Drip Irrigation

This past Monday, October 1st, Cultivating Community had a workshop on drip irrigation. We disassembled our current system for the winter. Winterization is really important in places where there is, well, winter. Imagine leaving plastic tubing filled with water in your garden then dropping the temperature and dumping snow on top of it. Not a good idea. It's like freezing snakes and expecting them to come back to life during the spring thaw. I know it worked for Austin Powers. It doesn't work for plastic.

We also removed our rain barrels and turned them upside-down to avoid them filling with water. We wrapped the plastic drip tubing and stored it carefully in the shed. It's on my wish-list to put up some kind of shelving system so we can organize things more neatly.

Plant Identification the Artistict Way

I am not a scientist and have limited scientific experience with horticulture and botany. I do know a lot about plants, though, and what makes them happy. I also know a lot about the power of art as a means of honing observational skills, and the role observation plays in learning.


The Canadian Oxford Dictionary defines science specifically as “a branch of knowledge conducted on objective principles involving the systemized observation of and experiments with phenomena, especially concerned with the material and functions of the physical universe."

A lot of the student volunteers have questions about which plants are which. It's confusing at first because all the plants look like a sea of green. We spend very little time in educational settings or otherwise just sitting and staring at plants. Observation is an educational skill often elbowed out in curricula trying to meet standardized benchmarks. I think it's one of the more critical learning methods. As children we learn to walk by watching the bigger people around us before stumbling about on our own unsteady feet. I learned to make Greek yogurt by watching my YiaYia strain the whey with an old pillowcase. We can similarly learn the differences between plants by observing the details that distinguish them from others.

Garnet, Pat and Harry at work observing in the garden.

Garnet is excited about Zebra tomatoes!

For our workshop on plant identification each volunteer drew a plant with which they were unfamiliar. Braeden had the excellent idea of drawing two plants he had a difficult time telling apart. The results were impressive and we plan on making some greeting cards with the fabulous results.

Composting 101

Happy fall and welcome back, gardeners!

The second work day went swimmingly. Volunteers learned about composting, which was great since our compost needed a little love. We moved all the almost-finished compost that looks pretty much like dirt into the bin on the far right. The new compost will be in the far left bin. Help us out by dumping your foods scraps in the left bin and layering on top with some dead leaves found in the middle bin. A special shout-out to Pat and Garnet who shoveled compost for over an hour!

Some volunteer questions:

• Q: Will cabbage continue to produce leaves over time, even if it's ripe?

• A: Here's what I found. The 9^th and final stage in cabbage growth is called the mature stage. The cabbage head reaches a diameter of approximated 15-30 cm. There is no visible leaf production after the head has reached the maximum size and hardness. The cabbage head should be harvested soon otherwise it may split.

• Q: How much carbon or nitrogen is in each food scrap?

• A: I have uploaded a useful chart from composting 101 onto this website so everyone can use it as a reference.

Estimated Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratios
Browns = High Carbon	C:N
Ashes, wood	25:1
Cardboard, shredded	350:1
Corn stalks	75:1
Fruit waste	35:1
Leaves	60:1
Newspaper, shredded	175:1
Peanut shells	35:1
Pine needles	80:1
Sawdust	325:1
Straw	75:1
Wood chips	400:1
Greens = High Nitrogen	C:N
Alfalfa	12:1
Clover	23:1
Coffee grounds	20:1
Food waste	20:1
Garden waste	30:1
Grass clippings	20:1
Hay	25:1
Manures	15:1
Seaweed	19:1
Vegetable scraps	25:1
Weeds	30:1

Some volunteer suggestions for future workshops:

• How does drip irrigation work?
  

We have a rain barrel and drip irrigation system set up already, so we can definitely go over how and why that works.

Again, thanks Hannah, Patrick, Braeden, Garnet, Harry, Kristen, Rebecca, Dan and Diana for all your help!!! Look forward to seeing you again.

Volunteer work days this fall:

Monday, 3-5 pm

Thursday, 2-4 pm

Upcoming workshops:

Thursday, September 20th: How to eat seasonally

Monday, September 24th: Plant ID game

Thursday, September 27th: Natural pesticides

The harvest is plenty, but the recipes are few... (okay, that's not true)

The Ginsberg Garden is full of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and cucumbers awaiting hungry stomachs. It's up to you, our trusty volunteers and supporters, to give that produce a good home before the squirrels start nibbling on them! If you're just not sure what you would do with the produce, we've got some suggestions:

-Use the recipes from our Garden Bites party!! We've finally got them typed up for you :)
-Stir fry! All you need is a pan, olive oil, some veggies, and salt and pepper. Dig up some garlic, throw in any veggies you can find, toss in some fresh herbs at the last minute, and salt and pepper to taste. Crack in an egg or two for some protein!
-Salad. Yes, salad. Not quite so boring if you add some arugula (check the hoophouse!), baby kale, and fresh herbs! The green onions are ready to be eaten, too! Those blue flowers dotting the garden are also quite lovely in a salad (both to look at and to eat!). More about borage here.
-Herb bread! Make some bread, chop up whatever herbs you can find in the herb spiral, and either mix the herbs into the bread or mix them in with an eggwash on the crust!
-Herb sugar...because cookies with specs of mysterious green things will really impress your friends! Wash, dry, and crush some herbs (lavender and mint are great!). In a jar or tupperware, layer sugar and crushed herbs until the container is full. Put the lid on and store it somewhere cool and dry for a while (two weeks is usually a good time period to really get some flavor mixed with the sugar, but a few days will do it, too). Open your jar and stir your sugar concoction every few days to spread the flavor. Use this sugar just like you would use plain old sugar in baked goods! If you're scared your friends won't eat your earthy looking cookies, you can remove the specs of herbs before baking :)
-Herbal sun tea! Make it while the sun is still showing its face here in Michigan! All you need to do is put some herbs (sage, mint, even raspberry leaves...as long as they are not yellow) in a jar with some water and find a sunny spot for it to bask for a few hours. Chill and enjoy! Add some stevia leaves (in the pots by the gate) for sweet tea!

What else do you guys like to do with garden produce? Share your creativity! And share your produce with fellow food lovers :)

Gardening with the band...

Once upon a time, Dérive was on tour in Ann Arbor and needed something to do for an hour. While most bands would kill time by rehearsing, or drinking beer, or playing cards,  Dérive band members decided to work in the Ginsberg Garden! Check out their blog and music at: http://derivemusic.net/

Salsa in the City!

Kohlrabi!

Adding garden herbs to the salsa

Salsa!

  v                                  

Marissa in the Focused Hands Garden

Thanks to Focus Hope, Summer in the City, and all the residents of the Ford LaSalle neighborhood for a great summer in Detroit!

Gandhi's Favorite Food

 Purslane: weed or superfood?

Purslane in Ginsberg Garden

Popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi's favorite food, Purslane is a succulent, low growing plant that grows as a weed all over the world. This year, purslane has invaded the Ginsberg Garden and is in the running for the most populous weed in our garden.

These sour, juicy leaves have the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids found on earth, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In the U.S. it is commonly thought that the ocean, specifically seafood and fish oil are the only sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, but purslane is eaten commonly in other parts of the world. Omega-3 fatty acids aid in many bodily functions, reduce inflammation, help out the heart, and boost the immune system! In addition to fatty acids, purslane is also pumped up with a slew of antioxidants and vitamins.

According to the New York Times, purslane is popular among fancy NYC chefs, who prepare it with various vinaigrettes and serve it with goat cheese, nectarines, heirloom tomatoes, pates, and other salads. 
If you are not a five-star NYC chef, then check out the recipes below, learn how to prepare this nutritious weed, and impress your friends!

Try adding a crunch to your normal salads and sandwhiches with some fresh purslane. It can also be sauteed lightly in olive oil or butter.

Pickled Green Purslane

INGREDIENTS:

 2-3 cups purslane, leaves and stems

 250ml water

 250ml white vinegar

 2 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp kalonji seeds (look in an Indian grocery, can be substituted with caraway seeds)

METHOD:

Put the water, vinegar, salt and cloves garlic in a small pot and bring to a boil.

Pack the purslane in two jars.

Pour the vinegar mixture over the purslane, add the black mustard and kalonji seeds, then close the jars.

Store the jars in the refrigerator for one week before eating the pickled purslane.

Link to Recipe 

Tomato, Cucumber, Purslane Salad 

 Especially good served with grilled seafood.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise, seeds removed and discarded, then chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 bunch purslane, thick stems removed, leaves chopped, resulting in about 1/2 cup chopped purslane

1 minced seeded jalapeno chile pepper

2-3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl. Salt to taste.

Link to Recipe

Check out this link for a delicious sounding vegan soup with purslane: Chilled Zucchini Soup with Purslane

Come by the Ginsberg Garden and try some purslane today! Its fun to help weed when you can snack at the same time!