My Neighbor's Garden - Join me!!

Since I have created http://www.greenishthumb.net/, I have been thrilled to find an extremely prolific garden blogging community. Never would I imagine the many others in cyberspace with similar passions.

I am going to begin a series of posts called "My Neighbor's Garden". In these posts, I will leave the comfort and safety of the chair in front of my computer and travel on foot to actually knock on doors of neighbors with great gardens I would like to learn more about. If the gardener is interested and willing, I will take photos and have a chit chat about his/her garden. The interview and photos will be posted here. I would like you to join me in this project! For me, there are many purposes and benefits...

To build relationships with people in real life. There are gardeners in your actual community who may think similarly, who have ideas to share, who have their own garden philosophies, and it would be community building to get to know them. To share the love. Gardening is often a solitary activity - at least the day to day part of it, and what joy for your neighbor to know that you're out there too, also soaking up the sun, analyzing the soil, weeding, watering, mulching, planting, etc. To pump people up. Wouldn't you be thrilled if someone knocked on your door and told you they liked your garden so much they wanted to photograph it and talk with you about it? To help your neighbor share the love. Through your post on your blog, you'll be able to give your neighbor a link that he/she can share with family and friends anywhere. You may not be a famous person with a famous website, but for someone to say his/her garden is on the Internet may be very cool for lots of people. What a great gift for your neighbor! To build relationships with others in cyberspace. What garden blogger wouldn't want to see more pictures of real people and their real gardens? We all want to see what's going on in different communities in different parts of the world. I live in the 'burbs and I love to see rural vegetable gardens. I also love an urban balcony garden. We want to know what you're doing and what you're posting about.

I am willing to bet that this project will be somewhat nerve wracking. However, we know that gardeners tend to be approachable, kind, and sharing people. I also bet this project will yield unpredictable results. It's unlikely, but possible that you'll get a "No, you're crazy, I'm paranoid and don't want wackos to fall in love with my garden and start stalking me". But you might also begin a relationship that will last a lifetime. You may find a friend to trade bulbs or swap seeds with. You may find someone who is willing to tend to your garden while you're away on vacation. The possibilities are limitless.

Having said all this, let's now go forth with pen, paper, and camera in hand. You know that person down the street with the really pretty garden you look at each time you drive by? Start at that house. Share your blog site with them. Come up with some standard questions about gardening (What is your favorite vegetable or perennial to grow?), but also some sillier ones (Do you talk to your plants? If so, what do you say?). Let them know how much you love gardening and begin the conversation. Let's work up the nerve together and go into the community to talk with people. I'll meet you here next time with an update. Post a link to your blog here, leave your thoughts, and check back. I got a few gardens in mind in my own neighborhood - will let you know how it goes...

Repurposing a large flower pot

Don't let the swelter of a humid July afternoon prevent your kids from staying cool. Below, you will see that a large flower pot has become an impromptu pool. If you have a large container sitting around, simply plug it up, fill it with cold water, pinch your nose, and jump in! If there's a little one who needs in as well, why not plug up the holes in the wagon with rags, and fill that up too!

To become the ultimate spectacle, take both kids in the poolwagon for a ride around the neighborhood, dripping water the whole way around. Contain your embarrassment when they're chanting, "Pool on wheels! Pool on wheels! Pool on wheels!"

These kids really deserve their upcoming beach trip. See ya on the other side!

Rain barrel rebates are available

I am lucky to live in a city that aims to be green, and offers incentives to residents who make an effort to be as well. Recently, our city started a program with a mission to "help residential
property owners improve stormwater runoff conditions on their property by installing
more natural drainage projects. These projects are designed to reduce the amount of
stormwater entering local streams, increase groundwater supply, and reduce chemical
and nutrient pollutants entering waterways."



One way residents are encouraged to help is by installing rain barrels. The city believes that installing rain barrels offers "benefits to each homeowner as well as the environment. For example, a homeowner may reduce the risk of flooding in his backyard or basement by collecting water for later use or slow release. Additionally, using water collected in rain barrels to wash cars and maintain landscaping will conserve water and lower your municipal water bill."



A nice financial incentive is offered as a part of this program - a $50 rebate on the purchase of the rain barrel. Very enticing to me since I recently installed one and paid quite a bit more than that. Here's how my rain barrel works: A spout diverts rain into the barrel. You can barely make out this spout behind the clematis, sitting on the black rim of the barrel. It fills up completely during a steady rain. I will use this rain water to water my vegetables, flower boxes, containers, and any new perennials throughout the week. Just as the barrel empties, we get another rain. Since I have installed my rain barrel, I have almost NEVER used the hose - a benefit since I am saving money on my water bill, confident my vegetables are not being watered by a hose that may potentially leach lead, and using the rain water that would have gone down the drain anyway. Any way that I can reduce any type of waste makes me feel good and responsible inside. An interesting plus is that the water sometimes STILL smells like the peppers this old Greek pepper barrel used to contain! To ward off mosquito larva, I use natural disks that kill larva. Behind the clematis on the downspout, is a Y-shaped connector with a switch I can use to divert water to the barrel or down the spout. I will use this if we have torrential downpours. Once the barrel fills, I'll flick the switch so that the rain is diverted to the downspout instead of the barrel. This will help prevent floods close to my house. Another option would be to install more rain barrels connected by hoses. This will increase your rain saving capacity.



Here's the frustrating part about my city's rebate program- because there's always a frustrating part when you're dealing with the government, right? In order to claim a rebate from the city, residents have to fill out and submit an application, purchase an "approved" rain barrel, install it properly, have an inspection conducted by city staff to ensure it is installed properly (honestly, it's not rocket science), and finally receive a rebate.



Forget about the rebate if you're ahead of the curve and already have a rain barrel installed. You can just pat yourself on the back and continue to be a shining example to the rest of your community. You'll just have to fight that feeling that you've purchased something only to find it on sale the next week - no price adjustment option.



If you have NOT yet installed a rain barrel, please check with your city or county. A rebate may be offered. Workshops on making your own rain barrel may be offered. If not, consider installing one anyhow. You will be stunned that you ever stood there in front of your garden, hose in hand, watering your plants.

Growing Challenge: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the downright frustrating

One Green Generation's Growing Challenge update: click on the link to read updates from 150 other garden bloggers! In my garden, the veggies are really representing. I've got the good, the bad, the ugly, and the downright frustrating. This pictorial tour begins with the good...

Lots of Hillbilly tomatoes growing. That's one beautiful hierloom if I do say so myself.

A Thai pepper plant producing loads of peppers.

In the foreground below, a little army of light green edamame plants, Georgia Jet sweet potatoes vining out, and behind that, a little strawberry patch planted this spring, sending out runners.

The sweet potatoes - you can't see the pretty purple blooms hidden under some of the leaves.

Moving on to the bad. I have no idea what's going on with this tomato below. It has always been squat, short, and most of its leaves are tight. It's producing flowers, but no fruit. It is either a Cherokee purple, hillbilly, or hierloom beefsteak (you always think you'll remember...).

Now we go to the ugly. I have been picking on my tomatillo all season,but it's just so hulking, branches akimbo, and just sloppy. Lots of fruit growing in their perfect papery husks though.

This below is just downright frustrating. The butternut squash plants are all but dead, leaving only 4 once-perfect squash behind - that is until some animal decided to dig in.

Until next time...

Grilled jalapeno cilantro turkey burgers

A most delicious burger was BBQed last night. These days, there is no shortage of jalapenos and their little zing is added to everything I cook. I read about a roasted jalapeno cilantro pesto and planned to top my grilled turkey burger with it, but at the last minute, decided to just mix most of the ingredients into the meat to keep it simple. Due to my time crunch, I also didn't roast the jalapenos. For a most delicious and very low fat burger, add all to taste, then grill:

ground turkey
chopped jalapenos (I use seeds and all)
a couple of minced garlic cloves
chopped cilantro
pine nuts
salt and pepper

Edited to add: I tried to make this burger again cooked in a pan, and it was horrendous. I think there's something about the grill that seals in the juice and adds a little some 'um some 'um.

There's beauty in a morning run

If you know me personally, you may know that I've recently lost 16 pounds - in part by curbing my hedonistic glutton ways, and in part by exercising at the gym almost daily. The beauty in working out at 5:30am before work is that you're done and don't need to make up excuses for why you can't hit the gym after work. You also make better decisions about food all day. This summer, I have found that contrary to the feelings I've had about it my entire life, running is actually an enjoyable thing to do as well. To enjoy running, first and foremost, you need good shoes. I learned this the hard way when I started having knee pain after a few consecutive days of running. After an Internet medical self-diagnosis, I discovered I had flat feet. It really hurt my ego at first (ducks have flat feet), but then I got proactive. I went to a store specifically geared to runners and spent a million dollars on some kick-ass sneakers, and my knees are now fine. Secondly, you need good music. Thirdly, you need a destination. Katie told me about http://www.mapmyrun.com/ where you can click and drag your route and see how far you've run. Finally, you're off. The beauty of morning running for exercise, is that there is actually beauty in it as well. My observations this morning:

• One neighbor majorly expanded and changed the shape of her garden. She added some very pretty hot pink annuals around the beds. It was quite lovely.
• Grace's yellow gladioli are beautiful in full bloom and her window boxes positively glow.
• The city must have removed weeds that had enveloped the creek, because there is beauty in the sight and sound of a gently flowing stream.
• One neighbor had a great iron planter mounted on her house, planted with annuals. I need to figure out where to get one of these - it would work perfectly on a blank space on the front of my house.
• One neighbor had thriving squash and tomato plants hidden behind his hostas right in front of his house.
• One neighbor has the really cool money plants growing in the shade of his front yard.
• One garden was planted with annuals, weeded and mulched meticulously, and decorated with 6 inch Mickey Mouse statues.

There's beauty in the fact that during an early morning run, my neighbors don't really see me ogling their gardens. One morning, I was so bold as to stop, and on tip toes, actually peek over the fence of a neighbor's garden (it was a beautiful vegetable garden with meandering path). I can run past plain lawns, and slow to a light jog in front of gardens I like and that I want to remember details of.

There's beauty in the fact that on this Monday morning, I estimated that about 90% of homes in my neighborhood had gardens of some size and of some style, that someone has been tending. Every garden did not necessarily fit my taste, but there's beauty in the fact that in my neighborhood, people work to make their little spot in the world a little more beautiful.

Nature is weird

Since I started gardening 4 years ago, I have found it a ... "fun" ... challenge to learn about new bugs, mostly in an effort to diagnose a problem. I am a wannabe master gardener afterall, and that's part of a master gardener's job. I know what the different stages of boxelder bug development look like, and how to prevent infestations. I can spot leaf miner damage a mile away. Ultimately though, I hate bugs. I know they play an important role in ecology, and that probably most bugs serve some purpose (except for maybe the stinkbug), but I don't like them. Even the beneficials. I know ladybugs are a happy vision, but I'd rather they fly away home.

My sister has been asking me about a white, triangular-shaped bug with a "little puff of fuzz on it's butt". Interesting specimen indeed. Oftentimes, it's the fact that these bugs are so totally interesting that disgusts me so much. You can't NOT look, but at the same time, you know it will bring nightmares. For example, what if I told you that if you clicked this link here, you would find a photo of something I find particularly fascinating yet disgusting - parasites on a tomato hornworm. If you're like me, you'll click, you'll practically pass out, but nonetheless, you'll click. Before you quickly close the window, you might even subconsciously try to take in as much detail as you can.

One morning, I am on my way out for work when I spy on my front door a tiny triangular-shaped bug that looked like it had a little tuft of fuzz - perhaps on it's butt (well, I guess if bugs had butts, it'd be on it's butt). I thought, "Hello, you weird little fucker" (Granted I have a potty mouth anyway, but I almost always curse in any dealings with bugs). I remembered that my sister said it was almost "cute" looking and if you got close, it had these eyes that would follow you if you moved. I got close to the bug. Real close. I could not see any eyes on the thing, but the little tufts of fuzz on the bug were really interesting indeed. Sort of reminded me of cotton candy thread. Very delicate silky threads. I got even closer so that I was about 4 inches from the specimen. Then the most horrifying thing that could happen to me at 6am on my way to work happened. The cute triangular bug exploded on my face. If I would not have awakened my younger daughter, I would have screamed. I know it exploded because it was there, 4 inches from my face one second, and the next, it was gone and in it's place, minuscule dots of clear liquid . On my face, cool, moist bug guts. What the hell happened? Defense mechanism? My theory until now was that it exploded. Now that I've had time to think rationally, perhaps it sprayed me with something and flew away while I was momentarily incapacitated. Either way, nature is really weird.