Old Town Community Garden

Upcoming OTCG Events

2008-04-09T17:06:00.004-05:00

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE OTCG!

Thursday, April 10 at 6:30p at the OTCG

ALL-GARDENERS MEETING
in the garden
Please bring something to sit on

Saturday, April 19 at 10a at the OTCG

the OLD TOWN COMMUNITY GARDEN SPRING KICK-OFF
an Education Session on Small Space Gardening and Vegetable Varities for Texas starting at 10:30a
a Hot Dog Lunch, and
a Raffle at 11:30a

All gardeners are welcome to attend the ALL-GARDENERS MEETING on Thursday and everyone is invited to the OLD TOWN COMMUNITY GARDEN SPRING KICK-OFF!

See you there!

OTCG Spring Kick-Off

2008-04-07T15:07:00.001-05:00

Texas Home & Garden Shows

2008-02-26T21:51:00.002-06:00

Hi Gardeners!

This weekend there are two Texas Home & Garden shows. One in Arlington and one in Dallas. Go to www.texashomeandgarden.com to find out information about these shows and to print off a coupon to save on the admission fee!

These shows are a good place to find a plethora of information and to pick up some freebies and ideas.

OTCG Upcoming Events

2008-02-21T14:01:00.002-06:00

Hi Gardeners!

On Saturday, February 23 at 10a there is going to be an ALL-GARDENERS workday at the OTCG!

We are going to be building new plots, planning the flower beds, and doing maintenance on the garden to prepare for the upcoming season!

Any and everybody who can help is appreciated!

See you in the garden!

Upcoming Events

2008-02-03T11:15:00.000-06:00

Hi Gardeners --

Here are the upcoming events for the OTCG:

Saturday, February 9 at 9a

ALL GARDENERS workday
Any and all who can come out and help are greatly appreciated!

Tuesday, February 19 at 6:30p

ALL GARDENERS MEETING
Any and all are welcome to come share their ideas, opinions, and suggestions for the upcoming season at the OTCG!

Texas Home & Garden Show

2008-01-29T15:43:00.001-06:00

Hi Everyone --

Just wanted to let everyone know that this weekend is the Fort Worth Home & Garden Show at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The show is open Friday through Sunday.

For more information go to: http://www.texashomeandgarden.com/ for directions, hours, and more information. Coupons for discount admissions are available at Tom Thumb grocery stores.

This show is an excellent time to speak to different vendors about their products and to also pick up some samples.

OTCG Upcoming Events

2008-01-22T15:15:00.000-06:00

Hi Gardeners --

On Saturday, February 9 nat 9:00a there will be an ALL-GARDENERS workday at the OTCG!

We will be continuing preparations to the gardens for the upcoming season!

Any and all hands who can help will be appreciated!

See you in the garden!

Helpful Hints 2 from Al Kirchhoff

2008-01-22T15:06:00.000-06:00

20 January 2008

Helpful Hints

Welcome to a new gardening year. The “off season” seems to have gone by quickly. Hope you each had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Now we start off fresh and rested into a new gardening season.

It is always good to start with a quick review of the previous season. What did you learn during your previous year’s experience? Did you learn the importance of timing in soil preparation, fertilizing, planting, spacing and harvesting? I’m sure you now realize more than before that gardening is more than putting seeds and plants in the soil.

In the previous Helpful Hints we gave you some planting considerations, i.e. planting timing and sequence, variety selection, crop cultural considerations. Some crops recommended for small gardens are beets, broccoli, bush squash, cabbage, carrots, eggplant, green beans, onions, peppers, radishes, tomatoes, spinach and lettuce. Crops such as cantaloupe, watermelon, pumpkins, potatoes and corn require large areas to produce meaningful harvest and while they certainly can be planted they are not recommended for small plots. Today we will add a couple more considerations.

Now think about what you can do with the space you have to maximize your harvest without crowding your plants. One such thing is choose plants and varieties that are heavy producers for the space they require, have plant form, shape, that minimizes the area required. What about cool season vs. warm season crops? Can you gain space by mixing these? Have you ever heard of pole vs. bush, determinant vs. indeterminate, vining vs. bush? First I was referring to beans,second tomatoes, and finally squash types.

Careful advanced planning will help maximize the production in our 60 sq. ft. plots. It is good to start with a scaled drawing of the plot and lay out the row plan, then label in the crop for each row. Let me give you a for instance. Suppose I want my garden row spacing to be 30”, recommended for most crops, and to run the shorter distance, 72”. This will give me only three 6’ rows or 18 ft of row length. But by adding rows to give just 15” spacing and alternating warm and cool season crops I can have seven rows for a total of 42’ row length. The cool season crop will be harvested and gone before the warm season crop requires the space. ‘That’s just one way to “gain space”. Some crops can be planted closer than 15” for instance onions, just stop by the garden and see what the Wallace’s have done with theirs. Personally I have gone to sowing my carrots and radishes or sometimes planting two rows just 8” apart. Sometimes I will plant full rows of beets or carrots where I plan on putting tomatoes and when it is time for the tomatoes to go in I just sacrifice the short row distance necessary to put the tomato plant in the ground and let the remaining cool season crop grow along with the tomato. There are other options for you to discover and try, One consideration doing these techniques is the water and fertility demand will go up.

Finally, seeds can be expensive, especially if you use only a small portion of several different packets. You may want to cooperate with your garden neighbors and share your remaining seeds or you buy one crop and he or she buys a different crop. The packets typically tell how much row length it will plant.

We certainly have the fixin’s for a great year in the Old Town Community Garden. I can hardly wait for you to get the seeds and plants in the ground. If you have any questions refer to the website http://www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ or feel free to call me and I will get you and answer.

Your fellow gardener, Al

Helpful Hints from Al Kirchhoff

2008-01-22T15:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome gardeners,

You all worked hard this past season growing a productive garden while overcoming several tough obstacles --- Soil conditions, drainage problems and lots of rain to name a few. With the new
raised beds and planting soil in place, compost "working" in the bins and soon to be, if not yet completed, aisles refreshed with wood chips, you should all be excited about the next growing season.

A sample of our "ready to plant" soil mix was sent to the Texas A&M soil labs to be analyzed. We have the result and recommendations back. Not surprising it is devoid of nitrogen and needs some phosphorus but less than a pound of each for the size plots we have. The soil also tested a pH of 7.2 which is slightly alkaline, desired is 6.5. The soil delivered to us is largely sand and not as much fertile top soil we had expected. That being the case we will be adding organic matter and fertilizer according to the soil test results/ recommendations. Don't worry, Gary and Al will be available to interpret the test results and answer any questions. There are a number of simple ways to amend and rapidly improve the soil. You will have a very good growing soil and with the help of Mother Nature a very productive garden.

For now here are several things you can look at and think about for next year’s garden.

HELPFUL HINTS:

Now is the time to gather ideas for the garden next year.

planting space allotment per crop
direction of rows, i.e. N and S or E and W
interplanting of crops, planting early maturing crops between rows of longer maturing crops
sequence of planting for dates of planting different crops

Seed selections

gather seed catalogs from suppliers such as Burpee, Gurney, Park. Just Google "vegetable garden seed catalogs" or the "' company name' seed catalog" to order.
- Use the catalogs to help plan what you want to plant and chose varieties
Don't rush the planting season. Remember the average date of last freeze in our area is March 18, we are in growth zone 8.
Garlic is one of the few crops you can plant now, in fact, garlic needs 30 days of 32-50˚ temps to induce bulbing so winter or early spring planting is desired. Most other crops, however, are adversely affected if not killed by too early planting.

A very good source of information is the web site of Texas A&M. The sequence I suggest is www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu then click in sequence in succeeding windows "gardening", "home gardening", "tx extension vegetable publications", "vegetable resources", "vegetable crop guides". Select the vegetable of choice and educate yourself about the plant.

That should keep you occupied for a month or two. There is a multitude of resources available to help you plan your garden. Have fun. After all that is what this is all about. FUN!

We'll give you a new list of HELPFUL HINTS in January. For the immediate future have a Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year!

Al

Meet the New Communication Coordinator!

2008-01-16T15:19:00.000-06:00

Returning gardener, Marisol Espinal accepted the Communication Coordinator position in the OTCG Executive Committee!

Thank you, Marisol.

OTCG Upcoming Events

2008-01-10T15:22:00.000-06:00

Hi Gardeners!

On Tuesday, January 15 at 6:30p there will be an ALL GARDENERS meeting at the CCA.

All gardeners are welcome. Please come and share your comments, concerns, and ideas for the OTCG.

See you there!

OTCG Workday

2008-01-10T15:11:00.000-06:00

Last November the gardeners of the Old Town Community Garden gathered from a workday full of moving wheelbarrow loads of soil to the newly built raised beds.

The day was filled with friends and laughter. And also gave the gardeners a chance to reminisce about the past season and to discuss plans for the upcoming season.

Come by the garden and see the results of all the hardwork!

Executive Committee Update

2007-11-14T16:25:00.000-06:00

At the Tuesday, November 13th meeting of the OTCG we had two positions of our Executive Committee filled.

Jeff Jekel took the Chair position. And Gary Wallace took the Treasurer position. Both have been actively involved in the garden and both will bring a new perspective to the OTCG.

Thank you both for filling these postions!

OTCG Upcoming Events

2007-11-12T22:00:00.001-06:00

Hi Gardeners!

On Tuesday, November 13 at 6:30p there will be an ALL GARDENERS meeting at the CCA. All gardeners are welcome.

Please come and share your comments, concerns, and ideas for the OTCG.

See you there!

OTCG in the News

2007-11-11T16:00:00.000-06:00

In this weekend's NeighborsGo! section of the Dallas Morning News is the story about the inaugural season of the OTCG that Alva Logsdon-Cranford wrote!

Thanks Alva!

OTCG Calendar of Events

2007-11-08T14:38:00.000-06:00

Here are the upcoming events for the OTCG:

Saturday, November 10 at 9:00am
-- the new soil will be spread to the raised beds
Tuesday, November 13 at 6:30pm
-- ALL GARDENERS meeting at the CCA
-- All gardeners are welcome, please come and share your concerns, comments and ideas!

See you in the garden!

OTCG Workday

2007-11-04T11:42:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, November 3, the OTCG Gardeners met for a morning of hard work to assemble the frames for the raised beds.

The morning was also filled with laughter, friendship, memories, fun and fulfillment.

Here are some pictures from that morning. Don't forget to come by the garden and see the completed frames!

Thanks everyone for your hard work and the laughs!

OTCG in the News

2007-11-01T21:05:00.000-05:00

Look for the NeighborsGo! section of the Dallas Morning News this Saturday, November 3 to read the story that Alva Logsdon-Cranford submitted about the inaugural year of the OTCG.

The story can also be found at:
http://www.neighborsgo.com/stories/7033.

Thanks Alva for writing a wonderful story about the OTCG and our inaugural year!

Upcoming Events at OTCG

2007-10-28T14:46:00.001-05:00

Hi Everyone -

Here is the upcoming calendar of events for November at the OTCG:

Saturday, November 3 at 8:00am
-- the frames for the raised beds will be built by the gardeners
Saturday, November 10 at 9:00am
-- the dirt for the raised beds will be spread by the gardeners and volunteers
Tuesday, November 13 at 6:30pm
-- ALL GARDENERS meeting at the CCA

See you in the garden!

OTCG: In the News...

2007-10-19T10:31:00.000-05:00

Watch for the Saturday, October 27 of NeighborsGo! (Southern Denton County) for an OTCG End-of-Season article.

Thanks everyone--it's been a great first season!

Community Garden Celebrates Inaugural Year!

2007-10-16T00:12:00.000-05:00

In less than 12 months, community volunteers, came together to turn an old, rugged parking lot into a community garden. Strangers became friends as the shared passion for the outdoors, gardening, and making a positive impact on the community brought a diverse group of individuals together. More than 290 pounds of vegetables were donated to Christian Community Action.

"CCA operates a medium-sized grocery store for poor families in our community," says Maureen Cummings, CCA Garden Liaison. "The pantry assists over 550 families each week. 30% of the people served by the CCA’s food pantry are diabetic. Many times the food available at the pantry is not always the best choices for diabetics. The surplus portion of the produce grown was donated to the food pantry to provide the much needed fresh vegetables for our families."

A brief look back...

Transforming an old parking lot...

A name is selected and a logo created

Developing garden plots.

Adding Irrigation

Creating Walkways

Gardeners Purchase Plots

A boy scout in pursuit of the rank of Eagle Scout designs and builds a compost bin

The Garden Blessing

Adding Beauty

An Arbor is Added

Amazing Grace Chimes Donated

Grand Opening

Gardener T-Shirts

The First Donation

Compost Education Session

Compost Heats Up

The Garden Grows

End of Season Soil Prep

Thanks for a great inaugural season everyone!

October 6 End of Season Garden Party

2007-10-13T22:58:00.001-05:00

Look for an article to appear in an upcoming issue NeighborsGo! (Southern Denton County edition). The story covers our End of Season Garden Party and Work Day.

Lazara Arriola's Salsa!

2007-10-07T14:01:00.000-05:00

Fellow Gardener Lazara Arriola and her husband enjoyed the inaugural year in the Old Town Community Garden! They grew tomatoes and jalapeno peppers for homemade salsa.

Lazara shares her delicious recipe with everyone!

Ingredients:

5 ripened tomatoes
3 medium size yellow onions
12 small to medium size jalapenos
5 garlic cloves
1 bunch of cilantro
1 T cumin
1 1/2 T of salt
6 C of water

Instructions:
1. Cut up the ripened tomatoes and yellow onions into small pieces (nickel size) and place them in a large skillet.

2. Cut up the jalapenos into small pieces (to look like dime size thin rings and play with color! Jalapenos come in all colors!) then spread them over the tomatoes and onions. That's both fun and colorful! (Make sure you wear disposable gloves when handling jalapenos! or you will be painfully surprised)

3. Smash the 5 fresh garlic cloves and scatter them over the tomatoes, onions and jalapenos.

4. Separate the cilantro leaves from their stem and use only the leaves. Chop the leaves into small pieces and add them to the tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and garlic. (Throw away the cilantro stems. If you add the stems this will give the salsa an unpleasant texture and a bitter taste.)

5. Mix all of the above, then add the condiments of Cumin & Salt.

6. Toss all the ingredients well.

7. Add 6 cups of water (which should cover all the ingredients.)

8. Cook at medium high for about 45 minutes (stir a few times while cooking).

9. Lower the heat to a low-medium for about 10 minutes while you smash all the ingredients in order to obtain the right Salsa consistency (still chunky, but not lumpy)

10. Stir the Salsa and let it cook for another 10-15 minutes on low heat. After that, turn off the heat and smash the Salsa again for a few minutes.

Take out the chips out and Enjoy! The Salsa is now ready to eat! Remember: HOT is best!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

2007-09-23T18:37:00.000-05:00

An update from the "All Gardener" meeting held Tuesday, September 18:

For the 2008 Garden Season, we will have raised beds and improved soil and drainage. To do that, we are ending the 2007 inaugural season at the end of September.

If you wish to maintain your garden through October, you will be responsible for spreading organic material and preparing your plot. When the frames are built, the frame will be placed around the existing garden, regardless of it being in use or empty. The frame should not interfere with the existing garden if there is one.

Saturday, October 6 at 8:00am
Garden Workday & End-of-Season Garden Party
Join us for a pot-luck continental breakfast, fellowship, and a little bit of work! Please bring something to share with the gardeners. Remember that there is no electricity at the garden, please keep that in mind!

If you do not plan to have a Fall garden, all summer garden materials should be removed by Friday, October 5 if you want help spreading the soil compost. On Oct 6, we'll be spreading and tilling organic matter into each plot. Bring a wheel barrow if you have one. Any plot that has not been cleared will not have organic material added to it or be tilled.

Tuesday, October 16 at 6:30 p.m.
All Gardeners Meeting â€“ CCA, Board Room

Saturday, October 20 at 8:00am
Garden Workday: Frame Building--WE NEED YOUR HELP! Both Gary & Al will be out of town, so we need all hands on deck to help! The frames for the plots will be built for all the plots hopefully. (If an additional workday is needed, it will be Saturday, October 27 at a time to be determined.) If you have one, we'll need a powerless screwdriver/drill with 1/4inch drill bit.

All plots need to be emptied by Wednesday, October 31 so that when the soil is delivered it can be distributed amongst the plots.

November
Soil
Friday, November 2, the soil will be delivered

Saturday, November 3, soil will be distributed by volunteers, hopefully!

If the weather doesn’t cooperate with our timeline, the dates will be pushed back by a week. An email will be sent out if that happens!

It’s been a wonderful first season! Let’s get the garden ready so that next season will be even better!

Can’t wait to see everyone at the garden!

Amanda Jekel
OTCG Garden Coordinator
www.oldtowncommunitygarden.blogspot.com

Welcome Amanda!

2007-09-06T15:59:00.001-05:00

Amanda Jekel (far right in the photo above) has assumed the position of Garden Coordinator for Old Town Community Garden. Jessica Trent led us in that role during our inaugural year but has had to step down due to added responsibilities at work.

Amanda has also been involved since the very first meeting, and has often served as the "go-to girl" for just about every project...meetings, the Garden Blessing, Grand Opening, composting, and just about all other pre-event activities. After a summer spent traveling Europe and Colorado, Amanda is ready for the role of keeping Gardeners informed and everything on track. While not working with the garden, Amanda attends her collegiate studies and enjoys her beagle puppy.

We thank Jessica for her hard work this year. And welcome Amanda Jekel to her new role!