Grace Deathridge writes for Happyzine (having discovered it when she lived in New Zealand) as an Intern, and lives in the UK. In this article Grace and her new-found friends transport a neglected urban plot into a thriving urban community garden.

It’s funny how things can develop from nothing sometimes. Last Autumn I went to a public meeting in Bristol and it turned out to be one of those moments. I went to the meeting on a bit of a whim really. It was being organised by someone I’d recently met, who was involved in the local community food growing scene – the ‘keen as beans’ Frank – and I wanted to support what Frank was doing, as well as go along to learn more about food growing.

Frank was interested in setting up a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project on a derelict piece of urban land. Initially he’d advertised the meeting to recruit people for this project, but when he had over fifty enthusiastic people turn up to the meeting, he adapted the meeting to be a more generalist affair, where he informed those present of all the community food growing projects going on in Bristol. Then he invited us to split into groups we were interested in, a group for each project and its corresponding area of Bristol.

So that is how I found myself sitting in a group I had no intention of getting involved with. It happened that the people around where I was sitting were wanting to form a community group to rent a plot in the shared garden where the meeting was being held – The Windmill Hill City Farm. Although the city farm was very local to me, I had quite a good reason for not getting involved, as I was moving cities in four month’s time. It was also the start of autumn – not the most fruitful time of year to start gardening, from the point of view of growing or harvesting. But for some reason I found myself choosing to sit with them.

Most people in the group were keen to start growing their own veg (we were all pretty much learners!) but did not have adequate land at home so were keen to co-rent a space, where the workload, knowledge and motivation could be shared, alongside having access to their own green space within an urban environment. People seemed very keen to start something up and we all exchanged emails. I walked away thinking ‘What am I doing?! – why sign up to garden just for the winter?!’ but my more intuitive side, which wasn’t so het up on being goal focused, just took me up this garden path. A few emails later we met at the garden’s community cafe and the group was organically formed, the plot acquired, all with incredible ease.

Windmill Hill City Farm was formed in 1976 (it is the oldest U.K. City Farm outside of London} by a volunteer group of local residents who transformed an inner city wasteland, enabling the local community to experience farming in the heart of the city. Alongside the farm’s ducks, goats and pigs it has community garden plots which can be rented by community groups (not individuals). The piece of land we were given measured approximately 150 square metres and was in quite a state of neglect. Overgrown with grass (including the invasive and troublesome weed Couch grass}, general vegetation, rubble and – as our plot was in the middle of a lot of plots and had just been left to it – there was a lot of rubbish. But we couldn’t wait to get our hands on it!

This autumn and winter we have cleared the grass, dug the soil where needed, scooped up the couch grass, piled together the rubble and old plant pots, cleared the rubbish and put down layers of cardboard over our future beds. We are also lucky to have a tree-expert in our group, who has tended to the lovely elderberry tree in the middle of our plot. We’ve defined the group’s values (organic and permaculture-inspired), planned future crops and projects (including a wildflower garden and frog haven!) following a naturally democratic process. All in all, it’s been satisfying, hard (ish!) work and great fun! We even shared our first planting – a winter solstice garlic planting ritual!

Much can be said about the benefits of gardening for an individual (read Steve Carter’s excellent article on why gardening is great) and speaking as an individual, this experience has been nourishing, connecting and balancing.

What I have loved about this experience most has been the sense of a shared project. Yes, we all gain from this mutually beneficent venture, as we are helping to grow each other’s food, but there is also a lot of joy in sharing land with others. The joy spreads. It grows! There’s been an almost tangible atmosphere of enthusiasm when we have been gardening together on our plot – even when we’ve dragged ourselves out of bed, bleary eyed, early on a winter Sunday morning!

Over to Sam one of the group’s members:

“There’s some prior knowledge amongst the members of the group but we’re busking it a bit too which, whether we particularly succeed or not, this has been a good way to think about how we go about things and will be a mutual support network should the promising sprouts we’re cheering for at the moment turn out to be rotten tomatoes. There’s been a real sense of openness about our aims, I suppose. I get the impression we’re all a bit ambitious but will be reasonably thrilled with whatever comes up out of the ground.”

I know from my time in New Zealand that you have a lot of thriving local Community Gardens and I have also read that Garden Sharing is becoming popular, as it is over here. Garden sharing is an arrangement where a landowner allows a gardener access to land, typically a front or back yard, in order to grow food. Garden sharing projects are often incorporated into larger sustainability schemes such as the Transition Town movement. Transition Towns in the UK and NZ have instituted garden sharing projects as part of their efforts to prepare communities on a local level for the effects of climate change and peak oil. There are a few websites I have listed at the end of this article if you want to look at some Garden Sharing or Community Garden options available in NZ.

As for my future green-fingered activities I’ve now moved cities (to nearby Bath) and have signed up for my local Community Garden as a volunteer. I am now a ‘friend’ of the shared plot in Bristol as I live too far away now to contribute effectively though I am looking forward to visiting the new friends I have made on the shared plot, when back in Bristol from time to time- oh and getting back there for our hopefully abundant summer’s solstice garlic harvesting!

By Grace Deathridge

NZ Community Gardening Website Links:
Good’s collaborative guide to community gardens in New Zealand:

http://good.net.nz/magazine/community-gardens

Organic Pathways:

http://www.organicpathways.co.nz/directory/category/39.html

Grow Together:

http://www.growtogether.org.nz/community-gardens-and-other-projects/garden-share-schemes/

That’s the vision behind a new website launched in December 2011 that aims to inspire community action to help address poor nutrition caused by poverty by helping people to help themselves and communities to work together to ensure that children get a better start in life – and elderly people also get the care and respect that they deserve.

The site www.growtogether.org.nz was developed by Katherine Smith, editor of one of New Zealand’s first books on organic growing called Superfoods:  How to Grow Them and Why You Need Them Now (AIT Press 1993, currently out of print).  She is currently the editor of The New Zealand Journal of Natural Medicine.

“A lot of the health problems that we have in New Zealand are diet-related,” Katherine says.  “We have significant problems with poverty and the increase in the price of fresh fruit and vegetables means that many people simply can’t afford to buy much fresh produce.”

On the other hand, Katherine says “In most parts of New Zealand you can grow a wide range of fresh vegetables and fruit and improve your diet immensely, while also benefiting from fresh air, sunshine and exercise.”

Katherine acknowledges that not everyone grew up learning how to grow vegetables or look after fruit trees.

“Home gardening used to be something that everyone did, but over the last forty or so years, there has been a decline in gardening as people have become busier.  However www.growtogether.org.nz has plenty of information designed to help people who have no gardening experience learn the basics that they need to start growing fruit and vegetables for their families and to share with others in their community.”

For people with no gardening experience, Katherine suggests going to the Community Gardens Directory on the site at this link http://www.growtogether.org.nz/community-gardens/community-gardens-directory/  to locate a community garden in their area.  “Joining a community garden is a great way to learn how to garden and it’s also a wonderful way to meet people and make new  friends.”

She suggests that people who have gardening experience volunteer to help  a school in their area start or maintain a garden, either by approaching a school directly or by approaching an organisation that supports gardens in schools such as Project Gro administered by The Soil and Health Association (http://www.organicnz.org) or the Garden to Table programme (http://www.gardentotable.org.nz/).

“Gardening is a health promoting activity that also helps children’s social development.  Gardening can also into many different areas of study such as science and technology and social studies.  Children who have the opportunity to participate in school gardening programmes and learn to grow food have a skill that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.”

Some very inspiring news gets lost in archives – we’re resurrecting some Hopebuilding stories for Happyzine readers.

Growing vegetables in five major cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo is bringing new revenue to city dwellers, creating jobs and income for more than 70,000 people directly and indirectly, producing more than 25 kilos of vegetables a year per city dweller, and is improving the nutritional status of children. The Food and Agriculture Organization says that the project is a flagship model of how to help cities grow their own nutrients and micro-nutrients to keep pace with increased urban growth and improve nutrition and food security in poor countries.

In a June 10, 2011 news release, the FAO said the program has created a surplus with a market value of over $400 million and helped provide employment and income for 16,000 small-scale market gardeners linked in to the programme and to another 60,000 people who form the links in the horticulture chain from field to table. The 330,000 tons of vegetables now produced annually compares with 148 000 in 2005/2006, an increase of 122% in five years.

Less than 10% of the vegetables produced by the project are consumed by beneficiaries. The remainder, constituting more than 250 000 tons of produce, is sold in urban markets and supermarkets at up to $4 a kilo for tomatoes, sweet peppers and onions.Around 11.5 million people live in the five cities concerned — Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Mbanza-Ngungu, Kisangani and Likasi — out of the DRC’s total population of around 68 million. Lubumbashi, the second largest city in the DRC, has grown by 50% in just ten years to 1.5 million people, and thanks to the FAO project, local vegetable production has kept pace. Today market gardens all around the city produce around 60,000 tons of vegetables a year employing 7,800 small scale market gardeners.  Read more on Hopebuilding.com

“Our challenge is : Each of our famiies are gifted a hundy ($100) to start up their own gardens. They then buy all they need, seeds seedlings garden essentials for their gardening year. They then are supported by mentors and resources to learn how to. Once they are producing the challenge is to then recoup the inital hundy by selling their extra produce or putting money aside from what they have saved by eating from gardens, then handing on their hundy to a new family the following year.

“Our goal is to encourage young families to grow their own, to be more sustainable. To teach their children the art of growing and producing in their own backyards. To get the whole family involved and bring back neighbourhoods with mentoring.”

the team from Hand Over a Hundy want to see family units strengthened and new skills learnt together.  They intend to reach into the wider community by using relevant teaching information, sorting and having fun along the way.

Contact:

handoverahundy@yahoo.co.nz

0274760204

www.handoverahundy.co.nz

Family; Asteraceae or Compositae.

Common names; Marigold, Mary-gold, English Marigold, Mary-bud and Pot Marigold.

Description; small/medium plant growing from 30 to 50cms high. Green, strongly pungent, rough, lanceolate and slightly sticky leaves with bright yellow or bright orange flowers. The flowers are daisy-shaped and can measure between 5-7cms across.

Parts Used; flowers, leaves, stalks.

Preparations; creams, lotions, salves, washes, as essential oil, tinctures/extracts and homeopathic remedies.

Habitat; Cultivated as an annual garden plant which easily naturalises on wastegrounds and roadsides etc. It is thought to have originated from Egypt, spreading throughout the mediterranean region and is now commonly found all through the temperate regions of the world. It tolerates a wide range of soils but thrives in dry soils in full sun.  The plant readily self seeds.

Traditional  and Historical Uses; Calendula Officinalis has been used in herbal medicine since the early 12th century, and been especially cultivated for this purpose. Traditionally and historically used in the Middle East, Europe, India and USA for wound healing, burns, skin irritations, jaundice, conjunctivitis, stomach ulcers, varicose ulcers, haemorrhoids, gingivitis, pharyngitis and to induce menstruation to name just some of it’s applications. In the North American Civil War Calendula was used by surgeons to stop bleeding and heal wounds.  During World War 1, Gertrude Jeckyll, a well known English gardener “gave an area of her estate for the exclusive cultivation of pot marigolds….the flowers that bloomed there were sent in superb quantities to France for being employed in dressings for the wounded”, recorded in “In an Herb Garden” by Annie Burnham Carter.

Therapeutic Actions; Pharmacological studies have confirmed that Calendula Officinalis exhibits a broad range of biological effects, such as antimicrobial (Attard and Cuschieri, 2009; Radioza and Iurchak, 2007; Roopashree et al., 2008) anti-inflammatory (Amoian et al., 2010; Preethi et al., 2009; Ukiya et al., 2006) immunomodulatory (Attard and Cuschieri, 2009), antioxidant (Etkovi et al., 2004; Fonesca et al., 2010), wound healing (Leach, 2008, Preethi and Kuttan, 2009) antiviral (Kalvatchev, 1997) and anti-tumoral (Ukiya et al., 2006).

Constituents; carotenoids (flavoxanthin, auroxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin), beta-carotene, polyphenols, flavonoids, triterpenes, saponins, polysaccharides, resins and volatile oils.

Medical Uses; As mentioned above pharmacological studies have confirmed that Calendula officinalis does fantastic healing work. Studies suggest that it relieves inflammation and improves immunity by blocking certain inflammatory compounds and limiting the infiltration of white blood cells (an immune response to inflammation) into tissues. Calendula has also been found to stimulate the growth of new tissues and blood vessels when applied externally to wounds. It can be used with excellent results as an ointment applied to 1st, second and third degree burns to stimulate regrowth of skin and to diminish scar tissue formation. In the former Soviet Union, there is a long history of cultivation of herbs employed for medicinal use. Calendula was known as Russian penicillin owing it to its extensive cultivation in the USSR for this purpose.

Current Herbal Uses. Externallly; as a skin healer for leg ulcers, sores, abscesses, infected and inflamed skin, acne, impetigo, insect bites, broken skin, wounds, surgical snippings, healthy scar tissue formation, sore nipples in nursing mothers, dry skin, diaper rashes, 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns, liver spots, haemorrhoids, varicose veins, fungal infections, as an eyewash for conjunctivitis, a gargle for pharyngitis, after tooth extraction, compresses for aphthous stomatitis and gingivostomatitis, as a douche for vaginal infections and candida.  Internally; for fever, jaundice, hepatitis, cirrhosis, digestive colic, stomach and duodenal ulcers, post operative wound healing, to regulate menstrual flow, as a uterine tonic, enlarged and inflamed lymph glands. Studies suggest that it could be useful for cancerous tumours and HIV. (Assaz N.A. et al.,2008, Waseem S. et al., 2010).

Gardening Applications; Calendula makes a good companion plant amongst herbs and vegetables as it repels tomato hornworms and asparagus beetles. It also attracts caterpillars, leafhoppers, aphids and whiteflies, shield bugs hence it’s use as a catch crop. The flowers also attract beneficial insects like bees.

–
Tricia Curtis
+64 9 420 4121
tricia@naturallybytrisha.com

www.naturallybytrisha.com
P.O Box 251, Silverdale, Auckland, NZ

Lincoln University landscape graduate brings ‘power’ful plan to Central London

A Lincoln University landscape architecture graduate is set to stamp a distinctive green mark on the future appearance of Britain’s capital city through a plan to “forest” the spaces between buildings in Central London’s largest regeneration project, on the site of iconic Battersea Power Station.

Sam Martin, originally from Peel Forest and a South Canterbury farming family, graduated from Lincoln University with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Honours) in 1993 and Master of Landscape Architecture in 1996. He moved to London in 2001 and established his own company, Exterior Architecture Ltd, in 2003, specialising in large scale private residential garden design throughout the UK and Europe.

Lov’n the good green news? Check out the ebook ‘Ten Ways to Chillax and Have Fun As You Live Your Green Dreams’.

Now, along with the biggest UK-based landscape firm, LDA Design, Sam’s company has won the multi-million dollar contract for the landscape component of the Battersea Power Station regeneration project.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a new park in Central London,” he says. “We will be working to create great public spaces where Londoners and visitors can enjoy spending time. It will benefit the residents in this part of south-west London and also improve London’s bio-diversity.”

The power station site is the last remaining large riverfront development opportunity in Central London.

The master plan for the 15.4 hectares site is by New York architect Rafael Vinoly and it provides for over nine hectares of open space, including 2.5 hectares of public park. The power station, built in the 1930s, was de-commissioned in 1983. The redevelopment includes residential structures, commercial retail outlets and even a new tube stop.

Sam says the plan is to bring a “forest” feel to the area by greening the spaces between the buildings.

“The forest will feel lush, productive and full of nature and will mediate between the vast brick facades of the power station and the glassy elevations of the new blocks.”

After graduation from Lincoln University Sam worked for a period in Christchurch and designed Canterbury Agricultural Park. Projects in Britain have included the New Zealand Garden in Savill Garden, Windsor Great Park, opened in 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Ian Collins, Communications Group, Lincoln University
Tel: (03) 3252811 ext 8549. Mobile: 021 02449637

Dreaming of a green career? Check out the Happyzine ‘Green Dream Launch Pad Course’

Now most of us are back from holiday we will be doing some serious weeding, sorting out of the beds for replanting and laying down some carpet, which has been donated to us, to keep the Kikuyu under control.

Plans for this year also include setting up a committee with a focus on fund raising, hopefully  putting in two new raised beds and getting the Bokashi trenching working.
We hope to have all sorts of activities around the garden, especially mid winter planting of garlic, a picnic in Spring and  some music to celebrate the coming together of gardeners. If you are interested in getting involved or just donating seedlings contact Michele on 630 0789(evenings) M: 021 216 1684  E: mtedenallotments@yahoo.co.nz

By Suzi Franks

I think it is useful if you know a little bit about what goes on under your soil, after all, the main stay of organic gardening is feeding the soil to nourish, the plants and vegetables you intend to grow.

And, if you are not aware of the micro-life that has to exist in the dark depths of your soil to achieve this, then to put it bluntly, it would be like when you were a kid, and your parents used to say ‘If Dylan jumped off a cliff, would you follow?’

Referring to doing something, just because you thought it was the right thing to do, or doing it, because you were told to, without any thought to why you were doing it.

Understanding how things work in the garden world, is half the battle, if you know why something is happening then you can take steps to improve, add something or take something away, to correct a problem or just make things better in the first place.

I am also a great believer in, if I am going to do something, I may as well do it right the first time, because in the end, if you cut corners, nine times out of ten, you have to go back to the beginning and do it the right way after all!!

So What DOES Happen Under the Soil?

We all know about the earthworms that live in the soil and if we have lots of these then the soil is deemed healthy.  But, it is not as simple as that, there are lots of pieces to the puzzle, that have to be put into place before your soil is really healthy. And in organic soil, it is the presence of microflora that makes it different to non-organic soils.

Microflora:

Microscopic organisms, which are single celled bacteria, and slightly larger fungi and algae all go into making up microflora.  To encourage the small organisms that make microflora you will need to use good quality compost and manures, the more the better and top it off with a good layer of mulch to retain moisture in the soil.

Root Systems:

Have you thought how a plant roots actually grow?  Did you know that weeds have such long, deep roots that they are actually ‘good’ for your soil?
As these long roots are able to bring up all the nutrients that lie deep down in the soil making the available to other plants and vegetables.  So, have a look next time you are pulling out a few weeds, see how their roots are formed, were they difficult to pull out, if they were, your will find a good strong root system is to blame.

Until I had thought about this, I would diligently pull up every ‘weed’ in sight, I believed that because others thought weeds were ‘bad’ for the growing area, I had to get rid of them.  Now, I understand their ‘job’ in the scheme of things,  I keep the weeds and as long as they don’t take over and strangle things I would like to grow, I leave them be.  If I have to remove them, I leave them on top of the soil beds for a couple of days, they can return the nutrients back to the soil before I compost them.

But as usual I digress, where were we? Oh,yes roots…

We do tend to take a plants root system for granted, we care about the plant above ground, but for some reason when our crops fail we hardly ever think of it being because the root system failed.  A plants root system is the engine room for the plant, it is where all the nutrients and moisture comes in from the surrounding soil. And it is the tiny almost invisible hairs at the very tips of the roots that do all the hard work.  The very ends of the roots are the fingers, if you like, that stretch out to seek out moisture and food from the surrounding soil. Leaving the anchoring of the plant into the ground to the larger aspects of the root system.

Nutrients:

Just as our bodies need nutrients, so do our flowers, plants, trees, vegetables, weeds and soil for anything to survive.  The lack of nutrients in your soil can happen for several reasons, the obvious one is that you have used chemicals in the past, and will need to repair the damage they have caused.

But, have you considered your neighbour/s using chemicals, which can equally affect your land, just being in the near vicinity. Just because you don’t use chemicals doesn’t mean your land is safe.  Think about the water channels under the soil, culverts, streams, and the water table itself.  If chemicals are regularly getting into these systems, and they run across your land, then you are fighting a losing battle.  Because what ever you do is going to be counteracted by what your neighbour/s do with their chemicals.  If you are on good terms with them, perhaps you could ask them to dam and cover any culverts before they spray and avoid getting too close to them while they spray. A meter or more away should reduce the effect.  And of course there is nutrient deficiency in the surrounding soil when you have just harvested a crop, you will have to replace this with organic fertilisers and organic matter in preparation for the next crop.

Of course crop rotation helps protect the soil from an over leeching of certain nutrients, as certain crops have different nutrient requirement s than others.   Crop rotation also helps reduce the instance of pests and diseases, because the soil has all the nutrients  the plants need building a good foundation for a balances life cycle.

So, I hope you can see, there is definitely more to under the soil than we first realized, and how this understanding can help you create your own well balanced garden of Eden.

http://2womenon2acres.com/

By Suzi Franks

WHOO HOO!! What a FANTASTIC Week I have had here in paradise – a beautiful week of glorious weather and I have been busy clearing the winter clutter to make way for the new growing season:)

Talking of growing, did you realize that you can grow your vegetables up towards the sky or (upside) down towards the ground?? This is a super fun way of utilizing alternative growing ideas and a great way to go if your space is limited, but hang on – its a great way to grow even if space is not an issue!! It will get the neighbour’s peeking over your fence for sure:)

Growing UP?

A vertical vegetable garden is SO easy to create. You can let your imagination run riot,  using shelves, hanging baskets, or trellises. AND, here is the good part, you can easily produce the same amount of fresh vegetables as a ‘ground’ based garden, without taking up excess space.

If you live in an area surrounded by other buildings, balcony or patio may be shaded most of the time; therefore, you should choose your plants accordingly. Leafy vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, and greens do well with limited sunlight, making good choices for shady areas.

If you are blessed with an abundance of sunshine, your selection of plants will be greater, as vegetables thrive best in full sun.

Vertical Gardening Utilizes:

Containers: Nearly any type of container can be used for growing vegetable plants. Old washtubs, wooden crates, gallon-sized coffee cans, used hessian coffee bags (ask at your local coffee roasters) and even five-gallon buckets can be implemented for growing crops as long as they provide adequate drainage

Hanging Baskets: Hanging baskets can be placed wherever space allows on the balcony or on suitable hangers. The baskets can accommodate many types of vegetables, especially vining or trailing vegetables.

Trellises: A trellis can be used for the support of plants too, think beans and tomatoes, even trailing or vine crops. A fence can also serve as a trellis but also think outside the square, consider things like a stepladder as a makeshift trellis to support vine-growing plants like pumpkins, squash, and cucumbers – the rungs of the ladder can be used to train the vines while placing the vegetables on its steps!!

Shelving: Shelves allow you the benefit of growing different types of vegetables on each shelf, make the shelving structure with tiers, this will add visual interest as well.

You can even rotate your containers so that all plants receive enough sunlight. When constructing the shelving, consider using slatted shelving as this will allow for better drainage and air circulation.

Growing (UPSIDE) DOWN?

The hanging garden is a fantastic way to grow ‘vine’ type vegetables is a small compact space and it will get the neighbours talking!! tomatoes are the most ‘famous’ upside down vegetable because they have been ‘advertised’ on TV in many gardening programme.

But did you know you can also grow: cucumbers, aubergines, beans, peppers and many others. the beauty of growing upside down is that you can use the ‘tops’ of your containers to grow smaller vegetables like lettuce and herbs.

Oh dear, once again I have run out of space:) SO much to say and so few words!! I hope you have enjoyed my article and please let me know what vegetables you grow up or down!

For more information on growing upside down please visit ‘The Hanging Garden’ on my website:

http://2womenon2acres.com

By Suzi Franks

I have just finished eating my saturday evening meal – roast  organic lamb with asparagus, artichokes and baby broad beans out of my Kitchen garden – not bad for what is known as the ‘hungry gap’!!

And I got to thinking how most  people I speak to at this time of year are getting ready to plant their seedlings and sow their seeds for the growing season and have not harvesting any of their ‘own’ vegetables since last summer… they are not like me who has SOME kind of vegetable ready to harvest at any time of the year.

To me, New Zealander’s have this unfathomable habit come compulsion to make ONE vegetable planting a year and this has to be done by Labor Day weekend (25th October) I want you to know, it need not be this way, you too can have a year round vegetable garden.

My Secret Revealed…

Try This Succession Planting Idea!

Begin in early spring – late September – with a few leafy crops – lettuce, spinach and other delights, a crop of potatoes and a few peas. Though this year it’s only just coming time for me to begin as the rain has left me a soggy mess!! Then it’s a good idea to watch and wait, that rouge frost early to late October has caught many a good gardener out.

Once all risk of frost has passed, I usually wait until my Mulberry tree is in leaf after all the Roman writer Pliny, described the Mulberry as, ‘The last to come into leaf and therefore the wistest tree of them all’ and I take this to indicate it must be ‘safe’

Now is the time for a sowing frenzy, but, only sow the amount of vegetables you can eat in ONE harvest. By this I mean, sow 4 cabbages, 2 cauliflowers and 6 broccoli, this is a manageable harvest and can easily be eaten in a very short time once maturity is reached.

Take it month by month during the ‘spring like’ weather and sow a little but often before the heat of the summer kicks in.  When this heat arrives, stop sowing and planting, as much as some vegetables love ‘full’ sun, this is only when they are mature enough to handle it.

This is the secret of succession planting, a graduated harvest during the year so you can harvest and eat without storing copious amounts in the fridge or larder, it only spoils the quality and nutritional value, however well stored.

Remember, you can begin ALL over again late summer, early autumn for that winter harvest. This last ‘main’ sowing will contain many spring favorites but also sow those winter warmers as well – kale, winter cabbage, spinach and lettuces etc.

I am building ‘cold frames’ and restoring my greenhouse for this season and I will be growing all sorts of goodies through out the winter months, I am blessed with only one sharp frost a year, so I can accommodate a larger variety in my winter garden.

I hope this has inspired you, I only have a short allotment of words, so much to tell you and SO little space – but please tell me what YOU do for your sowing and planting routine or if you have any questions please contact me:)

About Suzi Franks
I live in beautiful New Zealand on a 2 acre piece of paradise. I have hand built my extensive Kitchen Garden using bamboo for the raised beds that have replaced one of the paddocks. We are nearly self sufficient in all our vegetable needs, growing every conceivable type of vegetable I can find. In fact, I think I am addicted to collecting heirloom seeds:)

I grow heirloom vegetables, heritage fruit and nut trees and rare native plants, and use organic principles with permaculture thrown in for good measure!! I have researched organic gardening for the last 4 years and searched high and low for my precious heirloom vegatable seeds and heritage trees.

I would like to share my knowledge and organic research findings with everyone, because I believe now is the time to get growing your own food and re-empower yourselves against the economic climate that we live in. I can guarantee that once you taste your own produce, hybrid or heirloom, you will wonder how ever we got to the tasteless offerings in the supermarket…

I have a dream: Our 2 acre piece of paradise will have an Earthship house, be self sufficient in terms of energy and food. We will use solar and wind power for energy and everything we aim to grow will either fed us or our growing number of animals:)

I am blessed, because I can enjoy the scent of a bloom, nestling my nose deep inside the delicate petals and inhaling its unique fragrance. This simple act feeds my very soul, makes Mother Nature infuse my being – however, for some this simple act could find them in the emergency department fighting for breath.

It’s always been an inconceivable scenario for me to even try an imagine not being able to enjoy the spring and summer months with their abundance of flowers, but, I know thousands of people dread this time of year. This is allergy season, which is at its peak from October until February and spells misery for those who suffer with allergy related illnesses, because suffer they do.

Respiratory illnesses, especially Asthma and Hay-Fever, have reached endemic proportions in New Zealand. With over 800,000 people diagnosed with some form of respiratory illness and, 1 in 4 children are estimated to have asthma. (Asthma Foundation 2010)

Allergy Triggers

Allergies are hypersensitive reactions created by our immune system to ‘invaders’ called allergens and flower pollen is a major cause of these reactions. And as all flowering plants produce pollen at some point in their life is unavoidable for allergy sufferers to avoid, however careful and diligent they may be.

Pollen can be transported in the wind making it easily inhaled, entering our lungs and triggering an allergic reaction and would you believe the most common flowering plant, which is present in all but a few gardens is one that causes the most damage? The culprit is grass!

How Can I Have a Garden if I Have a pollen Allergy?

There is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, you can specifically choose to surround yourself with ‘low allergen’ plants in your garden oasis. Some of the considerations are what NOT to plant and those plants you can. I have listed both for you information and I sincerely hope that you can begin to enjoy Mother Nature and feel the beauty she has in store for you.

Be Wary of High Allergen Plants

These include some of the highly fragrant varieties – Honeysuckle, carnations, lilies, sweet Williams, the Daisy family, Zinnia’s, marigolds, chrysanthemums. Avoidance of these varieties should be high on the priority list and ‘flowering’ grass can be replaced with non-flowering Buffalo or couch varieties.

Low Allergen Plant List

Annuals and Biennials include:

Snapdragons, begonias, impatiens, forget-me-nots, pansies, petunias, phlox, love in a mist and salvia’s.

Perennials:

Oyster plant, Japanese windflower, granny’s bonnet, daylily, penstemon, oriental poppy and Jacob’s ladder

Ground Covers:

Bugle flower, lady’s mantle, cranesbill hosta, catmint and periwinkle

Shrubs:

Camellia, deutzia banksias, escallonia, hexes viburnums, hydrangea, flax, wriggle and photinia

Trees:

Bottlebrush, Irish Strawberry tree, magnolias, crab apples, ornamental pear and tulip trees.

I am nearly out of space for this week. I do hope for those of you who are an allergy sufferer that this article has given you some hope of being able to consider enjoying Mother Nature in a safe environment.

About Suzi Franks
I live in beautiful New Zealand on a 2 acre piece of paradise. I have hand built my extensive Kitchen Garden using bamboo for the raised beds that have replaced one of the paddocks. We are nearly self sufficient in all our vegetable needs, growing every conceivable type of vegetable I can find. In fact, I think I am addicted to collecting heirloom seeds:)

I grow heirloom vegetables, heritage fruit and nut trees and rare native plants, and use organic principles with permaculture thrown in for good measure!! I have researched organic gardening for the last 4 years and searched high and low for my precious heirloom vegatable seeds and heritage trees.

I would like to share my knowledge and organic research findings with everyone, because I believe now is the time to get growing your own food and re-empower yourselves against the economic climate that we live in. I can guarantee that once you taste your own produce, hybrid or heirloom, you will wonder how ever we got to the tasteless offerings in the supermarket…

I have a dream: Our 2 acre piece of paradise will have an Earthship house, be self sufficient in terms of energy and food. We will use solar and wind power for energy and everything we aim to grow will either fed us or our growing number of animals:)

I also have a web site which is a cross between the tales of our experiences and a portal in which I can share my knowledge and experience of organic gardening and growing heirloom vegetables and heritage trees.

Green.  Lush.

One of the joys of spring is to wander round your garden and see just what has survived the winter.  The apples blossom, the apricots appear to be producing fruit already and the mandarin pokes fresh leaves from tender buds.  But the season’s greatest triumph is the Tamarillo.

-Oh, I’ve never heard of anyone growing a Tamarillo in Christchurch.

Well, this someone created a little frost protection- a heat sink beside a black-painted concrete block garage wall and took a gamble on a tamarillo seeding surviving the winter.  The gamble paid off.

Secretly, the gardener in me thinks -well, maybe just 1degree of global warming isn’t a bad thing, if it means I can grow a tamarillo in Christchurch.  Maybe next year I can try an avocado!

I’ve often heard it mentioned – Christchurch would be perfect if it was just 10degrees warmer!

But it’s not just about having a warmer summer, or even a frost free winter.  Just think (and we’ve already seen it happen), without the frosts to kill them off, think of all those other super-invasive weeds that would also survive the winter.  There’s no amount of positive thinking that could make some of those weeds virtuous!  It’s not just the weeds either- insect pests (like fruit fly) that would overwinter in your balmy garden.  I’ll have my frost back, thank you!

What am I talking about?  My seaside garden would simply cease to exist if the icecaps started  melting;  I would be displaced, an environmental refugee, all for a few tropical fruit.

What can we do about it?

There’s a list as long as my arm of positive things to do.  Ride a bike, live simply, plant a tree. This weekend  there’s a world-wide workingbee, taking action against climate change.  Watch a film- educate yourself, paint your roof white, go for a walk. The 10/10/10 isn’t any old date, it signifies what we need to do- reduce the global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by 10% to bring it down to what scientists believe is the safe upper limit.  Attend a swap-meet, pick up some rubbish, install some insulation. 350.org, the folks who are putting together the workingbee, tell us ” 350 parts per million (ppm) is, according to leading climate scientists, the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. From the beginning of human history until the Industrial Revolution, global atmospheric carbon dioxide did not exceed about 280ppm.” Car-pool, volunteer at your community gardens, write a letter to your politician. Within 3 centuries of burning fossil fuels we’ve upped the levels of atmospheric CO2 to 390ppm. Don’t buy plastic, get to know your neighbour, get involved.

Take positive action.

I really fancy living by the sea. I like my temperate garden with crisp white winter mornings as well as my slightly damp mid-summer evenings.  So Canterbury is prone to the occasional drought- I’d prefer a dry summer to a dust-bowl.

Luckily there are many people within my community who take the threat of climate change very seriously-  I guess they fancy their seaside gardens as well!  It will make it just that little bit easier when we try and move our ‘town’ towards transition.

So lets take a look at when you may need to fertilise. You are walking around your garden and you notice some plants are not looking great, they may have stunted growth or just not thriving. What should you do?

First, you need to ask yourself:

What could be causing this? The answer could be several things, so before you reach for the fertiliser, consider these things -

Is the soil healthy?

By this I mean is it full of organic humus and compost? and Does it ‘look’ and ‘smell’ good? Pick some up, rub it between your hands, feel it and yes if you can dare yourself have a sniff!

A good soil should smell ‘earthy’ for want of a good descriptive word, the stronger the ‘earthy’ smell the better. This ‘earthy’ odour, denotes the soil’s unseen biological activity and is called ‘geosmin’. It is a result of the bacteria holding the soil together, breaking down organic matter to release nutrients for the plants roots to use and releasing hormones to protect against disease. If this is your soil, you need to look at another cause for your plants distress.

A poor soil will have a ‘dull’ kind of smell, sort of musty. A number of things can cause this: working the soil by too much digging especially when wet; not feeding it in the autumn with lots of compost, manure and organic matter; a soil in transition one that is between the use of chemicals and going organic. Depending upon what time of year it is, you could choose a liquid fertiliser tea for a short term solution and then fully correct the nutrient level deficiency in the autumn.

A ‘dead’ soil will smell putrid. This indicates serious work involved, a return to basics and a good cover crop and leaving it alone to totally regenerate.

A good soil should look and feel ‘alive’. It will literally ‘gleam’ and be full of worms, easily broken up particles and be just dark damp. A poor soil will look lifeless, you will know as it falls between your fingers and doesn’t have any structure at all, and its colour look pale and unwell.

What are the nutrient levels and What is the pH?

A good soil meter – one that measures nutrients and pH is simple to use or soil testing kit will be required here. A simple operation to check the plant has the right amount of nutrients and the correct pH.

An incorrect pH can stop certain nutrients becoming available, once the pH is corrected the nutrients will be ‘released’ back into the soil to be used by the plant. The same scenario is true of an overdose of a nutrient, it can block other nutrients being available, although there is plenty in the soil. Correct, the overdosed nutrient level and it ‘releases’ the previously withheld one.

A little complicated, but a necessary procedure as you could be fixing a ‘believed’ deficiency and actually make the problem a whole lot worse.

Are your plants in the right place at the right time?

This may seem a silly thing to ask yourself, but, are they? In our modern world, plants are not grown in their own natural ‘ecosystem’. They are an unrelated mixture of species from a wide variety of habitats and soils. Each has specific nutrient needs and getting it right takes a little experience.

This is a huge subject and we have only just scratched the surface. I explain this subject in more depth in my beautiful ‘Fertiliser Tea Guide’

Do you have any specific gardening problems? or is there a particular subject you would like me to cover, please let me know as it would be my pleasure to share my knowledge with you.

E-mail me at: suzi@2womenon2acres.com

This is what I feel when I’m sitting in my strawberry patch eating them, because they usually DON’T make it into the kitchen, but I won’t tell if you won’t!!  It seems I am not alone, one piece of trivia I found states: If all the strawberries grown in California in ONE year were laid berry to berry they would circle the World FIFTEEN times!! WOW!!!  and a survey in 2007 found 85% of children between 7 and 10 said strawberries were their favorite fruit.

Who Called it a Strawberry?

The etymology has been argued for centuries, one side argue the 19th century English children who picked the fruits and strung them together and sold them as ‘Straws of berries’ where responsible for the naming but others claim the 19th century practice of putting straw as a mulch around the plants t protect the fruit is responsible.

What Makes a ‘Strawberry’ Delicious?

Amazing stuff, but what makes this delicate ‘fruit’ so delicious?? Oh and by the way a strawberry is not ‘technically’ considered a fruit in horticultural terms because it’s seeds are on the outside, but what do they know and what do we care what they call them…strawberries are strawberries!!

Strawberry Tales of Love

When I researched for this article, it came as no surprise to find that the strawberry has been frequently used as symbols of:

Love – Folklore denotes that if you ‘double’ split a strawberry then share it with a member of the opposite sex, love will be sure to follow

Longevity – Many cultures believe the strawberry has special magical properties to prolong life. The famous 18th Century writer Fontenelle, was no exception, a centenarian, attributed strawberries to be the cause of his longevity

Perfection – Medieval Christian stonemasons carved strawberries into the tops of altars and on the sides of pillars in sacred places, like churches, to depict perfection.

Strawberries for Healing Your Inner Being

Strawberries have a veritable cornucopia of natural healing properties, and have long histories of being used through out the centuries as natural remedies for kidney stones, reducing inflammation, natural antibiotics for infections, throat soothers, halitosis banisher, mood lifters and fever reducers. The Romans were particularly fond of strawberries for natural remedies for gout, fainting, blood purifiers and melancholy

Just Packed with Goodness

Strawberries have an abundance of health giving antioxidants and have been found to contain more vitamin C than the majority of citrus fruits with one cup containing a whooping 140% of the recommended daily dose!!

If this was not enough, these precious little fruits contain fibre, folate and potassium.

What better way is there to provide you and your family with the natural things in life they need to live a ling and healthy one?

What’s your favorite way of eating this delicious fruit??

(For strawberry planting instructions visit me at http://2womenon2acres.com )

About Suzi Franks
I live in beautiful New Zealand on a 2 acre piece of paradise. I have hand built my extensive Kitchen Garden using bamboo for the raised beds that have replaced one of the paddocks. We are nearly self sufficient in all our vegetable needs, growing every conceivable type of vegetable I can find. In fact, I think I am addicted to collecting heirloom seeds:)

I grow heirloom vegetables, heritage fruit and nut trees and rare native plants, and use organic principles with permaculture thrown in for good measure!! I have researched organic gardening for the last 4 years and searched high and low for my precious heirloom vegatable seeds and heritage trees.

I would like to share my knowledge and organic research findings with everyone, because I believe now is the time to get growing your own food and re-empower yourselves against the economic climate that we live in. I can guarantee that once you taste your own produce, hybrid or heirloom, you will wonder how ever we got to the tasteless offerings in the supermarket…

I have a dream: Our 2 acre piece of paradise will have an Earthship house, be self sufficient in terms of energy and food. We will use solar and wind power for energy and everything we aim to grow will either fed us or our growing number of animals:)

I also have a web site which is a cross between the tales of our experiences and a portal in which I can share my knowledge and experience of organic gardening and growing heirloom vegetables and heritage trees.

Who am I?  I am hard to define, but am described as strongly individual by my allies and I am sure eccentric by others. A slightly wild, middle-aged woman – that’s me. I am an earth-mother lesbian, lefty cynic, with oodles of life experience. I am committed to organic-inclusive, non-destructive alternatives to mass product exploitative models. I get to wear my gumboots on most days when I head into town with my little dogs. I am privileged to work at what I love and hope to share this passion with you – I am doing things my way and it is exhilarating and damned scary.

Mary and I are both organically-focused and environmentally-responsible, therefore we support organics in product and process as much as is practicable. Our philosophy:

Choose organic solutions first

Practice organic plant care

Make minimum negative environmental impact

This blog will follow our ride through the second half of our first year in business.

See you around, Kaye.

PS Always remember that a tunnel has light at both ends

Grow From Here
50 Webb St (Top Of Cuba St)
Te Aro
Wellington
04 384 8178
021 069 0465

http://www.growfromhere.co.nz

Such is the idea of Britta Riley and Rebecca Fray, two New York artists who in February of last year created an artist installation at Eyebeam Art & Technology Center called a ‘windowfarm’ to demonstrate how inner-city, apartment dwellers can grow their own fresh veggies. As well as creating this neat alternative to a veggie patch, they also wanted to give the message that growing your own food is “the most effective action an individual can take for the environment” suggesting that it would reduce the huge carbon footprint left by the food industry.

Windowfarms are small, hydroponic veggie gardens that hang vertically in window spaces, constructed out of recycled materials, most commonly plastic bottles. They allow you to grow one plant per container using an inexpensive hydroponic method (i.e. no soil).

Since the initial windowfarm installation, the ‘Windowfarms Project’ has been carried forward by Britta Riley. She aims to encourage people to create their own windowfarm systems, experiment with methods that suit them and share their knowledge and findings with others. She sees the whole project as a research collaboration with each personal experience adding to the improvement of windowfarming as a whole and enabling us all to take a joint step forward in creating a more environmentally friendly and enriched world.

In order for people to share knowledge, she has set up a website where windowfarmers around the world can exchange ideas, ask questions, and post pictures of their own creations.

Here are some examples of recent windowfarm installations taken from the website blog.

• In Finland, a dedicated team have constructed an elaborate and quite beautiful windowfarm in the window of Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum in Helsinki growing 81 plants.

• Someone has set up a technically elaborate system in their home with computer automation for the control of the water pump.
• A 12-plant windowfarm creation was the centrepiece at the opening ceremony of Hong Kong’s annual Microwave New Media International Arts Festival.

Plus there are loads of smaller, individual set-ups with people growing herbs and flowers as well as veggies on their window sills at home or in offices.

It’s really interesting to see what people have done, I recommend checking out their posts.  The photos of the windowfarms are fascinating; ranging from the simple, to the amusing, the beautiful, to the highly complex. Someone has even posted a picture of the pizza they cooked garnished with the basil grown in their windowfarm.

A windowfarm makes a kitchen garden possible for everyone wherever they live. As stated on the Windowfarms Project website, “Growing some of our own food is a simple pleasure that can make a big difference in our relationship with nature. As we choose nutrients to feed plants we hope to eat in turn, we gain experience with a nearly-lost fundamental human art, get a microcosmic view of the food system, develop a stake in the conversation, and come up with new ideas for how to take care of ourselves and our planet in troubled times. Let’s make this experience possible for anyone!”

Window farm photo courtesy of The Windowfarms Project

Leaf photo courtesy of Clearly Ambiguous

San Pedro cactus thrust their flowers outwards at exactly Summer Solstice

the longest day and shortest night of the year

We think the ancestors of this Rata  Tree once stood where our house stands now

and somehow this fledgling this mokopuna

has forged new life

blooming red and sure

beckoning the visitors

and welcoming the family home

Meanwhile Blue Borage calls in the bees

and the lettuce is blooming and feeding the family with sunlight, air, and energy

And so we thrive, surrounded in the flowers, the warmth and the generosity of summer.