George Washington Carver Garden for Living

By Tom Twente.

Council on the Environment of NYC's (CENYC) partnership with the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) Foundation has yielded a beautiful green gem. The George Washington Carver "Garden for Living" project first reported in our Winter 06-07 Newsletter is a huge success. CENYC & MSLO partnered with the Residents Association at Carver Houses to design and build the garden located in NYCHA's George Washington Carver (GWC) Houses on Madison Ave. and 100^th Street (which was made possible by a grant to CENYC provided by MSLO).

During the winter of 2006-07 we met with residents from GWC Houses and listened to their dreams. Tony Bielaczyc from MSLO's Garden Dept laid out the design which was well received by the residents and NYCHA management. The original site is a large open area bordered by mature London Plane trees that was formerly a basketball court, and impromptu football field. There were concerns that the youth would destroy any attempt to alter their playing field. To the contrary many of the neighborhood kids now keep an eye out for the "garden lady's" garden. The garden lady is Malinda Futrell who you learned of in our last newsletter (see Garden Angels). She is a rock star gardener who leads a garden club that cares for many spaces in George Washington Carver's 8 square blocks. PAL staff worked with Malinda and volunteers from Martha Stewart to plant and build the Garden for Living.

During the spring we outlined new planting areas with steel edging. Sweet Peet © (a soil amendment and mulch) was donated to the project and rototilled into the soil. Over several planting days, new trees, shrubs and perennials donated by Klehm's Song Sparrow, Loomis Creek Nursery and Princeton Nursery were planted . Tools were donated by Fiskars. A bluestone dust pathway leading to a long patio was outlined, filled in and compacted. The patio and entryway were built by CENYC staff with help from Malinda and fellow community gardener Cookie, who hauled the paving stones which were donated by Unilock. PAL staffers Tom Twente and Lenny Librizzi made the site wheelchair accessible by cutting through the curb surrounding the site.

The Garden for Living was dedicated in September 2007. Benches and trash receptacles donated from Janus et Cie, were showcased at the opening. In November, volunteers from the community and MSLO planted 4,300 bulbs donated by Brent & Becky's Bulbs in and around the garden. A stainless steel sculpture with red discs that twirl in the wind by Roger Phillips titled Apple Tree, watches over the garden just across the path. It was made possible by the Louis and Anne Abrons Foundation.

In good weather the garden is open till dusk. It is a welcome addition to the neighborhood for residents, visitors and staff from Mt. Sinai Hospital across the street. We look forward to many more gardening seasons at George Washington Carver Houses with Malinda, Cookie and crew.

Winter Reading

By Lenny Librizzi.

If you are a dedicated gardener as I am, the winter curtails most of our physical work in the garden. One way to whet our gardening appetite is finding interesting things to read about gardening. We can use our imaginations to picture our gardens next year or to learn something new. Just this week I received my January 2008 issue of Herb Companion a bimonthly magazine whose tag line is "In celebration of the useful plants". Most of the articles are herb related but as you will see that covers many topics. In the letters from readers section a few readers wrote in to offer advice about using herbs to help keep bees healthy. As you may know, a disease called Colony Collapse Disorder has affected honey bee hives around the world. In some cases 50% or more of some beekeepers bees have just disappeared from their hives. While the problem seems most severe with commercial beekeepers who truck scores of hives from one giant farm or orchard to another and probably stress the bees far more than stationary bee hives, it is still a cause for concern because so many crops depend on honeybees for pollination. Other native pollinators will also pollinate many crops but it is good to know there are herbal remedies to help maintain healthy bee hives. Another insect related tidbit from the magazine - scientists are looking at compounds found in one of my favorite shrubs Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) as a tick repellent. This is great news for those of us who enjoy hiking in the woods as much as gardening.

On the next page I learned that another of my favorite plants Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is the 2008 Herb of the Year. Even more interesting is that Calendula has been found to be allelopathic; it suppresses the growth of other plants for a 12 inch radius. It has the potential to be an effective herbicide. I have used Calendula flowers to make a herbal healing salve with olive oil and beeswax (another reason bees are so valuable). Herb Companion usually has recipes for herbal concoctions and this issue had 2 interesting ones for a lip gel made with red clover and a lip stain made with beets, both plants that often can be found in community gardens.

I don't often pay that much attention to soup recipes but one that caught my attention in this issue was for Curried Celery Soup because of the author James Duke (more on him in a minute) and because it was touted as a soup to soothe aching joints. Each ingredient in the soup: celery, onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, oregano, rosemary, hot peppers and a few more all contained at least one anti inflammatory compound. This soup is delicious as well as a relief for those aches that seems to be worse in winter and when we work in the garden other times of the year.

I could write a whole article about James Duke. He is a former USDA scientist who is one of the leading experts on healing plants. He has written a number of books including The Green Pharmacy and co authored A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America, a reference guide I often use to make positive identifications or identify unknown or unfamiliar herbs. I met Jim and heard him speak at one of the most fascinating lectures I ever attended. He also leads tours to the Amazon to learn about the medicinal plants of the Rainforest.

His coauthor of the field guide, Steven Foster, was also his co-leader on a recent Amazon tour. Foster writes a short journal of their trip in this magazine. Imagine dreaming about being in the hot rainforest while trying to stay out of the freezing New York winter.

Even the end page of this Herb companion has a fun article about St. Fiacre who is the patron saint of gardeners. We have his statue in our backyard at home.

So, to satisfy your gardening cravings, to pique your gardening imagination and to add to your gardening knowledge while staying warm in these winter months I suggest the January 2008 issue of Herb Companion and a cup of herbal tea.

Adam Honigman, Community Gardening's Best Friend

Adam Honigman started commnity gardening in 1978 at the Clinton Community Garden on West 48th Street, New York City. He shared his passion for gardening in many different ways. Adam was deeply dedicated to helping sustain the community gardening movement, serving numerous terms on Manhattan's Community Board 4 where he steadfastly worked for the permanence of New York's community gardens. It was Adam who coined the phrase "Community Gardening is 50% gardening and 100% political."

He was also ACGA's most prolific list serv writer. Adam answered everyone. He shared everything. He knew how and where to find information and he shared it all the time. He was never too busy to answer people, even at harvest time in his beloved Clinton Community Garden. Adam's "Guest Book" from the New York Times speaks volumes about how he touched people's lives throughout the country. Entries there are from as far away from New York City as Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, Grand Rapids and Pontiac, MI, Isceola, IA, St. Petersburg, FL, Los Angeles and Redmond, CA, Winston-Salem, NC, Van Wert, OH, Cedarburg, WI and Chicago, IL. You may read these entries at: http://www.legacy.com/NYTimes/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=96429498&PageNo=1.

Adam died in November: his loss in immeasurable. He will be deeply missed.

* Excerpt from ACGA's Listserv, December 2007.

January Gardening

CLEAN-UP. Continue cleaning up old plant debris which might shelter pests and diseases. If last summer's dead Morning Glories still adorn the fence, tear them off to make room for new ones. Next spring consider planting perennial twining vines such as Trumpet Vine, Clematis, Wisteria, Akebia, Honeysuckle or a Climbing Rose that will eliminate the annual chore of clearing the fence.

FROST. During a mild spell thoroughly inspect all the perennials and newly planted shrubs to detect any that have been heaved out of the ground by the frost; if so, carefully replant them. Continue planting shrubs and trees as long as the ground is not frozen.

WINTER MULCH. Now is the time to recycle Christmas trees, the branches of which make an excellent winter mulch for perennials, vines and newly planted material. It is important to distinguish between the Spruces which are worthless as mulch, because the needles drop off, and the more expensive fir and Pine trees which stay green. Pines have long needles, Spruce and Fir needles are short and rather similar, but Spruce needles pulled from a twig leave no mark while Fir needles leave a distinct depressed scar. Always lay down mulch during a frost period as it is then less likely to shelter rodents. If available, a shredder will grind Christmas trees into acid woodchip mulch for broadleaf evergreens. Collecting leaf litter in the neighborhood and laying it on the soil makes good mulch too.

SNOW. Snow, of course, makes an excellent mulch, but be careful to remove any snow originating in an adjoining street that may be contaminated with salt. With a broom carefully knock heavy snow off evergreens, especially if it is added to a previous load of frozen rain. In times of heavy snow, children are likely to forget the existence of a garden. Discourage their walking and playing in it. Put up posts with string between to mark garden boundaries; height of string should be such that children cannot go under it.

BIRDS. If you cannot feed the birds daily, at least fill the bird-bath with fresh water. Discourage pigeons by using feeders with small openings and avoid scattering seed on the ground. Birds' tastes in food vary: doughnuts, suet and bacon drippings will tempt chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers; an occasional winter resident robin or mockingbird savors dried currants and raisins; cardinals, nuthatches, titmice and pine skins will revel in a meal of ground raw peanuts; and an ear of corn is gourmet heaven for cardinals. Sunflower, Millet, Bachelor Button, Coreopsis, Marigold and Butterfly Weed seeds will attract chickadees, song sparrows and juncos. Build a winter bird-shelter of brush, evergreen, and tree limbs in a protected corner of your garden to protect birds during inclement weather.

SEEDS. If you have not ordered your spring catalogues by now, do so! Good sources of seed are:

Park Seed Company, 1 Parkton Ave., Greenwood, SC 29647, 800-213-0076, www.parkseed.com.

Seeds of Change, 888-762-7333, www.seedsofchange.com.

Pinetree Garden Seeds, PO Box 300
New Gloucester, ME 04260, 207-926-3400, www.superseeds.com.

Recycle packets of old seeds by mixing them with more recent packages of the same variety. The old seeds that do not germinate will reduce your need for sowing thinly and/or thinning the seedlings. Some seeds lose viability quickly even when stored in the proper manner. Members of the Allium family (onion) must be ordered each year (some will be all right for two years). Lettuce, Parsley, Salsify, Sweet Corn and Parsnip seeds should be planted within two years of purchase. Watermelon, Spinach, Radish, Pepper, Pea, Okra, Endive, Chicory, Celery, Carrot, Cabbage and bean may germinate, if kept in good condition, for up to five years. Tomato, Cucumber, Mustard and Beet seeds may remain viable indefinitely if stored in a dry spot at room temperature about 68 degrees. To test old seeds for viability, Place them between pieces of damp blotter and wait a reasonable period of time to see if they sprout, or immerse them in a glass of water -- dead seeds are more likely to rise to the surface. Continue collecting the fruits of Hawthorne and Barberries not yet eaten by birds. Sow these seeds in places where such trees and shrubs will be an asset and no impediment. Seedling flats and ingredients for sterilized soil mix should be purchased now.

PLANNING. The winter solstice has come and lengthened the dark Christmas days. A prolonged mild spell will fatten the glistening pussy-willow buds. Snowdrops and Winter Aconite may flower only to brave a heavy snowfall. The Christmas rose or Hellebores (poisonous) will flower until spring. It is one of the perennial plants not grown much, if at all, in city lots.

When the seed catalogues arrive, consider upgrading some annual beds by planting work-saving perennials and small shrubs. Also prolific self-sowing biennials, especially such "old-fashioned" plants as fragrant Dames Rocket (Hesperis matronalis), Silver Dollar (Lunaria), Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis sylvestris). These three withstand some dappled shade from trees but not deep shade on the northwest side of the building.

In choosing plants, always remember the light conditions of your site: for shade (Hosta); for dappled shade (Nicotiana); for sun (Portulaca, Marigold, Annual Phlox); for the dry site (Prickly Pear, Yarrow); for the damp site (Astilbe, King-cups). Obtain seeds to plant according to your requirements, not according to mass marketers' powers of persuasion. Be aware that horticulture, because of the demand for cheap mass-produced products, threatens to degenerate into a monotonous suburban sprawl of red Azaleas and Marigolds; it is up to pioneer city-lot gardeners to revive the growing of almost forgotten plants such as Dame's Rocket.

Prepare seed trays for annuals needing February sowing -- such as Nicotiana, Torenia, Browallia and Heliotrope.

BULBS. Make sure that bulbs and tubers stored for spring planting are not suffering due to excessive moisture or heat. Check them for rot, shriveling and sprouting. Adjust and correct storage conditions if any of the three symptoms exist.

COMPOST PILE. When all autumn plant debris has been piled up, continue to add kitchen vegetable material to your heap.

Do bulbs require mulching over winter?

In general mulching is not required; however, in areas where severe winters can be expected a mulch of three to six inches should be applied after the ground freezes. Any type of mulch can be used; buckwheat hulls, salt hay, straw, leaves and such.

Find this helpful? Want to submit a question of your own? Every month one garden question will be posted on our website www.cenyc.org with answers from PAL staff! To submit your question please email llee@cenyc.org or call 212-788-7935.

February Gardening

PLAN YOUR GARDEN SPACE. If this is your first year, schedule your development of the garden area in phases to allow for soil preparation, planting, maintenance, finances and energy. Consider the impact on the community. Work as much as you can, you DO NOT HAVE TO DO IT ALL AT ONCE. Often a flowering Forsythia or Crab Apple will encourage participation and overcome vandalism.

Choose a sunny location for most annual flowers, herbs and vegetables; bulb beds and perennials do best in open sunlight. Roses do best when sheltered on the north and east, where there is sunlight for at least half of the day, and where there is good air circulation all around the plant. The vegetable garden demands very careful attention. Good southern, southeastern or southwestern exposure is preferred. Rows planted from north to south favor even distribution of the sunlight. Your tall crops like corn should be grown at the north so that your shorter plants will not be shaded. Corn also likes to be surrounded by corn and should not be planted unless you can provide enough space for at least four rows. It makes a good communal crop, as do Zucchini and Cabbage. These plants take up a lot of space. Leafy green salad crops will tolerate a somewhat shady location. Asparagus, Rhubarb and Strawberry beds are permanent areas.

Trees and shrubs should be chosen with care to their function in the garden for shade, ornament, specimen, evergreen, windscreen, wildlife, etc. Important questions to ask might include: do you want a fast growing tree for an interim project? Do you have an adequate soil depth? How much air pollution is there? Few Evergreens can tolerate our urban environment. Be sure you have good drainage. Check varieties carefully for height and growth rates, as well as tolerance to wind, pollution and drought. For shady locations you can try planting shade-tolerant annuals, perennials and bulbs that flower in the spring and fall when the trees are not in leaf. Whatever you decide, put your plan on paper, study it and keep in mind that a garden is an evolutionary project.

Take account of your vertical growing space potential - cyclone and other fences, brick walls and raised beds or trellis plantings. You may want to just dig in and get started and see what happens. Whatever your plan, the perimeter should be cleared of rubble first. Get your debris to the center and/or mound it and cover it with soil and plant it when you can.

ORDER or arrange to obtain those trees, shrubs, evergreens and roses you need and CAN PLANT BEFORE MAY 10th.

INDOORS. Start those seeds in February that you will be able to plant outdoors in six weeks. Check seed packets for best starting time. To start seeds indoors you will need to purchase the ingredients for a sterile soil-less mix (vermiculite, peat moss and charcoal, sand or perlite). Pre-mix and moisten the ingredients before you put it in the seedling container or seed flat. You can use regular garden soil if you prefer but the sterile growing medium is a deterrent to a fungus disease called damping off which causes early seedling rot.

You need 3 inches of soil-mix depth to start your seedlings. Old foil bread tins, milk cartons or juice cans can be used for this purpose after a thorough washing and sterilization providing you punch holes in the bottom for drainage. RULE: Check the seed packet for any special planting requirements the seed might have like, soaking in water overnight before planting or scoring with a file or even exposure to an open fire (in the broiler). ALWAYS PLANT THE SEED THREE TIMES THE DIAMETER OF ITS NARROWEST PART IN DEPTH.

If you have a garden to plant this spring you can start these seeds by the end of February: Anise, Basil, Marjoram, Thyme, Sage as well as Cabbage and related plants in the cabbage family like Collards, Kale, etc. If you cannot maintain even temperatures, consider the purchase of a soil heating cable for your larger flats. Until your seeds germinate keep your flats covered with a plastic bag or a pane of plastic or glass to help conserve moisture. Label all the seeds you plant, including eventual height, special soil requirements and last possible germination date so you will know something is amiss if the seeds do not sprout.

If the seeds have come up you will need to fertilize your growing medium with a liquid fertilizer to provide nutrients. Plants grown in a sterile soil-less mix without fertilizer will be weak and spindly. Keep your seedlings watered. Transplant to plastic pots when the seedling has its first set of true leaves. The first leaf-like set is called the cotyledon and serves the function of supplying the seedling with nutrients. If using electric lights keep the lights close to the growing tops of the seedlings and raise lights as the seedlings grow. When the light is not intense enough the seedling will be leggy and weak. Continue to keep them moist.

DIFFERENT PLANTING METHODS. Raised Bed planting is sometimes the only option on no-soil, all rubble vacant lots. Advantages include better drainage, neatness, speeded-up spring planting and less soil compaction. People with bad backs or confined to wheelchairs can enjoy gardening in a 30" high raised bed. Crop Rotation is difficult in a small garden. Nevertheless insects and disease will have a harder time finding those favorite squash and tomato plants if they are in a different area year after year. Your soil will benefit as well because certain plants like corn require large amounts of nitrogen and other plants such as soybeans, replaces nitrogen. Marker Cropping consists of planting quick-sprouting seeds like radishes with slower sprouting seeds like carrots or parsnips.

PARTICPATE IN OUR GARDEN WISH LIST

CENYC has updated our website to include a garden wish list section. Any community gardeners that would like us to post their garden needs (ie. table, benches, tool shed) can email llee@cenyc.org with their list, a brief description of their garden, garden image and how the items listed will benefit their garden. Your wish list will be visible to potential donors and funders.

Donate To Plant A Lot

Your contribution matters! Make a donation by web: http://cenyc.org/about/makeacontribution or you can make a check out to Council on the Environment, Inc., 51 Chambers Street, Rm 228, New York, New York 10007.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!