Work Day: July 9, 2016

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It was the hottest work day of the season and everyone who participated ROCKED!!!  Maybe it was the desire to be done before we melted.  Thanks to everyone for all of the hard work.

The group harvesting garlic had everything out of the ground, bundled, tagged, and hanging in Amy’s garage by 11:00.  AMAZING!

Tom H., Helen B., Dennis H., Sissy L., Lara D., and Richard C. are rockin' Garlic Harvest 2016

Tom H., Helen B., Dennis H., Sissy L., Lara D., and Richard C. are rockin’ Garlic Harvest 2016

 

After the garlic bulbs are out of the ground, they need to be bundled, tied, and labeled.  The garden harvested 13 different varieties this year, so we really needed to keep them clearly labeled. Sissy and Helen were meticulous in keeping the different varieties properly identified.

Sissy L. and Helen B. bundling and tagging garlic before it goes to Amy's garage to cure for the next 4 to 6 weeks.

Sissy L. and Helen B. bundling and tagging garlic before it goes to Amy’s garage to cure for the next 4 to 6 weeks.

 

No excuses were accepted for not pitching in, either.  Allison T.’s due tomorrow, I think, but that didn’t stop her from harvesting garlic with us.

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The bokashi team harvested two new barrels of bokashi tea for everyone to use and started four new barrels on the bokashi cycle.  Tea is available for everyone to use and can be found in the many one-gallon containers near the barrels, or in the large blue barrel with the spigot for easy access, and in the smaller blue barrel, that you will need to dip your container into to fill containers.  If possible, please refill the one-gallon containers from the blue barrels after you use them and leave them for the next gardener.

Matt F., Heesoo C., Maryilnn B., on Bokashi

Matt F., Heesoo C., Maryilnn B., on Bokashi duty

Big shout out to Heesoo for joining us on this work day to help with bokashi after celebrating the birth of his daughter just four days earlier, on July 5!!!  Congratulations to Heesoo and Dawn, and a big welcome to Olivia, the newest Rosedale gardener.

 

We didn’t have time to snap shots of all the work that was being done, so thanks also to:  Charlie S., Fran M., and Pete S., for your help putting new chips on pathways, Tom M. and Fran M., for weeding the north fence line (still needs more work, if someone has some time), Paula G. for weeding and cleaning up around the PAH storage bin in the front of the garden. Allison S. for doing battle with the Japanese Beetles, and Allison S. and Kathleen M. for cleaning up the northeast corner of the garden.

And as always, sorry if I left anyone out, but your help is greatly appreciated and the garden looks great thanks to everyone’s hard work.

 

Evening Work Day – June 23, 2016

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The rains came and cooled everything off just in time for the start of the first evening work day.  Plenty of pizza and beer fueled another outstanding work day team.

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The goal was to clean up the perennial beds under the tree in the front of the garden, the herb garden, and the meeting area in the back of the garden.  Everyone grabbed a beer and started working while we waited for the pizza delivery.

Diane, Paula, and Doug tackle the herb garden.

Diane, Paula, and Doug tackle the herb garden.

 

Terry grabbed the hedge trimmers for some serious work on the meeting area…

Terry and hedge clippers vs. meeting area weeds. The weeds lost.

Terry and hedge clippers vs. meeting area weeds. The weeds lost.

 

The results in every section are amazing.  Check out this perennial bed BEFORE…

Charlie R. and Russell tackling the weeds in the perennial bed.

Charlie R. and Russell tackling the weeds in the perennial bed.

 

and AFTER….

Charlie and Chaz after a major clean up of the perennial bed.

Charlie and Chaz after a major clean up of the perennial bed.

 

Thanks to everyone for a great work evening!!

Hopi Blue Corn Sprouts

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Thanks to the crew(Russell, Charlie R., Sissy, Matt S.) who helped till the Hopi Blue Corn bed during the work day in May and get it in perfect planting shape, Jackie and Milli were able to plant the 2016 crop.

The Hopi corn seeds are planted 12 inches deep.

Jackie plants the 2016 Hopi Blue Corn seeds 12 inches deep.

Jackie planting the 2016 Hopi Blue Corn seeds 12 inches deep.

 

And just one week later, the first sprouts!!  Hooray!!

Hopi blue corn sprouting just a week after planting 12 inches deep.

Hopi blue corn sprouting just a week after planting 12 inches deep.

 

Fingers crossed for a great crop this year.

Read more about the Hopi Blue Corn project here.

Chive Blossom Pesto

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Chive blossoms are in abundance now in the garden.  Don’t let yours go to waste.  Fellow gardener, Kathy M., shared her recipe for Chive Blossom Pesto.  She recommends it as a topping for ravioli.  It also made a great topping for my baked potato last night(with plenty of butter, of course).  I’m taking her suggestion one step further and mixed the pesto with ricotta to make some chive blossom raviolis later today.  It makes a pretty good dip as is, though.

How are you using the produce from your garden?  Send your favorite recipes to plots@rosedalegarden.org.

 

Print Recipe
 Chive Blossom Pesto
Servings
cup
Ingredients
Servings
cup
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients into bowl of food processor and pulse to blend completely.
  2. Drizzle in more olive oil if the mixture is too thick for your taste.
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Tomato Plant Sale Blowout!!

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Tomato Plant Sale

Charlie’s heirloom tomato plants were a blowout success again this year.  His generosity in raising nearly 200 tomato plants and donating the sale proceeds to the garden is greatly appreciated.

Many thanks to all the gardeners who came out to buy the plants.  We raised enough money for a new lawnmower.  Yay!

Insect Repelling Plants

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By Gabriella B.
There are ways to keep mosquitoes and other insects away besides drowning yourself in bug spray. For a more green approach, try installing some of these insect-repelling plants around your yard.

1. Marigolds

Marigolds

Not only do they make your landscape more attractive, but marigolds also have a distinct smell that repels mosquitoes.

Plant from seed or get a starter plant from a nursery or floral department.
Place potted marigolds near mosquito entry-points, such as doors and windows, or on a deck or balcony where you spend a lot of time outdoors. They also deter insects that prey on tomato plants — an added bonus for gardeners.

2. Citronella

citronella plant
Citronella is found in bug sprays and insect-repelling candles, but for maximum effectiveness, consider planting it. (Photo by David Becken)
Citronella is one of the most common ingredients in insect repellents, due to its strong smell, which masks mosquito attractants.
The perennial clumping grass grows 5 to 6 feet, and can be planted in the ground or kept in large pots.
Citronella plants thrive best in full sun and areas with good drainage.

3. Catnip

Catnip grows best in full sun. (Photo by John LaFollette)
Catnip grows best in full sun. (Photo by John LaFollette)
Warning: Your catnip might bring all the cats to the yard. The perennial herb, related to mint, is easy to grow.
While it repels mosquitoes in close proximity, some people apply crushed leaves for more protection.

4. Lavender

Dried lavender can be placed in wardrobes to dissuade moths. (Photo by David Becken)
Dried lavender can be placed in wardrobes to dissuade moths. (Photo by David Becken)
In addition to smelling lovely, aiding in relaxation and promoting restful sleep, lavender dissuades mosquitoes and gnats from invading your outdoor dinner party when planted in the garden or in pots placed by windows, doors and entertainment areas.
The dried flowers can also be placed in wardrobes to repel moths.

5. Basil

basil plant
Basil leaves don’t have to be crushed to prevent mosquito invasions. (Photo by Mike LaFollette)
Enjoy delicious pesto dishes, and keep mosquitoes at bay, with this insect-repelling herb. Basil is one of the few herbs in which you don’t have to crush the leaves to reap its benefits.
Lemon basil and cinnamon basil are the best varieties to prevent unwanted pests.

6. Lemon balm

lemon balm plant
Lemon balm keeps mosquitoes away, but attracts pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. (Photo by David Becken)
Also known as horsemint, lemon balm’s aroma wards off mosquitoes, but attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies.
It’s fast growing, drought resistant and reseeds itself, so consider plantiing it

Rosedale Bees Update

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By Ardis YoungBeehive

Rosedale Bees Update

The honey bees at Rosedale did not survive the winter and spring.  Recently, Tom Smedley, Carey, and Ardis set up two new bee hives in the Southwest corner to replace them. As you probably know, we are losing honey bees worldwide at an alarming rate because of many things such as insecticides, disease, air pollution, habitat destruction, stress and more (bee colony collapse).  A couple suggestions for the Rosedale honey bees, please avoid activity around the hives and loud noises which are stressful for the bees. When stressed, bees may swarm and move to a less stressful home. When walking near the bees, try to avoid their flight pattern, which is a straight line when leaving the hive.  Staying further away, you will avoid interrupting their flight and less likely to be stung.  We are also trying to communicate with the Denver schools regarding their spraying schedule as we feel that weed spraying this spring may be the cause of the demise of one of the hives.

Here are some interesting facts about honey bees: honey bees perform about 80% of the pollination in the world and increase production of produce by one-third.  A single bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers each day.  The following website shows what would happen if we did not have honey bees in the world. “A picture is worth a thousand words” as shown in this website about what our grocery stores would look like if we lost honey bees.   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/17/store-without-bees_n_5500380.html 

Here’s a shout-out to Dave Shreve who spent an entire afternoon cleaning the empty hives and purchasing new wax foundation so that the new bees could be placed in clean hives when they arrive. This was very much appreciated.

Rosedale Bees play an important role for all Rosedale gardeners.