Peas, and Thank You!

Franklin's Steve Sherlock joined us for the "Give Peas a Chance" event and shared it on the Franklin Matters website, please hop over and take a look!

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/03/community-garden-grey-day-for-green.html

It was a great day to say hello to old friends, meet new ones, and get inspired to get growing.

Garden Coordinator Chris Clay spoke about planting and trellis options while his son Gabe happily poked peas into the rich, dark, and crumbly soil  in the Franklin Food Pantry's Giving Garden bed.

Many folks took advantage of the free pea seed, and there is more seed coming from our Friends at American Meadows in Vermont.  We'll be sure to make seed available to anyone who would like to grow some and will announce the next distribution on this site and on our Facebook page.

Would you please consider growing extra produce this year to share?
Donate it to the The Franklin Food Pantry! (or your local food pantry, for our readers from out of town.)
There will be more info about the FFP and their fresh produce initiative in the upcoming days, stay tuned.

If you do not have garden space in the ground where you are, peas will happily grow in containers.

No space at home?  There's always your workplace---consider starting a community garden with your co-workers.  Even with only a couple of containers you can grow a lot more than you think! No excuse not to.
Just saying.


Thank you all for Giving peas a chance!

In awe of all the awesomeness of the day,
~Amy

Spring Celebration & Pea Planting Demonstration - March 17th 10am!

The time for planting peas is close at hand, and St. Patty's day is a great day to get them in the ground.  The warm weather this week should put soil temperatures right where we want them for germination!  This post will contain some basic information to help you prepare for the event.

What is the difference between Vining and Bush style peas?

I grow both varieties of peas, and I stand 6'5" tall.  These are my vining peas in June, and as you can see they're approaching 7' tall.  When I finally took them down they had total vine lengths close to 10' and had flopped over.  Vining peas will totally dominate a raised bed and really aren't appropriate for our community garden setting.  If you have room for tall vines, however, the variety show in this picture is Sugar Snap, and it is easily my favorite variety of pea.

The peas in front of me in this picture are a bush variety Alaska in early June.  From here they'll grow an additional foot or so.  Bush varieties can be just as productive as vining varieties if not more so.  They are perfect for raised beds, and often require no supports or minimal support to grow.

What is the difference between the different varieties of Peas?

In addition to bush or vining you'll often see peas described as English(Shelling), Snap Peas, and Snow Peas.  In the image below you have Snow Peas on the left and Snap Peas on the right.

English varieties are grown specifically for shelling.  Their pods are often tough and stringy making it very difficult to eat.  It can take a lot of work to shell all your peas, but they are an amazing treat.  My favorite Bush English varieties of peas are Alaska and Laxton's Progress #9.

Snap Pea varieties are grown to be picked when the pod is full, and they have an edible pod.  They can be shelled like English varieties, but the pod is often the tastiest part.  My favorite Bush Snap Pea varieties are Sugar Ann and Sugar Daddy.  

Snow Pea varieties are grown to be picked before the peas have grown.  These are the big flat pods you'll often see in stir fry dishes.  Though they can be picked after the peas have formed, they're usually gain a bitter starchy flavor as the peas develop.  My favorite Bush Snow Pea variety is Oregon Sugar Pod II

Do you need to soak your peas before you plant them? 

You do not need to soak your peas before you plant them, and it can lead to the seed dying if the seed is planted in ground that is too cold and damp.  That said, if the ground is at least 40F and ideally between 50-55F then soaking your peas can speed germination.

I happen to soak my peas before I plant them most years.  With the mild winter and very warm weather we've had this is a year I'll be soaking.  To prepare the solution to soak them in I dissolve 75mg of Vitamin C(Half of your average over the counter tablet) in one quart of water.   There is research that the vitamin C aids early plant development, and as you can see from the pictures my peas do quite well.  I do want to stress, however, that you do not have to soak your seeds to have healthy plants!

What kind of support do I need for my peas?

The great thing about bush varieties is they don't need much support at all, but when the winds really get going in New England even the strongest bush pea plant can be flattened without some support.


Narrow Bamboo is perhaps the most versatile and easiest to use support for peas.  You can build a tepee with them and plant peas around the base, you can stick them in a straight line one  pole for every pea plant.  You can build a frame out of them and string twine between them.  You can plunge both ends into the ground to form hoops and grow the plants in the middle.  I'll have some on hand for demonstrations at the garden.


Galvanized Garden Fencing is what I use for all of my pea supports.  It can easily be worked into rounds with just a pair of wire cutting pliers, and will last through many seasons.  When the weather is particularly wet or windy you may need to support them with additional bamboo stakes.

If you have any additional questions feel free to ask and I'll add them to this post as edits.  Just send a mail to franklincommunitygardens@gmail.com

Give Peas a Chance! March 17

Franklin Community Garden

Spring Celebration 

&

 Pea Planting Demonstration

Saturday, March 17th

@ 10 a.m.

Cost: Free

Location:

King Street Memorial Community Garden

located at King Street Memorial Park in Franklin

Sponsored by:

The Friends of Franklin Community Gardens, Inc

All are welcome to attend!

The Friends of Franklin Community Gardens will celebrate the beginning of the 2012 spring season by hosting a Pea Planting demonstration at King Street Memorial Community Garden on Saturday, March 17th beginning at 10 AM (weather permitting). 

 

March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, is the traditional day in New England to plant spring peas.  Free seeds will be available while supplies last. 

 

Garden Coordinator Chris Clay will lead this educational event. Learn about pea types, planting requirements, trellising options, and more.

Get your garden off to an early start by planting a spring crop of fresh sugar snap, snow, or shell peas this year

 Give Peas a Chance!

Rain date: Sunday, March 18

 www.franklincommunitygardens.org

 

Contact: Chris Clay @ hakai2@gmail.com  

Got Seeds? Plant some this weekend! Really! Winter Sowing 101

I know, I know, it's February, just barely into the first week.

And you have your packets of seeds ready to go because:

A) you are super-organized and ordered them early, 

or, like me,

B)  have plenty left over from last year that did not get planted (spinach!),

or perhaps

C) you planted heirlooms and saved your own seed (A+ for sustainability!)

or

D) all of the above (seed junkie!)

You see them at the store, taunting you: "Buy Me." 

(and me and me and me.....)

But you have only so much space to start seeds inside. 

Not enough for everything you want to start.

And maybe no grow light, or only one, or no sunny windows, or bad luck starting seeds.

And anyway, it's too early.

Nope. Wrong.

Start some anyway.  Now. 

Not Inside, 

Outside.

Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers

Annuals and Perennials.

Yes, you can.

It is called winter sowing, and right now, this weekend, you can get started.

But there is a hitch:  You need to do this in containers that have a lid. 

Find some.

Examples:

Gallon water or milk jugs,

Plastic take-out containers,

Plastic shoe boxes

You get it.

I am not going to write a winter sowing primer here on this blog, instead, I'm going to point you toward those who have already written about it and let you have fun learning more.  

http://wintersown.org/  

the place you want to start.

http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/Seed_Lists.html

the seed lists

Franklin, Ma is in zone 6A

(yes, it changed, USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map)

The Winter Sowing Discussion Forum on Dave's Garden

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/coldsow/all/#b

be prepared to get hooked.

Kevin Lee Jacobs in Connecticut has done an excellent job listing which vegetables can be winter-sown in February, March, and April on his site

  A Garden for the House 

He is in the same zone as Franklin, 5B-6A

Here's the post:

http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/01/what-to-winter-sow-and-when/

According to Jacobs, these vegetables and herbs can be winter-sown in January and February:

Spinach

Kale

Brussels sprouts

Peas

Broccoli

Thymus serpyllum (Creeping Thyme)

Salvia (common sage)

Oregano

Cilantro

 

You can even winter sow tomatoes next month and they will be hardier for it.

Are you inspired? Good.  

Now go forth and sow.  

have fun,  

-Amy

Groundhog Math

You say Groundhog.

I say Woodchuck.

photo credit

 groundhog (Marmota monax)


Some say Marmot, Whistle-pig, or Land Beaver.

A groundhog is a rodent.

Rodents = Trouble.

(sorry, Mickey M.)

***

Here's some garden math for you:

Rodent + Garden = Damage.

If 
Groundhog = Rodent


Then
Rodent = Groundhog.

***

Groundhog + Garden = Damage.

And If
Groundhog + Groundhog =

 Groundhogs to the Nth power, 

Well, I'm not a math wiz (science is more my thing)

 but I think it is safe to conclude :

Then 

Groundhogs to the Nth power = Nightmare on Garden Street.

***

Here's hoping those fur beasts sleep all through the rest of winter

 and forget to wake up come summer as well!

happy groundhog day, friends!  -Amy.

Renewals & Wait List Info is Here!

Hello Friends!
Here's the news you have been waiting for:


The Franklin Community Garden Committee

Opens 2012 Garden Bed Renewals and Waiting List

For King Street Memorial Community Garden

Renewals:

• Beginning Wednesday, February 1^st, gardeners who maintained a raised bed at the King Street Memorial Community Garden may begin to renew for the 2012 season.
• Gardeners have until Friday, March 2^nd to complete the renewal application and submit payment. 
• Gardeners in good standing have already been contacted by the committee.
• The season fee is $40 and is payable to The Town of Franklin. The application will be processed through the Franklin Recreation Department, 150 Emmons Street (Old Town Hall)
• There is no online registration for renewals.  Gardeners must call Franklin Recreation at 508-520-4909 or visit during office hours.
• Garden beds not renewed by Friday, March 2nd will be assigned to the next person on the wait list.  
• Gardeners may not reassign their plot to anyone else.

Wait List:

• The Community Garden Committee will also open a rolling waiting list for the garden beginning February 1^st. 
• Available gardens will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis and assignments will begin Monday, March 5^th pending available space at the garden.
• Sign up for the waiting list ONLINE at http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Recreation/online by following the links to "Online Registration", then "Register for Activities" then select "Community Garden"
• There is no fee to join the wait list; the $40 fee will only be charged when a garden is assigned.

If you have any questions, please contact the Franklin Community Garden Committee at franklincommunitygardens@gmail.com

Quick! Grab your calendar (or open your calendar app!) and write this down:

Save the Date:
Saturday, March 17

(peas and thank you)

Spring Celebration and Pea Planting Demonstration
 at 

the King Street Garden! 

Weather permitting; more info to follow.  

The public is invited!

oh, yes, FREE SEEDS!!! (while supplies last)




~In Spring We Trust~

Heralding in the New Gardening Year

A visit to the King Street Garden today in short sleeves, 55 degrees and sunny!

***

Happy New Year, Gardeners!

***

Are you getting your seed catalogs yet?

Making resolutions?

To-do lists?

Sketching out garden plot plans?

The real spring will be here before we know it.

***

If to-do lists are your thing, Listen Up:

The Franklin Community Garden Committee is seeking additional members.

Prove your Passion. 

Get Involved!

(Once a month, sometimes twice, usually a Monday evening, 6:30, at the Town Hall.)

Next meeting slated for Monday, Jan 9th at 6:30 

Resolve to be there!

Dig In!

It's going to be another great year.

(Just like last year, only better.)

***

Thanks in advance for your help!

***