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There are three contests.

1.    Write a mini story on a gardening experience. No, it does not need to be long. This story could be a gardening tip that saves time or money, a humorous event while gardening, or just why you garden. You can send your story to me via the contact page or post it in the garden forum that will be opening in a few days. The winner of this contest will receive 10 seed packets and directions for a mini recession garden.
2.    Best gardening tip: Enter your best gardening tip and win 5 packets of seeds and a garden plan for a small raised bed garden. This plan is perfect for a patio or balcony garden. There will be two winners.
3.    Best natural control for insects. Send a recipe for natural control of insects. The winner receives a booklet of insect identification.

And everyone receives something for entering. But that’s a surprise. It’s a lot like a garden you plant the seeds and wait to see what happens.

************** Rules: ***************

If you live overseas I may have to send something other than seeds depending on the country.

Legitimate entries only. No spamming, business ventures, etc.

Send your entry to me via the contact page on the site. Or you can use the comment section on the post.

The contest will run two weeks. It begins on Ground Hogs Day, February 2nd 2010  and will end February 15th 2010.

Check out my garden section on free seeds and plants and Recession Gardening.

Good luck and have fun. Denise

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And I have a cherry tomato plant hanging plant and strawberry hanging plant already growing and producing.

My next step is to add a few more vegetables and a few herbs. I have pots ready and I will grow these in a windowsill garden.

The herbs I grow are basil, chives, thyme and oregano. I start these from seed but I also want rosemary and sage. I think I will buy a plant for these herbs. It will give me the “instant big garden” look. And while I’m out buying herbs I’ll look for a lavendar plant.

I will be starting my pepper and tomato plants soon but I want to make compost and build a few raised bed planters for more planting room.

Tip: If you are planting tomatoes and peppers for outdoors you may wan to wait. I use a repotting method for tomatoes that gives me 3 foot producing tomatoes by May. It’s a bit of work so many people prefer to start plants in late March or April.

photo credit: rudy.kleysteuber

I also have a portable mini greenhouse to set up. That’s tomorrow project.

Making compost indoors.

I need a lot of compost to add to my potting soil for repotting and making hanging baskets so I make my own compost indoors. I am using the downstairs basement for my project. I have brought in two large plastic 55-gallon barrels. I placed 6 inches of pebbles in the bottom for drainage. I don’t have drainage holes in these barrels so I have to make sure I don’t add to much water to the compost. (All compost needed a little moisture to start to work.)

Next I have compost material I have saved. First I add about 9 inches of straw, 9 inches of shredded leaves, 9 inches of old sawdust that has broken down already. I will add 3 inches of fresh sawdust to help the pile work and top off the mix with a thin layer of peat. I will also dust the top layer with old rabbit manure.

And believe it or not, I am adding ½ can of coke to each compost barrel, which I will sprinkle on top of the mix. For some reason coke really helps break down a compost bin. In the summer months I would use the herbs comfrey, yarrow or add fresh grass clippings. And for a few days I will cover the barrels with clear plastic to hold in heat and moisture.

I can either let the compost containers sit like this for a week or stir it up to help it compost faster. For today it’s sitting. I will stir it up when I add kitchen table scraps. (Fresh vegetables, coffee grounds and eggshells only. No meat or grease items)

Uisng a composting method like this I can usually create good usable compost in two weeks.

I have a start on two working compost bins so I will sort through seeds to see what I can start in a few days and call my winter gardening quits for today.

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I have left over seeds from summer, which are still viable so I will not be buying any seeds at this time. Fresh seeds also do not hit the stores until later February or March in my zone 5 climate.

Tip: Order your seeds from catalogs as soon as possible. I always enjoy ordering seeds when he snow is falling and is too cold to want to be outdoors

Today I am organizing my seeds and cleaning my potting containers and raised bed containers.

I clean my pots in a mild bleach and warm water then I also use dish soap for one more cleaning. I let the pots air dry. If there is any staining on the pots I use either red cider vinegar or baking soda to remove it. I want to make sure any dirt or bacteria is not on the pots.

I will also be building indoor raised beds for starting seeds this year. I am using old drawers from vintage dressers that were about to be tossed. I will need to line the drawers to make sure hat if the wood was treated any chemicals will not affect the soil. The drawers do not looked treated and are very old, but I will take the added precaution anyways.

I will need to drill drainage holes in the drawers and make sure the soil drains well. Directions will follow for this project in a few days.

Next I will check my soil. I use a mix of compost and sterilized soil mix but you may want to use just a soilless potting mix. If I feel I might have a soil mildew problem or if I am concerned about my lighting I use a soilless potting mix.

This year I have a strong natural lighting and will use a few watering tricks that have halted any mildew or soggy soil problems.

Once my soil and pots are prepared I will take stalk of my planting area. Its still cold here in NW PA and if I heat the greenhouse it will cost a lot. So this year I am using the basement apartment to grow my garden. The basement was severely damaged in flooding this summer so it’s the perfect place to use this winter as its just sitting there waiting to be redone.

I have two wonderful windows with natural lighting that I will sit my seedling by. And believe it or not, I have a small portable mini greenhouse that I plan to set up by the one window that has a draft to protect the plants and add more heat to the area. This area will be for plants that want more heat like tomatoes and peppers. Leafy greens will do just fine by the other window.

And to make better use of my lighting, my plants will be placed vertically by the windows. The dresser drawer raised beds will be used in the mini greenhouse and pots will be placed on glass shelves I am making for the windows or in hanging pots and baskets.

photo credit: WaveBreaker

So now that I have a plan in place and my seeds set aside, its time to get busy.

And as expected, greens can be easily grown in the winter along with herbs, a few edible flowers, onions and garlic. But I am also growing tomatoes, a few bean plants, peppers, and I am trying a few cucumber plants. A few of these plans will need hand pollinated but its winter and I am trying to distract myself from the snow that is falling and covering the ground.

My next post will tell how to create the dresser drawer raised beds and how to make a warmer climate area in your home, particularly if you have limited space

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They have realized that fresh vegetables, fragrant flowers and savory herbs are possible to grow, even in the smallest of spaces. A tiny urban plot, a balcony, sunny windowsill, or even by using a community garden, they can grow fresh chemical free produce.

Gardening Tips for setting up a small Urban Garden

Evaluate your space. Make the most of the space you have. Sit down and draw up a plan, Grow what you will use the most or have trouble purchasing and set up a program to share produce with you neighbors. They may have more room to grow certain crops than you so.

And if all else fails, sign up for a community garden spot. Many cities and towns are offering space for people to grow plants and vegetables.

Enrich the soil. Having limited space means that your soil will work harder to produce crops in a smaller area. You may also be using succession planting techniques (growing several crops in a row in the same space) so make sure your soil is loamy and full of compost.

you can improve your soil by checking with your local parks department to see if yard waste is composted for community use. You can also collect leaves and grass clipping from neighbors.

Apartment dwellers can start a vermi compost bin in their apartment and make compost using kitchen scraps and earthworms. It’s amazing how much compost you can make in a garbage can.

Keep your garden area clean and tidy. A clean garden area has less insect and bug problems so remove any dead or weak plant leaves. Weeds should be pulled daily and they can be added to a compost bin. If you want to cut back on any weeding add mulch. Mulch also has the added advantage of keeping moisture in the soil making watering easier.

An advantage city gardener has with a smaller garden area is the time it takes to maintain. A small plot can easily be watered and weeded in 20 minutes a day where a large garden can take hours each day. And a container or windowsill garden only takes a few minutes each day.

Grow your crops vertically. If your available gardening area consists of a narrow rectangular space or a small balcony area or patio corner train miniature vegetables, tomatoes and flowering vines to grow up a trellis. Many seed companies have a wide selection of miniature vegetables for small gardens areas.

An entire salad garden can be grown in a window or container planter by selecting ‘Micro-Tom’ tomatoes, mini lettuce varieties, sweet onions or a clump of chives in a container. You may even have room for a cucumber plant.

Many trees can be grown in containers and set out on patios and along property lines in the summer. If you grow small fruit trees you will have the added benefit of fresh fruit.

Protect your clay and stone pots from freezing temperatures by bring them indoors in the winter.  You can also wrap the large pots with plastic bags filled with straw to prevent water penetration, which will crack clay pots in freezing temperatures.

If you don’t have storage space or don’t want the extra work of storing pots, use faux stone or faux terra-cotta pots made from plastic. These pots are light and less prone to frost damage.

With the cost of food skyrocketing and the fact that the world is not producing enough food to feed the people its important to raise what you can to help your budget and help our world.

There are many articles on recession gardening at Recession Gardening garden plan.

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So I saw an ad in the newspaper for garden seeds on sale at the local hardware store. The price 5 for $1. I thought I would purchase my seeds there and pick up any additional seeds or trade for what else I wanted for the garden. I also decided to buy my tomato and pepper plants as transplants. Many first gardeners may not be prepared to start seeds early so by buying a larger plant and giving it special attention my goal it to harvest 30 pounds of tomatoes off each plant. I am not sure what I will get with the pepper plants.

Seeds I have purchased for the Recession Garden

• Scarlet Globe Radish -2 packs
• Beets – Detroit Dark Red and Early Wonder
• Cucumbers – 3 packs Wisconsin SMR 58 (pickling)
• Carrots – 2 packs Danvers Half Long
• Beans -Yellow Top Notch Golden Wax Kentucky Wonder Blue Lake bush
• Summer Squash – Early Crookneck
• Swiss Chard – Fordhook
• Lettuce, 4 packs – Buttercrunch, Black seeded Simpson, Dark Green Cos Endive
• Herbs – sweet basil, oregano, borage
• Flowers – Marigolds, Nasturtiums, Calendula, Sunflowers.

These were all purchased for $5. Cucumbers, carrots beans and the lettuce varieties all have enough seeds available for multiple plantings for the entire season.
photo credit: iLoveButter

I also purchased Vegetable Squash (winter Squash) and a large packet of Peas for $1 a packet. I have made plans to trade some of my Vegetable Spaghetti seeds for Butternut and Buttercup squash. I will also trade some of my yellow Summer Squash for Zucchini. I picked up onion sets and paid $3 for three pounds. So far my garden costs are $10

My tomato plants and pepper plants I will pick up in two weeks and plan to spend 50 cents plant. If I had to purchase garden tools I can get them at the auction for $1 a piece but I have what I need.

As for potatoes, I had potatoes that were starting to sprout so I will use them. I cut up my first batch for planting today and have them healing. This will take about two days. If you haven’t cut potatoes for seeding leave two eyes per section of potato. If you live in an area that has potato blight you may wish to purchase potatoes for seeding. They will cost about 4 to 5 dollars. Note: I plant my potatoes in baskets and use a straw method for planting. It increases the harvest and you have clean potatoes.

You may have to pay to have a garden spot plowed or you can grow in containers or use the no-dig method for gardening. And remember, you can plant a garden in a small space.

The rest of the money I have left will probably go for any additional seeds, composting materials or supplies for homemade insecticides. All of which ideas and tips will be posted at The Gardener’s Rake on the Recession Garden Garden Plan page.

Also check out the Free Seeds and Plants page for more garden saving ideas.

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Michele Obama, along with help from twenty-three fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary School in Washington, started to dig up the new 1,100-square-foot Victory garden plot in the White House Lawn on Friday March 20. The gardens location is near the Obama girls’ swing set and will be visible to people passing by the White House if using E Street.  
photo credit: Super Is Sunny

There has not been a vegetable garden on the White House lawn since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden in World War II. With the tough economic times facing Americans and other countries this is the perfect time to realize the importance of growing your own fresh organic vegetables and fruit in you own backyard. And for a small amount of money spent you save hundreds or thousands of dollars on your food bill.

The organic garden will help provide food for the first family’s meals and formal dinners, but its most important role, according to Mrs. Obama, will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern.

“My hope,” the first lady said in an interview in her East Wing office and as reported originally in the New York Times, “is that through children, they will begin to educate their families and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities.”

There have been many successful school community gardens in the last few years and the students from Bancroft Elementary have had such a garden since 2001. These student will be helping through the growing season to plant, harvest, and cook the produce grown. Vegetables, fruits and herbs are planned for the garden. Vegetables top the list with 55 different varieties being planted. Heirloom seeds are are being used in the garden.

The Obama family will also help, including the President. As gardening is relaxing and great exercise, the garden will benefit them  with better fitness and fresh organic quality produce. Promoting healthy eating has become an important part of Mrs. Obama’s own agenda.

As reported in an internet article, The first lady, who said that she had never had a vegetable garden, recalled that the idea for this one came from her experiences as a working mother trying to feed her daughters, Malia and Sasha, a good diet. Eating out three times a week, ordering a pizza, having a sandwich for dinner all took their toll in added weight on the girls, whose pediatrician told Mrs. Obama that she needed to be thinking about nutrition.

The Obamas having a garden that is set up along the Victory garden or Recession garden idea of organic food production and saving energy with small farm principles should send a message about healthy eating. I think it also sends a message to save money and help you, your family and the community.

The Obamas White House garden will be a focal point of interest this summer. And as interest in garden has picked up all across the United States you may want to consider you own recession garden or join in a community garden near where you live. Check out the $20 Recession Garden challenge for additional information

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With this in mind I decided to try and start a garden for Twenty dollars. There is a movement called Recession Gardening to promote organic gardening and for as many people to raise produce as possible. I have been gardening for many years but decided to look at this as if it’s my first year and attempt to buy all my supplies for twenty dollars. Since I know gardening cost shortcuts I will be sharing these as we go along.

Garden Space

First you need to decide how much space you have available for a garden and what your favorite or most used vegetables and fruits will be. Corn tomatoes peppers beans cucumbers, lettuce potatoes onions cabbage and beets are a few of the most popular vegetables. Melons, strawberries and blueberries are favorite garden fruits.

Cost saving gardening ideas

Next look for deals. I read that out local garden center have seeds on sale for 20 cents a packet. So I decided what I wanted in the garden this year and went down and selected five dollars worth of seeds. ( I grow a lot of leaf lettuce so need to plant lettuce every two weeks)There are a few more seeds I want but I will wait to see what my friends are buying and trade a few seeds with them. If I buy one packet of winter squash I do not need to plant the entire packet so trading seeds makes more sense. Wal-Mart usually has seeds for twenty cents a packet too.

Seeds can be one of your most expensive costs in a garden along with buying plants and tools for the garden. You may also need to have your garden tilled or buy gardening tools. I find most of my gardening tools at garage sales or at auctions for one to two dollars apiece. If you have not gardened before you will want a hoe or spade and a rake and a small hand spade. Check at garage sales for these tools.

Additional gardening  supplies you may need:

• String
• boards
• stakes
• plant markers
• soil
• compost
• fertilizer
• mulch
• insect control spray –organic of course!
• Water hose or rain barrel
• plastic jugs, plant ties and  pantyhose

As you go along you may find you want something more but the goal is to keep your garden around twenty dollars in cost.

During the summer I will be sharing this project and its results and I offer you the challenge of following me and sending in tips and photos. There will be winners at the end of the gardening season.

But the real reason for doing this is to help the economy, the community and to raise healthy food.

Recession Garden tips:

• For newer gardeners: If this is your first or second gardening experience buy your tomato and pepper plants. They are a little harder to start than some seeds. I would buy the larger individual plants for about 50 cents a piece.
• Grow at least one thing for fun. A garden should be fun so experiment. And grow a few flowers. It just adds to the fun.
• If possible garden with a family member or friend and share the produce. And if you have too much of one crop, give it to a food bank if you have one in your community
• You don’t have a lot of space? You can still have a garden. Just use containers, windowsills and any extra space available.

Next I will share what seed I have bought and what I am looking to share with another gardener.

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Now that a recession is underway and many say we are heading into a depression: It’s time to start up the backyard gardens again. It’s a great way to improve your economic stability and that of the nation. You also can have fresh chemical free vegetables and fruits. No more worry about illegally used chemical sprays that have made the news over the last few years and many very ill.

How to Grow a Recession Garden

Make a list of vegetables and fruits to include in your depression garden. Choose vegetables that provide a good amount of nutrition and bulk. I recommend potatoes, onions, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, lettuce and beans. Cucumbers are very good for you but are a bit more challenging to the beginning gardener. Strawberries, peppers, melons and herbs are also great choices for a garden. If you have a large backyard the addition of fruit trees or bushes are beneficial.

Purchase your seeds, seed potatoes and seed onions as early as possible to get the best selection. This also applies to purchasing fruit trees, berry bushes and strawberry plants. If you wait too long to select your seeds the best varieties may be sold out. This is particularly true for onion sets.

If you are a beginning gardener you will want to purchase you pepper and tomato plants. If you have had a garden before you may want to try starting your own plants. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and herbs should be started in late winter. A few weeks later you can start seed broccoli, cantaloupe, spinach and lettuce. Peas, corn and potatoes will do best planted directly in the ground outdoors. Just make sure you wait to plant until after the last frost date. This information is available online or form you local Extension Office. .

Prepare the soil in your garden. You can either turn over the soil, adding compost and well-composted manure in small quantities or you can use one of the no dig methods. Straw bale gardening also works well. If you have small animals in you backyard you may want to fence your garden area.

You can also plant some of your garden in containers, on the windowsill or on the patio or balcony if you have limited space. An herb container garden in pots by the kitchen door is convenient and can be very decorative. I also like to grow tomatoes in hanging baskets on the porch or deck. A garden will thrive anywhere as long as you have healthy soil and sunlight.

Creative Organic Gardening methods (no chemicals and better use of gardening space) are best used in the recession garden.

If you have additional produce you may decide to freeze or can it. You can also trade the neighbors for produce that you do not grow. The Recession garden will help your income during these tough times ahead. It also provides exercise and time to spend with the family

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