Gardens through the seasons

21 Apr '08 6:01 pm

Faith, it's lovely to see a tulip flower. I've got my bulbs in the fridge now - minus one, which son-in-law chopped up and put on top of a pizza he was making. Wonder what it would have tasted like?

Enjoy your spring with your wildlife and hopefully not too many weeds. Always thinking of you in your farm and sending you heaps of mental hellos!
Cheers, M.

21 Apr '08 10:15 pm

What did he think it was? Aren't they poisonous? So he didn't eat the pizza did he?

22 Apr '08 8:24 am

He fancies himself as a gourmet cook, and thought it was a shallot!

We are told to chill the bulbs for 2 weeks before planting. Generally my tulips are one-season wonders, I don't bother to lift them, and they sort of descend into the sandy soil and disappear after a year of showing off. But still I love the colours and try to have some to enjoy in spring. Cheers!

24 Apr '08 8:38 am

Hello Dear Friend Mary,

Too funny about the tulip pizza. Actually tulips are one of those "edible" flowers, so I don't think it would have done him any harm. Not too sure about the taste though. Here, my tulips are about finished up for the year and the irises and roses are coming on strong. I have to get out and take some photos soon. Things have been rather busy around our household with visiting family members, volunteering and church activities. I met with members of a local women's shelter today to discuss planning and planting a garden at their facility. They were very excited and enthusiastic about the idea, so I left them with a list of materials to procure for building raised beds on the flat roof of their facility (an old hospital building). This place is quite amazing in that they take in women who are being parolled from the Women's prison for non-violent crimes and also women who have problems with drug addiction or who are homeless for various other reasons. They have a nine month program designed to bolster their client's self-esteem, teach them new job skills, help them find employment, purchase automobiles and find housing so that they can re-enter society as strong, self-sufficient individuals. The unique thing about this center is that they help the women re-gain custody of any children they have and allow the children to live with the mothers at the center. They provide daycare and after-school activities for the children, job training and transportation for the mothers, psychological and life counseling (not to menion housing and three meals a day). They also have 24 hour nursing staff available to despense meds and handle other health care needs of the mothers and their children. I could go on and on about how impressed I was with the work they are doing. I think it will be very rewarding to work with the mothers and their children teaching them about gardening and helping them to actually grow some of their own food.

24 Apr '08 11:18 am

What a wonderful thing you are doing Faith. I'm a big believer in the therapeutic value of gardens, and being close to nature in general.
I'm wondering what you will be doing about issues such as drainage and weight in a somewhat unusual location?

25 Apr '08 9:49 am

Hi Maxflax,

Those are very good questions and I asked them myself while meeting with the personnell at the center. My major concern was for drainage issues since the Director of Employment there had his own construction business before becoming involved in this ministry and he had no concerns about weight. We decided that we would lay down a .5 mil layer of plastic first and if necessary put in pvc drains that would direct water to the roof drains. Watering will be done by soaker hose inside each bed, so there should not be a lot of run off. Heat will be an issue here, but I think the plants themselves will help to mitigate that somewhat and we will use thick mulch in the beds to retain moisture in the soil. I have just learned that someone on the staff at the center had already initiated plans for a roof garden on their parking structure. I have made contact with her but we haven't had an opportunity to discuss the plans in detail. I am very excited to talk with her because it sounds like what she has planned is even bigger that we were imagining. I think I have been lead to this place at precisely the right moment. Isn't that amazing and wonderful?

25 Apr '08 9:56 am

Faith - you're even on line as I'm reading about this latest venture. It sounds amazing - please take lots of photos of the work in progress. And you're right about being lead to this place, to do this particular project. Gosh it will be fun.

Women are always great helpers in the community, and you'll get a lot of personal joy, too, in seeing this project through. I think of the cute phrase we'd always use when I was teaching:

If you want something done, ask a busy woman!

Cheers, and good luck with the roof garden. Will it be succulents and small shining grasses? I can't wait to see some pix.

25 Apr '08 10:17 am

Hello Mary! So good to hear from you. To answer your question about the plants, actually it will be lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and peppers initially. I am told they all would love fresh salad veges, but I don't think this is the right season for lettuces on a roof garden. After this initial summer garden, maybe we can do a fall garden with lettuces and cole crops. It may work into more ornamentals with time. I don't really know yet what the woman I just contacted has in mind. She is a former resident who is now a staff member. I'm really excited at the possibilities and I will definitely take along my camera.

1 May '08 2:16 am

Well, in spite of being so caught up in my new project, The Lovelady Center Victory Garden (a new thread I started in General Gardening Chats section), I actually got out yesterday morning and took some pictures of my own gardens. I was under strict orders from my spouse to "take it easy" yesterday because of a summer cold, but I did sneak a quick trip outside to get these shots. I love my gardens and they are looking more amazing every year. I was very fortunate that I had gotten almost all my spring clean-up done before getting snatched into this latest frenzy. I still have some mulching to do on the Rose Berms, but all in due time.

1 May '08 2:23 am

Here are the remaining photos of the Mixed Perenniel Border. The New Dawn roses on the swing arbor are just beginning to bloom. It will be a giant mass of bloom in a couple of weeks, so I'll get some photos then.

Gardens through the seasons

Tulips!

Gourmet Tulips

Rooftop Garden

Wow, what great timing.

New spring photos of Bide-a-Wee Farm

Oops, ran out of room before photos