The Macrocosm

We live in a gardeners' paradise here. There are 32 Portland Community Garden sites, containing over 1100 garden plots and approximately 3,500 gardeners. For the past 14 years, the "Produce for People" program has donated fresh produce grown in Portland Community Gardens to emergency food agencies. Produce for People has donated over 21 ½ tons since 2005 alone, all with volunteers, and 10,000 pounds just last year. That's a whole heap o good food. If you don't live where there's a great community garden program, start looking around the neighborhood and see what you can get going for your community. It's fast becoming time for some of that sod in the churchyard, in the schoolyard, in our own yards, to turn a new leaf, and grow some more to share with our neighbors.When you think about all the water and landscaping labor that goes into 'window-dressing' and curb appeal, might as well grow it without poisons and grow something delicious to eat, a good example is blueberries.

Fava bean cover crop in my neighbor's plot. You'll be seeing more from this master gardener, check out his setup. No one maximizes space like this gardener. One thing I love about community gardens is I get to see what others are doing and copy it!

Ah the freedom of a garden....you can go ahead and make a funky trellis if you want to, no building codes and contractors and permits. Speakin of which, keep your eye out for early spring pruning, and use some of those branches for a trellis for peas, they're free too.

A neighboring kohlrabi crop--this was planted in the fall too and is now ready for the kitchen.

A nice crop of garlic, sown in the fall for summer harvest. It's not too late to plant more here.

I could almost take a nap in here, it's so nice and warm and sheltered, wonder what they'll put in here? It's a nice likkle hoop house, they took a raised bed, and stuck the pvc pipe hoops into the ground, then homeland security-grade plastic held onto the pipe with clips. You could start hundreds of plants in here, plus extend the season by a couple months, pretty cool.