More Pics from E 111 St.

Here are more pics:



(Seedlings)

(Caroline)

(Chris at work)

(Tara with one of the tools of the trade)

(Chris hammering away)

Work begins at E 111 St.

(Joyce & Natalie)

(John C. hammering away)

(The difference between the old soil and the new soil)

(Joyce)

(Natalie)

The topsoil was delivered to E.111 St. today so we added it to the existing soil and now have a very fertile garden that is almost ready to be planted. We planted some potato pieces with eyes directly into the soil and hopefully will have a potato crop this season. Here are some pictures:

Beginning to Work

(Growing strawberry plant)

(Growing Potato ?Roots?)

(Blooming Magnolia Trees)

(Growing garlic)

(Kale that was planted last season that somehow survived the winter snow and the March rains)

With the coming of sunshine we have begun to work outdoors. Continuing the tradition that began last year, students from Cornell University came and helped us to remove the red rocks from the E. 111 St. site which significantly increased the size of the garden there. We have turned over the entire soil at the Morris Ave. site. We have made beginning plans on the two maps and have estimated where we will plant nearly all of our seeds and seedlings. We are almost finished laying out the bricks for our paths which are between the beds. Finally, we have planted beets, lettuce, arugula, squash, swiss chard, zucchini, collards, black-eyed peas, a tri-color sage seedling, a feverfew seedling, 2 strawberry plants and summer squash and black zucchini in planter boxes.

Our Off Season Activities and the Coming of Spring

During the Winter Off Season we remained very busy by learning skills that will benefit us wherever we find ourselves in the future.
Crafts:
1. Once again we made glycerin based soap mixed with dried herbs, like lavender and calendula , and essential oils, like Peppermint, Bergamot and Rose.
2. We made paper out of colored and black & white paper.
Social:
1. We went to the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
2. We went to a NYCNEN General Meeting on Urban Farming in NYC.
3. We went to the annual Horticultural Society of New York Conference.
Cooking:
1. We cooked a vegetable quiche.
2. We cooked a vegetable stir-fry over bulgar wheat with roasted pine nuts.
3. We cooked an egg, onion, potato fritatta.
4. We cooked banana, apple muffins.

With the coming of the warm weather we have begun making plans for this season. We have bought supplies, ordered seeds, made maps/plans for Morris Ave. and E. 111 St.. We turned over most of the soil at Morris Ave. We planted potato seedlings indoors which are sprouting so we will have a potato crop this season. Finally, we will plant tulip narcissus bulbs, which are perennials, at the Morris Ave. site and the E. 111 St. site. Welcome Spring, Welcome garden.

The farm is at rest

The season is over. Snow covers the ground and the ground is frozen. See you in the spring. Goodbye.

December Comes

We came to work today and the ground is frozen and the remaining plants are also frozen. The season is officially over because this is a frost date. We are preparing to rip out every remaining plant, cut them into small pieces, sow the cut up parts into the soil and sow winter wheat seeds as a cover crop. Over the past weeks we had another successful annual harvest festival. We continue to save seeds to cut costs for next season and are seeing numerous garlic plants already growing as another winter cover crop. Once again we made bird feeders and we also made Christmas ornaments and wreaths using balsam branches and lip balm using beeswax, sweet orange oil and lavender oil.

The End of the Season

(An Arrangement of Mums at the Bronx Botanical Garden)


(Flowers at the Bronx Botanical Garden)

(An Herb Garden at the Bronx Botanical Garden)

(Stacey)

(Pat, Tara and Caroline)

In preparation for the end of the season we have been planting garlic as a cover crop at Morris Ave., E. 111 St. and W. 108 St. We also added more green at E. 6 St. by planting 4 more hostas and 1 hydrangea there. We are also beginning to save various seeds from plants that bolted and regular plants like sunflowers to reduce some of the cost for seed next year and also to learn about different seed-saving techniques. We visited the Bronx Botanical Garden, walked around the grounds, visited the gift shop and were able to view an exhibit of Japanese Chrysanthemums. Finally, we have come up with two possible sketches for a mural that we will be painting on a wall in the backyard at E. 6 St. It will be nature/horticulture related and will add to the beauty of the backyard.


-Stacey Van Rossum