Join us this weekend at our 2nd Annual Earth Day Celebration (starts at 9am) and you can make your own rain barrel for only $40!
The City of Atlanta will be providing workshop & materials.
When: This Saturday, April 17
Time: 11am
Cost: $40
*Pre-registration required: Call Jamila 404-693-1742
The Friends of the West End Park will be hosting our wonderful 2nd Annual Earth Day Celebration!
THIS WEEKEND!!! 2nd ANNUAL EARTH DAY CELEBRATION at WEST END PARK!!!
WISH LIST:
-Fruit or Flowering trees
-Gardening Soil
-Playground mulch
Starts @ 10am! Don’t miss it!
West End Park (Oak/Lucille)
I’d like to get involved, how can I help?
For more information, to give a donation or sign-up for a volunteer shift contact:
This event can be a wonderful community event but we need you to get involved!
WHAT TO PLANT WITH POTATOES?
Companions for potatoes are bush bean, members of the cabbage family, carrot, celery, corn, dead nettle, flax, horseradish, marigold, peas, petunia, onion and Tagetes marigold. Protect them from scab by putting comfrey leaves in with your potato sets at planting time. Horseradish, planted at the corners of the potato patch, provides general protection. Don’t plant these around potatoes: asparagus, cucumber, kohlrabi, parsnip, pumpkin, rutabaga, squash family, sunflower, turnip and fennel. Keep potatoes and tomatoes apart as they both can get early and late blight contaminating each other.
This month as I prepare my garden for early spring crops, I’m REALLY interested in learning to grow potatoes. I’m hoping to start soon since they’re a cold weather crop. We’ll see if I can make it before it gets too warm. As part of my plan, I’ll be researching different ways to grow potatoes and I’ll share what I find. This is what I know so far, you can set potato on window sill and it will sprout. You cut the sprout with enough potato and plant it. This comes from a brief conversation this past weekend with Farmer Deb. Let’s see what else I learn for now I leave you with this…
‘GROW POTATOES IN GARBAGE CAN’ INSTRUCTIONS:
STEP 1: Turn your garbage can upside down and drill several holes in the bottom of the can. Add a few around the outside wall, 3 to 6 inches up from the bottom. It’s really important to have good drainage or your potatoes will rot in a hurry.
STEP 2: Dump about 2/3rds of your bag of potting soil in the can. Mix in 1 cup of your fertilizer and set aside.
STEP 3: For your seed potatoes, small ones can be planted whole. The larger potatoes should be cut up into pieces with no less then 3 “eyes” per piece (“eyes” being those brown dimples that the roots will grow out of). Let your potatoes dry out on the cut side before you plant them
STEP 4: Once your cut potatoes have cured, plant them in your can 5 inches apart and cover with the remaining soil. You’ll only need 4 starts to a can. Set the can in an area that receives 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight.
STEP 5: Water thoroughly and keep the soil moist but not soggy during the growing season. Don’t let the soil dry out or you’ll end up with misshaped potatoes. On the hot summer days, your potato garbage can might even need to be watered daily (you might move the can to a slightly shadier location on the hottest days).
STEP 6: As the plants start to grow in the can, mound up compost around plant stems keeping the leaves uncovered. They grow a little more, add some more compost. You’ll be able to fill up the entire can with compost by the end of the growing season. Keep it watered.
STEP 7: As the plants start to grow in the can, mound up compost around plant stems keeping the leaves uncovered. They grow a little more, add some more compost. You’ll be able to fill up the entire can with compost by the end of the growing season. Keep it watered.
SOURCE: EHOW By GreenGardenChic
Starting Your Spring Garden
FROM Truly Living Well (www.trulylivingwell.com)
A local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) managed by Mr. K. Rashid Nuri…
 Mr. K. Rashid Nuri Now is the time to plan and build an organic spring garden at your home. What is the first step? Determine the best place for your garden. The garden should be located in an area that is fully exposed to the sun. You will pay more attention to your garden the nearer it is to the house. Make sure that water is readily available. The single most important factor in creating a successful garden is soil preparation. I call it dirt making. Get the soil right. If you create good healthy soil, the plants which grow in that soil will also be healthy. Healthy plants are disease resistant. Begin soil preparation by gently turning the soil. If this is the first time the land is being used to grow food, a tiller may prove helpful. Too much tillage destroys soil structure. Subsequent soil preparation can be done with a spade or garden fork. After opening the soil add copious amounts of organic material such as compost, leaf mold, well rotted sawdust or decomposed animal manure. You can make your own compost or purchase it from most garden supply stores. Compost is the key to successful gardening. Compost added to gardens improves soil structure, texture, aeration, and water retention. When mixed with compost, clay soils are lightened, and sandy soils retain water better. Mixing compost with soil also contributes to erosion control, soil fertility, proper pH balance, and healthy root development in plants. Make beds in the garden that are separated by walkways. You do not want to walk in the area that you plant with vegetables. Walking on a vegetable bed compacts the soil and retards plant growth. Utilize the garden space wisely. Select crops you will eat and enjoy. You must like what you plant or the garden space and the food will both be wasted. Decide what you want to plant and where you will plant it. Know what you will plant after the spring season crop is finished. Southern exposure has the most light. Tall crops should be planted on the north and west side of the garden to prevent shading of smaller plants. |
FIND YOUR AVERAGE LAST FREEZE…
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/How-to-Find-Average-Last-Spring-Frost-Date.aspx
WHAT TO GROW IN MARCH…
| VEGETABLES | Sow Indoors | Sow Outdoors | Transplant |
| Arugula | XXX | ||
| Asparagus | XXX | ||
| Beet | XXX | ||
| Broccoli | XXX | XXX | |
| Cabbage | XXX | XXX | |
| Carrot | XXX | ||
| Celery | XXX | ||
| Chard | XXX | ||
| Eggplant | XXX | ||
| Endive | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Fava bean | XXX | ||
| Fennel, bulb | XXX | ||
| Kale | XXX | XXX | |
| Kohlrabi | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Leek | XXX | XXX | |
| Lettuce | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Mache | XXX | ||
| Onions, bulb | XXX | ||
| Pac choi | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Parsnip | XXX | ||
| Peas (snow, shell, snap) | XXX | ||
| Peppers | XXX | ||
| Potatoes | XXX | ||
| Radishes | XXX | ||
| Rhubarb | XXX | ||
| Radicchio | XXX | XXX | XXX |
| Scallion (green onion) | XXX | XXX | |
| Sorrel | XXX | ||
| Spinach | XXX | XXX | |
| Tomato | XXX | ||
| Turnip | XXX |
| CULINARY HERBS | Sow Indoors | Sow Outdoors | Transplant |
| Basil | XXX | ||
| Chives | XXX | XXX | |
| Cilantro | XXX | ||
| Dill | XXX | ||
| Fennel, leaf | XXX | ||
| Horseradish | XXX | ||
| Marjoram | XXX | ||
| Parsley | XXX | XXX | |
| Rosemary | XXX | ||
| Sage | XXX | ||
| Savory, summer | XXX | XXX | |
| Thyme | XXX |
We finally finished this outdoor xylophone for Diego’s school. It’s such an amazing way to introduce music and encourage outdoor time with your child, I thought I’d share…
for sale at inman park coop preschool auction
Other examples from the web…
Last year, I planted tulips and daffodils for the first time in my life. I planted a couple of bulbs along our main entrance and I told myself not to be disappointed if they didn’t grow. Initially, I did worry (just a little) that squirrels would dig out my bulbs and eat them. Soon the winter months came and my focus shifted. I worked on indoor projects and hosted out-of-state family for the holidays.
Before I knew it, spring came and I began to see my bulbs sprout. I was as excited as my three year old. It was wonderful to see the tulips and daffodils grow! Truthfully, it was so easy I was shocked so if you want to treat yourself to a beautiful flower garden next spring…think now!
The bulbs should go in the ground before the first frost (which in Atlanta it is usually around mid November-last year’s date was November 11, 2008) but there were years when the first freeze was in December.
This is the perfect time to order flower bulbs, below is a table with other bulb flowers that may provide new and interesting choices. Enjoy your fall!
Other bulb and bulb like plants include:
| Iris | Plant on the surface |
| Crocus | Plant 2 to 3 inches deep |
| Begonia | Plant 2 to 3 inches deep |
| Lilies | Plant 2 to 3 inches deep |
| Ranunculus | Plant 2 to 3 inches deep |
| Gladioli | Plant 3 to 4 inches deep |
| Daffodils | Plant 3 to 4 inches deep |
| Dahlias | Plant 3 to 4 inches deep |
| Tulips | Plant 4 to 6 inches deep |
| Hyacinths | Plant 6 to 8 inches deep |
Park Pride’s Community Garden Tour
OCTOBER 10, 2009 NOON-5:00Pm
How does your garden grow? Year-round of course!
Join Pride Pride’s 2009 Community Garden Tour featuring six gardens
around the City of Atlanta. The tour will provide tips and tools on how you
can prepare your garden for the Fall & Winter months.
Cost: $10 for individuals
$15 for couples
Children 12 and under are FREE!
Visit http://parkpride.kintera.org/gardentour2009 for details!
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Friends of the West End Park 
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