Planning

Today i planted lettuce, and a couple bulbs i had laying around. So far this year i have worked on the landscaping of my plot twice. This inspired me to discuss planning. If i wasnt so confused, and weary of vancouvers unusually warm winter/ early spring i would have started at the beginning of febraury.

I just wrote a big post on densification and its 3 am so i probably wont finish this tonight and will add more likely after sundays work party when im inspired.

Make a map, put your plants on it, this helps in a couple ways: figure out what works/ where you want to plant next year, know where you planted things, weeding out your seedlings is not fun (then again if your doing row hills probably not as much of an issue). When you create your map or planting plan keep in mind the sun path and any shade provided by outside obstacles, where are things going to end up a couple months down the road?. Also when deciding where to plant consider densification (see densification right up) and soil. Different plants like different soil. Some plants want a normal layer then a layer of sand and all sorts of varities. Soil itself i do not know that well, and even less about which plants like which type. Drainage is an important aspect of soil, as you will see in densification the hydrologic ecology influences when plants go to different stages of growth. The entire hydrologic system of the world is something that needs to be allowed to heal and agriculture has been one of the influences on where it is now.

I dont use nails, i pile logs and when using boards i stack them on top of each other then use a stick stuck in the ground to hold them in place. Its an exercise in impermanence. So at this time of year i often have a few repairs in which i remove the slanted board, use the shovel to edge out a flat surface and put the board back into its place. After one year (this will be my 4th at cottonwood community gardens, 3 in the same plot) the ground becomes compact enough to stand on its own and the boards are there as a little extra help in case a dog steps in the garden or something. I havent used rows much, this year though i plan to. My issue for the last 3 years has been how to hide the "good" plants in plain site so that they dont get stolen. This coming year i think ive learned enough about hiding that i can have some rows. My gardens physical landscape is going to be based on a tiered layers and the continuous bed is pretty much a spiral. If i could i would build a cone, but the path way underneath/ in it would be spiraling in and i would have tiers down the side of the cone.

Where are you going to compost?. Where are you putting invasive plants you have no use for?

I often plan to grow a couple plants that have leaves suitable for mulching. I also in general put all of my non- invasive composting right on the soil. Some plants such as rhubarb and pumpkin/squash leaves have been reported to work at keeping some pests out. this form of mulching/composting puts nutrients back into the soil and if placed properly provides shade and moisture for the other plants.Kale is a good source of mulching, it grows leaves vigorously and manages to either bio-synthesize or uptake a lot of nutrients. My invasive weeds i put in a corner of my plot on the other side of the far west path. I do not have a whole lot of direct light in the summer but if i had an abundance i would put them in it so that the sun would dry and scorch the ivnasive roots to death. Where they are now they do die fairly well, but in mid summer they get lots of humidity and shade which their roots thrive in.
K its almost 4 am, i will finish and re-vise on sunday night.

My balcony and home

this year in my tiny apartment and illegally on my balcony i have:

-hydrengea
-sumac tree
- salal
- some type of fern x2
-cat grass
-chickweed
-echinacea
-oregano
-vervain
-Artemisia absinthium a.k.a. wormwood (yes finally after 1.5 seasons i know it is and i have it.
-Mugwort
-2 varieties of Butterfly tree x4 (just started growing if anyone wants one)
-willow
-verigated artemisia vulgaris
-varigated comfrey
-Holy hock (yellow and purple flower)
-Valerian(hydroponic and soil)
- St johns wart
-3 Small chestnut (or hazelnut) trees
-A red rose plant
-calendula
-Dwarf cedar tree
-snap dragons
-3 that i dont know the names of
- purple Wandering Jew
-2 verigated ivys
- varigated spathiphyllum
- spathiphyllum ( peace lilly)
- Purple shamrocks
- begonia escargot (purple /green leaves with red stocks
- violets
- corsican mint
- Honesuckle
- peppers
- yam
-2 fuscias (not yet sure the variety name)
-spearmint
-peppermint
July 16th
-Recently a moving neighbor gave me some plants including; a massive lilly, a cactus, a spider plant, peppermint, and one i don't even know the family of. Also a lot of pots, some soil, watering cans.



For these aphids today, their last day, is a holocaust.

One of the potted plants i brought indoors, has a few species in it primarily though chocolate mint. At this time of year the mint is small, dark, and full of water. Perfect for aphids. I saw a few last night so without delay grabbed my trusty vinegar and water and gave the pot a good dosing.

This morning when i woke up within at least 6 inches radius around the pot were dead aphids. A little taken back by the sight, i originally thought it was just some scattered dirt from the pot. I sprayed it down again, did some pruning and sprayed again making sure to get the soil.

I would estimate close to a thousand of these green cold resistant bastards. So i also brought in my artemisia/ mugwort pot, which supposedly the artemisia releases a scent that keeps some critters out of the garden. I havn't noticed a smell yet but it could be because its small young and tightly compacted from trying to grow outside in the winter. The mugwort almost looks like moss parsley.

With the chocolate mint in my room my room smells great, but i hope after the aphids are gone i remember to wash the vinegar off of it before i make tea.


on further inspection of the mugwort its covered in aphids also, but the artemisia seems fine.

I think i should have taken it more seriously last night my passion flower is now infected also. which is only three day old sprouts, i havn't been able to keep it alive in my room for longer then 3 months. no flowers, no fruit yet.

With the amount of vinegar i have to use im likely to screw up a couple micro ecosystems. Raising the ph to much will likely kill the plants also.


16:00 Artemis and philosopher monkey, appear more nervous then brave as they bare witness to a lake of dead bodies while my battle stay ongoing.

16:05 My greatest fear may be the reality that i now face. it appears that their dead are not dissolving in the vinegar as i hoped and i may have to go in with fingers. There plump and theres a lot of them.

My Chocolate Mint
16:20 As i prepare for my fifth attack wave i am reminded that my loved ones may miss me and this war appears to be pursuing the night. I have decided that it is time to pull out the larger ammunition. Im now mixing dish soap in my spray bottle. Since my passion flower has them on it i can only assume that they were over crowded and began producing flying aphids. This disturbing news has only brought down the morale of my companions.

16:25 My strategy of spraying low has proved beneficial they are running for high ground out into the open along bare sticks. At best at this time i can at least say i have reduced their parthenogenesis and that is gaining ground. The good news has reached artemis and he appears to be sleeping sounder.

16:41 I have done all i can, it is now in the hands of sunlight dish detergent. I have one this battle, with no casualties. The war continues tomorrow, so i wont allow one victory to inflate my ego.

Urban Thicket Project

2009

So far plants sprouting/ growing are;
Dianthus (multiple varieties)
Honey suckle (yellow flowering I think)
Garlic
Tulips
Jacobs ladder
Rose (small pink flowers that turn white before they die)
Spearmint
Hen and chicks
corsican mint
fox glove (purple digitalis)
6 varieties i don't know the names of

When my girlfriend moved into her new apartment last year i was delighted at the size of the balcony and the garden already on it.


There is a Maple tree fairly small, if it was on the ground, her balcony is second story over the underground parking entrance. When the housing inspector arrived i asked him if he had any information regarding legal size and the possibility of it causing damage to the underground parking structure. It turned out not to be his area of expertise when regarding housing. I told him of my plans and he said it should be fine, turns out he was a back yard arbourist and edible gardener.

My plan is to utilize pruning and a rose bush to limit the growth of the maple tree. The rose bush which we estimate to be about 20 years old is to be wound onto the maple. The purpose is to limit the amount of sun the maple gets. The bonus is that its a maple tree with small pink roses that turn white as they get older. The flowers grow in clusters at the edge of the maples branches and the years new main shoots stick up a few feet above said maple tree.

After not being tended to for a few years the rose plant has created a thicket off the north side of her balcony. The thicket stretches about 4 or 5 feet out over the driveway to the underground parking. Small birds love it, it blocks out the view of east hastings street and the hundreds of roses give of an excellent smell. I feal the roses look best at night when they can reflect light and stick out of the picture.

To the left and the right of the rose bush is two fruiting vines that i do not know the name of yet. They have traveled far through the thicket but i am trying to encourage the growth to come back closer to the fence and particularly in the maple tree. I hope to encourage a healthy thicket about ten feet off of the garden floor on top of the tree.

A wasps nest has taken up residence in the maple tree, its to bad there wasps i like honey bees i get face to face with bees daily in my garden and spend time watching them collect pollen struggle with ants and get chased away from water sources by wasps.

Plants in garden:
-White mugwort (thats what the tag says but i dont think so).
-Iris' (not sure what colour have not seen them bloom, think it will be next year for these ones).
- Strawberries
-Snap dragons ( Dark red and purplish pink with a bit of yellow{ very large flowers})
- corsican mint
- Roses
- Maple
-Apple tree
-fusia
-bleeding hearts
-tulips (variety, not sure all of them got trashed by a kid)
-Lily plantain
-jacobs ladder
- tomato plants (12)
and at least 5 that i dont know the name of

Experiments at the Urban thicket
-Grafting an apple tree onto a rose bush
-Cuttings of 2 varities of long stem roses
-air circulation tests
-small composting (already produced a tomatoe plant and three others, not sure what others are still
-snap dragon cuttings