beginning to sheet-mulch the front yard - cardboard and composted manure - Feb 2010
Angela Baker (with Hal Baker), beginning to spread compost and mulch on the sheet-mulched front beds Feb 2010
Hal Baker (age 1 1/2) "helping" spread compost - February 2010
We did lots of reading (and continue to do so) to expand our garden knowledge - self-education is FREE, the library is FREE - you don't have to take expensive gardening classes to grow your own food!!
A selection of the tomato and tomatillo seeds started inside Feb 2010 (we try to start everything from seed in order to save on garden expenses - you can start 50 or more organic tomatoes from seed for the cost of buying one tomato start at the store!
BCS Volunteers sheet-mulching the back yard - 27 Feb 2010
BCS volunteers sheet-mulching the backyard - adding hay over the compost and manure in order to bulk out the beds in the most economical fashion. 27 Feb 2010
Dave DeSousa's daughter preparing flakes of hay to be spread on the beds.
Two BCS volunteers doing the extremely taxing job of digging up bamboo, rhizomes and all, in order to remove this invasive mess and give us a place to plant rows of raspberries this fall. Feb 2010
BCS garden volunteers in the backyard, laying out beds and paths as they see fit. 2010
Judi Bradley laying cardboard as the first step in sheet-mulching the paths. 27 Feb 2010.
Children from BCS families helped plant all the peas! 27 Feb 2010
Children planting sugar snap peas. 27 Feb 2010.
Preparing to plant pre-sprouted sugar snap and snow pea seeds in the backyard. 27 Feb 2010
The front yard at the end of our first BCS workday - 27 Feb 2010.
Another shot of the front yard at the of the first BCS workday 27 Feb 2010
BCS families enjoying a potluck lunch at the Baker's house following the first workday.
The first of the tomatoes germinate! (We started 75 heirloom tomatoes plus 10 tomatillos in the Bakers' living room.) Late Feb 2010
The first of the peas germinate. March 2010.
The tomatoes growing a little bigger every day! March 2010.
The Baker kids playing in a load of compost (donated by Sunderland Recycling), while Angela spreads in in the front yard beds. March 2010.
Some of the tomato seedlings, which are taken in every night and during stormy weather, and placed outside during warm days until the weather is warm enough to plant them. Late March 2010.
A shot of the Baker's backyard, with a portion of the BCS garden beds shown. March 2010.
Things are germinating in the front yard beds! Late March 2010.
In the backyard, Russian Red Kale, Parsnips, Oregon Sugar Pod II and Alderman Tall Telephone peas are starting to take off!
The first of the beans germinate - these are "Royal Burgundy" and produce purple beans. April 2010.
Summer squash germinating in the backyard cold frame - planted by BCS garden volunteers in yogurt cups, milk cartons, etc (to save $ - you don't need to buy planter cups!) April 2010
Casey and Hal Baker in the front yard. April 2010. In the foreground, mesclun mix lettuce, Alderman Tall Telephone peas. Behind, swiss chard, curly kale, herbs, carrots, and cardoons (also, a homemade cold frame, with pumpkins started in it.
Baby "Vulcan Red" Swiss Chard. April 2010.
Judi Bradley washing some early lettuce, chard, kale, bok choy. early May 2010.
Garlic scapes, bags of "Russian Red" kale and "Fordhook Giant" Swiss chard, freshly harvested to deliver to BCS. early May 2010.
the first of the Sugar Snap and Snow peas! Also, the herbs are starting to get big enough to harvest a few - lavender, thyme, sage, oregano, Syrian mint, lemon mint, French tarragon. Late May 2010.
Some green being bagged up to deliver to BCS - "Bright Lights" rainbow chard, "Red Russian" kale (my favorite!) Late May 2010.
Beatrix Baker in the garden June 2010. clockwise from right - Oriental poppies (to attract pollinators, provide color), "Russian Red" kale, parsnips, "Alderman Tall Telephone" peas.
One of the front yard beds - "Bull's Blood" beets, with variegated land cress (l) and a baby "Waltham Butternut" squash (r) peeking out from amongst the foliage. Behind them - mesclun mix lettuce, cardoons, "Alderman Tall Telephone" and "Alaska" peas, California poppies. June 2010
More front yard beds early June 2010. - "Fordhook Giant" Swiss chard, "De Milpa" tomatillos, mesclun mix lettuce, California poppies, peas. Behind - "Chantenay" carrots, artichokes, Syrian mint (in a pot), "Sweet Meat" winter squash (in the cold frame), Oriental poppies, oregano, cilantro, "Bright Lights" chard.
The front yard beds June 2010. Left bed 12 tomatoes interplanted with beets and cosmos, cardoons underplanted with chives and dahlias, nasturtiums.
The beds closest to the road June 2010 - the "good neighbor" beds - contain lots of flowers - sunflowers (which will provide snacks for the chickens in the winter), dahlias, wildflowr mix, daisies, nasturtiums, cosmos. But, food is interplanted - chives, artichokes, bronze and bulb fennel, and LOTS of sprawling delicious winter squash (which, since this photo, has grown 6-8 inches per day, and is reaching out almost into the road! We have to keep redirecting the vines!)
Front yard beds - June 2010 - artichokes, oriental poppies, "Chantenay" carrots, with herbs underplanted, as well as Egyptian walking onions. California poppies, peas, and tomatillos in the background.
Back yard beds nearest the house June 2010. Last fall, the only garden that existed back here was Angela's beloved heirloom organic garlic and shallot assortment (she plans on saving all bulbs from this harvest to multiply and replant a larger crop for BCS this fall). Now, front to back, garlic, elephant garlic, shallots. then, heirloom tomatoes underplanted with lettuce (the tomatoes shade the lettuce and keep it from bolting in the summer heat). Behind that, parsnips and Russian Red Kale. in the back, Oriental poppies and three kids on peas, interplanted with more kale and swiss chard.
Another shot of the backyard beds closest to the house. June 2010.
Some more of the backyard tomatoes, interplanted with nasturtiums. Tomato cages were donated by Verdura Culinary Gardens. Picture taking from the back of the yard, standing in front of the chicken coop.
A portion of one morning's harvest early in the season - carrots, beets, chard chard and more chard, peas, Italian kale. June 2010.
"Russian Red" kale, "Bull's Blood" beets, snow peas, "Dwarf Curly White" kale, "Chantenay" carrots. June 2010.
"Alaska " shell peas - 4 July 2010. The children who come with their moms and dads to work in the garden have been eating them by the handful! They seem to enjoy them even more than the strawberries!
The pumpkin vines are taking over the front yard beds! 18 July 2010
The cardoons are getting big! (This is a relative of the artichoke - the ribs of the leaves are steamed and eaten with butter - we have 6 of them at the Teaching Garden - they will produce for 2-3 years.)
The first of the tomatoes! 18 July 2010.
A patti-pan summer squash - perfect for stirfry! One of 6 plants. 18 July 2010.
This patch of beets will be harvested this week. Behind them - Italian Kale, artichokes and cardoons, leeks, nasturtium, and in the far bed - tomatillos. 18 July 2010.
The first zucchini! 18 July 2010. By 20 July, there are nearly two dozen summer squash ready and dozens of baby squash set- hope they keep producing at that rate!
Ruth in the backyard beds with some of the summer squash plants - 18 July 2010.
