The Frenchtown
garden community meetings are on the first Tuesday of every month
at 5:30pm at the LaVerne Payne Community Center.
Mark meets with the kids
every Thursday. Feel free to go out and help in the garden! If you
would like to be added to Marks email list contact him at tancig00(at)yahoo.com
.
The Laverne Payne Community
Center is located at 450 Fourth Ave.
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 10-22-09
Hello All,
The pecans are falling! After some work in the garden, we all collected, cracked, picked, and ate pecans. They were good.
Our friends from "The Center" came by - 'Asa, Seda, Jessica, Chris, and a new friend (can't remember his name right now, sorry) - as well as Kristen and Brandon, also new friends. Ashawn, Tyresha, Leia, and Eli helped out in the garden. We planted onions (courtesy of Turkey Hill Farm), broccoli and cabbage seed, collected and put down hay, watered, weeded, and of course, chatted. We knocked it out pretty quick. These new gardeners are getting the hang of it. They're curious and ask a lot of good questions.
So we finished up and decided to hang out on the playground and eat pecans. We also swung on the monkey bars, chased the kids around, and talked. The kids loved the pecans and the company.
I hope to see some of you at Lichgate this weekend for the Farm Tour (see the Oct. 1 report for a link to the info). Another project of mine, Glori Farm, is also on the tour. Come on by.
Have a great weekend,
Mark
p.s. see the Salvation Army Report for this week. A blog exclusive. There are some pictures! Yes this is a ploy to get you to sign up for the blog.
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 10-15-09
Hello All,
Another great day in the garden. We got a lot of work done today. Volunteers from FSU's "The Center," as it is known, were an amazing help today. 'Asa, Jessica, Simon, Chris, and Seda were great. We also had some small hands helping, including Alfonso, Ashawn, Ayana, and my little ones, Leia and Eli. Some other little hands helped out as well. Ms. Jan from the Leon County Health Dept. came out and chatted with us for awhile and Marcus got there towards the end.
We all got a lot of beds prepared, seeds planted, and mulch put down. Collards, rainbow radishes (all different colors), mustards, two varietes of lettuce, and snow peas were planted in the fresh compost that Marcus, Demarvius, and I laid down last night. The compost, as always, was provided by The Damayan Garden Project. Thank you, thank you. We prepared another bed for broccoli and cauliflower for next week.
We enjoyed some yummy sweet tea with mint, again made by my beautiful, loving wife. Thank you, Laura.
Some of the volunteers were able to take home some green peppers, chives, and oregano.
Next week we'll finish planting and see if our seeds have sprouted.
There is a workday at the Lichgate garden Saturday morning/afternoon. Come on by and work or just chat with us. We're getting hyped up for the New Leaf Garden Tour coming up next weekend. See the 10-1-09 report for a link to info on the garden tour.
Those of you getting this email have not signed up for these reports through www.damayangardenproject.blogspot.com. I'll probably just send one more email before the reports are sent through the blog only. So, if you want to keep getting the reports, sign up. You get one more chance after this.
Enjoy the weekend,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 10-8-09
Hello All,
There was all kinds of fun at the garden today. We ate, drank, worked a little, and talked a bunch. We had lots of friends over - around 15 kids from the afterschool program at the Recreation Center - some new, some regulars - , 'Asa, Jessica, Angie, and Simon from FSU's Center for Leadership and Civic Education program, and my kids.
For the drinking we had some freshly brewed sweet, lemon tea with crushed mint, on ice. For eating we had stuffed patty-pan squash. Both prepared by my wonderful wife. They were both oh so good. Most of the kids and some of the adults ate it all up. Even some who said they didn't like squash and some who said they had never eaten squash. Ms. D said the squash was "Off the chain". My wife liked that.
For work there was some fence repair/removal. The FSU students took quick care of that. We mixed compost piles and watered them. We picked - and munched on - okra and green peppers.
Oh and I almost forgot that we had some limbo action in the garden as well. The kids got real low and almost seven-foot tall Simon did pretty well himself.
Also, the blog program does not let me add email adresses directly so I have to ask you to do some work. If you would like to keep getting the garden reports you're going to have to sign up at the blog site (www.damayangardenproject.blogspot.com). Scroll down a little and on the right hand sign enter your email where it says "Enter your email". I'll keep an eye on who signs up and take you off this list. The others I'll remind a few more times before they just stop getting a report.
Thanks and Enjoy,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 10-1-09
Hello All,
I'm back. I really didn't go anywhere but two weeks ago we got rained out and last week I was laid up with The Flu. Sorry for anyone who has caught that nasty little bug, it's vicious.
Today I had some new friends join me from the FSU Center for Leadership and Civic Education. 'Asa, Jessica, and Erin helped me prepare the beds for some fresh compost. We pulled a big pile of weeds and old plants out. Our small friends Jay and Alfonso also joined us for awhile. Alfonso is getting quite proficient with a hoe.
Alfonso, 'Asa, Jessica, Erin, Ms. D, a neighbor, and some of the older kids were able to take home some green peppers, which continue to produce and probably will until it starts freezing.
I have some exciting news that I've been wanting to share that will change the way you all get the reports. Thanks to Mickey Damelio, the Damayan Garden Project, the group that makes the community gardens I speak of possible, now has a blog (www.damayangardenproject.blogspot.com). I'll be posting the reports there and you all will get the report through the blog site. We did a test and it is pretty sharp. The blog allows you to post comments on each report and will eventually have all of the reports archived on there. We hope that it will also include reports from other Damayan projects around town.
Speaking of other garden projects, Damayan helped Mickey, who teaches visually impaired kids in Leon County schools, get some container gardens started with his students. I'm really excited to hear how the kids do with gardening. I did get word that they had a good time planting the seeds.
During the last few weeks, Damayan volunteers (Marcus, Zach, Mickey, Nathan, Matt, and myself) were at the Salvation Army garden giving it a facelift and planting some winter crops. You all should go by and check out the 8-9 foot okra plants. It's amazing.
Volunteers from FSU's Service Learning Program also helped out at Damayan's Lichgate garden, preparing it for the New Leaf Farm tour (see attached). I hope to see everyone there.
Enjoy the weather,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 9-10-09
Hello All,
It was another productive and fun day at the garden. Nancy and Season
were there when I showed up and helped pull some weeds. Allison
also came and was able to spend some good time with us. Most of
my little friends were there and some stayed with me, mostly six-year-old
Ashawn and others strolled in and out.
Much weeding was done. I can't wait for the cooler weather so we
can finally catch up with them. We harvested some okra and green
peppers and gave them to Cora, a neighbor. A rather large patty
pan squash was also harvested and I'm planning on bringing it back
next week for a snack. Anyone have some good recipes for me? We
also started some more seeds--different type of lettuce, brussel
sprouts, and cabbage. Yummeee! The children's skills are improving.
Ashawn only got six seeds in each hole today! The seeds came from
The Damayan Garden Project and were generously donated to Damayan
by Native Nurseries. Thanks a lot - can't have delicous vegetables
without seeds.
Allison read Ashawn's book, "He Bear, She Bear" to some
of the smaller boys and girls. I think they really liked it.
I had to persuade most of the kids out of the AC, especially since
there were no delicous eats in the garden. When I told some of the
girls to help me plant seeds, they said it was too boring. But when
I told them that if we didn't plant the seeds we wouldn't have any
food later, a lightbulb went off and they agreed to help.
I'll be at the Salvation Army Garden, another Damayan-sponsored
garden, on Saturday starting at 9am with some other volunteers to
spruce up the place. There will also be a volunteer group at the
Lichgate Garden, Damayan's bomb-diggity garden, maintained by Season
and others. They will be there in the morning on Saturday as well.
Feel free to come on by.
Have a great weekend,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 9-3-09
Hello All,
Today was so exciting! I got to see most of my old friends as well
as some new faces too. There were about fifteen kids running in
and out of the garden at different times, ranging from ages four
to eleven or twelve. I got to find out what they've been doing all
summer. A lot of them went out of town visiting relatives. I think
the kids were just as excited to see me after a couple of months
away, as I got a few hugs and a lot of big smiles.
I also had some adult friends stop by. Marcus, Demarvius, and Paul
came out and spent some time with the kids and I.
Melvin, a regular, who was in New Smyrna all summer, helped out
a lot. His four-year-old brother, Ashawn, was also a big help. We
all started seed of carrots, two types of lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower,
chard, and some Johnny jump ups (Violas). Before we planted the
seeds, we made up a mix of our own Frenchtown finished compost,
topsoil, and sand. We mixed it all up, took out the big chunks,
and poured it in our trays. Then we attempted to drop a seed or
two into each little hole. Getting one or two tiny seeds in a hole
is tough. Ashawn averaged about ten seeds to each hole.
A neighbor named Niah that I had not met before also came by and
seems to be very interested in gardening and composting with us.
She said she had been eyeing the garden and will be back next week.
I gave her a couple green peppers to help entice her back.
We munched on some raw, baby okra. Niah and Melvin were very skeptical
of the baby okra. But, they finally tried it and said it was good.
Not this weekend but the next, I would like to get a group together
to spruce up the Salvation Army garden for fall. So if you're interested,
let me know. Last weekend we had a good group of folks working at
the McCray Boys and Girls Club garden. It's impressive to see all
the work a group can get done in a few hours.
Have a great Labor Day weekend,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 8-21-09
Hello All,
Again, I got rained out last week and the weeds got ahead of me.
Fortunately, Marcus, a coworker, and his son, Demarvius, came out
and we knocked those weeds out. We also trimmed up the Mulberry
tree and pulled some of the dead bean and corn stalks. Being able
to talk to folks while you weed really makes the time fly by and
before you know it the weeds are gone.
Some small friends of mine were visiting a relative nearby and came
by and hung out with us in the garden. Heaven, Diamond, and DJ were
excited to see the garden again and they brought their cousins Alexa,
Ajaya, and Octavius. I introduced them to the wood sorrel - the
weed that tastes like sour candy - and they took care of that weed
for us. They asked if I could grow some more of it and I told them
that wouldn't be a problem.
I picked a beautiful bunch of green peppers from the garden. I probably
could have gotten almost $20 if I sold them for the price organic
peppers get at Publix. These went to Heaven and Diamond's family,
a neighbor who often stops and says hi, and another local that keeps
an eye out on the garden. Heaven and Diamond also took some okra
home. I did pick some more pink-eye purple hulls but what I've realised
is that I need to grow a lot more than a small community garden
plot of them to feed a lot of folks.
Next week has been designated National Community Gardening Week
so all of you get out there and do some gardening with your neighbors.
I'll be at the garden next Thursday too so feel free to stop by.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 8-6-09
Hello All,
No report last week due to the rain. You all know by now what rain
and all this sunshine does - grow weeds. And this time of year the
weeds seem to be more productive then the vegetables. So I spent
the day sprucing the place up a little. I fixed the fence, the gate,
cleaned up piles of weeds from the last couple of weeks, and made
new piles of pulled weeds. I fed all I could to the compost bin.
The fence had been pulled down and trampled on by some watermelon
hungry folks. They better have eaten that dang watermelon!
I had the pleasure of spending the time with a wonderful, polite
young gentleman, Carlos. Carlos is seven and going into the second
grade. Carlos' uncle, who often chats with us, lives across the
street from the garden and Carlos and his mom were visiting him
today. Carlos talked and talked and talked about all kinds of stuff.
School, his brother, bugs, girls. He had lots of interesting stories.
He was able to take a couple peppers over to his mom and he also
picked some beautiful sunflowers for her. Before he took the flowers
over, I told him to tell her he loves her when he hands them to
her. He came back with a smile saying that she thought they were
real pretty and she told him how sweet he was. I think Carlos is
getting dessert tonight.
A big thanks to Sue Higgins and the Department of Health for a big
donation of seeds. When I got home from the garden there was a box
at the door that was full of carrot, lettuce, bean, radish, tomato,
and basil seeds. They were donated as part of their Comprehensive
Cancer Control Program's Grow Healthy Community Garden Project.
I have a feeling these seeds are going to help folks all through
our community get some good, healthy food. Thanks again.
Anyone interested in helping out at the McCraa Boys and Girls Club
Garden this Saturday? Respond back to let me know.
One more thing. If anyone has an old, beat up truck that runs good
and would be perfect for hauling compost and manure for sale, please
let me know.
Have a good weekend,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 7-23-09
Hello All,
I had a heap of visitors help me pull a heap of weeds today. Sky,
Jan, Zach, Brian, and Keith all came out to chat and pull weeds.
Bo, a young visitor, was able to take some peppers and green tomatoes
home. Thanks to Sky who brought some extra produce from her garden.
Her and Bo exchanged recipes. Sky told him about tomato chutney
and Bo told her how to make fried green tomatoes.
The garden is growing well for the heat of summer. Purple hull peas
are about ready. Okra, squash and peppers are still growing. And
the weeds! We put a big dent in them today though.
I hope everyone has a great week.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 7-16-09
Hello All,
I'm back! I had a wonderful vacation on the beach with all of my
family. I hope everyone is having a good summer.
I was welcomed by a garden full of weeds and cloudy, sprinkly skies
today. The weeds I pulled and piled in the compost so I can give
back all that organic goodness to the soil in a couple of months.
The watermelons are a growin', as are the okra and pea bushes. The
tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are still producing for us. The
patty pan squash Ryan planted a while back are spreading and putting
out little fruits.
A young lady and her daughter, who come to visit family across the
street in the summer, came by and visited today. They were glad
to see the progress of the garden. Zach, a coworker also stopped
by and helped me pull some weeds and chat. Zach and a fellow who
was playing basketball took some peppers home.
I'm excited to say that the Leon County Health Department and Tallahassee
Housing Authority have met with Damayan to get gardens installed
at some of their facilities. Woohoo! Thanks to fellow Damayan members
for making it happen. If anyone would like more information or if
you would like to donate time, materials, or money, please let me
know.
Have a good one,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 6-25-09
Hello All,
It was another hot day in the garden. Brandy and Becca stopped by
and helped weed, weed, weed. To help reenergize themselves, they
took home corn, green beans, bell peppers, and some mint. The rest
of the corn went to Cordesia's family, who was there celebrating
her 12th birthday. I tried some corn last week and it was sweeeeet!
A good time was had last Sunday at the Turkey Hill Farm Tomato Feastival
by all. If you haven't read it, check out this past Tuesday or Wednesday's
Democrat article on the event. If you didn't make it this year,
there is always next year.
I will be out the next two Thursdays on vacation but Brandy and
Becca said they may come out at the normal time. I hope everyone
has a good next couple of weeks.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 6-18-09
Hello All,
Boy, is it hot! I checked the temperature before I left the house
and it was 99 degrees! Guess what loves this weather? Weeds. And
watermelons, field peas, corn, green beans, okra. So it's worth
it.
No kids today except for a boy that was walking by and checked in
to see if we had any strawberries. I think there were no kids because
the Center was closed. Due to budget cuts, the Rec Center is going
to be closed for a while. Anna and her friend (unfortunately I can't
remember her name right now) came by and we weeded and then thinned
out the strawberries. Fortunately we have some afternoon shade from
the pecan tree and we were able to weed in the shade.
I was able to give Anna, her friend, and a guy that plays basketball
there a lot some green beans. We have about ten small watermelons
growing up. One is almost football size! The corn is about ready.
Peppers are ripening, okra and peas growing right along. Cucumbers
on the vine. Tomatoes ripening.
Speaking of tomatoes, I hope to be able to enter one of the Frenchtown
Garden tomatoes into the Turkey Hill Farm Tomato Feastival tomato
competition - that's a lot of tomatoes. Yours truly will be there
at the Damayan table with some kid's activities. I hope to see you
there. If you have any questions, let me know.
Stay cool,
Mark
Frenchtown Garden Report
- 6-11-09
Hello All,
Today was a great day at the garden despite the heat. We had about
six or seven children, some new to the garden, and Marcus, Rachel,
and Ryan stopped by and helped out.
We ate our first tomato! I cut two tomatoes up and we each had about
two slices. The children all exclaimed that they were delicious.
We also munched on some raw green beans, they found a couple of
strawberries, and woodsorrel. Boy, did they like the woodsorrel.
It has a sour taste that Rachel thought was like a warhead (candy).
The kids were happy and proud to take home cabbage and green peppers.
They thought the cabbages were pretty and liked the smell of the
peppers.
We planted some more purple hull peas where the cabbages were. The
kids dug some furrows, which I filled with our garden-made compost,
and then they planted the seeds. One boy, Chris, took the rest of
the seeds he had in his hand and put them in his pocket so he could
take them home and plant them.
I hope to see everyone at the Turkey Hill Farm Tomato Feastival
- June 21.
Have a good weekend,
Mark
Frenchtown Garden
Report - 6-4-09
Hello All,
I was out one week with a summer cold, and the weeds took complete
advantage of it. I had quite the jungle out there today but my trusty
hoe and my hands took care of them. One of the rewarding things
about weeding is putting them in the compost pile or chopping them
into the soil, knowing that they will be feeding the garden while
they decompose. Ahhh, weeding.
There weren't any kids in the garden with me today. Maybe they knew
I was going to be weeding? I did meet Rachael and her dog Bodie,
who may return next week.
The weeds aren't the only thing growing well. The watermelon vines
are doing what they do best - take over. They do keep the weeds
down. The beans, corn, squash, and cucumbers are doing great as
are the zinnias and sunflowers. I planted okra and purple hull peas
after weeding, of course.
Everyone write down June 21st in their calendar to remind you to
go to the Turkey Hill Farm Tomato Feastival. It's going to be fun!
Dads, a farm is a great place to take the kids on Father's Day.
Have a great weekend,
Mark
Frenchtown Garden
Report - 5-21-09
Hello All,
Today was a busy, fun day. We had new visitors and lots of regular
friends. Weldon, a coworker, Anna and her friend stopped by and
chatted while the kids and I began digging the potatoes. There were
about ten to twelve kids in the garden today.
Thats right - we dug the potatoes! Nothing much more fun than digging
your hands or shovel through the soil to pull out potatoes of all
different sizes. The kids were so into it that some of them were
in the garden the whole two hours looking for more potatoes. Some
of the kids took some home and Miss D got some also as well as a
head of cabbage. The other kids decided that they wanted me to cook
something for them for next week. If anyone feels like sending me
a good potato recipe, feel free.
A great thing about digging potatoes is finding all the creepy crawler
worms, grubs, millipedes, roaches, spiders, and pieces of mysterious
old junk. One of the girls was really into the bugs and kept picking
them up and showing them around to everyone.
Ryan, Ariel and Aiden's other half, came and planted a heap of tomatoes,
squash, and okra. Thank you Ryan, Ariel, and Aiden.
Have a great weekend,
Mark
p.s. I plan to go to the Salvation Army Garden (Jackson Bluff Rd.,
just west of Ausley) on Saturday around 10 - 12 unless it's raining
real hard. We got our first produce from the garden, two cucumbers,
that went to Valerie, a staff member. Everything is growing great.
We get a lot of visitors from people visiting the thrift store who
comment on the garden and often offer advice.
Frenchtown Garden
Report - 5-14-09
Hello All,
Well, since I cut such a beautiful head of cabbage and made coleslaw
with it Wednesday night, I couldn't let the rain stop me today.
I brought the coleslaw, some sweet tea and paperware (thanks to
my wonderful wife) and the children and I had a nice picnic under
the pavillion. We picked some mint leaves and added that to our
tea. The mint worked best when we crushed it into the ice. Everyone
thought the coleslaw was great, except for those who didn't eat
it because, they said, they didn't like mayonaise. Cordesia told
me she didn't want any because she didn't like coleslaw but I begged
her to try just one bite. Of course, she asked for more in her cup.
You can imagine what's it like coordinating about twelve, always
hungry, always thirsty, three to twelve-year-old kids. Some older
guys from the neighborhood were hanging out under the pavillion
also and one looked at me like I was crazy for even attempting such
a thing. They got some goodies too.
After eating, the rain was done and I picked weeds while the kids
burnt ran off the dose of sugar from the sweet tea. Some of them
came in the garden and helped me weed. We also observed the huge
sunflower plant that volunteered itself and is now about five feet
tall. We counted eleven or twelve flower buds on it. The rest of
the garden is well.. All of our three sisters are coming in nicely
and there are now around four or five baby tomatoes on the vine.
The strawberries seem to be pooped but the potatoes are just about
ready to be pulled. Nothing like digging and pulling for some potatoes.
Enjoy the rain,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 5-7-09
Hello All,
This is a double dose and then some of the report. I wrote one up
last Wednesday but didn't get to send it out. Also, I'm including
some short blurbs about other local gardens to let everyone know
what is out there.
Today was a spruce up day. Many of the girls were inside practicing
step. They must have a big show coming up because they were in there
for a while. Some of the other kids came by. They remember the strawberries.
I weeded, mulched, weeded some more while little Eli helped load
up the compost bin and some other kids searched for berries. There
were two to three regulars and four or so kids who hadn't been to
the garden before. Ariel and Aiden, a little three month old, joined
us as well. The kids were real excited to see a baby. They all enjoyed
picking herbs, berries, and spinach for Ariel.
Eli and I planted more corn in some of our hills which were washed
out by the heavy rains a couple of weeks ago. We also replaced some
cucmber seeds that didn't come up. A baby tomato has formed! A head
of cabbage is going to be ready for cole slaw next week. Cole slaw,
sweet tea with fresh mint on a hot day sounds pretty good.
Have a good one. Below is last weeks report and other garden news.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 4-29-09
Hello All,
I'm out of town for the next couple of days so I stopped by today
and dropped of fruit pulp, planted some green beans, weeded, and,
of course, ate some strawberries.
I had a lot of helpers - around ten kids - some of them new and
many regular faces. It's amazing what strawberries can do to bring
in the crowd. After searching, and searching, and searching for
strawberries, we all planted some green beans in our Three Sister's
hills, which now have all three sisters together. We knocked that
out quick with all the extra young hands. A new child to the garden,
Louis, helped me weed around the cucumber hills, some of which have
vigorous sprouts popping out, while some of the other kids continued
to search for strawberries.
The old lesson about not picking the unripe fruit came up again.
Everyone that picked a green one had to take a bite, and each one
agreed that the red ones taste better. Some of the seasoned veterans
were able to do the preaching about how you have to wait and that
if you pick them green we'll have less red ones later. Maybe they
actually are listening to all that boring stuff that I talk about
all the time.
If anyone is interested in receiving garden reports about the Lichgate,
McCray Boys and Girls Club, or Salvation Army gardens (all Damayan
Garden Project sponsored gardens) let me know.
Mark
McCray Boys and Girls Club Garden Report from Kathy
We harvested beans and celery on Thursday. The kids dipped the celery
in Ranch dip and pnut butter and ate it up. They bagged the beans
that were left to take home for dinner. More later. Kathy
Salvation Army Garden Report
The Salvation Army Garden has been in for a couple of weeks now
and the plants are doing well. The Staff - Capt. Pam, Michael, Valerie,
and Rabbi, along with Zach and Marcus (co-worers), Nancy, Heidy,
Keith and Milly, FSU Students, the kids, and myself have been working
in the garden on Saturdays. We have dug out sod and replaced it
with vegetable beds teeming with life, thanks to the awesome mushroom
compost provided by the wonderful Damayan Garden Project and the
awesome tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, nasturtiums, and black-eyed
Susan's donated by Turkey Hill Farm. There are about seven or eight
4x16 beds formed by logs, old blocks, and parking stops (I don't
know how Zach and Marcus moved those parking stops - they are heavy!)
We also have watermelons in, corn, beans, peppers, and radishes.
Plans for a mural are in the works!
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 4-23-09
Hello All,
We had a nice day out in the garden today. Allison and two of her
friends, as well as Marcus, a coworker of mine, stopped by to check
out the happenings at the garden. One of the boys, Jason, and Ms.
Donna, the rec center supervisor, came out with me right away and
helped Allison, her friends, and I pick about three or four dozen
strawberries, which we enjoyed very much. Some whipped cream would
have been real nice. We saved enough for the girls, who were practicing
their step routine inside.. They were very appreciative that we
saved them some.
After going a thorough review of the strawberry patch Allison, Jason,
Cordesia, Tia, and I weeded and planted. Allison planted a lemon
tree that she had and Jason, Tia, and I planted some green bell
pepper plants. Cordesia was mostly moral support and comic relief.
Jason and Cordesia each took home some onions - not quite ready
but they had to try and I was curious how big the bulbs were. Cordesia
was able to take some collards home. Yes, collards. These things
don't give up. They came right back after we thought we had pulled
them all.
All the other plants are well. The cabbage heads are growing bigger,
watermelons and corn coming up, sunflowers sprouting, potatoes and
tomatoes getting taller. I've added two pineapple tops (leftovers
from "the juicers") to try and grow - we'll see what happens.
I've never grown them here but had good luck with them in the past
down south.
Have a good weekend everyone. I'll be at the Salvation Army on Saturday
around 1:30 if anyone would like to come out.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 4-16-09
Hello All,
Today was pretty quiet. I don't know where all my girlfriends were.
The older boys ran in as I opened the gate to search for strawberries.
They each left with two or three. I commenced to weeding and collected
a big heap of fresh green nitrogen to add to the compost pile..
Speaking of compost, I mixed up the pile today and it was steaming
hot and smelled wonderful. The daily infusion of fresh fruit pulp
and coffee grinds is doing its thing and turning into a great soil
amendment. By the way, the City/County are selling the Earth Machines
(the same bin we have - I think we got it last year from their event)
at a discounted price. Let me know if you want the exact date. It's
going to be at the Tallahassee Mall one of these weekends and they're
selling them for $30.
The corn and watermelon seeds we planted last week are sprouting!
I think next week we'll add the bean seeds and give them all a dose
of some worm castings. Our tomatoes are growing more and more robust
and the cabbages are forming heads. The sunflower seeds that Sarah
Keith planted last week are all sprouted too! Oh yeah, the cedar
waxwings are back to munch on mulberries, which are getting close
to ripening.
A new friend, John, stopped by the garden to ask me some questions.
He is working on a paper about local foods for a class he is taking
at FSU. We chatted and ate the rest of the ripe strawberries.
I collected about two dozen strawberries earlier this week and distributed
them to the kids at the center. Some of the kids who don't usually
hang in the garden got to eat some and were amazed that we grew
the strawberries right there in the garden. Everyone agrees that
they're good..
Have a great Friday and weekend,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 4-09-09
Well Hello Everyone,
I know, many of you have been going through Frenchtown Garden Report
withdrawals, but if you haven't noticed it's been raining a lot.
We've been washed out the last two Thursdays and the lush weeds
were a reminder of the rain and the lack of weeding. But we were
back today and we worked hard.
The biggest excitement of the day was our fresh salad. There is
nothing like some spinach and carrots picked right from the garden
mixed with some Creamy Caesar salad dressing to get some young children
frantic over salad. They didn't want to go home it was so good.
The kids helped me pick, wash, and eat our wonderful salad. There
were even a couple beet greens in there. It was delicious. It was
so good that some of the older kids that were playing basketball
stopped to come eat some with us.
We had some new friends of the garden come over - Sarah Keith and
Martha - who helped work and facilitate with the kids. We cleaned
up the old collards bed, that was full of weeds, and built up about
seven or eight hills for our three sisters planting. We planted
two of the three sisters - corn and watermelon (we substituted that
for squash). The third sister, beans, will go in when the corn gets
up a little. Sarah Keith worked those weeds and hills.
Martha helped me clean out the old cabbage bed and prepare it for
cucumbers. We ammended our hills with some of our own garden-made
compost..
We had about six or seven kids in the garden today, mostly boys
this time - Marquis, D'Anthony, Jason, Alfonso, and Eli. They ran
around helping Sarah Keith and Martha with weed pulling, hill building,
cabbage chopping, and compost shoveling.
Everything else is growing well. The strawberries are ripening -
some of the kids have been lucky enough to find some ripe and I
tried one today and it was good and sweet. The onions, potatoes,
and cabbage are coming right along. Our compost heap is rapidly
rising and growing wonderful soil for us thanks to the lovely ladies
that work for COT Neighborhood Services on the 3rd Floor of the
Renaissance Building. They have been providing me with daily doses
of leftover fruit pulp from their juicing operation.
Here's a nice happy ending: On Teusday evening I stopped by to cover
the tomatoes and Melvin and Cordesia were walking through the park.
After we looked for strawberries, and they ate a couple, and then
looked for carrots, and they ate a couple, I asked them if they
wouldn't mind helping me with the tomatoes. Melvin said "Sure
Mr. Mark, after all you've done for us!" That made me feel
good.
Mark
p.s. A new garden has sprung up at the Salvation Army on Jackson
Bluff Rd. near Sail High School. If anyone is interested, let me
know.
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 3-17-09
Hello All,
Surprise! It's a Tuesday garden report. I have the great privilege
of going to the Georgia Organics Conference and will not be around
Thursday, so I had to take advantage of the great weather and plant
our tomato seedlings in the ground.
My little ones and many of the regulars were there today along with
a family of kids that came to play at the playground. We looked
over the progress since last week and found that the strawberries
are shooting up and the berries are getting as big as we've seen
this season. They are still green but don't worry we'll keep a close
eye on them. The spinach is big enough to nibble on. Oh, so tasty!
We pulled up some of the carrots to thin them out and see how big
they were. Three of the girls enjoyed that very much and were delighted
to find a four-to-five-inch carrot in their hand. They all agreed
it was good.
The kids helped me prepare the tomato "beds." We found
Nathan's holes that he dug for us a couple of weeks ago when we
planted the seeds. We added a shovel full of compost - our very
own compost (thanks to Damayan for the compost bin and for the Tallahassee/Leon
County Planning Dept and Leon County Growth Management Dept for
all of the coffee grinds). The kids mixed up the soil and then everyone
there got a turn planting one of the seedlings. They did a great
job. After planting I added a couple scoops of worm castings and
laid some straw over the baby tomatoes. I think they will reward
us later for all of this attention. Just like the kids.
Have a great week,
Mark
Frenchtown Garden
Report - 3-12-09
Hello All,
Today was a Greens for All. It was a little upsetting to yank the
collards but since they were beginning to set flower stalks it was
time for them to go. The joy of giving them all away made up for
it though. We had folks coming out of the woodworks for some greens.
When neighbors in the surrounding apartments saw their neighbors
come home with some of the finest looking greens - everyone commented
on how pretty they were - they headed sraight for the garden. I
took two big loads over to the French Quarter Rehab Center on 4th
Ave. and the folks there seemed quite happy to get some.
I had a young man that was required to do some community service
help me deliver some greens to Ms. Emma up the hill and the neighbors
right next door. He didn't talk much while he helped, although I
hear him talk all the time on the basketball court. He pretty much
just nodded yes or no. I asked if he like working in the garden
and he nodded no. I asked him if he would like it if he got paid
$20 for an hour of working in the garden and he nodded no, $50 -
no. He said it was the b-word - boring. I've heard that before.
Nathan and some of my regular young friends were there - Tyresha,
Dericka, and Simone. As I dished out greens they worked on removing
the rootballs with shovels. Nathan was impressed by the collards'
stems. Some of these plants had an almost woody stem about a foot
tall. I think if we left them going we would of had small collard
trees soon.
Now that the collards are gone, we will be planting the Three Sisters
- corn, beans, and squash - in its place. The tomatoes will also
be put in the ground in the next week and we'll get some cucumber
seeds in as well.
I hope everyone has a great weekend,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 3-5-09
Hello All,
It was another
good day in the garden. When I first got there, there were not a
whole lot of kids around so me and my little ones (a.k.a shorties,
in case anyone didn't understand the lingo last week - I got some
strange definitions for shorty from some folks who had too much
fun in the 60' and 70's) began weeding and looking over the garden.
I stepped out
of the garden for a while and threw the football with some of the
boys. Soon, Charley, a co-worker, stopped by to check out the garden
and shoot some hoops. He attracted quite a group of boys that ended
up playing ball with him. Another friend, Nathan, also stopped by
and talked. He got to see his buddies Dericka, Tyresha, and Cordesia.
These three are sisters and cousins that are regulars and quite
entertaining. Tyresha did the Diva dance and Cordesia did Single
Ladies. We have some big-time Beyonce fans over there.
The kids all looked
over the garden's progress. The potatos are sprouting, as well as
the spinach and beets! The carrots and cabbage are growing right
along. We all munched on the Chinese cabbage flowers, which are
pretty tasty. It's kind of fun walking up to them and just biting
the flowers right off the plant. Makes you feel like a real animal.
The Damayan/George
ladies came by and brought us some fresh worm castings from Lady
Bird Organics. We'll place some around each plant for an extra nice,
organic boost. The castings look, feel, and smell good - for plants
that is. I even spotted some worms in there! Woohoo! Thanks Damayan.
Tomato Update:
76% germination with some of them trying to put out their first
true leaves. It's almost time to put them in the garden!
Hope everyone
has a great weekend.
Mark
Frenchtown Garden
Report - 2-19-09
Hello All,
I don't know where the party was , but the center was pretty desolate
today. Except for the "older" kids - tweens and teen -
and, of course, Eli, my little boy, the usual group of children
weren't there today. Eli and I watered. We mixed up the compost
pile, which is looking real good - if you like compost I guess.
We weeded and laid some mulch.
An older girl who lives in the area came into the garden with her
older cousin and baby cousin and we picked some collards for them.
They were excited to take some home. We picked enough for all eight
family members living in the house. They actually had to come back
to get some for their Aunt Sherry, who I think was visiting. It
feels really good to share the produce with folks that are going
to enjoy it.
While I was leaving, a guy in his twenties with two shorties stopped
me and asked about the garden. Apparently, he grew up going to the
center after school and thought the garden was a great thing for
the kids.
Tomato Update: We have a 69% germination rate. The little babies
are about an inch tall and can't wait to get in some rich compost
and bathe in the sunlight.
Enjoy your weekend,
Mark
p.s. Anyone interested in raising their own laying hens, Heavenly
Homestead Farm (www.heavenlyhomestead.com)
is getting several different varieties of chicks soon and they go
for about $3/chick. They also have hens already laying that cost
around $20/hen. We've had two hens for pets in our backyard and
not only are they good pets but drop us an egg everyday.
Frenchtown Garden
Report - 2-19-09
Hello All,
It was a great day today. We had lots of kids- Simone, Tyrica, Jasmine,
Lalani, Asia, Kela, Leia, Elijah, and some others that I'm probably
forgetting - and lots of community members - Nathan, Sasha, Brandy,
Yeetslakh, and Albrica - all together.
We handed out greens to Jamie and her friend that live down the
street, and Tyrica took some home to her mama. She had to come back
for a second load of greens because she said "There's a lot
of us".
After looking over the week's progress in the garden - onions sprouting,
cabbage growing, strawberries flowering - we got right to work.
We prepared seed beds for Spinach and beets. I did a couple of rows
until Brandy looked at me with her big puppy eyes and said "Can
I try digging a bed?". She was a little timid with the hoe
at first, but that was a great seed bed she dug. Simone helped Nathan
thin the carrots. Yeetslakh and Albrica took pictures, helped spread
out the seeds, and asked lots of questions. Yes, I said, take pictures.
I know lots of you have been wanting to see some of our faces so
I hope to send some out soon.
Attached is a picture of our very productive collard greens. Courtesy
of Allison.
Tomato update: One seed has sprouted.
Have a good weekend,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 2-12-09
Hello All,
Well, today I had more adults in the garden than children. Some
of my regulars weren't there today and only Tyrica and Jason hung
out. The adults included Nathan, Maggie, Sasha, and Allison. I have
to admit it was nice having adult conversations and not having to
tell them to watch their mouth, don't hit each other with the hoe,
etc. but I did miss Simone, Derica, Cordesia, and friends.
We planned out some of the future plantings and where they would
go. The new blood offered some good ideas that will help maximize
the garden space. That is exactly why the community part of the
garden is so great because we can all offer a different perspective
and new ideas.
We handed out collards to some neighbors. It started with one lady,
then another, and then another who came up saying "My neighbor
just brought home some collards. Can I have some?" So we hooked
it up. One younger lady who was just hanging out at the garden came
up and asked if we could pick her some. When I asked if she wanted
to come and pick them herself, her face lit up and she got all excited
and jumped right in there. Even Maggie and Sasha took some home.
They have never eaten collards! So enjoy girls. By the way, this
patch of collards has fed a lot of folks. I wish I would have kept
track of all the bunches I have handed out and eaten myself because
it is truly amazing. Some of the plants look like little trees after
all the lower stalks have been picked.
Us adults and Tyrica planted some tomato seeds in flats and I will
care for them at home until they're ready to go in the ground. Nathan
dug us some holes to plant the tomatoes in and filled them with
the old mustards for green manure. Maggie planted some marigold
seeds in the beds. Tyrica also shared her music with us, which was
jammin.
After the garden, I was off to the IFAS Extension's Garden talk
and it was great to see around one-hundred folks interested in beginning
their own vegetable gardens at home!
For those who want to get involved, the Seminole Manor neighborhood
is having a community garden workday on Saturday from 10-12. Meet
at the intersection of Cates and Stanley roads. If it's pouring
down rain, I'll let you know when the rain make-up day is. Email
smna2007@gmail.com for more information.
Everyone have a great weekend and a Happy Valentine's Day.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 2-5-09
Hello All,
Well, there was
no time to be bored today. We worked really hard today!
First, we pulled
up the fava beans. They had lots of flowers but never produced a
bean. Any one have any ideas? Season, pollinators, weather? The
kids worked hard at pulling them out and piling them up. Then we
chopped the bean plants up with shovels. After double-digging some
trenches, we mixed the chopped up beans into the trenches and covered
them up. After mixing it up real good, we planted some potatoes.
While some kids
were doing that others were collecting fallen leaves for the compost
pile with rakes and the wheelbarrow. The wheelbarrow is always a
good time!
We had two new
friends come by today - Allison and Austin. They're thinking of
coming by on Fridays to hang in the garden - maybe spy some good
birds while they're there.
Once the rakers
were done, they pulled up the mustards to make room for onions,
which we planted, and beets, which will go in later.
There were about
three to four regulars and three to four kids who had not been at
the garden before. One newbie, Shaquira, probably 10 or so, was
a lot of help. She shoveled, chopped, mixed, and planted potatoes,
onions, and cabbages. Oh yeah, we planted cabbages too. As I said,
there was no time to be bored.
Thanks to Damayan
(www.damayan.org) for all the
seeds. We couldn't have done it without them.
Mark
Hello All,
I am setting the date, February 17, 2009, for the next Frenchtown
Garden meeting. The meeting is at the recreation center (Laveryne
Payne on the corner of 4th Ave. and Macomb St.) at 5-ish.
Just come by after work.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 1-29-09
Hello
All, Well, the kids were off the chain
today. I think it was part interrupting their step practice,
part lack of exciting jobs to do, and part lack of yummy treats.
Whatever it was they were a bit wild. Some of them even had
the nerve to tell me that I was boring because I always talk to
them about the garden. "We're into the garden Mr. Mark, but
your're just too into the garden and that's all you talk about!"
said Simone. "You're always telling us about the strawberries
starting as flowers and turning into berries Mr. Mark", said Kordesia.
When I asked them what they would rather me talk about Simone offered
"Talk to us about your family or dancing or something!" So
I asked them if they knew Beyonce's 'Put a Ring On It' and they
broke it down for me. And because I'm soooo boring, most of
the girls went back to practicing step and the rest of us looked
over a planting calendar that Gramlings donated to us. Two new friends came by today
- Nathan and Tom. Tom is a coworker, and Nathan is his son.
Both are into gardening and wanted to check out our garden.
Nathan chased some of the kids around and they, in turn, put flowers
on his head. Next week we're going to try
to put some potatoes in the ground and I'll try not to be so boring! Have a good weekend, Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 1-22-09
Hello
All,
Has it been cold or what?
Our garden has been affected by the cold weather but, for us, it's
a learning experience. We discussed how the strawberries,
everyone's favorite, thought it was time to produce fruit and now
all the baby strawberries are turnng brown and black. The
kids were comforted when I told them that the plants would still
keep making fruit. I had my usual group of ten or
so kids today. We spent time inspecting all the plants to
see how they handled the cold. Along with the strawberries,
the lettuce was hit pretty hard. We salvaged some good parts
of the lettuces and munched on that. We played on the playground
for a while and then we got to weeding. We met some new friends we today
- Tarika, her older brother Cortez, and their dad Deandre.
Tarika, who is three, and my little Elijah, almost three, looked
like seasoned gardeners out there pulling up weeds like crazy.
Tarika was an especially quick study, this being her first time
at the garden. They were even getting the roots out! Public Service Announcement: The Leon County Extension Office
is putting on a forum to help people get their own garden going
on Febuary . Check out the flyer
HERE
. Please save it and pass it on to anyone you think might be interested.
Have a good weekend,
Mark
Details
from the Flyer: Thursday, February 12th
6:00 –8:30 pm
Leon County Extension Center
615 Paul Russell Road
Tallahassee, Florida
Cost:$2
person$3 couple
Call Genice Harris at 850‐606‐5202 to reserve a seat!
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 1-15-09
Hello
All, Today I realized that gardening
must be the most energy-efficient, sustainable, "green" way to warm
yourself. It was cold today but nothing warms you up like
spreading mulch and pulling weeds. After an hour, most of
us had taken our jackets off and some were down to T-shirts.
All while growing our own food. Isn't it great! Thanks to the City of Tallahassee
Utilities, we were able to spruce up the garden with some fresh
wood chip mulch. The mulch was dropped off Friday morning,
Jeremy, my kids and I got most of it spread on Saturday, and today
the kids and I spread the rest. We put the shovel and wheelbarrow,
kindly donated by the City of Tallahassee Parks and Rec. Dept.,
to good use. The garden looks great and the kids worked really
hard. Because we all helped each other, it made the task easier
and more fun. One of the girls said "This is team work" as
we shoveled the mulch into the wheelbarrow together. We're not quite sure yet, but
the cold may have done some damage to the strawberries and maybe
the fava beans. I'll keep you all updated. Happy Martin Luther King Day, Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report 1-8-09
Hello
All, Happy New Year! I hope
everyone had a fun, safe New Year's. It's been two weeks since the
last report, but there has been all kinds of stuff growing on at
the garden. The collards really shot up with the warm weather
we had so there has been a lot of collards being picked. I
sent rec center staff, random visitors, neighbors, and friends home
with some greens and the common response is "These greens are beautiful!".
I harvested the cauliflower over
the last two weeks and today, thanks to my wife, we ate cauliflower
au gratin (with melted cheese and breadcrumbs on top). We
didn't have forks so we rolled the cauliflower up in some fresh
lettuce leaves. The kids ate it up. Our friend Jeremy hang out with
us today and brought his friend Phil along too. More importantly,
he brought Spring, his dog, who is a big hit with the kids.
Spring helped us clean up the scraps left in the bowl. Once we ate the cauliflower and
bagged up collards and lettuce, we discussed what to plant next.
The kids decided on onions, potatoes, cabbage, peas, and cucumbers.
So those are what we'll be working on the next couple of weeks. The rest of the time I spent
weeding and talking to the kids. All sorts of topics were
discussed - music, donating blood, their mom's dance moves, etc. Other exciting news includes
the sprouting of our carrot seeds and the first strawberries!
I have to say the baby strawberries were more exciting to the kids. Till next time, Mark p.s. as an alum I have to leave
you with this - GO GATORS!
Frenchtown
Garden Report 12-04-08
Hello All,
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, giving thanks to food,
friends, and family. Tomorrow (Friday) marks a year since we installed
the garden. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who has made
our garden a success.
By the way, there has been reports in the paper about residents
not happy about a community garden. It is not our garden over here
on 4th Ave. That garden is more of a formal garden area but maybe
we'll see some veggies over there too.
Last weekend the kids and I pulled some soil over to the garden
in our wagon and added it to the walls and planted some more of
the flowers that Season delivered. There were some other children
there that got to help us out.
Today I brought along a National Geographic magazine about farmers
from around the world and the soils they grow their crops in (thanks
Tom G.). Simone, Auntia, TJ, and Derika sat and listened with interest.
There was also an article, with great photos, on sailfish and how
they hunt that really grabbed their attention. We talked about different
countries, the erosion process, how rice is harvested, and other
worldly issues. I also brought some unshelled pecans and once we
broke those out there was no going back. They cracked, picked, and
ate about a pound of pecans.
While they cracked pecans I grabbed them some of the delicious crispy
lettuce and handed it out. We got creative and wrapped our pecans
in lettuce leaves. Excellent! Later, some older siblings came by
and I had to persuade them to try a lettuce leaf. They were teenagers
and thought that it was too weird to eat a leaf picked right from
the plant, even though they admitted to eating lettuce. Most of
the kids said they only like lettuce on their hamburgers. I explained
how this lettuce leaf was going to be the best because we grew it
right here in the dirt with no sprays or anything and it worked.
The one sister tried it and though she made a funny face, she ate
the whole leaf.
Have a good weekend,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report 11-20-08
Hello All,
There was no report last week due to the rain. During the big rain
on Friday we lost some lettuce plants to a river that formed and
flowed through the garden. The freezes have only effected the peppers
- everything else is looking good.
During the last week, Jeremy, who's been helping out a lot, harvested
and distributed some mustard greens and collard greens to a couple
of the neighbors.
Today, about seven kids and I spent a good amount of time looking
for pecans under the pecan tree and discussing all sorts of stuff.
We came up with ideas on why the pecan had such a hard shell and
how and why it takes a lot of time and energy for the tree to make
all that fruit. We talked about how good pecans taste, especially
in pecan pie. Simon thought pecan lollipops and pecan juice would
be good. Ms. Donna came out and helped us find, pick, and eat some
too. We examined a tent caterpillar web that fell to the ground.
That was pretty cool. We saw a lot of fuzzy things in there that
we figured were baby caterpillars.
In the garden, we spread some hay for mulch and Season stopped by
and delivered some pansies for us to plant. The kids got their first
taste of the season's lettuce. You would be very surprised to see
all these young children arguing over who's turn it is to get more
lettuce. They also snacked on peppers, green onions, and some of
the mustard greens. Some couldn't handle the spicy flavor of the
greens, but others tore it up. I told them I would make them a salad
next time and they all said "Ewwww". I guess the thrill of eating
a raw leaf, or pepper, or green onion sprig, rather than a prepared
salad, is so strong that it makes them want to eat veggies.
Whatever it takes!
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report 9-4-08
Hello All,
If it wasn't for those two ripe watermelons ready to eat, today
could have been pretty boring for the kids. But, those two watermelons
got the kids out of the AC and under the pavilion to devour fruit
- quickly. The only way those watermelons could have tasted better
is if they had been sitting in a cooler for a couple of hours. Instead
we ate them right out of the garden. It didn't stop the children
from asking for seconds and thirds. We had Ann, a former co-worker,
and Paul, a fellow urban gardener, over today helping. Ann picked
some weeds and Paul got to see our garden for the first time. Once
the watermelons were gone it was time to get the final cleanup touches
in preparation for some new compost. Hopefully, next week we'll
have the compost down and maybe start planting some fall crops.
I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Another good day in the garden. I hope everyone faired well during
the storm. Keep an eye on the others coming by, we're soaked, lakes
and stormwater ponds are full, and another rain like that will likely
cause worse flooding. The garden did fine. As I pulled up on the
bike the kids jumped off the swings and ran over to me, excited
about the possibility that there may be a ripe watermelon to eat.
Today little Elijah came with me instead of Leia (my 2-year old
son and 5-year old daughter) and after a brief mamma-anxiety attack
was ready for weeding. Unfortunately, the watermelon that we all
thought would be ready had been bruised since last week and had
sarted to rot. We examined the flies and maggots having a watermelon
buffet. The children were able to harvest some okra and peppers.
I spent most of the time preparing the beds for new compost, with
Eli's help of course. I saw some old friends, Heaven, Diamond, and
DJ, today that have been staying with grandma over the summer. They
used to live in the apartments next to the garden but have moved.
They said they miss being able to come and see the garden. I reminded
them and their mom that I'm there every Thursday and their mom said
that they had been wanting to come by and see the garden.
Another example of how the garden is impressing children and the
community - one woman, a mother of a child who was new to the garden
today and walking around the garden interestedly, said that she
saw the article in the Democrat over the summer and now her daughter
is in the after-school program. She said her daughter was interested
in gardening, as was she, and wanted to know what to plant at this
time of year. Seems like our seeds are spreading.
Everyone have a great Labor Day weekend.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report 8-21-08
Hello!!
I hope everyone is coping well with the two week absence of the
garden report. I apologize for not getting you your weekly dose
of gardening fun. The summer camp ended two weeks ago, so no kids,
and last week I was out of town. During those two weeks the weeds
grew at an amazing pace and, more exciting than that, we - Season,
Nancy, John, Aurora, and myself - have scoped out a possible garden
location at the Dade St. Recreation Center. We are all excited about
having another garden in the Frenchtown community for another group
of children to enjoy. I know Aurora, the center's supervisor, is
especially excited. Well, this week the kids were back and just
in time because a watermelon, bigger than all of our heads and so
heavy that some of us couldn't even carry it, was ready to eat.
It was the best watermelon I've had all year. The kids agreed that
it was at least as good as any that you get in the store and some
thought it was better. Coach Dale and and the kids also noticed
how good and fresh it smelled. Coach Dale smelled it all the way
from the other side of the center. There were about ten kids today
that enjoyed the watermelon. For some of the kids, this was the
first time back since summer. We also picked okra, peppers, and
the last of the tomatoes. The tomatoes are now officially over and
have been ripped out of the beds. Over the next week or two, we'll
be preparing the beds for new fall plantings of greens, brocolli,
carrots, cabbage, and such. Some of the kids helped weed as we talked
about current events. They're all having a good first week of school
but, of course, are excited that school has been cancelled tomorrow.
I hope everyone is prepared for the rain and hope all stay high
and dry.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report 7-31-08
Hello All,
According to the
weatherman, we only had a 20% chance to hang in the garden. But
the clouds went around us and we had a good day. The most exciting
vegetables today were the sweet peppers. Ms. C, part of the summer
camp staff, figured out how to get some okra-- you have to beat
the kids there. She was able to take a good batch and the kids also
enjoyed some. The okra continues to put out flowers, which are really
beautiful and look like hibiscus flowers, a close relative. You
know what that means - more okra to eat later. The kids found all
the ripe tomatoes. One boy was able to take home a large tomato
off of another volunteer plant in the garden. The sunflowers continue
to bloom and the oldest are now forming seedheads. The kids are
torn between wanting to cut the flowers to take home or wait for
the seeds to eat. I told them we should leave the seeds for the
birds but they expect to be able to eat everything in the garden.
One boy asked if he could eat a mushroom and a girl asked if she
could eat the crabgrass. I explained that mushrooms can be dangerous
and the crabgrass is just a weed that needs to be mowed. We began
construction of our sign. I placed the stickers, but we ran out
of time to finish it off. Tomorrow is the last day of camp so I'm
going to try to stop by and have them help put on the finishing
touches.
Cheers,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report 7-24-08
Hello All,
It was another
good day at the garden. The kids ate up the tomatoes. Some saved
them to take home. Some of the children also took home some brocolli-rab
that volunteered itself in the strawberry patch. One girl found
a little strawberry and ate it. She was the envy of the rest. Two
sisters, who were some of the ones saving up tomatoes to take home,
harvested a sweet pepper or two. When we were picking the peppers
together they asked if I was going to take some home and I told
them that the food was mostly for the kids to eat and they replied
"Well, we have to care about you too." It was pretty sweet, so I
took one. One girl kept calling me by yelling "Farmer, Farmer."
She is looking forward to some mustard and collard greens. When
I told her we would be planting them soon, she jumped for joy. I
weeded and pulled out the rest of the non-producers. I'm going to
plant some peas next week - maybe some butter beans (limas) and/or
purple hulls. Then in August I plan on starting greens and such
- cabbage, spinach, carrots, collards, mustards, and onions. I scrounged
up some materials to make a better sign for us and that may be on
the agenda for next week as well. If anyone wants to get some paint
on them, come on by next Thursday around 4:30.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report 7-17-08
Hello All,
After a week off,
the garden was a treat today. The kids, some of them first-timers,
were full of interest and had a great time. We ate tomatoes, okra,
nasturtium flowers, and a few of the children took squash home.
The Staff brought out salt and the kids were snacking on the tomatoes
under the pavilion. The sunflowers have bloomed and the kids want
to know when we can eat the seeds. I told them we could just leave
the sunflowers and watch the birds snack on them later. "Why would
we want to do that?" was their response. We'll see what happens.
The sunflowers had a lot of aphids on the underside of the leaves,
which piqued the attention of one boy as we watched spiders and
stinkbugs munch on them, at least that's what we thought they were
doing. Once the kids had eaten everything, asked all of their questions,
and lost interest in weeding, I continued to weed. The garden looks
a little more respectable now that I knocked down some summer weeds.
It reminded me of shaving my face. Watermelons are still coming
up, as well as squash, okra, peppers, and tomatoes. Before I sign
off, much thanks to Andrea and Jacky, who watered while I was away.
Until next week,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report6-26-08 and 7-03-08
Hello All,
This is a double
dose of garden report since I didn't get one out last week. The
next report will also be in two weeks because I will be out of town
next Thursday.
Last week we had
a great time. The HIPPY summer camp, organized by Miaisha and company,
visited and one little girl studiously recorded the names of all
the plants we had growing so she could make labels/name tags. We
also had two nice young ladies, Andrea and Jackie, hanging out with
us for the day. We harvested/ate tomatoes and some folks went home
with zuchinni and squash. We also had another accidental watermelon
picking and so we ate that also. This one was a little sweeter than
the last but still not quite ready.
Last Friday we
had some special guests as well. Some folks attending the statewide
neighborhood conference went on a tour of Frenchtown and one of
their stops was our garden. There were about seven people who came
and looked and asked questions. One lady from Orlando asked a lot
of questions and seemed particularly interested.
Today, there were
not too many folks in the garden. Most of the regulars were absent.
I pulled out the non-productive plants to make room for new plantings.
I have some ideas of what to plant now but if anyone would like
to drop me some suggestions, feel free. The tomatoes are still putting
out, but a lot of the ripe ones were blistered. The Rec Center Staff
tried out one of the ripe watermelons today during camp. They said
it was red and that it was good.
Enjoy the heat
and, hopefully, the rain,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report5-30-08
Hello All,
Today was a short
garden day since I had some errands to run. But, we were still able
to plant some okra seedlings - thanks to Turkey Hill Farm for that
- and lay down some straw in the beds. Some of the kids got their
first tomatoes of the year. Again, there were too many kids and
not enough
tomatoes and some of the kids got there after the tomatoes were
gone. They were a little upset but I'll make sure they get some
next week. Some of them started picking green ones and we had to
talk about how having patience is important and that, just like
the strawberries, if we pick them now, they
don't taste as good and we miss out. We also harvested zucchini,
beans, crook-neck squash, a couple strawberries, and a leftover
potato from last week that we found while planting the okra. The
kids ate all the
strawberries and beans. The zucchini and squash went to rec center
staff and two sisters whose mother was there and are frequent helpers.
When I let someone go home with produce that requires cooking I
make sure they're really going to get it all the way home. In the
past I have found produce
left on the playground and, as I tell the children, "We don't grow
this food so it goes to waste". We observed the baby watermelons
that are starting to form from the spent flowers. They are about
the size of a grape, but the kids are excited. This gave me a good
opportunity to again remind them why
we should be patient. It went something like this:
"Look at this
kids."
"Wow!"
"Should we pick
this watermelon now?"
"No," they all
agreed.
"Why not?"
"Because it's
not big enough," they all say so matter-of-factly.
"Well, that's
the same thing with the tomatoes, strawberries, everything."
Then they commenced
foraging for any veggies they may have missed. It is
really nice to see young kids so excited about vegetables and gardening.
They have a lot of fun.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report5-22-08
Hello All,
Well, pulling
potatoes is just as exciting, if not more so, then picking strawberries.
Today we pulled up the potatoes, about six plants, and harvested
somewhere between 20 to 30 pounds of red potatoes. The kids really
had a good time pulling up the stalks and digging for potatoes.
Some were bigger than our fists. Some were real tiny. We also harvested
zuchinni, beans, strawberries, and some mint. There were five children
in the garden with me today and they all took some produce home.
Several Rec. Center Staff also took some potatoes home. If anyone
would like some mint, let me know because there is plenty at the
garden. We had a special visitor with us today, my mom, who got
me started gardening. Next week we'll plant some beans and okra
where the potatoes were and maybe we'll be getting some ripe tomatoes
by then.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report5-8-08
Hello All,
Today was another
fun-filled day in the garden. Boy is it getting hot! We had a strawberry
harvest of about a dozen berries. The kids enjoyed that very much.
I had them take turns picking berries one at a time. It works much
better than the stampede that usually takes place. Each kid tried
to pick the best one. Then we ate some cole-slaw made out of last
week's cabbage harvest. That's right, the cabbage with all the caterpillars
on it. I cleaned off the outer leaves, made sure no caterpillars
were left, and was left with two decent heads of cabbage. The kids
tore it up, even some of the ones who said they didn't like cole-slaw.
A few of the rec center staff, as well as Laura and I, also enjoyed
it. Thanks again to Laura who brought us some more bio-degradable
cutlery, bowls, and cups (check it out at www.bioplasticsupply.org
). Laura's friend Jeremy, and I, along with Jarvis prepared the
soil and planted the sunflower house. The girls and Laura colored
under the pavilion, in the shade. The heat now requires that the
garden be watered daily. Watering a garden is a great way to start
the day and if anyone would like to come and water (or weed) in
the mornings, let me know. I'm there between 7:30 and 8:00 am.
Hope everyone
is well.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report 5-1-08
Hello All,
Happy May Day. Thursday's are Garden Day's now and so the reports
are now on Thursday. I switched so that Kathy Weiss and I would
be able to be there at the same time. Kathy is great with the kids
and has lots of gardening knowledge. Thanks to Kathy. A lot of work
was done today and some of the kids did a great job of helping.
We cleaned up the garden of bolted lettuce, buggy greens, gone-to-seed
arugula, and weeds today. The compost pile grew a lot. Stakes were
set up for the tomatoes. We harvested two heads of cabbage though
one had quite a lot of worms/caterpillars in it. These were cool,
interesting, and disgusting, as proofed by the one girl's cry of
horror as the worms crawled on the cabbage. Dirt was piled up around
the potatoes after we found a fresh spud sticking out of the ground.
We attempted to water, the plants needed it, but the combination
of young kids with a hose, leaks in the hose, and cold tap water
scrapped that. Plans for a sunflower house and new crops were discussed,
so keep tuning in.
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report 4-24-08
Hello All,
Today was our Earth Day/Gardening Month event and we planted marigolds,
drank sweet tea, and ate trail mix. Thanks goes out to the Damayan
Garden Group for the flowers and pots; Laura for her artistic skills,
paints, and bioidegradable cups; Second Harvest Big Bend for awesome
trail mix (the kids were really interested in all the different
fruits and nuts) and sweet tea (a big hit); Kathy Weiss for the
excellent flower planting help; and everyone else who was there
for the good company. The kids really enjoyed themselves. As for
the garden, all the vegetables are growing nicely and the nasturtiums
have begun to flower. We did enjoy a strawberry harvest of 24 berries
and everyone was able to eat two strawberries! The sweet tea,in
the spirit of Cuban mohitos, was "fixed-up" with fresh mint out
of the garden. It was good and sweet.
Till next time,
Mark
Frenchtown
Garden Report - 4-8-08
Hello All,
The garden is changing with the warm weather. Seeds are sprouting
and flowers are beginning to bloom. We still have a lot of green
strawberries that the children are anxious to eat. The garden is
a good way to teach patience! Weeds are also growing well and we're
adding them to the compost pile. We saw a lady bug and discussed
how they are insects that you want to keep in the garden so that
they will take care of the bugs you don't want. The kids colored
pictures of mustard greens and flowers. A parent and aunt of some
of the kids also colored some great flowers. We delivered a batch
of greens and onions to Mrs. Erma, who lives up the hill on the
corner by the rec center. The mulberry tree next to the garden is
loaded with fruit, and every morning for the last two weeks, Cedar
Waxwings have been gathering by the hundreds on the pecan tree,
picking off fruit. If the birds leave enough for us, we'll be picking
the fruits off when they ripen.
Oh, next Tuesday, we are painting the pots! Season already dropped
off the pots and dirt. We will be planting flowers in these pots
for the kids to take home at the Garden Month/Earth Day Celebration
on April 24th.
Mark
Frenchtown Garden
report 3-25-08:
Hello All,
We had our first strawberry!!!! The kids were really excited. The
hard part was that there was only one strawberry for about ten of
us - so I cut off very small pieces and we all got two bites. We all
agreed that it was the best strawberry we had ever tried. We also
ate all the available peas. Some of the kids got desperate and started
eating cabbage leaves - not too tasty! After the eating, the kids
colored - thanks Connie for the extra folders - while I took care
of some weeds. The potatoes are coming up with great vigor and we're
anxiously waiting for the watermelons, beans, and peppers to sprout.
Mark
The year of 2007
ended with the Frenchtown Community Garden becoming a reality on
December 5.
Volunteers from
the Damayan Garden Project, Greater Frenchtown Area Governor's Revitalization
Council, Leon County Health Department, City of Tallahassee Parks
and Recreation Department, America’s Second Harvest of the
Big Bend, and Frenchtown residents joined together to install fencing
and raised beds for the garden located at the Leverne Payne Community
Center and the garden was dedicated and planted on December 14 in
coordination with the Soul Santa celebration.
Mark Tancig and others have agreed to work on the garden and get
youth and other community members involved.
The Frenchtown
garden is at the Laverne Payne Rec Center on 4th Ave. It's simple
and blends in well to the surroundings. Like a blank page to be
colored in by children. The turn out was nice. We had several reps
form different agencies there this morning, the Frenchtown Revitalization
Council, The Diabetes Foundation, Parks and Rec, Leon County Health
Department, Second Harvest Food Bank, Frenctown Citizens, and Damayan
Garden Project, and even Gene Ellis, the former owner of Tallahassee
Nurseries.
A Bishop did a blessing and everyone was touched. The Soul Santa
celebration had a great turn out and lots of people were happy to
see a new space in the park for gardening.
We planted cabbage,
cauliflower, sweet peas, indian mustard, strawberries, onions, chives
and several different lettuces and edible greens. Hopefully we can
go back soon and finish up with blueberries, a kumquat, and flowers.
Thank you to all who helped to make this possible!
