An update from Winnipeg
First of all wanted to thank all you wonderful people who have sent so many great seeds over the winter. I have enough for the next couple of years so please, find another good works for your donations. While in Victoria I bought peas and beans by the lb. Was lucky enough to find some leek seedlings when checking out nurseries over the weekend. Am really happy about this as was not able to start my own seed due to being in BC.
The snow has mainly melted, leaving a horrible mess of rubbish from the laneway garbage bins - and some old furniture -. Have been busily picking up all this rubbish.
The iris and other perennials seem to be in good condition, none of the planks were stolen over the winter. Harvested a row of leeks yesterday and will make leek and potato soup during the 'Good Food Club' at our local church today. This means that quite a few mothers will be taking this home for supper tonight.
Cheers Inanda with thanks
Guerrilla Garden
Thanks for the news, if you have a chance to post some pictures... they are welcomed!
last year i did the propagation experiment with leeks and it worked fantastic; so don't throw out the hairy end just replant and you will get another leek, faster and better than seedlings.
Leeks overwinter here quite well. Ones I harvested this week were planted a year ago. Yum yum
What do you mean about the hairy ends? Oh DUH. You mean the ends that you cut off prior to cooking. Well well, why didn't I think of that. Will do that with the rest of the row. Good tip. Merci.
Inanda
Now taking the axe to bash up !@#$ furniture dumped on the garden over the winter. Too heavy for me to move as it is.
Can't chop up the recliner chair. Will have to get some strong passers -by to put it in a bin.
Wilma and DH were over here last week and showed me (again) how to work with my pictures so ---- tata here are the only pictures that I took of the Guerrilla garden last year.
you have to start somewhere.
The red fence is where we will be planting some pole beans and all the sweetpeas.
Inanda
Here is one facing the other way.
Inanda
Guess what. Friends of mine who have a band are going to have a benefit for GG. Was going to be June 17th but as Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings will be here that night it will be June 10th.
Amazing.
Inanda
Where? Who's playing? How exciting for you and the kids. Is the recliner gone yet?
It is a band on the street. Will be at McMillan's (?) Now going to be in July as the drummer is touring with another band in US of A for June.
Recliner is still there. With luck will get it moved tonight when the Bob Cat chap comes. Lets hope.
G
I'm about to become a Guerilla Gardener! I bought a bag of 10 Asiatic lilies to go into a large, unused (except for the weeds) planter on the edge of a parking lot I drive by frequently. My only concern is that one corner of it is used as an ashtray :~(
Does anyone know if the ash and stuff from cigarette butts is a serious threat to the pH of the soil?
I even got the Community Association to pay for the bulbs! I'll plant them this week. I'm expecting they will multiply over the years with minimal care, just some discreet fertilizing now and then. Watch for pics in July!
Andy
That's awsome! Good for you Inanda and Andy!
Guerilla Gardening sounds fun!
Steve
Good gardening Andy. Would you have some nigella seed or something quick and easy to scatter with them?
Good for you Andy. Marigold or poppy seed - if you have any - do very well. Last year I planted some street containers too. California poppies did very well all summer. I also planted some tomatoes and some herbs I had lying around.
And a lily. Lily didn't survive the winter though, in the container.
News from GG.
I applied to the City for some $$. They gave me $200. Maybe I'll have to change our name to Mainstream' or something of the sort.
Keeping up the GG game, went and planted a couple of the STILL unplanted weedy CBC pots this AM. 3 lilies in each as a backdrop and petunis in one (yuk but all I had) and a couple wiht tomatoes. Poppies, calendulas & tomatoes in the others. Then phoned them to say WATER Needed......
Here is a pic of the Guerrilla Garden.
Looking good!
Inanda
What a "lot" of fun! LOL Great job on the GG for this site.
Ann
Ginny, have you got a shot of the sign? You must show them the sign with the little 'rockery" in front.
OK sign coming up/ Now that Echoes has told me in words of one syllable how to get pix from picasa into DG. Here goes, we shall see if it works.
The kids painted and designed this sign. They also wanted signs on each of their gardens so that is being done now and then.
One little boy and his brother wants each of their tomatoes to have a sign so am kept busy cutting up plywood.
Inanda
What a wonderful job you and the children have done Ginny! Ü I like the sign too. :)
Ginny
The kids must be very proud of their garden!...it shows in the sign!
What a super inspiration you are for them. Great work!!
Ann
This is so great what you are doing with the kids, I really appreciate your commitment.
With any luck it will keep them out of gangs as they grow older. Wasn't here yesterday but cops on the beat were playing frizbie with kids apparently.
Terribly dry so tons of watering,.
It is for me too, you know. My backyard isn't large enough for all the kids. When there were only two or 3 gardening it was fine but was getting to the point where I had to start thinking about finding adoptees for my lilies - NOT AN OPTION. Have tons of room now for lily & iris seedlings etc etc.
Had to find space very near for kids to get to without crossing a major road. Now there are 17 kids and 5 seniors from local OA home. Two more kids wanted gardens this AM so....I gave them little spaces and tonight they will come and choose flowers to plant there. Think that beans and lettuce are the only things we can plant this late.
Have been dividing iris so will have some of those for them too.
Another little triumph.... Our local swimmingpool is free but I cannot cope with taking kids there. Not all parents will go with them. Anyway, went looking for bathingsuits for them. Didn't want them to have to swim in their underwear. Local very small Salvation Army said there is a bag of bathing suits for me.
The kids just have to come down and choose the ones they want. So, ... will take them down this afternoon, girls first, then the boys to choose their own. Beginning to feel like a one person daycare.
Getting involved with the street generally as well. Only want to work with kids but...... Not really what I want to do, but it is just happening. It is racial I'm afraid. Some whiteys on the street object to aboriginal families living next to them. It seems to be family members coming to the big city for ..... The Ex (just over) Folk Fest (just over) or who knows why. It is so hot that of course everyone is outside on verandahs. Making noise, etc etc. Some whiteys are calling landlords, trying to get people evicted so...... just had to help. One house was apparently a drug house. When I asked, was told, no, no drugs here, not even smoking in the house, due to babies.... So, suggested drug tests to prove they were drug free. Results came back last week. Yes, indeed, drug free. Renters in the house going to local aboriginal centre to write a letter to the landlord, who is trying to evict them - based on neighbour noise reports. The problem is that other non-whites on the street are very quiet private people. It is all a cultural thing.
Could go on and on but .... kids will be here any second.
inanda
Please be careful Ginny.
I think it is a wonderful, caring thing you are doing Inanda. God Bless.
Don
Ginny
It is amazing what one person can accomplish ! I am proud to say that I met you last year and can put a face to the name!!!!
I think you could be called a guerrilla volunteer extrodinaire,
( excuse the spelling). I have explained about your gift of gardening to lots of friends. Many times it only takes one person to care enough to do the right thing and install hope in the heart of another, that is how the world is changed for the better.
Many good thoughts are coming your way and I wish you many blessings.
Ann
God bless you for your compassion and caring! From one Ginny to another :-)
You are one amazing woman/gardener/revolutionary!! Go get 'em - wish I lived closer, so I could give you a hand. Sometimes its the apparently small things that make a lasting impression in a person's life.
What a great project and I bet the kids really feel good when they see the results of their efforts.
Ann
GG now. Loaded with tomatoes, beans almost ready for first picking. It has actually been too hot to have a fire for marshmallows etc.
inanda
Here is another picture, mostly beans, and some lilies in the background.
