Post by robin282 on Nov 2, 2014 8:40:54 GMT -5
Hello to all! It has been a long time since I have been here. I have moved from Zone 7 SE Massachusetts Coast to Zone 5 DownEast Maine and have beem on quite an adventure. Baring a number of surgeries from injury (why can't our tendons remain tough throught life!?), and settling in a new--and far more challenging place--things are finally quieting down to the point where I can get back to things I enjoy, like this place.
So HELLO again!
Maine is my first experience in growing in an area abundant with clay. Quite frankly you could probably just reach down and pull up a coffee mug. I do have an area on the side of my barn (LOVE having a barn!) that sandy fill was brought into, so that is where the garden started. I have a neighbor coming over to skid a sloping area, and we have been collecting amendments all summer, so I will have a greatly expanded gardening area. Now, hopefully the whole thing won't just SLIDE down the slops because it is atop the clay! Ha!
I have also been growing seed for my charity: Need 4 Seed. In case you don't know the story, here it is. I was on Garden Web in 2008, and a member lost everything due to a far that broke out while he was visiting his wife in the hospital (sounds like my kind of luck). It burned so hot that it killed all the plants around his house. He also could not spend any money on "superfluous" things--like food seeds. Well, I sent him everything I had. I thought to myself, one pumpkin gives you hundreds of seeds, who is going to re-plant and grow 300 pumpkin seeds? So, I was so happy to help him that I decided to do it for more people. People can donate their extra seed, and I would be like a warehouse for it. Then I make packets, fill them, and then stuff a bubble-mailer full, and send them to those in need completely free. Seed has gotten pretty pricey lately too. I figured, if they didn't have to buy seeds, they could use the money toward electric or whatever. Plus the money saved on growing food could be used for bills. I am still doing Need 4 Seed, and although at times, I have been on the computer less tha I'd like, I was still improving the ground, and growing out seed.
THAT SAID, well written anyway, if you or anyone you know is in need, send them my way!
need4seed.freeforums.net/
and I will get a garden in a mailer out to them in time to plant.
If you have extra seed and would like to see it going to a good home, I will be happy to accept it, pack it, and mail it to a good home. Even if you just want to see what is going on at Need $ Seed, come on by. Maybe you could contribute some garden wisdom to those just getting started who need advice on growing the things in the Care Packages they get.
Going to just put the addy here to save time in PMs. Of course I can be reached there as well.
Need 4 Seed
P.O. Box 31
Columbia Falls, ME 04623-0031
ANYway, I am also growing food for my own family, and am experiencing a learning curve with clay. I am originally from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where it is so sandy that you don't even have to step on the shovel to drive it into the ground, your arms are all you need. So, we keep collecting materials: manure, leaves, grass, etc. The manure pile in my yard right now is the size of 2 cars! The neighbor who comes to skid will move all that to the new plot. I was thinking I may grow corn there in Spring, or maybe another grain.
As I type this, a terrible rain storm since yesterday (high winds too) is beginning to freeze and fill up the lower part of the windows. Tonight they predict 8-12 inches with increasing rain. Drat! I am not ready! Well, after a couple of days, it will be in the 50s again, totally gross, but at least melting. I hope for a bit of a reprieve to put the garden to bed properly before Fall is over (before the solstice here).
I have also started Winter Sowing some things already. Any Winter Sowers here?
Living where I do in Maine, I have access to circumpolar plants such as Lingonberries and Usa-Urvi, among others. If anyone has been searching for those, let me know. I got myself just a few cloudberry seeds that I am Winter Sowing, so hopefully...
Glad to be back!
Robin
So HELLO again!
Maine is my first experience in growing in an area abundant with clay. Quite frankly you could probably just reach down and pull up a coffee mug. I do have an area on the side of my barn (LOVE having a barn!) that sandy fill was brought into, so that is where the garden started. I have a neighbor coming over to skid a sloping area, and we have been collecting amendments all summer, so I will have a greatly expanded gardening area. Now, hopefully the whole thing won't just SLIDE down the slops because it is atop the clay! Ha!
I have also been growing seed for my charity: Need 4 Seed. In case you don't know the story, here it is. I was on Garden Web in 2008, and a member lost everything due to a far that broke out while he was visiting his wife in the hospital (sounds like my kind of luck). It burned so hot that it killed all the plants around his house. He also could not spend any money on "superfluous" things--like food seeds. Well, I sent him everything I had. I thought to myself, one pumpkin gives you hundreds of seeds, who is going to re-plant and grow 300 pumpkin seeds? So, I was so happy to help him that I decided to do it for more people. People can donate their extra seed, and I would be like a warehouse for it. Then I make packets, fill them, and then stuff a bubble-mailer full, and send them to those in need completely free. Seed has gotten pretty pricey lately too. I figured, if they didn't have to buy seeds, they could use the money toward electric or whatever. Plus the money saved on growing food could be used for bills. I am still doing Need 4 Seed, and although at times, I have been on the computer less tha I'd like, I was still improving the ground, and growing out seed.
THAT SAID, well written anyway, if you or anyone you know is in need, send them my way!
need4seed.freeforums.net/
and I will get a garden in a mailer out to them in time to plant.
If you have extra seed and would like to see it going to a good home, I will be happy to accept it, pack it, and mail it to a good home. Even if you just want to see what is going on at Need $ Seed, come on by. Maybe you could contribute some garden wisdom to those just getting started who need advice on growing the things in the Care Packages they get.
Going to just put the addy here to save time in PMs. Of course I can be reached there as well.
Need 4 Seed
P.O. Box 31
Columbia Falls, ME 04623-0031
ANYway, I am also growing food for my own family, and am experiencing a learning curve with clay. I am originally from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where it is so sandy that you don't even have to step on the shovel to drive it into the ground, your arms are all you need. So, we keep collecting materials: manure, leaves, grass, etc. The manure pile in my yard right now is the size of 2 cars! The neighbor who comes to skid will move all that to the new plot. I was thinking I may grow corn there in Spring, or maybe another grain.
As I type this, a terrible rain storm since yesterday (high winds too) is beginning to freeze and fill up the lower part of the windows. Tonight they predict 8-12 inches with increasing rain. Drat! I am not ready! Well, after a couple of days, it will be in the 50s again, totally gross, but at least melting. I hope for a bit of a reprieve to put the garden to bed properly before Fall is over (before the solstice here).
I have also started Winter Sowing some things already. Any Winter Sowers here?
Living where I do in Maine, I have access to circumpolar plants such as Lingonberries and Usa-Urvi, among others. If anyone has been searching for those, let me know. I got myself just a few cloudberry seeds that I am Winter Sowing, so hopefully...
Glad to be back!
Robin
