
Fri Jan 17, 2014 8:51 pm
Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:30 pm
Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:41 pm
Sat Jan 18, 2014 1:14 am
sunflower13 wrote:. . . Hey, have you successfully grown watermelons in our area and if so what variety? . . . So do you just pay for the furnace at your neighbors? I need to get a neighbor like that lol. I was thinking wouldn't it be nice if someone with lots of property and little time would let a few of us use their property, pay for water and grow on their property but then that's a community garden isn't it lol? . . .
Sat Jan 18, 2014 2:33 am
digitS' wrote:Watermelon, Sunflower? No . . . I tried growing Sugar Baby for 3 seasons. One time it was "okay." The neighbor just finished his 3 year trial. I think he had one fairly good year. Last year, he gave up all sorts of room to the Sugar Babies. "Little pink things" he called them. Disappointed, he didn't take even one out of his garden.
I have grown Passport Galia melons for about 10 years with never a failed year. Two years, I've had Goddess muskmelons. Both of these are U of New Hampshire releases. I bet UNH has others that would do well here. Some other melons have never ripened or died during our "Junuaries".
Out in the "exurbs," there are lots of folks with 3 & 5 acre lots - and they don't know what to do with the land. Even folks with 1½ acre lots usually don't enjoy spending all of their Saturdays mowing each week. Some folks had big families and big family gardens. Now they are retired "empty nesters." In water districts, they have to pay for irrigation water whether.they.use.it.or.not. Some of these folks are just delighted to have someone come along and take some of the maintenance off their hands. If you want to do this Sunflower, don't promise anything other than that. Maybe "gift" them with some produce now and then. No mowing their lawn or trimming their hedge. Just keep your garden as neat and weed-free as you can and a nice "patch of dirt" to look at thru the winter.
The greenhouse with furnace is in my backyard. A shed-attached hoop house is thru the fence - literally. The fence section was taken down and is now the wall & door to the shed. All 3 of the folks where I garden have gardens of their own - I provide their tomato plants and such.
Steve
Sun Jan 19, 2014 1:25 am
Sun Jan 19, 2014 2:27 am
Sun Jan 19, 2014 3:38 am
Sun Jan 19, 2014 9:19 pm
imafan26 wrote:Hey sunflower. Aren't there any community gardens you can apply for in your area. It isn't easy to get in, I know, I waited two years before I got a plot. But sometimes you are lucky. We got started as a co-gardener, and got our plot later. Some community gardens have elders who want a garden plot but need assistance so they get co-gardeners to share the space.
I also volunteer at a botanical garden and at the urban garden center and I take care of the herb garden. At the botanical garden, I can't plant anything I want. We used to propagate but mostly we weed now and occasionally plant groundcovers. At the urban garden, volunteers can adopt gardens. There are vegetable gardens but the volunteers there have had them for years so getting in there is pretty tough. But, they still will share what they grow when they harvest. The rules are that the person who takes care of the garden has to either offer or be asked if anyone wants anything from it. In the herb garden, people will ask for figs,(Brown Turkey), arugula, and herb trimmings to feed the worms. Seasonally, I will have ginger, turmeric, arrowroot, peppers, basil, roselle, and mizuna. I have perennial herbs like gynuura, mint, Mexican tarragon, Mexican Thyme, daylilies, pineapple sage, fennel, and rosemary
that sprigs or flowers can be picked from. I even have peanuts, but the soil there is not good for them so it is mostly to show what peanuts look like. Most people like to eat them but have never seen the plant.
digitS' wrote:Imafan has given you some ideas for organizations that may help.
My advice, Sunflower: tell everyone you know what you'd like to do. Everyone you have a chance to talk to. Even the people at the supermarket. Go out in the country and talk to the people at the hardware and feedstore.
Steve