Garden Methods: Presentation #2

Presentation #2 - Garden Methods

Prepare to be inspired some more!

Let's say you have your soil test results, and you have observed and analyzed your prospective garden site, and included this information on your graph paper drawing.

You already have loads of information!

What to do next? This is when you can decide what kind of garden methods would work in your space, or in different parts of your space. I'll discuss a number of options here while you consider which of them would be doable for that shady spot, or that place that's always wet, or to work into a porch or gathering area - or whatever you have!

We will be discussing:
- Design concepts
- Terrace/spiral
- Guilds
- Alleyways
- Raised beds (framed or unframed)
- Vertical growing
- Containers

Note: These photos all come from books - the numbers with the photos correspond with the books in the source list at the end of this presentation.

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Source #1

Design by Exclusion

Shown here is an example of what one person observed at their place through the seasons - sun/shade, water/moisture, slope. Notice that they drew in the shade cast through the seasons. In the upper left of the drawings is a wet area, designated by little waves.
On the lower left is their analysis, overall, after these observations, such as what is always too wet, what is sunny in the summertime, what is far from the house, etc.
On the lower right is their resulting design. Notice that they placed wetland plants in the upper right area. Berry shrubs and the "summer garden" are in full sun. Fruit trees are in the area farther from the house, as they don't need daily attention, and they can live on the sloped area. The "kitchen garden" and greenhouse are placed near the house - they need constant attention and so need easy daily access.

In such a plan, you can also consider other factors such as air flow patterns and people patterns.

Try this with your plan!

Source #1

Conceptual design samples

This person used "bubble diagrams". They drew a different scenario on each of four maps, trying to find the best, most workable plan. You can see their thought processes here!
Look at each one - why, in each scenario, was this person considering a certain feature for a certain spot? Which plan would you use, if you had the same situation?

There are as many ways to do diagrams as there are people doing them - find what works for you!  Would "bubble diagrams" work for you?

Another way this gardener could have worked on the design was to have one map and then do the possible scenarios on separate sheets of acetate that can be put over the map. Also, there are various computer programs now to help you with garden planning. Again, do what works best for you!

Source #1

Sandwiched garden beds

Consider what may already be in place (in this photo - a greenhouse) or what you might plan to put in place (maybe a greenhouse?) along with what you want to grow. Consider sun and shade.

Greens like cooler weather and can take some shade. In this garden photo, you see them sandwiched between trellised plants and a greenhouse. This helps extend the season on the greens. Don't put sun-lovers in a spot like this!

Notice the flowers planted nearby. They are good companions, which we'll discuss in another presentation.

This is similar to the "alleyway" concept that will come later in this presentation.

Source #1

Gathering/resting space

Where do you and your family or visitors gather? Is there a spot that would be good for creating a gathering place? Where do find yourself relaxing, pondering?

Your vegetable garden can be part of the scenery, too - remember that vegetables can be ornamental! Imagine sitting in this place in the morning or evening, thinking about how your garden is doing, observing from this vantage point, thinking of what you'll do next, making plans, maybe just watching butterflies and hummingbirds. It's good to have a place to just sit with your garden - you will notice so much more, and the ideas will flow. And, you can easily step into your garden to do this or that.

Source #1

Walkway

Use spaces that you have. Look at them and think of different ways they could be used. Let your thoughts flow.

This person wanted a pollinator garden, and also needed to keep this walkway connecting the front and back of the property.

This would also work with herbs. Imagine walking by, smelling the herbs, and picking some as you go. Depending on the amount of sun, you might also grow some vegetables along a place like this. The plant in the right foreground is Globe Artichoke - not easy to grow in our area, but it can give you some ideas. And, you can see that it's an interesting looking plant!

This is another garden that is similar to the "alleyway" concept.

Source #8

Terraces

Do you have a steep or fairly steep slope at your place? Fear not - it can be used to grow a garden! You can use a variety of materials to make a terrace. And, with a terrace you greatly decrease erosion, catching and conserving water for the garden plants, and saving soil. You can nurture and build up the soil on the terrace steps.

Source #1

Spirals

Similar to terracing, here's another way to use a difficult spot, building it upwards and creating a number of useful planting spaces. Herbs are especially adaptable to spirals, and you can find directions for "herb spirals" on line and in books.

Do you have a difficult spot where a spiral garden is a good option?

Source #1

Tree guilds

In Permaculture, "guilds" are a major concept - building a community of plants that thrive together according to nutrient, sun, and light needs - growing food at the same time in a small space. "Tree guilds" are commonly used, mimicking the layers of a forest.

Here we see a tall tree (the canopy - could be a nut tree to provide food) supporting a vining plant (in this case, grapes). Below are the "small tree layer" (such as dwarf fruit trees) and shrub layer (like berry bushes). Close to the ground is the herbaceous layer, which can be annual, biennial, or perennial crops. Then the ground cover layer on top of the soil, and the root layer below, which can be root crops.

One thing I do is to grow Comfrey plants around an apple tree. Their large leaves shade and cool the soil. They provide nutrients to the soil and tree roots. They are medicinal for us, they attract pollinators to their arcs of dangling blue flowers, and they are attractive!

Source #1

Tree guild

Here is a tree with under-plantings of plants in various heights. These are ornamental, but you can easily choose herb, vegetable, or fruit crops.

Source #3

Tree guild

This is a rocky Mediterranean area - different from our area in climate and ground, but a good example of doing more plantings in a difficult spot around a tree. This is a tree well adapted to this climate - Olive. Here, one is creatively surrounded by purple cabbages, and they look very healthy!

Do you have a tree (or more) at your place that you want to keep, and that could be the basis of a tree guild? If so, toy with this idea and do some sketches of what you'd like to grow in the different layers of the guild. This system also keeps a healthy, diverse, balanced ecosystem going, which helps with nutrition and pest control.

Source #1

Alleyways

Now we go back to the concept of "alleyways" mentioned earlier - planting in long areas between taller areas, like the greens sandwiched between the trellises and greenhouse.

In the background is a perennial planting, asparagus, which is on to its "ferny" stage after the season is over and the gardener has quit harvesting the spears. Asparagus can be productive in one spot for 20-30 years, so if you have them or want to grow them - plan to work around them!

The asparagus here creates an "alleyway" with its tallness. Next to it is a wide row (another concept coming up) of an annual crop - I'm assuming sweet potatoes, which flourish in the heat of summer. The poles may be there to support trellising when the gardener needs that for a different crop - but that's just my guess. Then there is another wide bed with more annual crops.

Source #1

Alleyways

Another "alleyway", this shows how rows of annual crops can be tucked between perennials. There are berry shrubs on one side, and young trees (with a grassy walkway) on the other. Between them are wide rows of annual vegetable crops.

Do you have an existing "alleyway" situation at your place? Or, can you create one through your planning of perennial and annual crops?

Source #8

Wide rows

Wide rows are basically raised beds without the frames enclosing and containing them. They are easy to do, and you can keep building up the soil with cover crops, mulch, compost, or rotted manure.

Wide rows also allow you to do staggered plantings and inter-planting, seen here, which also makes it easier to plant companions (we'll get to companions in the next presentation).

As with any raised bed, make the width so that you can easily reach to the middle from either side. For most people, a four foot wide bed is good.

Source #8

Open raised beds

Besides wide rows, you can plant in other shapes for open raised beds, such as the squares and rectangles seen here. One has onions with either cabbages or lettuce - either works fine with onions. Open raised beds are easy to work around, and to build up the soil.

Source #3

Framed raised beds

This photo shows two ideas:
- "Frames" around a raised bed can be minimal as well as decorative. The gardener probably used what was available for weaving these rustic yet pretty borders (especially suitable for historical interpretive gardens). Of course, these "raised beds" don't look deep at all, but you can make them deeper, and make the weaving higher and denser, as was done historically.
- You can use all sorts of shapes and designs, according to your space and sense of aesthetics. Many "kitchen gardens" are, like this one, inspired by formal gardens. You may have seen such gardens, with rounded beds around a central bed.
By the way - notice there is a small tree in the center of the circle (and another one in another bed). Could this center circle become a tree guild??

Do you have a central area that could become a circular bed, surrounded by other beds?

Source #8

Raised bed frames

As mentioned before, frames for raised beds can be created with a variety of materials. They can be fancy, plain, neat, rustic, decorative. Maybe the kids, or you, would like to paint designs on the outsides! You can buy raised bed kits, or just buy materials, or use what you have on hand, or find salvaged materials - just something that contains the bed. This illustration shows some interesting examples.

Why make contained, framed raised beds?
- They are useful for difficult spots, such as if you have poor soil and not enough time to fix it. I once visited an organic garden in Bloomington, Indiana, that was a great example. The people bought a house from someone who had used the garage and grounds as his business for fixing machines or vehicles. There was no good place for an in-ground garden, and they had a very wide gravel drive from garage to road. They gathered concrete blocks found on the property and built raised beds right on top of the gravel! Having built up rich soil within the beds, organically, they were filled with huge, healthy vegetable plants.
- Framed raised beds are easy to plant and maintain, and can look very neat.
- They are adaptable. You can even make very high ones that save a gardener's back, or that are adapted to physical limitations.

Are framed raised beds a good option for your place? What material can you use to build them?

Source #4

Framed raised beds

This place has a good number of raised beds framed with boards. Notice that they have planted them with plants of different heights, low plants in the foreground, tall in the back. These look to be primarily perennials. The gardener was considering the amount and angle of sunlight throughout the day, but maybe also just liked this look.

Source #8

Framed raised beds

We've so far seen squares, rectangles, circles, semi-circles.
Now for triangles! This shape provides a unique ability to use space economically. You can do them individually or as a row, as shown here, and maybe other configurations. They also allow for different planting arrangements within the beds, using corners.

Would triangles fit into your plans?

You could also do hexagonal beds (though they would be more work to create). Think of it - they could go together like a honeycomb! That's real economy of space, design created by the honeybee. Maybe this would work in your situation. You could even put a bee skep in the middle, with plants around it that attract honeybees.

Another raised bed design, which originate with gardeners in Lesotho (a method that conserves resources in a dry climate), is the Keyhole garden. Basically, this is a circle with an entrance to the middle and a circle in the middle. The middle can be used as a compost area, making compost easy to toss onto the garden beds. Some people plant something in the middle, like a small tree, and others simply use the middle circle as another easy access to the planted areas.
The keyhole design does need to be surrounded by something that keeps everything in, just like a framed raised bed. You can get fancy with bricks or stones, or you can get rustic with a tightly woven surround of sticks and bendable twigs.
This is also another space-saving method, very adaptable to small areas and problem spots.
You can find lots of photos, diagrams and directions on line, and in some books. Here is a link to some information and directions:
https://permaculturefoodforest.wordpress.com/2016/04/14/keyhole-gardens/

Source #4

Framed raised beds and verticals

Here are some taller framed raised beds built right over the gravel. And, there are other things going on that will be discussed soon - vertical growing (tepee trellises right inside the beds) and container gardening (the big stone containers scattered about). All three here (frames, trellises, containers) border on fancy, but can easily be done.

Use what you have to do the same thing!

If you had this arrangement, what would you envision planting here?

Source #8

Framed raised bed and vertical

Here's another arrangement of a framed raised bed with a trellis as part of it - but this time a different kind of trellis, fitting right over one end. Under the trellis you can plant more shade-tolerant crops (greens, lettuce, cabbage, etc.), extending their season as the trellis fills up. You can plant sun-loving crops in the open end.

Likewise, if you already have a place where a trellis exists or a place that can be converted to trellising, you can build a raised bed partly under it.

Source #8

Vertical

Here's an idea for using a space next to a house, garage, shed, greenhouse, or other structure to grow more crops. Your vertical growers can be sun-loving crops such as pole beans, pole lima beans, cucumber, squash, luffa, etc.. In the shade it creates between trellis and building can be shade-tolerant crops. Before the vines take off, you can plant quick-growing greens (such as lettuce, spinach, kale, Asian greens, etc.) that will be harvested soon or have their season extended a bit.

Do you have a place along a building, porch, deck, or other spot where you can make a simple leaning trellis? You can also use lattice existing on a porch or other place.

Source #2

Vertical - espalier

Here's another space-saving vertical-growing idea - espaliered fruit trees! This is a very old method of training a small fruit tree to a fence or other such support. Besides taking up less space than an open tree-in-the-round, think how easy it would be to care for an espaliered tree and harvest from it!

Do you have a fence or other place where you might be able to practice espalier? Make sure that other conditions are right for a fruit tree - sun, wind, soil, etc.

Source #4

Containers

We saw some planted containers awhile ago, placed around raised beds on a gravel surface. Here are some container plantings in a group, creating a larger garden out of smaller ones. Notice that the pots are different sizes and heights, the taller ones to the back. The same thing goes for the plantings in the pots here.

You can easily substitute vegetable and herb plants, and companion flowers, in the containers, and you can plant more than one thing in a pot if the pot is the right size and the plants are good companions. Think of how large they will be when full grown. When selecting varieties of vegetables and herbs with container gardening in mind, notice if the company mentions that a variety is especially well suited to containers. Otherwise, look for more compact plants, and smaller types. You can also add a trellis to a container for climbers.

Source #1

Containers

How about these for containers?!
Containers can be any size, as long as they are suitable for the particular plants. In this case, the barrels make it possible to grow crops that have exceptionally long tap roots, and to keep those roots straight. Perhaps this gardener's regular soil is either hard (clay) or stony, which would hinder the roots or cause them to be misshapen.

Lining the barrels up along the side of this building is a good use of space. Also, the building might reflect more heat to the plants. This is a consideration for creating a micro-climate, which we'll talk about later.

Do you see the other method being used here? Yes - vertical gardening! Trellises can be incorporated into container planting, even just in pots. The building here seems to serve as extra support for these heavily-laden trellises.

Just about anything can be used for container planting (even a hollowed-out old bowling ball), as long as it doesn't have any unsafe materials, but it does have drainage holes. If it doesn't already have holes, you can create some with a drill or a hammer and large nail.

If you got one of the give-away Grow Bags and seed potatoes, you are doing another kind of container garden, and I hope it's going well! When you are done growing potatoes, you can grow other things in the Grow Bag, but don't follow the potatoes with other members of the Solanaceae family (like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatillos, etc.). Be sure to replenish the soil with compost or other good soil.

Source #6

Containers

Look at this!
A simple net-style compost bin is being used as a container garden. You know that's rich soil in there, and really good for those potato plants! This container garden is made prettier by the ribbons woven through the netting and the pansies planted all around the bottom (where nutrient-rich stuff collects). You could also make a compost bin-cum-container garden with a circle of wire fencing, snow fencing, or chicken wire, supported by a few stakes.

Are you getting ideas?
Do you already have things around that can be used for a container garden? It's also fun to search thrift shops and other places, looking at items in a completely different way, as possible containers for gardens.

Containers give you the freedom of placement here and there, or to group them together. You can move them in and out of sun and rain, into or out of hot or cold spots, or even bring them indoors when needed, depending on the container's heaviness. But, remember that container gardens need more watering attention than in-ground or on-ground gardens. But, there are tricks for slow, extended watering that you can buy or make.

You can also think of a contained/framed raised bed as a "container garden" if you have used a barrier on the bottom so that the plant roots have no contact with the existing soil or other surface. This is useful if you have questionable soil, or if you are unsure of what's in your soil (such as heavy metals).

Source #7

Microclimates

We end with the vegetable gardens of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, in Virginia. It's quite large and elaborate! And very ambitious. Not what any of us would be doing at our places, in city or country. Today it requires a hefty staff of professionals and volunteers to maintain. In Jefferson's time, that meant slaves.

But I show it here to illustrate one other consideration - micro-climates.

When you look at a map of planting zones in the United States, you'll see that the spot where Monticello exists has the same zone number as the spot where we exist. That may seem surprising! But, micro-climates make the difference in what we do, and what Jefferson did. After all, we don't have mountains, and we are all huddled into low river valleys here.

Using the mountainside (with a "sea view" of the Piedmont), Jefferson had terraces created (like we talked about earlier, but way bigger). The first terrace is home to the extensive vegetable garden, longer at either end than we can see here. This made it possible to garden on the mountain slope, and it also created a micro-climate (south-facing) to help grow an extremely wide variety of vegetables (Jefferson had a fascination with plants and brought seeds and plants from different parts of the world to try to grow in Virginia, sometimes successfully).

The next terrace down, to the left in the photo (we can't see beyond the actual terrace in this photo) created a micro-climate that grows four varieties of fig trees (not something we can do much in our area, despite being the same zone), against that terrace. Below that are the vineyards and the South Orchard.

We can do similar things at our places to create special micro-climates, on a much smaller scale, no matter the size of our space. Look over your place and see where micro-climates may already exist - spots that are different from the general climate. This may be due to shade, trapped air (maybe creating a cold or wet spot), extra sun (maybe creating a hot, dry spot), extra moisture, or strongly flowing air.

What can you do there, differently? And, is there anywhere at your place you can create a micro-climate to grow some different things (maybe even a fig tree)?

The physical "limits" at your place are really only limits by imagination. Work with what you have, let the ideas flow!

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Go through this presentation again, think about your place, toy around with your plans.

And, please do share your plans with all of us! We all love to see your progress, and it could create discussion, advice, ideas among us all. You can share them on the Grow City Teaching Garden Facebook page, or by responding to the email through which this presentation was sent.

(Note: I did not get into some methods here, such as Hugelkulture, lasagna layering/sheet mulching, composting-in-place to create beds, etc. These are all methods that can be used in creating one of the concepts taught here, such as wide beds, raised beds, etc.)

NOW:
Before the next presentation appears, do this .... create a "wish list"!! What would you like to grow?
Next time we'll look at different planting methods, which will help you further with your plans and also help you narrow down your choices of what crop varieties to use.
But, wishes come first!

Just remember:
- Keep It Simple
- Grow what your household will use
- Start small
- Start with the easier-to-grow things.

:) As always - have fun! :)

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Source list for photos:

1. Practical Permaculture: for home landscapes, your community, and the whole earth; by Jessi Bloom and Dave Boehnlein; Timber Press, Inc.; 2015. (available at the Knox County Public Library)

2. The Art of French Vegetable Gardening; by Louisa Jones; Artisan; 1995.

3. Kitchen Gardens of France; by Louisa Jones; Thames and Hudson; 1997.

4. Designing the New Kitchen Garden: an American potager handbook; by Jennifer R. Bartley; Timber Press, Inc.; 2006.

5. Mother Earth News Organic Gardening Collector Series; 2019.

6. Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series: Guide to Organic Gardening.

7. "A Rich Spot of Earth": Thomas Jefferson's Revolutionary Garden at Monticello; by Peter J. Hatch; Yale University Press; 2012.

8. High-Yield Gardening: How to get more from your garden space and more from your gardening season; by Marjorie Hunt and Brenda Bortz; Rodale Press; 1986.

(Note on the last book: This is the book that changed the way I looked at gardening and stretched what I saw as the possibilities. I used to check it out of the public library a lot. I must have been the only one doing so, because when I went through a period of not checking it out, it was weeded from the collection. My husband searched for it on line and it was out of print, but he located used copies at such ridiculously low prices that we got our copy for less than it cost to ship it. For a large book that so packed with wonderfulness, I don't understand how any of this happened. But, I'm very glad to have my own copy, and I urge you to search for one, too.)


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Garden Methods and Planning

Resources in the Knox County Public Library and Web Sites

The Backyard Homestead (editor Carleen Madigan); 2009; 641 Ba

Chapter on Home Vegetable Gardening: raised beds, containers, vertical. Also, landscaping, herbs

Ball, Jeff; Jeff Ball's 60-Minute Garden; 1985; 635 Ba

Raised beds, tunnels, vertical, also has some specific plans for constructing.

Bartholomew, Mel; All-New Square Foot Gardening; 2013; 635 Ba

Bloom, Jessi, and Dave Boehnlein; Practical Permaculture for Home Landscapes, Your Community, the Whole Earth; 2015; 631.58 Bl

Brenna, Georgeanne, and Mimi Luebbermann; Little Herb Gardens; 1993; 635.7 Br

CaliKim; Organic Gardening for Everyone; 2020; 6354 Ca

Indoor, raised beds, containers, glossary of garden terms.

Clarke, Ethne; Herb Garden Design; 1995; 635.7 Cl

Damrosch, Barbara; The Garden Primer; 1988; 635 Da

Plants, landscape plans shown (pp. 10-11), vegetable garden plans shown (pp. 194-195)

Damrosch, Barbara; Theme Gardens; 2001; 635.9 Da

Easton, Valerie; The New Low-Maintenance Garden; 2009; 635 Ea

Design, style, containers

Eddison, Sydney; Gardening for a Lifetime: How to garden wiser as you grow older; 2010; 635 Ed

Helps in rethinking spaces.

Flowerdew, Bob; No Work Garden; 2002; 635 Fl

Gardening for All Seasons (New Alchemy Institute); 1983; 635 Ga

Indoor, solar greenhouse, raised beds

Gettle, Jere and Emilee; The Heirloom Life Gardener; 2011; 635 Ge

Chapter 7 – City Farmer

Guerra, Michael; The Edible Container Garden; 2000; 635 Gu

Hendy, Jenny; Kid's First Gardening; 2014; 635 He

Many ideas for any age, including – basket of squash, grow bag garden, patio veggie garden, potato bin, hanging basket, windowsill salad, herb pyramid, herb wheel, runner bean wigwam, checkerboard plot, and more.

Hirvela, Stacey; Edible Spots and Pots; 2014; 635 Hi

Great for small spaces.

Jabbour, Niki; The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener; 2011; 635 Ja

Intensive planting, cold frames/seasonal, raised beds, tunnels/solar, site selection, vertical, plots and design.

Lanza, Patricia; Lasagna Gardening; 1998; 635 La

Vertical, foundation plantings, other garden methods – landscape plans shown on pp. 4-5.

Lavelle, Christine, and Michael; How to Grow Organic; 2008; 635.048

Planning, methods. See pp. 122-155 The Kitchen Garden.

(by same authors: The Organic Garden; 2003; 635.048 La Tall Books)

Maguire, Kay, and Tony Woods; Big Ideas for Small Spaces; 2017; 635 Ma

Markham, Brett L.; Mini-Farming for Self-Sufficiency; 2006; 630 Ma

Raised beds, trees/fruits/vines, vertical/trellising

Newcomb, Duane; The Vegetable Garden Factory: Super Yields from Small Spaces; 1988; 635 Ne

The Organic Gardener's Complete Guide to Vegetables and Fruits; 1982; 635 Or

Primeau, Liz; Front Yard Gardens; 2003; 635.9 Pr

Mainly featuring ornamental gardens, but ideas are adaptable to food gardens (especially when considering many vegetable plants as ornamentals)

Richardson, Fern; Small Space Container Gardens; 2012; 635.986 Ri

Rodale's All New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening; 1997; 635.048 Ro

Smith, Edward C.; The Vegetable Gardener's Bible; 2009; 635 Sm

Wide beds, raised beds, seed catalogs/plants, vertical, planning.

Smith, P. Allen; Living in the Garden Home; 2007; 635 Sm

Loads of ideas for small, beautiful spaces, including vertical, container, etc.

Soler, Ivette; The Edible Front Yard; 2011; 653 So

Tozer, Frank; The Organic Gardener's Handbook; 2008; 635.048 To

Includes site selection

Trail, Gayla; You Grow Girl; 2005; 635 Tr

Great for urban situations, lots of ideas.

Wilson, Jim; Landscaping with Container Plants; 1990; 635.9 Wi

Also check magazines available at the library, such as Mother Earth News and Horticulture.

Web Sites

Planting Potatoes:

thespruce.com/growing-potatoes-in-containers-848220

balconygardenweb.com/growing-potatoes-in-containers-how-to-grow-potatoes-in-pots

almanac.com/plant/potatoes

Garden Methods:

morningchores.com/gardening-methods

18 Garden Methods to Choose From to Maximize Your Space

gardeningchannel.com/10-unusual-gardening-methods

Container Gardens:

goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/a20707074/container-gardening-tips

thespruce.com/container-vegetable-gardening-1403396

thespruce.com/vegetable-container-gardening-for-beginners-848161

thespruce.com/great-vegetables-to-grow-in-containers-848214

thespruce.com/lettuce-garden-in-a-bag-848241

Raised Beds:

goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/g20706096/how-to-build-a-simple-raised-bed

(using just planks and rebar)

thespruce.com/raised-bed-garden-ideas-4172154

15 Raised Bed Garden Design Ideas

Garden Site Evaluation - Presentation #1

The Grow City Garden on July 25, 2019

Welcome to the Grow City Garden Education blog!

The purpose of the blog is to provide presentations, tutorials and other information to Grow City workshop participants, easily accessible to all.

Background of Grow City:

Grow City was created in 2019 through the Education Committee of the Knox County (Indiana) Soil and Water Conservation District, as part of its mission to provide education in the importance of soil health in urban situations. Partners include the Knox County Public Library, Purdue Extension Service, and Vincennes University. 

The Grow City Teaching Garden was established in 2019 in the back yard of the McGrady-Brockman Historical Collection building, part of the Knox County Public Library campus, at 7th and Hart Streets in Vincennes, Indiana. The library has generously donated garden/work space, storage space, and access to water for this project, and also helps with workshops in various ways.

The Grow City Program consists of both indoor and outdoor workshops that teach area residents (primarily for urban situations) how to grow their own food within their own unique situations. The garden serves as a teaching tool.

Teens from the Knox County Public Library planting seeds for fall crops in their own raised bed

October 25, 2019

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Garden Site Evaluation

Spring Series Presentation #1 for March 17, 2020

Background:

Three monthly indoor Grow City workshops had been planned for the Spring Series, 2020. The aim of the series was to provide participants with the "tools" they would need to plan a garden for their own unique situation. Each time, they would add to their plans, using what was learned in the latest workshop. By the last one in April, they would have a complete, original plan they could use to get their gardens set up and planted.

The February 18 workshop proceeded successfully, in the Sun Room of the Knox County Public Library, and participants got started on their plans. The main idea of this workshop was to inspire participants with possibilities, give them a basic background in soil health, and teach them how to do a basic evaluation on their intended garden site. With this, they would get started on their plans, using what they observed. They also would set up times for SWCD staff member Jeff Coats to visit their site and collect soil samples for testing.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions put in place to try to prevent the spread of the virus, the library was closed and activities of all partner organizations greatly curtailed. The intended "pop-up workshops" in the garden were also suspended, to prevent gathering.

All Grow City activities became virtual. Work continues in the garden, and is communicated via updates and tutorials on the Grow City Teaching Garden Facebook page and an email list. 

This is the first virtual presentation for the indoor workshops of the Spring Series, back-tracking to the first subject missed, which would have been presented on March 17, 2020. In this first virtual presentation, we review Garden Site Evaluation by looking at how we observed and analyzed the Grow City Teaching Garden site, and how we decided to use it based on those observations and considerations. 

Okay - let's get started!!

Considerations of the site for planning the Grow City Teaching Garden:

- Soil test/conditions/quality

- Sunlight and shade

- Water source and location

- Activities planned for the space

- The alley/nearby activity

- Neighbors/neighborhood

- Animals - wild, domestic, stray

First:

Soil!

We needed to get this garden started! But, the most important aspect in analyzing a prospective garden site is finding out the quality of your soil by having a soil test done. 

In most situations, it is also important, through that, to know how the site was used before, and to have it tested for the presence of heavy metals. That alone will determine how you will use the site. Vincennes is a very old city (established in 1732!), and so all sorts of activities, materials, and substances could have occurred on sites within the city. The McGrady-Brockman Building was built as a residence in 1859 and was converted to use as a funeral home in 1937. It remained a funeral home until it came under the auspices of the public library in 2000. The backyard had a garage on it long ago (we do come across small bits of concrete or brick), but for many years has just been a grassy yard.

March 2019

Some neighbors were parking cars on the back part of the site, off the alley. This was put to a stop, but it's also a consideration for site use, as far as factors such as possible soil compaction.

March 2019

Jeff Coats took soil samples and turned them in for testing. Also, SWCD staff member Will Drews investigated web sites to find out if there were any toxic sites near enough to affect this site. 

Since we needed to get things started, but did not yet have results of the soil test, we decided to approach the garden, initially, in ways that would be adaptable to any outcome. We did this in two ways.

1. Raised beds

A cattle panel trellis was added between the two raised beds, which were constructed and filled during the first on-site workshop. We also built an identical raised bed nearby for the Teens. Each is 4' x 4'.

If you are unsure of the safety of your existing soil, you can include a barrier at the bottom of the raised bed. This, in essence, creates a container garden. You can also avoid planting root crops that will tap farther into the soil with the part of the plant you would intend to consume (carrots, beets, etc.)

We took a chance and opted to not use a barrier so that if the soil was safe micro- and macro-organisms could work between the existing soil and the soil added to the bed.

2. Making different crop choices for an in-ground bed.

We planned to start with one in-ground bed, which  would be planted as a Three Sisters Garden (corn/beans/squash, but also sunflowers). 

This 4/ x 8' in-ground bed was prepared by solarizing - black plastic concentrates the heat of sunlight to kill off grass and weeds, thus eliminating the need to turn and disturb soil and its structure and organisms.

But, since we did not yet know about the safety of the soil, we chose crop varieties that double as ornamental so that there would still be a use for them if they couldn't be consumed: Glass Gem Corn, Scarlet Runner Beans, and Jack-Be-Little Pumpkins (as well as the Sunflower mix).

Glass Gem Corn grown in the Grow City Teaching Garden in 2019 - it can be used as ground corn, popcorn, or as decoration.

Fortunately, when the soil test results came, it showed that our soil was safe from heavy metals! Yay!! Also, Will's investigation showed that there were no toxic sites close enough to affect our site. 

This meant we could proceed as normal with in-ground gardens, and that leaving out a barrier from the raised beds wouldn't matter. 

During our first observations of the site, we dug soil in various spots to check its content and quality.

It's a sandy soil, but with enough organic matter to make it viable. Really, there had been little disturbance for years. Sandy meant it would be easier to work than clay/silty soil, but also that it would dry up faster.

The soil clumped together fairly well when squeezed in the hand into a ball, but was a little crumbly.

Some dark spots in this sample

We can see some tiny remnants of red brick in this sample

Second:

Another very important consideration is the amount of sunlight on the prospective site - at different times of the day. Where does shade fall throughout the day, and for how long? Are there areas of dappled light or partial shade? What areas receive a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight in a day?

In watching the Grow City site, we observed that shade is cast by the back of the McGrady-Brockman building.

Shade is also cast by a large evergreen tree in the east/southeast corner of the lot. In the morning the tree's shade extends well down the yard, though not all the way. 

We discovered, though, that the shading only happens during the morning. Most of the day the lot is in full sun, which opened up many possibilities for us. We knew that any part of the lot could be planted, as far as amount of light, but that in the east/southeast segment we should plant crops that don't need a full day of sun. Crops such as greens, root crops, and some herbs would be fine there.

These observations also affected the way that we would orient the garden beds. We needed to consider getting enough sun to anything that would be growing in them. We oriented all of the beds to benefit from both the morning and late afternoon/early evening sun.

This chart was done later in 2019 when we were adding another garden bed, plus the compost bin.

The sun rises around the upper left, above the large pine, and sets to the lower right, beyond the McGrady-Brockman parking lot.

Marking locations of the three raised beds and first in-ground bed early in 2019

This orientation also considered the shade that would be cast by plants growing on trellises, particularly the large cattle-panel trellis that would be put between two of the raised beds, and the amount of sunlight those plants would receive.

Summer 2019: cucumbers on the left side of the cattle panel trellis, pole beans on the right - all received adequate sunlight to produce well and did not shade plants in adjoining raised beds.

An extra note: Another important consideration when analyzing a prospective garden site is to notice where there are consistently wet and dry spots, and where water pools or runs during wet times. At the Grow City site, the lot is very even and flat. We have not found any inconsistent spots, as far as moisture. If we had, this would have determined what we could grow in those spots, as some plants tolerate wetness or dry conditions better than others. Or, we would have used those spots for other purposes than planting. You might find spots that would be good for rain gardens, water features, resting/gathering places, or play areas.

Third:

Water source. It's very important to have an accessible source of water for watering the garden, washing, etc. Preferably, it should be near the gardens so that it's easy to use. At the Grow City site, the water spigot is very conveniently located at the back of the building. We were able to reach all the gardens with the hose we initially bought (and the handy attachment with various stream selections). This year we bought a longer hose so that we could more easily reach the further beds that we added as well as the compost bins, which need to be watered during dry spells to keep them working well. 

We also were happy to have a convenient water source for the workshops we would have.

Some workshops involve harvesting and using crops from the garden. During this summertime 2019 workshop, a participant washes vegetables for the salads we made and shared. 

Fourth:

Another aspect of site planning is consideration of how people will be using the space (as well as how they are already using it, especially for home sites). Where will activities take place? What structures will be needed, permanently or temporarily? How will people need to move about?

For Grow City, we need plenty of space for groups (possibly somewhat large ones, at times) to gather for instruction and programs, and to do the work of the garden. Sometimes we would need to set up tables with instructional and work materials, or refreshments. Sometimes we would need to set up a tent or two, especially during hot weather. 

Tom Held, Natural Resources Conservation Service, teaches about using cover crops in the garden.

We would need to be sure people could gather around a garden bed and still see and hear what was being demonstrated or explained.

Jennifer Nettles, Horticulture professor at Vincennes University, talks to attendees about cucumber plants.

Using a "pocket space" inside the ramp area for a the container garden portion of a workshop

We also needed to consider that visiting groups would sometimes come to the garden.

Visitors sampling cherry tomatoes

Fifth:

The alley. This falls under considering the surroundings of your prospective garden site and how the physical aspects of them and activities associated with them may affect your future garden. 

This block of the alley behind the McGrady-Brockman backyard is a cut-through between Hart Street (a very busy, main artery road) and Shelby Street. We were surprised at how busy it is, especially just after 5:00 pm. It is also the way the residents across the alley get to their parking spots. Those buildings are a row of old houses facing 6th Street, divided into apartments. 

The library had a black fence around the whole back part of the McGrady-Brockman property and the parking lot (remnants can be seen in some of the photos in this blog), but the stretch of fence between the back yard and the alley was gone. 

The back of the yard, the alley, and apartment parking

This was because it was damaged from cars running into it (the end of a remnant near the parking lot  still bears damage). There were ruts and tire marks into the back of the yard. After being at the site often enough, we could observe how people drove up and down the alley. Why were people driving off the alley at this part of it? There were some pot holes in the alley, between the yard and apartment parking spaces. Sometimes people could avoid them and still drive only on the alley road. But, we observed that when apartment-dwellers' cars were parked near the holes, people had to swerve toward the McGrady-Brockman yard to avoid both the parked cars and the holes - there was no way to avoid this, and it had caused people to run into the fence when it was there. 

We couldn't really fix this problem for them, but we could adapt to it. There are plans for a new fence around the backyard (slowed now by the pandemic). In doing our measuring and planning for a fence, we allowed more space between the alley and where the fence would be. 

Note: The fence is needed for a number of reasons that will be soon addressed here. There have not been other structures or activities elsewhere around the site that have strongly affected the garden.

Sixth:

Neighbors and neighborhood.

This is, of course, closely related to considering the surroundings. We are in the middle of a busy, urban area. We have residential neighbors behind us along the alley. As those are apartments, people move in and out, and some stay a long time. Also, next door there is a medical establishment in a nice old renovated house. Their parking lot is behind their building, adjacent to the northeast/east end of the Grow City yard. 

We need to consider our neighbors for a number of reasons. For one thing, we want to be good neighbors. One way to do that is to keep things nice-looking. This is true for any neighborhood, of course, and some are fussier about this than others. When we wanted to start a compost bin, for example, we made sure it would be a nice looking bin (one reason not to use an open pile). 

The first compost bin, built by Ray Chattin during a compost workshop in 2019 (seen here is SWCD CEO Charlie Ring)

Since the bin is near the fence and a parking lot, a lid was attached so that passing people couldn't toss things into it that don't belong there.

In early 2020 we needed to transfer compost to another bin to keep it working, and to get to the "good stuff" at the bottom of the wooden bin. This fence panel bin serves the purpose, is not bad looking, and shows people an easy, cheap way to have a quick compost bin.

In late 2019 we had a "Lasagna Layering" workshop, during which we started a new bed using sheet mulching - layering various kinds of materials that could break down into usable garden soil. We needed to keep it covered (more on that later) until planting time in spring 2020. We covered it with sheets of cardboard and put old pallets and bricks on top for weight. 

Just after construction, late 2019

It didn't look pretty, but it did look purposeful, as if something was going to be happening.

Early 2020

In spring 2020, when we uncovered the bed, we re-covered it with row cover fabric, weighted with some bricks along the edges. In retrospect, we could have done this last fall and it would have been a nicer view for the neighbors. But, this year they'll enjoy seeing the plantings in the bed, too.

Well, this is not so much about planning the whole site, but it's part of trying to think ahead.

Besides vehicle traffic, a number of people walk up and down the alley - neighbors as well as people walking through. Some have seemed curious about the garden, some don't seem to notice at all, and some stop and talk, even ask questions. We are thinking of them, too, when we make plans for the gardens. We want them to be able to see what is going on.

We put the sign up early on. It faces the alley and is a little turned toward the McGrady-Brockman parking lot. Even before the gardens really got started, the sign let neighbors, passers-by and others know what was going on there.

Another concern, unfortunately, is the possibility of theft and vandalism, especially in the middle of a town or city. There's no way to completely avoid those things, but we keep an eye on it and try to think of things we can do if it looks like we're having problems. The permanent fence will help prevent some of that, though it's not the only reason for the fence.

Seventh:

Animals - wild, domestic, and stray. 

In an urban situation, you don't have as much trouble with wild animals, though raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, moles, and opossums can turn up, and deer and coyotes are well known to wander cities and neighborhoods. Some like to eat your garden delicacies, usually just when they become ripe. Some might make burrows or tunnels. Others might walk through things (deer are good at that). Wild birds, though most are welcome, can be a problem, especially those that like to find your newly-planted seeds or seedling plants. A neighbor said that crows gather in the big pine tree, though we haven't seen any in the garden.

There has been a problem with domestic dogs - or, rather, their owners, who either take them on "walks" in the yard or let them run. We've had to clean up after them plenty. There are also a few neighborhood cats. Cats can see garden beds, especially freshly made ones, as nice big litter boxes.

Any of these, of course, could be stray animals, too.

The permanent fence, when it goes in, should help keep most dogs (and dog "walkers") out of the yard and garden. Hopefully there are none small enough to get through it, and that none would be able to climb it. We'll see if cats can get through or climb it, depending on the fence style that is settled on. 

When we first built the raised beds and filled them with soil, we covered them with row cover fabric. This was mainly to keep out the cats and birds. After planting seeds and seedlings, we left the covers on for awhile for the same reason, but removed them when plants were large and sturdy enough, and also so that pollinators could get to any flowers.

The materials in the "lasagna-layered" bed, made in late 2019, would break down much better if left open. But, we covered it to keep out the dogs and cats. We thought loose dogs would especially be interested in digging around in it.

Another tactic was to install a "temporary" chicken wire fence around the area of the garden beds. This has effectively kept out animals and, to some extent, people who aren't involved in the garden. It was built around the three raised beds and the 4' x 8' bed that would be the Three Sisters garden in 2019. It now needs to be expanded to go around the layered bed as well as a possible straw bale garden. Originally we thought of this fence as temporary, but have seen that we may still need it even when permanent fence (and gate) enclose the lot. We shall see.

In a nutshell, when evaluating a prospective garden site, consider whether you will need any kind of fence or barriers, and be sure you work that space into your plans. Also consider the shade that some kinds may cast.

In the Future for Grow City:

Based on our original site observations, as well as what we've observed and experienced throughout our first Grow City year, here are some things we would like to do in the near future. You, too, will adjust and add to your plans in the future!

1. Install a Bee/Butterfly native plant garden. This spot will soon be marked off (5' x 5') and will be covered with black plastic to solarize the spot (as we did when preparing the Three Sisters bed). Plans are to plant it in late May. The plants will come from the Knox County Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (part of Knox County SWCD), which raises and sells plants native to Knox County. This year they are also offering bundles of plants for planting particular types of gardens. The Grow City Bee-and-Butterfly garden will also be used for a virtual demonstration of preparing and planting a native plants garden. The plot will be near the side fence, between the compost area and the back of the lot, closer to the compost.

* Do you have a sunny spot for a pollinator garden? Or, you can make sure to include native plants among other plantings.

2. We are thinking of doing a perennial herb garden that can be used for cooking, craft and herbal medicine workshops. The location is not decided yet.

* Do you have a spot where you can plant a few herbs, in the ground or in pots? Most herbs are easy to grow, and many are perennial. Historically, people grew them near doorsteps, especially just outside the kitchen, so they could step outside to pinch off a few herbs for cooking.

3. When the permanent fence is installed, we are thinking of putting an attractive "go-ahead-and-pick-some" kind of garden along the outside of it, facing the alley. This will be one of our "good neighbor" actions, and also will hopefully get more people interested in the Grow City garden, gardening in general, and eating fresh food.

* Do you have a place to grow a few extra things to share with neighbors? 

4. We are considering the idea of growing some climbing plants on a fence, whether they be edible or ornamental. As part of that, we toy with the idea of learning to do an espaliered fruit tree.

* Do you already have a spot where you can grow climbing plants? A fence, an existing trellis, a porch, a deck? This makes it easy to tuck in more crops like peas, pole beans, vining squashes, cucumbers, etc., or ornamental climbers, especially some that attract birds and pollinators.

5. New for 2020, we plan to grow a flower-cutting garden, and have a workshop in flower arranging, too. This garden will be against the ramp, facing the parking lot. It will be very visible to those arriving, or even just using the parking lot, brightening up a plain spot. 

Imagine this plain spot filled with flowers!

This same area was used for a container garden workshop in 2019.

Even across the McGrady-Brockman parking lot, people could see the tall sunflowers and the trellised plants of the Grow City garden, in 2019. They could even be seen from the parking lot of the main library building, especially when the sunflowers were in bloom. Now imagine flowers, some of them tall, growing in front of that slanted place (the ramp) at the far end of this parking lot.

* Do you have a tucked-away spot, or "pocket" kind of place, or a dull spot that could use some interest? Is there a spot you often see outside a window or door that you'd like to brighten up?

Early June 2019

July 2019

What a difference a month makes!!

We all learn as we go, and make adjustments along the way during this adventure we call Gardening.

Please share your garden plans as you go along!! Tell us what you are doing. Ask questions. Comment on others. 

You can share on the Grow City Teaching Garden facebook page.

If you'd rather share through email, just send an email, and any photos or documents you'd like to share, to leapingfrog55@yahoo.com  and it will then be shared with the Grow City email list.

Let's keep the conversation and the sharing going! :)

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Next Grow City workshop presentation blog entry: 

** Garden Methods **

Learn about different methods you can adapt to your unique situation!

(This would have been presented during the March 17 workshop)

Watch for it!