Local Farmers Markets

We are lucky to be living in Cobb County because there are so many local Farmers Markets available to visit. Even better, they aren't all in operation at the same time. There is bound to be one somewhere near you which is open on a day and time that works well for you.

Farmers Markets vary in what they offer. They run from offering only food  to  the opposite end of the spectrum where they offer food, plants, art, craft work, live chickens & rabbits, soap,  cooking demonstrations, music, etc. Each market is unique and fun to visit.

The Granddaddy of them all (locally) is the Marietta Square Farmers Market  It is open Saturday year round (9:00am to 12:00pm) and also has Sunday hours April through November (12:00 to 3:00 pm)

Photo provided by Marietta Square Farmers Market

Many other communities offer Farmers Markets besides the ones I've provided links for here. Just search online and you'll find many more. If I'm traveling, I always try to see if there will be one open where I'm going because I always find something interesting.

Acworth Farmers Market
Friday (7:00 am - 11:00 am)   Opens May 24 - Closes Oct 25

Kennesaw Farmers Market
Tuesday (7:00 am - 1:00 pm) Opens May 7 - Closes Oct 29

Paulding County Farm Bureau Farmers Market
Friday (3:00 - 7:00 pm) Opens April 6 - Closes end of November.
They also have Tuesday night hours during the middle of the growing season.
They are at the intersection of Hwy 92 and Dallas Hwy, across the street from Stars & Strikes There location is just a couple miles west of the garden.

Spreading Oaks Farm at the Paulding County Farm Bureau Farmers Market

(Photo provided by market)

 

Dallas Farmers Market
Saturday (8:00 am - 1:00 pm)  year round weather permitting 

Mableton Farmers Market Thursday (8:30 am - 12:30 pm) Opens May 23 - Closes Sept 5 Typical scene from any farmers market - this one is from the Paulding County  Farm Bureau Farmer's Market (photo provided by the market)   If you are interested in finding U-picks and farms that sell to the public, here are several other resources you can use. Local Harvest A great site to find local farms and farmers markets that sell meat, eggs, produce, etc to the public. as well as U-pick's, CSA's, etc. Pick Your Own.org I've used this site quite a few times to find places locally and nationally as well. Farmers & Consumers Market Bulletin You can subscribe to the Georgia Farmers & Consumers Market Bulletin. I've found some wonderful plants and items through it.

Saturday Workday with Door Prizes and Bluebird Fundraiser

This Thursday, April 25^th and Saturday, April 27^thare our April work days. Thursday is from 10:00 to 12:00 and Saturday is from 10:00 to 12:00 also.  So far, here is the list of things we've come up with that needs to be worked on.

· Weeding (ongoing and forever)

· Weed pollinator beds before mulching

· Mulch pollinator beds with mini-pine nuggets

· Spread free or purchased mulch in garden common areas

· Move the compost/dirt pile and sift it as we move it

· Round-up along outside of fence (Thursday only)

· Till the sunflower border area (Saturday only)

· Plant sunflower border area (Saturday only)

· Weed eat/cut onions and Round-up remaining stems

· Weed around sign and plant 4 or 5 Caldwell Pink roses around the GMP sign

· Plant 4 Celeste figs in 1 gallon containers on the upper terrace

· Give the shed a good sweeping and cleaning

· Remove blooms & fruits from the fruit trees (Saturday only)
    (The fruits need to be removed so the trees develop a good healthy root system the first year in the ground)

 

As you can see there is a lot to do and we probably won’t get it all done on Thursday and Saturday unless YOU come help us.   Even if you can only come out for an hour, your contribution of time and effort will be greatly appreciated.

 

On Saturday after the workday is over at 12:00, we will be having a Bluebird Lunch Fundraiser for the Bluebird Trail.  Mike and Sue will be providing a delicious selection of food.  For further details, check the link to the Bluebird Lunch Fundraiser post.

Friends of a Feather -Bluebird Fundraiser

On Saturday at the end of the workday (12:00 noon), there will be a lunch fundraiser for the Bluebird Trail.

The baby blue birds are hungry and your support is very much needed.

We will be providing a delicious selection of food including several salads. We will be doing it like a Bar-b-Que plate fundraiser taking donations for each plate.

Help us help the mother blue birds feed their young.

Mike & Sue

Lavender Lemonade

Hey Everyone,

Just the hint of the 80 degree weather last week had me thinking about planting the lavender.  This is one of my favorite recipes for the long hot days of summer.  
Simply delightful!

Lavender Lemonade – Cooking Light Magazine

Does this not scream, plant me?

Ingredients:

4 cups water, divided

¼ cup chopped fresh lavender leaves

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 6 – 8 lemons)

Lavender stems and/or flowers

Preparation:

Using a small saucepan, bring 1-cup water to a boil.  Pour boiling water over the chopped lavender leaves, cover, and steep for 30 minutes.   Strain the lavender mixture through a fine sieve into a pitcher; discard the used leaves.

Combine 3 cups water and sugar in a medium saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook 1 minute or until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Mix the lavender water, sugar syrup, and lemon juice in a pitcher.  Cover and chill. 

Serve over ice.  For a special touch, garnish lemonade with lavender flower stems or freeze lavender flowers into ice cubes.   Another nice touch is to add just a couple drops of food coloring.  Blue & red make purple or simply green is beautiful.

Hope you enjoy,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29 

Medication Disposal Day

picture from the CobbLine Newsletter

If you don't subscribe to CobbLine, the weekly eNewsletter that is sent out, you miss out on hearing about important community efforts. This weekend - Saturday only between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm they are having a Medication Disposal Day.

Everyone needs to weed out and purge medications - over the counter and prescription as well as vitamins.  But how do you properly dispose of them. Tossing them in the trash is unsafe. Flushing them down the toilet is also unsafe and bad for the environment when it gets into the rivers and water table.

The best way to dispose of unwanted medications is take them to one of Cobb County's Medication Disposal Day's. You just drive up and hand it over. You don't even have to get out of the vehicle. The first time I went I took stuff from my house, my mom's and my sister's.

If you have time this Saturday I hope you take advantage of this opportunity to purge your medicine cabinet in a safe way. Mother Earth will appreciate it.



Another Mulch Pile!

Another HUGE mulch pile was delivered today. Yippee....though I must admit it was more of a tired yip after awhile.

Carol, Rita, Kitty, Denise and Vicki worked very hard weeding under the pecan tree waiting on the mulch to be delivered.  A lot can be achieved during a 2 hour wait.

Once it was delivered Vann and Mark joined us in moving and spreading mulch around the sections of the garden that had been completely weeded.

Obviously we didn't finish because this pile is what was left after we'd mulched the ground around three rows of beds as well as a big chunk of one of the community paths!

Now is the time to rush to the garden to weed  around your bed and then spread mulch around it. Hopefully your energy and enthusiasm lasts long enough to help spread mulch in the community areas that have been weeded as well.

I don't know what it is about mulch piles, but they must send subsonic signals out to Mark because every single pile we've had he has helped spread.

Door Prize Bonanza!

Prizes Galore!

Hey Everyone,

It's back!   Door Prize Bonanza at the next two workdays! Both Thursday & Saturday!

As always, this is a wonderful time to come out and enjoy working as a community while supporting the Master Gardeners who do so much for Green Meadows.

Please remember to enter the raffle.  You can't win, if you don't play!  Drawing will be held at the end of both work-shifts.

Plants, prizes, and so much more!  How fun!

Denise, Beds 25 & 29      

Sunflowers and Pollinators

Last year, I watched and marveled at how many pollinators came to visit the sunflower plants Tucker had growing in her bed. The other amazing thing was all the different species that came to visit.

To get to get a good yield in a vegetable garden or orchard you have to have pollinators to come pollinate the flowers on your plants. True, not all plants need insects since some plants are wind pollinated or self-pollinating but you still need pollinators to help.
When you think of a pollinator you tend to think of just the honeybee. While the honeybee is very important, the native bees, bumblebees, flies and wasps are equally as important for pollination and insect control.

The more I read and talked to experienced gardeners about vegetable gardening, the more I realized how important it was to have even more plants for the pollinators and especially for the beneficial insects (predators).

What is a beneficial insect? An insect (praying mantis, lady bugs, parasitic wasps, spiders, etc.) that eat or parasitize insect eggs and bad bugs (aphids, mites, white flies, hornworms, etc.) .  Predators in the bug world are our best friends.

To make our best friends happy and more comfortable, we need more pollinator beds. Especially beds that have plants specifically for the predators ie, beneficial insects. The more beneficials we have, the less insect and disease problems we will have.  Which means less spraying and higher yields. Definitely win win situations for us, the plants and our insect friends.

This week during the Saturday workday we will be tilling up the beds along the fence facing the orchard. Once they are tilled, if we have time on Saturday, we'll plant sunflower seeds as well as herb seeds and plants. If we don't get them planted, we'll just do it some night next week.

Sometimes when you buy herbs at the nurseries you end up with more than you can use. If you need to find a good home for them, feel free to put them in the new beds going in. If you need to divide any plants, we have a new home waiting for them. The following herbs are what we are interested in: Cilantro, Basil, Fennel, Garlic Chives, Parsley, Mints, Dill, Oregano, Thyme.

I love Citizen Science Projects so later in the year, we'll be doing  citizen science surveys of what pollinators are using our pollinator borders. You'll be invited to participate when the time comes.

In the meantime, I hope you come out and help us put the in the sunflower and herb border during the upcoming Saturday workday.

Tool Safety

I'm always reminded each season that there is a right way and a wrong way to temporarily leave my tools sitting around. Usually I only manage to trip but there have been a time or two I've managed to knock myself in the head with a tool. Small tools with tines can be just as dangerous as tools with long handles.

Never leave a tool with the tines up!

 If you step on it you can

• A: Knock yourself in the head with the handle when it flies up
• B: Leave claw marks on your legs
• C: End up with a hole in your foot

This is better because you won't step on the tines

but you can still trip over the handle.

Much better! You are less likely to trip over it

 when it is propped up like this.

Weekly Calendar April 19 - April 25

April 20
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Gardeners on Duty

April 23
5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Gardeners on Duty

April 25
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Thursday Monthly Workday

Out and About 9AM-ish April 11, 2013

GM Buddies  4/11/13  9AM-ish

Shinseiki Asian Pear (Pyrus Pyrifolia) Dwarf  4/11/13  9AM-ish

The Tree and Its Companions 4/11/13  9AM-ish

So just for the Record, here's what I saw before the community garden planning meeting - buddies hard at work while a pear tree soaks up the early AM sun.  Looking up, there's that beautifully formed oak.  Sigh ...  Don't be fooled by that 'little' mound of brush in the bottom center right of The Tree - that mound is HUGE.  Thanks, Guys, for your sweat-equity in clearing under and around The Tree!  Hope you three (Mike, Jim, Bruce) have time to sit and sip a tea-toddy nearby soon.

The Potatoes are growing!

The potato tower is finally starting to send out sprouts.  I was beginning to think that part of our potato experiments wasn't going to be very successful. It certainly has taken a lot longer than the potato bag.  Even the potatoes planted at the very top of the tower have only just come up. So far, I'd have to declare the potato bag as the winner for ease of use and amount of plant growth. Of course, the final winner won't be declared until we've seen the amount of potatoes actually produced.

Making Worm Tea!

Tea Time, Garden Style

Hey Everyone,

I received an email from a fellow gardener regarding the recent post on worm castings.  They were checking to see if I have a specific recipe for making the tea.  Since worm tea is so beneficial to the plants, while acting as an exceptional pest repellent, I thought it would make a wonderful follow-up post for all.

This recipe gives you the option to use aquarium materials for ease and speed, or not.  Based on experience, using the aquarium equipment will produce a higher yield or better quality tea, however, it can be done as long as you are diligent in your aerating efforts without the additional materials.  Worm tea will not burn the plants in any way; however, you should avoid spraying in the heat of the day.

Ingredients:

5-gallon bucket
Tap water
Aquarium pump, air-line tubing, and air stone (optional equipment and runs about $20.00)
1 oz. of corn syrup or molasses (Make sure molasses does not contain sulfur)
2 1/2 - 3 cups worm castings
1 piece of fine mesh like pantyhose for filtering

Home Depot 5 Gallon Bucket
With Aquarium Equipment Attached!

Directions Non-Aquarium Equipment:

Fill the bucket with tap water 3/4 of the way full.  See photo to the right.  Let the water stand for 24 - 48 hours in order for the chlorine to evaporate out.  This step is imperative, as chlorine will kill the beneficial micro-organisms rendering the tea useless.  If you are using rainwater, eliminate the standing process.

Remove about one cup of the chlorine free water.  Blend the corn syrup or the molasses into it.  The micro-organisms utilize the corn syrup or molasses for food while your tea is brewing.  Thinning it makes the food more readily available for them.

Add the corn syrup or molasses mixture back to the bucket. Stir until well blended.  Dump in the 2 1/2 - 3 cups of worm castings.  It does not have to be exact.  Mix well, but gently. You don't want to harm all those cute little microbes in there.

Some people will put the castings in pantyhose or a fine mesh teabag like material.  In trying different methods over the years, I have found this does not allow the microbes to move freely in the water and slows their growth tremendously.  This method is only wise if you are using an air stone or bubbler.

Let the worm tea stand for 3 days stirring occasionally to aerate.  Before utilizing aquarium equipment, I would stir four to six times per day.  Once again, do so gently.

Presto, you have just made your first batch of worm tea!  If you are using a watering can for soil application, there is no need to filter your finished product.  However, if you will be applying with a sprayer for foliage feeding, you must strain to remove the particles that will clog the nozzle.  Pantyhose or anything with a 400 micron filtration work exceptionally well for this step.

Use finished tea within 36 - 48 hours while the microbes are the most biologically active.  If any unpleasant odors develop after the initial brewing, do not use the tea, as this signals the death of the beneficial microbes and the mixture should be dumped.  It can go into the compost pile, just don't use it on your vegetation.

Caution:  This tea is not for human consumption.  Just thought I would throw that out there since most gardeners will try anything once!

Additional Directions for an Air Stone or Bubbler System:

Got Tea?

The recipe for aquarium equipment is the same as above aside from these few details.

After filling the bucket 3/4 of the way full, assemble the aquarium equipment.  Place the air stone in the bottom of the bucket and aerate the water using your pump for 3 to 4 hours to remove all chlorine.

Blend the corn syrup or molasses with two cups of chlorine free water to avoid clogging the air-stone.  Trust me on this one!

Add the corn syrup or molasses mixture back to the bucket.  Dump in the castings and let your pump do the rest.  Aerate for 24 hours, filter the finished product and your tea is ready to go.

The thing I like the best about using the aquarium equipment is the speed at which a higher quality tea can be made.  Spraying on a routine basis adds the beneficial microbes and nutrients to the soil and the plants, thus, providing the proper balance they need to help repel insects and fight off disease.  In addition, if you notice your plants are not taking off or they seem to be a little sluggish, this is a wonderful recipe to perk them right up.  Many references on the topic also state that the use of worm or compost tea not only provides the beneficial microbes and nutrients, but also increases the overall fruit and flowering production of the plant.  For those making compost, you can also brew compost tea in much the same fashion.  This is a wonderful link for additional compost tea recipes.

http://www.compostjunkie.com/compost-tea-recipe.html

Happy Brewing!

Denise, Beds 25 & 29

Bottle Envy!

 

Jane always has the prettiest things in her garden beds. I've been admiring her latest addition every time I've gone to the garden this week. An old pitchfork with bottles stuck on the tines. That is so clever!

Hedgehog in the Garden

 

Doug and Nancy have acquired the cutest hedgehog for their bed. They are pondering names and want help coming up with a great name for it. It doesn't have to be an H name but it has to go well with Hedgehog.  In other words, have good flow.

 

Denise suggested we should have a contest (kind of like naming a zoo baby) and offer a prize. What the prize is hasn't been determined. But we'll definitely come up with a good one!

 

The way to play is think of a name (or multiple names), go to the comments section of this post and type in the name you've thought of. After two weeks, they will go through all the names and decide which one they think suits their hedgehog best. The name and prize winner will be revealed on the blog.

 

Have fun!

Follow the Blog by Email

A number of people have said, oh, I keep meaning to check the Blog but I forget to.

Never fear....there is a very easy way to remember to check the blog - you can follow the Green Meadows Community Garden Blog by email!

If you use a laptop or a desk PC, look on the left hand side of the screen under the picture and name of the blog. The words Follow by Email can be found.

Type your email address in the empty box and click the Submit Button.

Follow the prompts to type in the verification to prove you are a real person. An email is automatically sent to the email address you entered.

The last step is to check your email and click the link in the email that has been sent to you. Clicking on the link activates your email subscription. If you don't click the link, your subscription will NOT be activated.

After that if someone makes a post on the blog, you'll get an email which has the entire post in it. The title of the post is the link that you click on if you want to go directly to the new post on the blog. (You have to go to the blog if you want to see if there are any comments or if you want to make a comment yourself.)

 

Picture of the blog on a desktop monitor

Sugar Snap Peas with Tarragon!

Hey Everyone,

I thought with all the wonderful peas and onions growing in the garden I would share a simple recipe that makes an excellent side dish.

Sugar Snap Peas with Tarragon!

I love peas!

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. sugar snap peas
1 Tbsp. chopped green onions
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1/2 tsp. finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Preparation:

Wash, remove string, and cut sugar snap peas in half diagonally; set aside.

Over medium heat, saute green onions in butter until softened, about 1 minute.  Increase heat to medium-high, add sugar snap peas, and stir-fry. Cook 2 to 4 minutes until the sugar snap peas are crisp-tender.

In a separate bowl, combine the tarragon, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.  Add tarragon mixture to the peas, toss well, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 sides

This recipe lends itself quite well to fish and poultry dishes.  I have also substituted shallots for the green onions depending on what looks good in the garden.

Hope you enjoy,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29

Weekly Calendar Post April 12 - April 18

April 13
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Gardeners on Duty

April 16
5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Gardeners on Duty

April 17
8:30 am - 12:00 pm
Algae Control in Ponds
Pre-registration required
Cobb County Extension Upcoming Events

The Benefits of Worm Castings in the Garden!

Hey Everyone,

Wiggle Worm
Earthworm Castings

As many know, worm castings are one of the best amendments/fertilizers out there for adding organic nutrients to the soil.  However, many do not use them since they can be slightly harder to find and it is somewhat of a mystery on how to use them appropriately.

One of the best things about using worm castings in the garden is the immediate availability of nutrients and the enhanced ability for your soil to absorb and release water.   This is extremely beneficial in raised bed gardening as the soil will drain and dry out rapidly.  Some will use the water retention crystals; however, the worm castings will provide much the same affect and feed the plants as well for a fraction of the cost.

  

Now Available Local
at Pike's

While I have never tried the theories of one tablespoon feeding a six inch pot for two months, I do find much success using them throughout the garden in a variety of ways.  My favorite is putting ½ - 1 cup in the planting hole under my summer crops and making worm tea.    I follow many of the guidelines found on the link below to the Tasteful Garden.  This short article is one of the best I have run across containing the most applicable information on the topic.

http://www.tastefulgarden.com/store/pc/Worm-Castings-d114.htm

When it comes to brands, I prefer using the Wiggle Worm Castings (readily available on Amazon), as they are superior to many I have tried over the years and the plants just thrive with them.  Pike’s is now carrying the EB Stone Brand, which I think is 1 cubic foot for $19.99.  I haven’t tried these as of yet, but have gotten a bag to trial this year.  I go through, on average, one large bag per year as they can be used throughout the landscape. 

 

For those who enjoy Door Prize Bonanza, come out and play, as I will have some available on the next workday, just sayin’.

Happy Gardening!

Denise, Beds 25 & 29

Creating Shade in the Garden

The good thing about gardening in a field is the sun that shines on the vegetables so they can grow tall and be happy.

The bad thing about gardening in a field is the sun that beats down on the gardener making them wilt and be miserable.

If you are going to be working out in the sun a long time and want to create some shade - here is an easy portable method.

All you need is a huge beach umbrella and a bucket full of dirt or rocks. Open the umbrella and poke the spike end in the bucket and voila..instant, portable shade.

And if it is really hot and you want to have deluxe shade, get a box fan and run the extension cord out to where you are working so the fan blows on you while you are under the umbrella weeding.