“Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. In addition to indirectly aiding the war effort these gardens were also considered a civil “morale booster” — in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown.

Making victory gardens become a part of daily life on the home front.”

(Wikipedia)

Quote

To forget how to dig

the earth and to tend

the soil is to forget ourselves.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

ACGA

We are now listed on the American Community Gardening Association website!

The American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) is a bi-national nonprofit membership organization of professionals, volunteers and supporters of community greening in urban and rural communities. ACGA and its member organizations work to promote and support all aspects of community food and ornamental gardening, urban forestry, preservation and management of open space, and integrated planning and management of developing urban and rural lands.

The Association supports community gardening by facilitating the formation and expansion of state and regional community gardening networks; developing resources in support of community gardening; and, encouraging research and conducting educational programs.

Check it out here:

EARL'S GARDEN

Green onions

2.21.11

A happy day of harvesting green onions!

A happy trip to City Farmer's Nursery resulting in a new home for 26 or so lovely plants. One of which is a rangpur lime tree that is already producing :)

A happy day of planting by Kaitlyn Keigharn of San Diego and Honey Rose Sage in the mini-plant garden. (Thank you Kaitlyn)

SHOUT-OUTS!

I want to give a shout to the amazing Earl's Garden intern, Tate Perrine, for her strength, wisdom, and dedication. Without her, I (Jessica), would be a complete mess. She has pulled me through the valley of struggle with keeping the beautiful area that is Earl's Garden alive, and I and the garden are so grateful for her. WE LOVE YOU TATE!

Thanks also to Adrian Tamas, who is writing a USP research paper on community gardens and is using Earl's Garden as a case study. He has created a wonderful survey in order to aid his research and from which the findings will be shared so that we can make the garden a better place for all. The survey can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=155893611131549 Thanks also Adrian for making an Earl's Garden email account. (Yes, the garden is gmail account official!) Any future correspondences can be addressed to: earlsgardenucsd@gmail.com Thanks for your great work Adrian, it's a treat to have your help at the garden.

The garden is a happy place

I noticed some ladybugs while pulling out a weed!

Ladybug Facts

• The black spots on their wings fade as they age
• Ladybug wings move very quickly, like a hummingbird’s, as much as 85 times per second in flight
• A ladybug can live for up to three years
• The male ladybug is smaller than the female
• The Ladybug is the state insect in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Delaware, Tennessee and Ohio

http://www.howdididoit.com/home-garden/how-to-start-a-ladybug-garden/

Birds

I love seeing birds at the garden.

Planting Season in San Diego

Hello friends!

If you're interested to know what is the right time to plant when in San Diego, there is very helpful information compiled by Master Gardeners of San Diego here:http://www.mastergardenerssandiego.org/Vegetable%20Planting%20Guide1.pdf

If you live in La Jolla, you are in coastal region #1 and 2.

Rule of Thumb for When to Plant in San Diego

RULE OF THUMB

for what to plant when in San Diego

Vegetables for Fall-Winter-Spring

Asparagus

Beets

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage

Cabbage (red)

Caneberry

Carrots

Cauliflower

Cilantro

Garlic

Kale

Lettuce

Onion

Parsley

Pea

Radish

Saffron Crocus

Shallot

Strawberry

Swiss Chard

Turnip

Vegetables for Spring- Summer

Basil

Beans

Beets

Caneberry

Carrots

Cilantro

Corn

Cucumber

Okra

Onion

Peppers

Potatoes

Radish

Spinach

Squash

Strawberry

Sweet Potatoes

Swiss Chard

Tomatillo Melons

Tomato

Turnip

Watermelon

-Information provided for you by City Farmers Nursery-

(619) 284-6358

Alpha Epsilon Delta Volunteer Day 2.13.11

Thank you for volunteering a second time, Alpha Epsilon Delta!

We pulled out a bunch of weeds, cover crops, and planed some catnip, echinacea, poppies, and water-wise flower mix. The garden looks so much better due to your hard work.

Union of Jewish Students Board Volunteer Day 2.7.11

Thank you UJS Board for sharing your chopping, weeding, and cultivating skills.

Come back soon!

Alpha Epsilon Delta Volunteer Day 1.30.11

Thank you Alpha Epsilon Delta volunteers!!