16th April, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments
I have often thought how useless grass yards are–unless you’re a kid who likes to jump through sprinklers they typically don’t get used much, they don’t provide food, they require a lot of water and upkeep, and they are generally just kind of boring. Some Austinites are trying to change all that. Check out this Statesman article about a few local land sharing organizations that are turning Austin yards into urban farmland. Property owners with extra land, such as a back or front yard, can join the organization, and other members use the land to grow veggies that they share with the land owners. This is a great way to use valuable land and get local fresh food to more people. Keep an eye out next week for the official launch of Shared Earth, a social networking site that connects land owners to farmers and gardeners in need of land.
15th April, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments
Since April is National Garden Month, I thought it’d be nice to post a few tidbits about gardening in Austin.
- If you haven’t already, now is the time to get to planting those spring and summer veggies like chard, okra, and summer squash. Have a look at the Travis County planting calendar if you need some direction on what to plant and when. It’s a really helpful list.
- When you’re starting your garden, consider making it as green as possible with these drought-tolerant landscape templates.
- For inspiration, check out this blog on the Statesman’s website. Renee, the woman who writes the blog, has an impressive front yard garden with veggies, flowers, and herbs, and she gives some helpful tips for your own edible garden. At the very least, click through for some really nice pictures.
- These upcoming seminars with Travis County Master Gardeners include topics like plant propagation, growing vegetables from seeds, and rainwater harvesting.
- If you don’t have a yard but still want to grow your own veggies or flowers, a community garden is a great option. The Coalition of Austin Community Gardens has a lot of info about community gardens around town. I went by the Blackshear Community Garden on Sunday to drop off some compostable items for their compost pile, and they told me they have two plots of land open to whoever wants to adopt them! You can find contact info for all the community gardens on the Coalition’s website, and some also have plots available.
- If you’d like to get to know your community gardens better before joining one, the first annual Austin Community Garden Tour will be on Saturday, May 1st 2010 from 10am to 4pm with food, demonstrations, and activities.
8th April, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
If you’re interested in gardening, you should check out the East Urban farm Tour this Sunday, 1-5. Here’s the official link for more detials. Apparently there are 4 farms just east of I-35 near downtown that are in close proximity to each other. Tickets are $35 advance, $40 at the door, and children under 5 are free. However, there is a charge because this is a fund-raiser for the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, but many of these same farms are open for free visits during their market days. If you would like free admission, they are still seeking volunteers – email region2@tofga.org to volunteer.
And if you’re not interested in visiting the farms but would like to learn more about them, check out this Chronicle link. They also have info on each farm (Boggy Creek Farm, Rain Lily Farm, Springdale Farm, and HausBar Farm).
5th April, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
This is a neat story from NPR about window farming – the article explains that “window farmers use recycled 1.5 liter water bottles, clay pellets, plastic tubing and inexpensive fish tank air pumps to create their indoor gardens.”
Check out the link for pictures of the window farms, but basically it’s a really cool way to grow leafy vegetables in an apartment with a series of clear bottles hanging down your window – it’s just this really pretty display of bottles and greenery, and the materials for a start up system are around $30.
1st April, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments
Over at east austinite, check out info on the Cherrywood Plant and Book Swap, which is happening this Saturday from 9am-noon at Cherrywood Green (Cherrywood Rd. & E.34th). Bring plants you don’t have room for anymore and books you’ve finished reading and swap ‘em out for something new!
29th March, 2010 - Posted by carsi - 1 Comment
This website, published by the City of Austin, is a great resource for info about how to make your garden greener by using less water and chemicals. It includes scaled drawings of nine plant bed suggestions and info about installation, irrigation, and how to hire a professional if you don’t want to go it alone. Demonstrations of the garden templates can be found at several locations around town, including Zilker Botanical Garden, Howson Library, and City Hall, so you can check out what the project will look like before you plant it in your garden.
15th March, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 1 Comment
A blurry picture of some beets sprouting
Not sure what this is because I rotated the tray these are on, and now don’t know what’s what. I think it’s the brussle sprouts and lettuce that have started to grow. Hopefully I’ll figure it out when they get bigger.
10th March, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 3 Comments
Last summer I only grew tomatoes, which was moderately successful considering the deer came and ate 6 of my 7 tomato plants within the first week. The 7th plant only survived because I had planted it in a pot on the porch, rather than in the garden. This year I’m going to try again with more variety, and possibly grow everything in pots on my porch rather than risk another deer attack. I used the Travis County planting calendar to make my selection, although I also planted chives and brussel sprouts, which were not on the list. The plants are all growing inside for now – in a few weeks I should be able to transplant them. Check back to see if I have any success or another disaster this year.
4th March, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 2 Comments
If you are interested in planting your own garden this spring, check out this Travis County planting calendar to figure out what will grow best at this time of year – what better way to eat local than to grow your own veggies!
1st March, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments
Over at Austin Farm to Table, you can find a list of a bunch of upcoming gardening events and plant sales. Spring is almost here!
1st March, 2010 - Posted by carsi - 1 Comment
Katherine and I recently attended a free class on composting, put on by the City of Austin and the Sustainable Food Center. Compost is decomposed organic matter that is used in gardens as nutrient-rich soil. The idea of composting is to get organic matter that can decompose naturally and become beneficial compost out of landfills and into your garden. Since 26 percent of the garbage in the US can be composted, this is definitely a green activity that will benefit your garden and the planet. Visit the city’s website on composting for tips on how to start your own compost pile, if you have the space for it. Katherine, a very new homeowner, is making plans to create her own compost pile, and she will update us on her adventures as they develop.
Unfortunately, I live in a small apartment downtown with literally zero space for planting a garden, so most of the tips from the class were helpful only to educate me for my future plans to have a garden. But, as I was sitting there, I wondered what options for composting are available to us apartment dwellers. Turns out, there are two. One, I can save up compostable items, such as vegetable scraps and tea bags and newspaper, and then donate them to community gardens. Visit this website for a list of community gardens to contact about donating your compost materials. I found a couple near me who welcomed the idea of taking my compost donations. Also, while you’re at the website, consider joining in the gardening at the community gardens if you can’t do so at your apartment. The other way an apartment dweller (probably with a patio) could compost is by worm composting. By getting a bucket, some worms, and a little bit of dirt, compost can be made easily for potted plants, without needing a bunch of space.
P.S. While we were at the class, two city employees working on the Zero Waste plan were there to learn about composting in preparation for implementing some kind of composting plan with the city. Exciting! We’ll keep an eye out for any developments.
26th February, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
Here’s a cool idea for a hanging garden I saw at the San Antonio Rodeo – all you need is an old canvas shoe organizer. You can grow small plants in each little shoe compartment, such as herbs.
This seems perfect for someone living in an apartment – my only concern is that it may dry out too quickly in the Texas summer sun, so a spot that only gets partial sun may work best. I also found this website with more tips on this project.
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