cross member to replace the broken bamboo from snow these past 2 winters. It looks like the front side and backside are still structurally sound. There was a locust post that Fisher found for the doorway. If I remember correctly, Fisher was saying locust wood was very resistant to rot. I remember him pointing out some locust trees in the park where we played music near Hopkins.

Fisher pruned the fruit trees at Westfield. they look great. Wonder if trees at Louise's have been or need prunnning. Ask Kandel or check it out. We have planted about 10 fruit trees between the two gardens with grant money from the Parks and People foundation. I should get a statement with Adam Fisher, Kim and Gerry Sutter for Westfield and a statement from Adam Kandel and Miranda Betts and Louise Mitchel for Louises garden. I should close out grant and find out when the next neighborhood greening grant is available.

This journal is for growing...Wed Feb 16, 2011, 11:11PM

This journal is for stories. This journal is for facts. This stories is for techniques. This techniques is for resources. This resources is for knowledge. This experiences are for understanding. This understanding is for clarity. This clarity is for good. This good is for life. This life is for growing. This journal is for growing.

WELCOME HAMILTON GARDENERZ

hello growers, eaters and beyond:

 welcome to the hamilton gardenz blog!

enjoy your gardening experience in hamilton, located in northeast baltimore city, maryland, usa.

 live love hamilton...looking forward to growing together!

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