Is there a gardening forum on SoWal.com?

[Susan Horn]

Not Dead Yet,

Thanks. You might contact Chandra Hartman. She has a rain barrel that she uses to water her garden, and also knows how to design site-specific berms and swales in order to make the best use of rainwater. It also matters which plants you put where. I am still trying to get the hang of it... Grouping plants with similar water needs together also helps -- I'm on a learning curve with that too.

I think I will try some clover and some perennial peanut. Apparently,once established, perennial peanuts are drought-, heat-, and foot-traffic tolerant, and also help build the soil and prevent erosion by developing a thick root mat. Need very little fertilizer (just at first, the kind that makes strong roots, I forget which mineral that is), and actually puts nitrogen into the soil for neighbor plants to feed on. Said to be an ideal groundcover for this climate. This is what I've read, mind you, not what I've actually lived. But given my repeated failure with managing grass, and the ugly barren look of vast expanses of pinestraw placed in avoidance of grass, I am ready to try something new.

 

[Gidget]

I've been eating sweet red peppers all winter that have been growing in my driveway. The driveway has the best sun in my yard, so I made some raised beds there and covered them with a mini-hoop house to over-winter the peppers, which I started from heirloom seeds last August. You can see the mini-hoop house here: http://www.cfhdesignstudio.com/whatsnew.html Rainbarrels for watering, to the left.

Also, currently growing in the garden from seed:

collards, arugula, cress, chard, snow peas, and tom thumb peas, oregano, sage, yarrow,and anise hyssop

Seeds just started:

tomato, serrano pepper, mint, basil, onion, carrot, radish, marigold

Edible perennials already planted:

fig, banana, limequat, self fertile apple, sumac, wild blueberries, ginger

Cover crops sown:

clover and alfalfa

WOW WOW WOW!! I am impressed! Tell me what kinds of FIGS you have!! I am a fig freak. Do you have a lot of land? Sounds so!

I LOVE a gardening forum!!!!

G

 

[Susan Horn]

I know you were asking Chandra, but I'm a real busybody and can't help answering. She has an ordinary size lot (less than 1/4 acre I think), but is a very talented Permaculture Designer and knows all kinds of edible landscape design and cultivation methods to create incredbily productive gardens in very small space. Some might call it micro farming or urban farming. What she's doing on her small lot is amazing.

She also created the PC design for our home, and we are in the early phases of bringing that plan into 3D. In just one year since we started, the difference is amazing! One spot that was weeds and sand and ridiculous hot is now a banana-land/citrus oasis with many other food and herb plants underneath and nearby, mostly fed by rainwater from the roof and nitrogen-fixing companion plants, compost, manures, etc.

Another spot that was hot sand and weeds is now a beautifully productive and fragrant herb spiral that gives us joy and tasty treats every day, also providing habitat and food for lots of beneficials. A natural area that was full of vines has been cleaned up and is now home to blueberries, ginger, goumi and silverthorn (nitrogen-fixing fruit shrubs), as well as a small sanctuary garden.

Hats off to Chandra... BTW I have no idea what kind of figs she has!

 

[Gidget]

THANK YOU Susan!!

Of all the things that I want to see first THIS IS IT! This is EXACTLY what we have in mind. Our lot will be much smaller but we envision this same type of design. We want as much edible landscaping as possible and we will also have our koi pond (the herons and birds here in LA never have bothered ours) and create an oasis type atmosphere - also using our Japanese stone lanterns, etc...

I can not wait to see your place either! This is the most exciting aspect of leaving behind my Shangri-la that we have here in LA and venturing forth to start a new one. So wonderful to find such kindred spirits!

Thanks again and if there are pics please direct me!

On my budding profile page I have a link to my youtube site which has videos of where we live now and what we've done, including the hydroponic greenhouse setup which we won't have room for but hope to incorporate into the Seaside CG for the children to learn about it and experiment with. All the possibilities are endless.....

G

 

[Susan Horn]

Gidget,

It is indeed exciting to find kindred spirits. I LOVE it when that happens! Scroll down a few messages on this thread until you see a cool purple and green graphic -- that's Chandra's logo (cfh design studio). One of her posts has a link to her sowal blog, and included there are some pics of her rain barrel, raised beds, etc.

This link might work too. She designed Seaside Neighborhood School's community garden also. Reminds me, I haven't been by there in a while and need to go see what's new!

http://www.sowal.com/bb/blogs/chandr...den-class.html

I am very interested in aquaculture, would love to learn more about your fishies. We have chickens and two worm bins, with a plan for rabbits soon -- want a hutch to go over the bathtub which is one of the worm bins. We have another bathtub that may be destined to become a small fish pond. Also plans for a bee hive. Can only do so much in our spare time, so it will prolly take a few years to get the whole system in place.

I don't have any good pics but will post some if we get some. There are cool spots in our yard, but lots of really junky and in-process spots too. Sort of embarrassingly trashy in a way -- our neighbors haven't complained, so maybe it's not as bad as I think, but still. Not ready for the magazine photo shoot just yet, LOL!

One of my fave sources for fruit trees and other food/useful plants that do well here is a nursery in Crawfordville (east of Apalach) where they specialize in plants that do very well here in zone 8B (in LA I think you're zone 9, right?). The staff there are great, very knowledgeable and helpful. I try to make a road trip once or twice a year, but they also ship in fall and spring. Even if you don't buy from them, their website is a fantastic resource for best ways to grow and care for zone 8B food plants.

www.justfruitsandexotics.com

There's another great nursery up in Alabama where they really know their stuff, and a good number of their plants will do well here in the Panhandle. www.petalsfromthepast.com. The folks there are very connected with B'ham's slow food/ local food movement, Jones Valley Urban Farm, etc., and the nursery sells fresh seasonal produce to a lot of the area restaurants featurnig local ingredients on their menus.

Please when you move, bring cuttings and divisions of whatever you can that might grow here. I'll gladly swap plants with you, especially if you have any heirlooms that are particularly suited to hot humid conditions!

 

[Gidget]

Thanks for the info! I went to Chandra's blog about the school, etc..SO NICE! .I've been in touch with Christen and Kim about Seaside Community Garden which sounds exciting! Do you know them?

Your place sounds huge and very interesting! Our fish pond is just for koi - we raise them just to look at and visit with. We used to raise rabbits and chickens back when, but we gave all that up and just focus on veggies and fruit.

I went to your website and it is awesome! Got some good links from there as well. We are trying to build a very energy efficient home - plans change daily!

Susan - this is what we are leaving behind that we built from scratch. It was just an old soybean field! Plus, we have 100+ acres surrounding this. It is VERY scary starting over from scratch again

Home ‎(Home + 6 Acres Along Deer Creek NE, LA)‎

Thanks for info and I LOVE the gardening forum. I hope it stays active and has pics, etc...

G

From our garden

 

[Susan Horn]

Beautiful! Yes I know Christian and Kim, great folks. Your place sounds fabulous. When are you moving here? You will have to come to some SWELL and GAB and Locavore gatherings to connect with folks with similar interests... e-mail Chandra to get on the SWELL/GAB list. (South Walton Low-impact and Environmental Living; Greenflicks at Alys Beach) Not much going on in summer (venues booked, folks too busy to organize/attend -- all volunteer)

 

[Gidget]

Oh thanks for the info! I need to email her then.

We should be arriving by July 15 - but will be renting in Destin probably till house is finished which I anticipate to be around Decemberish....

I am excited!! Thanks again!

G

 

[Teresa Cline]

my container garden

This is the first year for a container garden that seems to be doing pretty well. my first attempt last yr failed b/c I didnt have the right kind of soil. I have never gardened in containers before so I am thrilled its doing pretty well. I have had some great tasting zucchinis and a new kind of squash called "eight ball", cukes, romain lettuce, variety of culinary herbs. The green beans, sweet potatoes, white and purple Jerusalem eggplant and tomatoes and several variety of peppers are doing very well (considering I still have sunlight issues). I added a lot of good compost and dove sheet which seemed to make a huge difference.

 

[Gidget]

LOVELY!!! Thanks so much for sharing. The plants look super and you have a nice green thumb!

G