GARDEN4US

Time to Tuck in the Garden Bed

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:53:36 +0000

Its just about time to put the garden to bed. We’ve had such a beautiful and long fall to finish off the garden, its hard to think snow…but its coming. So here are some ideas to help put your “tuck in” your garden beds.

Harvest the last of your crops and preserve them. From cucumbers to herbs, its time to preserve those you would like through winter. Pickling, canning, freezing or drying, we here at G4Us strive to supply ourselves with garden produce through the winter. Fill up the potato and onion bins, store your apples and carrots. One master gardener was telling me how she stores her carrots (tops off) in peat moss through out the winter. Another stores her apples in sawdust. If you are fortunate to have a root cellar, its time to fill it with winter squash, etc.

Time to deadhead, clip back, trim bloomers before the snow flies. Pull your annuals and put them in the compost pile. Newer theory gardening says to clip the plant but leave the roots to decay. This accomplishes two things, soil stabilization and aeration. The roots help hold the soil without compacting it and when the roots decay they leave “air space” which helps new roots.

Compost and mulch. I have a mulch plot that I “cook” every year. I use the lasagna method of layering newspaper, grass clippings and organic material (in that order) then repeat. Water this lightly to promote the decaying process. I cover mine with black weed block to help maintain moisture and gather heat. After a winter under the snow, this will be great organic matter to add to planting beds next year. This years plot went to establish two new beds for next year.

Plant a winter cover crop or put a protective layer of mulch in your veggie beds. Cover crops include winter rye, hairy vetch, buckwheat, etc and serve a great purpose when planted in areas recently cleared. Cover crops are not eaten, they are tilled back into the soil come spring and provide a “green manure” for your soil in spring. They also stabilize and enrich the soil. Adding a layer of mulch just protects your soil from contaminants and undesirable seedings. I use aged straw which I remove come spring and take to the compost pile. According to the U of Oregon the best reason to mulch is twofold, it prevents soil and nutrient loss, secondly it creates a healthy environment for earthworms that provide excellent aeration and casings.

Save your favorites in seed. I grew a beautiful heirloom morning glory this year. Why pay for seed when the vine is currently loaded? I harvested an envelope of Grandpa Ott’s morning glory. Will have enough for me and the seed swap next spring. I prefer to use envelopes to store seeds for a couple of reasons, the paper breathes, doesn’t retain moisture and I can write all kind of notes about the growth habit, color, size etc about the plant in general. They are easier to keep straight than plastic sandwich bags, too.

If you are a bird feeder, now is the time to establish the winter feeding area. Time to take down the hummingbird feeder, clean it and store for winter. Put up a seeder, suet cage and or platform feeder over an area easily cleaned up come spring as birds are very messy feeders. A heated birdbath will ensure lots of avian visitors to your area.

Utah Botanical Center is hosting a couple of fall flings: Pumpkin Palooza is a family fun activity on October 24th. There is also a wreath making class on November 12th.

Gather your tools, clean and sharpen if needed. Dull cutters can be down right frustrating, time consuming and inefficient. Dirty tools can spread fungus, pests or disease (yes some bacteria is cold hardy), so give them a quick wipe with some bleach water and store them away for winter.

Your garden journal, its time to update it. It always amazes me how much my garden has changed from the Spring “plan” to the fall cleanup. Keeping track of what you plant where, makes crop rotation much easier the next year. Add pictures, note problems or pests, what you would like to plant again and what you will not. I used to think I would remember, but its just too much data. Being able to thumb back through the notes to see what bloomed when can be a valuable tool when planning for the next years garden. Noting temperatures, good companion plantings, first ripe tomato, etc. can all be helpful information too.

Some notes from this years journal: I found that petunias like parsley and rosemary as companion plants. The carrots I grew just in front of my tomatoes were the largest and sweetest carrots I’ve ever grown. I also learned that cucumbers will vine up sunflower plants very nicely. Note to self: always grind horseradish outside unless you like crying for days. Lettuces grown in the cold are sweeter than when grown in the summer. Oregano will reseed and grow in amazing places. I originally planted oregano in my herb box, it no longer resides there, but down the path and in the rock garden that is some 8 feet away from where it started. Good thing oregano is one the best herbs to dry.

Garden Geek – Top 10

admin — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 21:31:06 +0000

Such a garden geek – the harvest is on and I’m already re-organizing my plan for next years garden. The revision comes at the expense of this years successes and not so successes. Some things are particular to this year but most lessons will go on to make for better, more productive harvest for years to come. My goal is use everything we produce, whether eaten fresh or preserved for winter and spring. So here is my Top Ten lessons learned from 2011.

#1-Will not plant tender spring plants through weed fabric. The weed fabric allows sowbugs and earwigs to feast on tender shoots while providing them all too convenient cover from which to chow on early bloomers like beans and chard. Just have to resolve to weed those rows.

#2-More successive plantings. Instead of putting in an entire row of edible, plant half the row and 30 days later plant the other. This strategy works well for anything you would like to have a constant supply of. This strategy works really well with dill, cilantro, greens; from collards to kale, peas (either snow or snap), lettuce and salad bowl greens, radishes and other short term crops.

#3-Will repeat the excellent combination of tomatoes, borage, carrots and marigolds. This companion planting group works especially well for producing best flavor and “no pests” scenario. Excellent example of organic gardening and its pretty, too!

#4-Will plant both types of cucumbers next year as the price of pickling cukes is crazy this year. Realize you can make pickles from slicing cucumbers, suggest you use a bit of alum to keep the crisp factor in your canning to adjust.

#5-Will plant all hardneck or heirloom garlic from local stock that I can find this fall. Preferred by chefs, hardneck garlic is more flavorful that softneck and you can always purchase softneck cheaply at your local grocer.

#6-Will NOT plant experimental tomatoes or patio or cherry type. Good old celebrities, early girls and better boys all do well here with a bit of grooming. May possibly do a “grape tomato” in a potted scenario to satisfy that garden wanderlust.

#7-Will find out if one can grow Peperoncini peppers here. Would like to add peperoncini to the canning list. Last year we put up a batch of mixed peppers that we used on everything from philly sandwiches to barbecue sauce with great success.

#8-Will not use valuable raised bed space to grow onions. We are lucky enough to live in a onion producing area. One can pick up bags of local onions on the cheap during the season and they store well.

#9-Will divide and transplant the french tarragon. This plant was touted as a “trailing vine” and it is basically a sprawling upright bush. Creates too much shade where it is, grows like crazy and provides more tarragon than I would use in years. I will use the freeze method this fall. Divide the plant, donate the starts to the fall plant sale with correct growth habit noted. Local cooks should scoop it up.

#10-Will do my best to undermine the myth of 5-10 year weed fabric. Weed fabric used in a garden setting has a “life” of no more than two years if you water on or under it. It is a very useful tool in the garden, but just plan on replacing it.

That about wraps up the Garden Lessons from 2011 to date. Have yet to harvest the horseradish and plant the garlic. Need to add a bit more organic material and manure to the area where the garlic will be planting. According to the planting/moon cycle from the Almanac September 20-22nd are the best days this month for planting root crops, bulbs and transplanting. Next best dates are October 13-15, then October 24-25 will be your last shot for root crops in zone 5. Let’s all hope the weather concurs.

Here’s to happy harvesting this fall. Hope you are inundated with tomatoes, peppers and squash. If you are looking for a recipe that uses those “boat sized” zuchinni, check here for one of my favorites.

Zuchinni Schooners

admin — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:58:53 +0000

Here’s my best use of those “boat sized” zuchinni we all are gifted with from time to time. Good use of product, easy to prepare and economical – what’s not to like? Oh, yeah the flavor is marvelous…

1 large zuchinni
1 lb of italian sausage (mild or hot – your preference)
1 to 1.5 C of left over stale bread, cubed or cumbed
1/4 C celery, chopped fine
1/2 C onion, chopped
1-2 cloves or garlic, minced
1/8 tsp rosemary
1/8 tsp of oregano
1-2 eggs, beaten (start with one, use the second if needed to bind)
1/2 C parmesan cheese (*optional)
S & P
A pint or std can (10.5oz) of stewed tomatoes

To assemble:
Split the zuchinni lengthwise. Scoop out the middle forming a nice hollow but keeping the outer 1-2” in tact. Cube up the scoop (you will use about half) and set aside.

In a fry-pan, brown the italian sausage (out of the skin and broken up). Drain well and set aside. In the same skillet soft cook the zuchinni cubes, celery, onion, garlic, rosemary and oregano for about 3 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the veggie mix, meat, bread and cheese if opted for. Add the egg until its like a loose meatloaf – season with salt and pepper. Now “stuff” the zuchinni halves with this mix. If you need to take a strip of the bottom of the zuchinni so it sits up correctly – do so before stuffing. Bake this at 350 for 20 minutes. Pull from oven and pour a pint of stewed tomatoes over the halves and return to the oven for another 20 minutes. Top with additional cheese and basil leaves to plate.

Sunflowers and Dragonfly’s

admin — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:22:00 +0000

Late August is the time for sunflowers and dragonfly’s in the garden. Its also the time for most gardeners to smile. All the hard work of planting, tending, watering and weeding are paying off. This is the week you can start taking a salt shaker to the garden and “graze”. If you have never had the pleasure of tasting the difference between a sun warmed early girl or a super sweet patio tomato you are missing a piece of homegrown heaven. The cucumbers, squash, onions, eggplant and peppers are all starting to produce in our garden. Its time to add all of these to your menu in their native form for optimal taste and nutrition. I’ve offered a marinated bean salad using some fresh green beans and herbs from your garden. The bean salad is a cool treat that is high fiber, low calorie and super crispy crunch for your summer menu. Some other great uses of green beans in panang curry or put up some dilled beans.

Its also time to start putting up pickles for winter as the cucumbers are on! Locally cucumbers have been as economical as 8 for $1. A simple $4 of cucumbers turned into 32 pints of pickles both dill and bread and butters. That makes good money sense for our family as the pickles we prefer are over $3.00 a jar in the store. Between putting up our own pickles and tomato products we need from year to year we not only help our budget we ensure we have homegrown taste as a bonus. The old-fashioned value meal starts at home in this house.

Have you ever??? This is the mystery that came up when I pulled my first round of snow peas out. I have grown peas for years but had never seen the like, any idea’s? Of course I took them down to the diagnostic clinic at Ogden Botanical Gardens (Wednesdays 3-5pm) and asked. Mr Goodspeed and Dori (garden manager) both had a look and decided that believe it or not, its a good thing. The growth is simply nitrogen gathered and set by the pea roots. I had read and heard that pea’s set nitrogen in the soil, but had never seen it before now. Please, send a comment or email if you have had a similar experience.
Its time to consider fall plantings, if you haven’t already. The idea is to garner another group of 60 day crops before the frost comes. Options include lettuce, mesclun, bush beans, radishes, snow peas and greens (collards, chard, etc.). All of these will be harvest-able in approximately 60 days. The seeds germinate quickly in the heated soil and growth is predictably fast. The fall “salad bowl” is amazing and with some care will last you into October. Remember to replant garlic in September for a June/July harvest for next year. Snow peas are another great fall crop as they will actually continue to grow past frost if you cover them lightly on frost possible nights. We have seen snow peas into November in years we have an “indian summer” here in our little 4 letter state.

We just had our local county fair here. As a gardener if you ever want to find out what grows well locally, your county fair is the perfect spot to visualize what you could grow next year. Everyone who brought crops in commented on what a wet June we had and how it slowed crops growth, the general assumption was that as an average gardens are about 3-4 weeks behind last year. The stand out crops were squash, onions, green tomatoes and corn. We had a wagon load of turnips show up that you could have drilled holes in and bowled with! Good Heavens, what does someone do with a 10lb turnip? We had the typical banana squash that would float a small child to safety if split and hollowed out as a boat. Amazingly the yellow squash was bigger than the zucchini this year. We also had nice blackberries and grapes entered. Someone got really creative and grew a pumpkin in a gallon bottle….why? I have to assume because they could – no idea what good it was for other than a conversation piece which it was. Personal brag – my herbs won three blue ribbons this year.

GreenHouse Auction

admin — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:16:21 +0000

GREENHOUSE UP FOR BID
If you have ever wanted a greenhouse this is your golden opportunity. We are auctioning a brand new STC Hobby Greenhouse as a fund raiser for the Ogden Botanical Gardens. Bid on it and it could be yours!

The new STC Easy Grow Green House 8′ x 8′ Easy 2 Build Greenhouse Kits are beautiful and produce amazing results, period.

Minimum Bid: $550
Sale Price: $2,499.99 $1,549.99
Deadline: September 15

Contact: Dorinda.jones@usu.edu or call 801-399-8081

Winner notified: September 15

Description
The Easy Grow Green House Kit 8′ wide and 8′ long, has very nice headroom of 7’2″ – one of the highest in the hobby greenhouse class. The Forest Green painted aluminum frame is very sturdy and will provide dependable service with twin wall polycarbonate covering that is 4mm thick and offers 100% UV protection.

Easy to Assemble Construct this yourself with the innovative connectors, this saves you time and money. Can be assembled by two or more people in 1 day. Assembly instructions that show you step by step what you need to do, only your Phillips Screwdriver and Pliers are needed to assemble. Durability The EasyGrow Hobby Greenhouse Kit has painted aluminum profiles with 4 mm double wall polycarbonate panels for covering.

Easy Grow Greenhouse even offers a lifetime warranty on the frame. Polycarbonate covering offers a 7 year warranty against discoloration. The Easy 2 Build Hobby Greenhouse is very durable.

Shelving One level of removable greenhouse ventilated shelving on both sides of greenhouse the full length. The Built In Shelving makes the greenhouse very sturdy.

Easy Grow Green House Features:

1) Heavy Duty Painted Extruded Aluminum
2) 4 MM Double wall opaque polycarbonate
3) Forest Green Powder coated aluminum frame
4) Standard roof vent keeps the air fresh and well vented
5) Ground Stakes for extra stability
6) REAL Door – not a cheap sliding, but a well built aluminum framed hinged door.
7) No Base is required
Very strong!!! (designed with criss-cross steel wires)
9) Very easy to follow pictured assembly directions
10) Only a few Hours to assemble
11) “push & click” Connectors that make it very simple to connect
12) Materials that give you a life time structural warranty
13) EZ 2 Build with only needing a Phillips Screwdriver and Pliers.
15) Israel Engineered where the masters of greenhouse design are located
16) DOUBLE DOORS ON THE 8X8
17) Auto vent opener included
18) TWO ROOF VENTS

Each unit comes with:
1) Full shelving and roof vents standard
1) Adjustable Side vent for proper air circulation
Shipped in 3 manageable Boxes!
Door width on the 8×8 Easy Grow Greenhouse 8 x 8 Easy 2 Build Green House is 4’1″ wide

Garden Update: Garlic, Pests and Tips

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:02:50 +0000

Garden Update: The scapes are coming, the scapes are coming….oh, the scapes are gone! Its time to harvest the garlic in my garden. Both the hardneck and softneck varieties were ready to pick. How can you tell? The hardneck is easy, from the center of the top growth comes this corkscrewy growth with a pointed little dome top. This is a garlic scape and only comes from hardneck garlic. The scapes are edible and add great punch to salads or dressings. Scapes will freeze for storage too. The softneck garlic is a bit trickier to tell, but basically when the growth has topped out, there are 6-9 leaves in the top growth and some yellowing starts on the leaves. This is the sign that softneck garlic is ready to harvest. So, cut the scapes off the hardneck and stop watering the garlic for a least a week. This will allow the bulb to set or gather the last of the energy from the plant. Then after a week, carefully dig around and lift the bulbs. Careful not to scrape the outside or flesh of the bulbs as they are still very easily damaged. Set on a dry surface with good air ventilation, outside preferably and allow the bulbs to cure. This can take one week or two depending on how hot and dry your climate is. Be sure to keep the biggest bulbs aside for replanting this fall.

Think the aphids are thick this year? Check out this poor spirea bush. As you can tell the sticky residue from the aphids catches the “cottton” in the air and we now have a wookie bush. It won’t injure the bush much in the long run, but sure makes a tacky, unsightly mess. Spraying with pressurized water doesn’t even touch this stuff. Good thing that lady bugs have got a good population going, they love to eat aphids – Go Ladybugs!

Another pest that is looming large this year is sow bugs. The pill bugs as they are commonly called have just loved this long, wet, spring we had. I’ve never seen to many generations present at once. This is how I’ve rallied against this bug; first remove all debris they can hide under as they detest direct sunlight and seek shadows and cooler temperatures. Secondly, sprinkle the entire area that you will have crops like cabbage and beans with Diatomaceous Earth 12oz Shaker. Please follow the directions on the package you purchase – do not get this stuff on your skin or eyes, its very abrasive. But that’s the good news, its so abrasive that anything that crawls across, or ingests it is toast. Diatomaceous earth is totally organic, made from the exoskeletons of marine plankton. It is a superfine powder, so put it out when the wind is not blowing and the ground is dry. This strategy works well against earwigs also.

Been to several Farmers Markets this year. Early crops spinach, chard, greens of all kinds, baby beets, early potatoes are all looking good. In SLC, tried Chads lemon spinach last saturday, let me tell you its got quite a kick. Bought some beet greens fresh udon noodles and used them together in an asian noodle dish that was just superb. Sellers had bunches of hardneck garlic scapes for sale, so that means the fresh garlic is about two weeks away. Have you ever seen a shallot scape? Strange looking thing, wonder how its used in cooking. Ogden’s first farmers market was a riot! Stagecoach, shootouts, antique tractor display, tree repelling, cooking demo and gardening talk. The newly painted horse statues were a colorful addition.

Plant with the moon cycle for optimum germination. We have a full moon tonight, July 15 and Aug 13th. July 15 should be good for putting in a fall crop for beans or cabbage. Secondary crops of greens and fall kale will do well if planted now. In August plan on replanting your salad bowl and other short term crops for harvest before fall. Besides all the garden seed is on sale now, time to stock up for next year. Not to worry, seeds can be kept for years in optimal conditions; dark, dry and ventilated. Suggest storing in paper rather than plastic as it breathes easier and is not subject to mold as plastic. Just label them well so you can plan out what you have for next spring. I tend to make notes on my envelopes about bloom time, color etc. on my seed packages for storage. More info makes for better placement in next years crop rotation.
Gardening Tip for August – Pinch your tomato flower clusters down to two or three blooms per cluster. That way you’ll get more even growth in your tomatoes instead of having clusters with “runts” in them. By mid to late august start pinching back all top flowers as they will not have time to mature into fruit. This also directs more of the tomato plants energy into the existing fruit ripening into its mature size.

Full Moons in the Garden

admin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:14:06 +0000

Fascinating garden news – are you aware that planting by the moon phase is not just folklore but based in fact? Evidently just like the tides, even inland soil moisture rises with the moons pull. This means that planting around the full moon encourages germination and growth. Additionally, tests have shown that seeds will absorb the most water at the time of the full moon. Here’s the kicker, for today June 15 its not only a full moon but a full lunar eclipse! Longest in totality since 2000, a whopping 100 minutes.

So get your seeds or starts ready and plant today and plan to plant a successive planting thirty days from now because July 15 is also another full moon. Should make for excellent results for crops that tolerate the hot weather (hopefully) to come. Beans, peas, cucumbers, squashes can all still be started from seed. Other suggestions are collards, chard, mustard greens can all be put in now and sown again in July for a continuous crop into fall.

My garden is having a crawling insect problem this spring – sowbugs, pillbugs, roly-poly’s; whatever you call them, they are just thick this year. Usually they content themselves on mainly decaying matter and that does the garden good. But when caught munching at baby cabbage or eating the tops of my radishes…..as Bugs said “this means war”. Found that hot pepper spray didn’t deter them, even spraying every evening. But never fear, we located a cure. It is called Concern 97024 Diatomaceous Earth Crawling Insect Killer 1.5 Pound Box and its completely organic! Just ring your little tender plants and nothing that crawls will cross it twice. Reasonably priced and it goes a long way. Take that roly-poly bugs.

Convinced we will see summer this year and there are so many things to do. The Go Live Greenfest in Salt Lake was very entertaining offering all organic solutions to sustainable foods, clothing, energy, even organic burials. Its easy to see why more folks are considering green alternatives after seeing what is available.

Make sure to support your locals by hitting your local farmers markets, most have just started. The fresh greens have been especially nice this year. Many markets are branching out to include more than produce and flowers. Music, crafts – makes browsing more fun.

Ever heard of “Art in the Garden”? This is a great event offered by the Ogden Botanical Gardens. Local artists, music, foodies doing what they do best. There is a great opportunity to have any “problems” diagnosed, or get free garden/yard advice from experts on hand for this FREE event. This years 17th annual Art in the Garden is a must – did we mention the price? Oh yeah, there is not one!

More upcoming clinics being offered in June and July – check out some offerings by USU at their Kaysville Facility. We recently attended a great workshop offered by Wasatch Community on making garden structures. The class certainly offered a wide range of idea’s on building potato boxes to chicken coops.

Here in Ogden we have one of the largest community gardens around. Partnered by the United Way and the Jr. League the Oasis Community Garden has gardening plots and now features a market on Wednesday evenings. link http://www.uwnu.org/WhatWeDo/News/tabid/3806/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/696/Oasis-Market.aspx

In closing Let me offer my sincere sympathies to those that suffer from tree pollen allergies. With the “cotton” flying already, rolling along the sidewalks – looks like summer is going to arrive in Utah…..finally.

FREE QUOTE Call 1-888-312-3439 Code: 72018222

On-line www.ivegotcoverage.com/72018222

Health Insurance FREE QUOTE

Health Insurance you can afford. Everyone accepted ! Pre-Existing Conditions, High Risk Professions, Nurse’s, Race Car Drivers. You Don’t have to be a Second class citizen .

Ogdens First Farmers Market

admin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:00:58 +0000

What a hoot! Did you make it down to the first Farmers Market in Ogden last saturday? There was a lot to do and see:
< p>The shootout enactment was especially popular and really enjoyed by the kids. The blanks they were shooting off were LOUD. The Sheriff deputies really do add a great sense of community to the event. Kudo’s to the horse posse.
The display of Antique Tractors was first class. Every tractor there was sparkling clean, nicely displayed with all its pertinent information and unique features highlighted. From big boys to small boys, this was just generally cool. Boys love toys no matter the age!

There’s a new herd in town. Ogdens community art project has landed a newly painted group of horse statues along 25th street. All are very colorful and nicely done by our local artists. These are just two from the herd, check the horse statues out next time you cruise 25th street.
There was interesting features like Sundance the Dancing Horse. Always kid friendly, Sundance has been known to play kick ball, dance, bow and generally just be a great draw for the family. Another highlight for the market was Utah’s best tree climber. He was displaying his tree repelling technique – quite exciting to watch. Lots of fun foods to choose from at the market if you come hungry. From crepes to barbecue there is no need to walk away hungry… BTW – did we mention that there was fresh bakery and produce to choose from, too? So one of these next saturdays, grab a environmental friendly grocery bag and wander down to support the local small farmer and local economy in general. Fresh produce and free entertainment; that a tough combo to beat.

Garden On for May/June 2011

admin — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:31:57 +0000

Peek inside Water Insulator

Check out the new garden pictures on our G4Us FaceBook album

Soil temperatures are coming up and that means it is time to plant your vegetables. Annuals should be safe by the end of the month to put in the ground, too. For those of us who are “soil driven”…well admit it, you’ve already been playing in the dirt. I see a lot of water insulators up on seemingly barren ground, but we know what that means. Indeterminate tomatoes need all the root they can get to produce nicely and before last of august, so the insulators can add as much as 6 weeks to your growing season. Time to get growing and for some great tips on planting tomatoes from our favorite USU extension agent check this video.

Speaking of favs, my favorite plant sale is next week. May 19th at the Ogden Botanical Garden Noon-6pm and May 21st at Utah Botanical Center 8-2pm. Check out the varieties available at these sales at this link. If you attend be sure to have a list of plants that you need and a couple of idea’s for what would work well in your yard as the offerings range from vegetable to annual to tree starts. Supporting your local garden helps the local economy and assures you of local plants suited for Utah’s climate and expert advice on your plantings.

General recommends for gardening in May include:

Plant the garden and put down a good mulch layer for weed control
Control broad-leaf weeds in the lawn with a 2, 4-D product before temperatures reach 85
Spray birch trees to control the bronze birch borer, and ash trees for ash borer
Thin apples and peaches to one fruit every 5”
Plant annuals towards month end, fertilize two weeks after to stimulate growth
Check the USU website for spray times for apples, pears

As the growing season gets rolling so do pests and problems. Never fear, there is help available. Look for your local diagnostic clinic and take advantage of the experts and master gardeners willing to share information on identifying the problem and how to treat them. Several cities and community garden clubs have clinics to help with gardening problems. In Ogden the diagnostic clinic is at the Botanical Garden on Monroe runs on Wednesdays’ 3-6pm through September.

Note that many farmers markets are starting mid-June. See our list of markets new and old and enjoy the bountiful harvest of local farms.

Go Live GreenFest

admin — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:16:38 +0000

It used to be if you recycled or ate organically you were considered a tree hugging sprout. My how times have changed. Recently attended a Live Green Festival and going “green” has more options now than ever. From native seeds, to food co-ops, to organic food farms to biodegradable caskets the green alternative ideas are much more mainstream now.

Consider the wide variety of organic food options now available. Shopping wise there are currently several natural food markets featuring organic produce from local gardens. There is a community food co-op that welcomes everyone to their warehouse and features discount pricing on fresh produce, meats and bread. Another option is a general store that features CSA organic produce year round and at the farmers markets.

There is a group trying to organize the first ever consumer-owned cooperative grocery market. There is already a “club” you can join that uses its buying power to ensure a healthier lifestyle through support of small organic farms to deliver fresh organic produce weekly. Its like a CSA but with lifetime benefits. Wow, who knew that you can still enjoy all organic produce without gardening or paying extra?

Of course the farmers markets are still a great way to support local organic farms. The market used to be a saturday tradition, but they are branching out to many area’s and are varied in their days and hours. Many farmers markets are featuring food stalls, artist booths and some have entertainment. If you are a foodie, just attending a farmers market is a visual and tasty treat not to be missed. Here is a listing of farmers markets in our little four letter state.

There are companies specializing in heirloom seeds, or native seeds, or non-hybridized seed for landscaping and vegetable gardens. Non-genetically altered seed is making a huge comeback in growing. Getting back to basics and supporting local appetites and economy is always a worthwhile endeavor. Even some community supported gardens are getting into the seed preservation scene, offering “seed swaps” and plant sales to support the effort.

Solar energy is going mobile with smaller panels and cleaner storage techniques was the focus of one booth. Clothing made from hemp and other natural materials was another well represented aspect of being green. Hand made, organic soaps and lotions were explained and offered to try. There was even a service offering all natural, aged goat compost with delivery options at affordable rates.

With today’s economy I believe that many folks are adopting a “victory garden” attitude. Knowing where and how your food is grown is becoming increasingly in focus. Fresh, local and organic is a worthy focus for bringing good nutrition to your overall health. Supporting your local venture adds to the local economy and reduces our energy footprint which saves big dollars. Making a conscious decision to have better food, better nutrition and better economy – no wonder more and more folks are “going green”.