Are you an island?

nhardy · August 4, 2016

When you look around. Do any of your neighbors have veggie & fruit gardens?

I know times have changed. Most of my neighbors have other thing they like to do other than gardening. The neighbors next door had a large garden until their health failed.

My parents grow up in the depression. Mom talks of Victory gardens, rations and canning during the war. My father built light bench to grow plants from seeds. He made his own heating mats. It was my father that taught me to can. Growing plants is my blood. But either of my sisters garden now. But my sister down the street at least lets me use her land for my fruit bushes and veggie containers.

I saw someone at the other end of my street has copied my tomato coop. I really want to see their garden up close.

Father'sDaughter · August 5, 2016

I live in what was an agricultural community but is now more of a suburb. There are 25 houses on my street, four gardens, and two chicken owners. Five years ago, there were no chickens and only one garden. We're making slow progress!

Most of the town is zoned for a minimum one acre per residential lot, so we all have more than enough land for a garden.

Last year a group started a community garden on one acre of town owned conservation land and within the first month, all plots were spoken for and they had a waiting list. Next year they're considering expanding the community garden to three acres.

So why are all these people, who presumably have plenty of land, paying to plant a garden they have to travel to? I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that many are city transplants who have to be taught how to grow food. The easiest way to do this is to join a supportive community garden.

Either way, more and more people are planting gardens and that's a good thing!

habitat_gardener · August 5, 2016

I don't know of any neighbors, anywhere I've lived, that had gardens. But in a couple different towns, there have been "garden shares," where you bring what you have to share (veggie gardens as well as fruit trees). Even when we've held these at community gardens, it's been like pulling teeth to get people to participate. A monthly group had a core group of about 4-5 people and up to maybe 10 people participating. A biweekly group that was just getting started had about 5 regulars and 6 or 7 participating.

I've also been a member of community gardens. They're great if you have no land, or trees/buildings blocking the sun. Even in community gardens, it's rare to see people coming and going. People tend to come for 15 minutes at a time, and don't have time to spend. To me, the best part of community gardens is getting to chat with other gardeners about what we're growing or trying out each season.

I often joke that the squirrels and birds and rats are always watching the backyard gardeners to see what they can look forward to.

One of the most amazing things I noticed when I moved to Calif. was that nearly every yard seemed to have a citrus tree, but that few people seemed to pick them. I moved into a house where the people said the oranges were not sweet so they never picked them. Then, a few years later, they got a fruit picker and started making orange juice all the time. Hardly anyone uses feijoas -- the shrubs are grown as landscape plants. Loquats are rarely used. Etc.

Nematode · August 5, 2016

Neighbors on either side could finance a small war with what they spend on flower gardens. Not 1 vegetable though.

Their yards sure look nice, but my dinner table looks better.

There are a couple very small gardens in the hood. I am not sure their motivation, because the gardens look a little sad.
Just realized that's probably what my flower growing neighbors think when they look at my neglected flower beds.

Ricky Shaw · August 5, 2016

Just me and the long retired school principal two doors down. The ancient educator is my mentor on all things related to squirrel removal and yard care.

bower · August 5, 2016

My neighbour told me last year he had given up trying to have a vegetable garden. Just not worth it because he couldn't keep the critters out. A cycle I know well, I went through it myself.

Also told me that another of our neighbours had fruit trees chowed down by the moose. As I also know well, have a few 'apple bushes' surviving to show.

I got back into gardening mainly because friends who are farmers returned to the island, and took a hand in planting some food in my greenhouse and restoring some minor semblance of order to my wild perennial garden, and gave me hope and the gumption to try some different things, find better strategies.

gardeninglee · August 5, 2016

I live in an area with lots of multi-unit buildings and very few of those units have any outdoor space. Although I do catch quite a few people stopping in front of my patio to just stare at everything I have growing. But every now and then when I'm taking a walk I'll see a lone tomato plant on someone's balcony. It's definitely pretty rare here.

NarnianGarden · August 5, 2016

Neither of my neighbors in this apartment block have much on their balconies - the little green there is, is flowers. I have given one naighbor several plants to grow, this year it was a tomato seedling, and it's almost dead now.. Clearly food growing is not her priority, haha.
She has very beautiful flowers in containers though, and she takes good care of them..

My jungle sure stands out here in our desert.

Ricky Shaw · August 5, 2016

Two-Thumbs Up gardenglee, I admire the balcony growers, like hardened bristlecone pines in a handful of soil on rock-face. Proud and green in an otherwise barren landscape.

Merediana · August 5, 2016

Living in a village with quite many people in their seventies and eighties, many of them have small vegetable gardens, some even dedicate their whole garden to veggies but the younger generations don't do much. My parents for example (in their 60s) are already too young.
I'm 24 an really an exception in my age group. But growing super hot peppers or weed seems to be a thing. Today I noticed the first weed growing supply store in the next bigger town.

swellcat · August 5, 2016

(Hey—it's all green, man.)

Quote:

Their yards sure look nice, but my dinner table looks better.

Someone just found his signature line.

Growing likely leads to cooking; could cooking lead to growing? IF one could get some of the neighbors together for some nice dishes prepared from the fresh herbs and vegetables from the community gardens, a good time could be had by all.

My Foot Smells · August 5, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merediana

Living in a village with quite many people in their seventies and eighties, many of them have small vegetable gardens, some even dedicate their whole garden to veggies but the younger generations don't do much. My parents for example (in their 60s) are already too young.
I'm 24 an really an exception in my age group. But growing super hot peppers or weed seems to be a thing. Today I noticed the first weed growing supply store in the next bigger town.

Is growing ganja legal in Germany? Interesting if so. Germany, as a country, is sooooo clean (litter-ally speaking) - I like that. not trashy - like lots of the states. can't stand some of these filthy pigs over here littering the scene....

MarianneW · August 5, 2016

Everyone on the block has at least 1 fruit tree, if not several. I can hear chickens outside and I know I'm not the only one on the block with vegetables. People still garden here

Merediana · August 5, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by My Foot Smells

Is growing ganja legal in Germany? Interesting if so. Germany, as a country, is sooooo clean (litter-ally speaking) - I like that. not trashy - like lots of the states. can't stand some of these filthy pigs over here littering the scene....

No it is not but selling supplies like indoor grow boxes and special fertilizers is legal and there are so so many online stores right now and lots of online communities for people who grow small batches of weed for their own consumption.
Whenever I google something plant health related (especially stuff about deficiencies, nutrients, pests etc) I end up with lots of results that lead me to those kind of pages

At least they seem to be much more scientific than the results that are actually about vegetables

I still don't get the point of growing plants that you can't eat

Hellmanns · August 5, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merediana

No it is not but selling supplies like indoor grow boxes and special fertilizers is legal and there are so so many online stores right now and lots of online communities for people who grow small batches of weed for their own consumption.
Whenever I google something plant health related (especially stuff about deficiencies, nutrients, pests etc) I end up with lots of results that lead me to those kind of pages

At least they seem to be much more scientific than the results that are actually about vegetables

I still don't get the point of growing plants that you can't eat

I heard it was good sprinkled in brownie batter.

August 4, 2016	#1
nhardy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: St. Louis Posts: 82	Are you an island? When you look around. Do any of your neighbors have veggie & fruit gardens? I know times have changed. Most of my neighbors have other thing they like to do other than gardening. The neighbors next door had a large garden until their health failed. My parents grow up in the depression. Mom talks of Victory gardens, rations and canning during the war. My father built light bench to grow plants from seeds. He made his own heating mats. It was my father that taught me to can. Growing plants is my blood. But either of my sisters garden now. But my sister down the street at least lets me use her land for my fruit bushes and veggie containers. I saw someone at the other end of my street has copied my tomato coop. I really want to see their garden up close.

August 5, 2016	#2
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	I live in what was an agricultural community but is now more of a suburb. There are 25 houses on my street, four gardens, and two chicken owners. Five years ago, there were no chickens and only one garden. We're making slow progress! Most of the town is zoned for a minimum one acre per residential lot, so we all have more than enough land for a garden. Last year a group started a community garden on one acre of town owned conservation land and within the first month, all plots were spoken for and they had a waiting list. Next year they're considering expanding the community garden to three acres. So why are all these people, who presumably have plenty of land, paying to plant a garden they have to travel to? I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that many are city transplants who have to be taught how to grow food. The easiest way to do this is to join a supportive community garden. Either way, more and more people are planting gardens and that's a good thing!

August 5, 2016	#3
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	I don't know of any neighbors, anywhere I've lived, that had gardens. But in a couple different towns, there have been "garden shares," where you bring what you have to share (veggie gardens as well as fruit trees). Even when we've held these at community gardens, it's been like pulling teeth to get people to participate. A monthly group had a core group of about 4-5 people and up to maybe 10 people participating. A biweekly group that was just getting started had about 5 regulars and 6 or 7 participating. I've also been a member of community gardens. They're great if you have no land, or trees/buildings blocking the sun. Even in community gardens, it's rare to see people coming and going. People tend to come for 15 minutes at a time, and don't have time to spend. To me, the best part of community gardens is getting to chat with other gardeners about what we're growing or trying out each season. I often joke that the squirrels and birds and rats are always watching the backyard gardeners to see what they can look forward to. One of the most amazing things I noticed when I moved to Calif. was that nearly every yard seemed to have a citrus tree, but that few people seemed to pick them. I moved into a house where the people said the oranges were not sweet so they never picked them. Then, a few years later, they got a fruit picker and started making orange juice all the time. Hardly anyone uses feijoas -- the shrubs are grown as landscape plants. Loquats are rarely used. Etc.

August 5, 2016	#4
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	Neighbors on either side could finance a small war with what they spend on flower gardens. Not 1 vegetable though. Their yards sure look nice, but my dinner table looks better. There are a couple very small gardens in the hood. I am not sure their motivation, because the gardens look a little sad. Just realized that's probably what my flower growing neighbors think when they look at my neglected flower beds.

August 5, 2016	#5
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	Just me and the long retired school principal two doors down. The ancient educator is my mentor on all things related to squirrel removal and yard care.

August 5, 2016	#6
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	My neighbour told me last year he had given up trying to have a vegetable garden. Just not worth it because he couldn't keep the critters out. A cycle I know well, I went through it myself. Also told me that another of our neighbours had fruit trees chowed down by the moose. As I also know well, have a few 'apple bushes' surviving to show. I got back into gardening mainly because friends who are farmers returned to the island, and took a hand in planting some food in my greenhouse and restoring some minor semblance of order to my wild perennial garden, and gave me hope and the gumption to try some different things, find better strategies.

August 5, 2016	#7
gardeninglee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: West Los Angeles Posts: 203	I live in an area with lots of multi-unit buildings and very few of those units have any outdoor space. Although I do catch quite a few people stopping in front of my patio to just stare at everything I have growing. But every now and then when I'm taking a walk I'll see a lone tomato plant on someone's balcony. It's definitely pretty rare here.

August 5, 2016	#8
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Neither of my neighbors in this apartment block have much on their balconies - the little green there is, is flowers. I have given one naighbor several plants to grow, this year it was a tomato seedling, and it's almost dead now.. Clearly food growing is not her priority, haha. She has very beautiful flowers in containers though, and she takes good care of them.. My jungle sure stands out here in our desert.

August 5, 2016	#10
Merediana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: germany Posts: 190	Living in a village with quite many people in their seventies and eighties, many of them have small vegetable gardens, some even dedicate their whole garden to veggies but the younger generations don't do much. My parents for example (in their 60s) are already too young. I'm 24 an really an exception in my age group. But growing super hot peppers or weed seems to be a thing. Today I noticed the first weed growing supply store in the next bigger town.

August 5, 2016	#13
MarianneW Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Arizona Posts: 153	Everyone on the block has at least 1 fruit tree, if not several. I can hear chickens outside and I know I'm not the only one on the block with vegetables. People still garden here