I am so sorry. It is 1:30 on Friday Dec 5 and I had an emergency pop up last minute. Garden Chat will be on schedule next Friday.

I found this book on discount when I was in college. I would have to say that this might be the best investment that I have ever made. Investing in knowledge and skills is always a good investment. Vegetable and Herb Gardening was published by Consumer Guide. This copy is printed on newsprint and bound in hard back. The pages are yellowed and brittle, but this is still the first book that I reach for. It has a bit of everything that you need for successful resiliency gardening from growing, to harvest, to preserving. This is geared more towards conventional style gardening, but the information is easily translated to tiny gardens.

The biggest garden that I am working with right now is a raised bed that is 3 feet wide and 12 feet long. This is the demonstration garden for the Garden Planner and Design Workshop. This phase 1 garden is nearing its completion point with me slowly filling the bed with beautiful, rich soil. It doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. I fill the bed up every year with the leaves that fall from the trees, the small twigs, and any compostable material that won't attract critters. I buy eggs in paper cartons so they can go in there as well. The ash from the wood fires that I burn for ceremony and outdoor cooking is a good mineral source but don't over do it. Lawn clippings can be a good nitrogen source when they are mixed in with dry material. This year we had some grassy hay left over from other projects, so that went in the raised garden as well. The cautions: Watch out for herbicides. If any of the material has herbicide residue, it can kill vegetables. Weed seeds in the material that you put in the bed can cause issues next year. The soil that you are building can go out of ph balance. If you put crop residue in the bed, be sure that you are following crop rotation principles with the residue as well as with the crops. I put tomato and potato residue in one section of the bed. Next year, I will be careful not to plant tomatoes or potatoes in that area.

Welcome! I am glad you have joined us. To start your journey, take a minute to introduce yourself. Post in the comments: Your name or handle. What part of the world you are from and your growing zone and climate if you know it. A picture of where you want to grow plants or the plants you have now. What is your gardening goal? What would you like to get out of this movement? Next, Check out the Classroom. I will be filling it out as I go with useful good stuff. Check the Calendar for the next planned workshop Post in the contest section of the discussion: Stump Auntie Vicky (Check the Rules First)

I have removed the chat session for October 24 from the calendar. I will be participating in the sustainability summit here in town on that day. Join me for the Garden Planner and Design workshop on October 25. Garden Chat and Tea is from 2pm to 3pm most Fridays. See you Saturday or next week.