1. How much do you garden?: a) I don't, dirt is icky, b) A little, I've never gotten into it (if so why not, time, space, etc), c) Gardening's a bit of a hobby, or d) Gardening is a passion
c. but if I had more time, it'd be d.
2. What Climate Zone do you live in?
4a
3. My actual gardening talent is best described as: a) My potted plants keep dying, b) So-so, or c) Green Thumb
I have always grown up around a garden. Trouble is, I did planting, harvesting, and weeding and not much fertilization and watering. I am still working out if I'm overwatering or underwatering, and I have to do some soil amendments. I think I'm going to just keep mixing in compost til I get the results I want.
4. My gardening style is best characterized by: a) Flowers to the front yard, veggies to the back, b) A heavy emphasis on overall appearance, c) Rows of veggies, or similar chiefly functional layout, d) Total Chaos, or e) Other (please explain)
A, with a bit of total choas in that I have random potted vegetables and flowers scattered about the yard. The full sun thing is tricky with 2 buildings and the woods all around me, so I put stuff where it gets sun. No, I don't care how it looks. Well... maybe I care a little. I have little choice.
4. Which plant or plants have you been most successful with?
The ones that are easy to grow.
5. Do you view your approach to Gardening more as an art, a science, or a routine?
Science! 6. Do you tend to keep personal records, like local rainfall, which plants did poorly or well, yields, layout maps, etc?
I don't have that much space, so where I've planted things is all filed upstairs *taps head*. I know that my soil is poor. I have various deficiencies in my soil, and I can tell because I look at photos of different plant problems. Like yellowing on the zucchinis means a certain deficiency... etc. I need to pick up a ph tester this year.
7. Your favorite time of day, or day of the week, to garden is?
When I have time.
8. Do you have any particular good luck charms or specific items like 'my gardening hat' or what amount to rituals that you make use of when gardening?
I put on my "dirty" jeans, braid my hair, slather sunscreen, and grab my bucket o' tools. Then I yell for the 5 yr old to come help.
9. The amount of space you garden with is: a) a few potted plants, b) Small: A couple square yards or meters, c) Medium: About a dozen square yards or meters, maybe two dozen, d) Medium-Large: A few dozen square Yards or meters, e) Large: Around a hundred Square yards or meters, f) Very Large: A decent fraction of an acre or hectare, or g) Basically small scale farming. For scale, a 10x20 foot garden is medium, about 20 sq. yd.
I have two 4 x 15 raised beds and a bunch of potted things strooned about- mostly tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. I am going to try potatoes in a rubbermaid tote this year. No-dig potatoes!
10. You garden primarily for: a) Yard appearance, b) Relaxation, c) Food (or final product, so speak), d) Fresh Air and Exercise, e) A challenge and sense of accomplishment, or f) some combination thereof, something else, elaborate.
f. Food + fresh air + sense of accomplishment. I also can (as in canning to preserve food), but I don't produce enough to can. I buy from the farm a few miles from me.
11. Is there anything particularly radical or abnormal about your garden? Anything in particular you feel stands out?
Hm. Well I don't know if it's radical or not, but... I have my raised beds fenced in to keep the cats, deer, and raccoons out. I'm hoping it keeps the chickens out too. In order to utilize that space, I have planted things that like to climb in areas just in front of my fence posts, and I train them to climb the fencing. I also have gutters on my house and collect the rainwater to use for the garden. I have a shallow well and need to conserve water.
12. What are you planning to plant this year? Anything in particular, different, new? Plans to construct a greenhouse, throw in some new drainage, start a new bed?
I might put some rebar (sp) for some pvc-framed low tunnels to extend my planting and harvest dates. It's bloody cold here. I also want to plant only heirloom seeds so I can try a little seed collecting.
13. Do you tend to have a lot of infrastructure in your garden? Like raised beds, stone walls, greenhouses or cold frames, drainage ditches. If so what, and did you do it yourself or have it done by someone else?
We have done everything ourselves. The raised beds were a mother's day gift. The fencing around the garden is NOT pretty. It is fence roll kept in place with furring strips. It needs to be flexible to discourage critters from climbing it. MANY years ago, someone put stone fencing throughout the area. The stone fences run all through the woods and throughout the 100 acre area that surrounds my house. If you hike through you can see old maple sap collecting buckets, and old overgrown apple trees in the middle of the woods. But at one time it was all open pasture.
14. How did you get into gardening? Was there a particularly person (Mom, Dad, friend, etc) who you picked it up from?
My grandparents mostly. And grandma lives next door to my mother, and is still alive so I help out with their garden from time to time.
15. If you were asked by a new potential gardener to explain why you garden, or why gardening is good, what would you tell them? What advice would you give?
Advice- do your homework, have your soil tested, and compost your veggie scraps, egg shells, and coffee grounds to mix in. If you're serious about gardening, spend the ten bucks to get get your soil tested. Then amend after you get the results. But don't be too serious about it, have fun. Try a few things and see what works. Green thumbs don't come naturally. You have to work at it. That means trial and error.
Also: DON'T "P" ON YOUR LAWN!!!! (No phosphorus fertilizer). Get your soil tested and use what you need. Excess fertilizers end up polluting the watershed and causing a multiitude of problems. Many water quality issues can be avoided by not using lawn fertilizers, or minimal fertilizer.
I think gardening is important. I wish everyone would try it, even if it's just a potted tomato plant. People need to understand where their food comes from, and realize that the current food system is unsustainable.
The produce from the grocery store tastes like shit. I seriously wonder how many nutrients that are still in a fresh green bean in the produce section after it's been off the plant but not preserved for- goodness knows how long before it reaches your plate. Waxing veggies and fruits is gross.
My opinion is that the cost of strawberries in January is fucking up our planet in a big way. (Along with agribusiness and monoculture.) That's enough soapbox for one post, I think.
*MySmiley*
I believe all news and research that supports my opinion, and dismiss the rest as conspiracy and lies.
I believe all news and research that supports my opinion, and dismiss the rest as conspiracy and lies.
This message last edited by Avendesora on 20/03/2011 at 12:50:18 AM
Spring Gardening Survey
- 18/03/2011 07:03:05 PM
766 Views
Good survey! 
- 20/03/2011 12:43:16 AM
592 Views
- 20/03/2011 12:43:16 AM
592 Views