Dangerously organic!

Home Organic Gardens ::: What to plant now?

Fall is approaching. How do you decide what to plant? It depends on a few things, like where you live and what you like to eat! Those Portland folks love home gardens. Oregon has fertile ground and lots of rain. Florida, on the other hand, has sandy soil and searing sun.

Do any of you use an almanac? Farmers almanacs are the grower's bible for many. John Jeavon's "Grow More Veggies" series has a lot of grateful readers.

I like to grow collard greens and tomatoes. I love peppers and basil. That's me. I like having those greens as a base for salad or whatever. Also, my patch had incredible collards to begin with (thanks, Shmal!)

So, here you go: The Alachua Feed and Seed guide to planting. You see the suggestions? Alachua Feed and Seed is the local, real-life farm supply here in Gainesville, FL. I mean, it's not a grocery store or a KMart with a plant section. The Feed and Seed is a place that "real" farmers go.

I came here and picked up some of the best sprouts ever: beautiful peppers, tomatoes, some black cow and a mighty bale of hay!

"Black Cow?", you might ask. "What's that?" Well, I sort of stumbled at the idea myself. Let me explain. When I first started gardening at McRorie Community Garden, Sh'mal was there one day smiling big and proud, with a mischievous look on his face. This was a while back, you must know. We didn't know each other very well then. You probably know who Sh'mal is by now if you've been hanging out here at Zoobird. But, if not, here's his home page.

And, that's him in the photo above, doing what he does best! He grew those potatoes in, basically, a mound of leaves and compost.

Well, Sh'mal comes walking up with this big bicket full of horse manure and a huge grin on his face. Plops it down next to our patch. I say "our" patch because Sh'mal was moving from Gainesville to Seattle at that point. The decision was made. And, he'd given me his patch. But, having not left yet, there was still time to enjoy every last minute at the garden.

(Bruce preparing his famous "loaded fresh salad ala McRorie Community Garden")

Let me explain. The garden is a magical place. It's a hub of energy. At any given moment, folks will drop by and tend their plants. Bruce dropped by to make his dinner! We're not talking about pick some greens and stuff 'em in a bag to take home and prepare. We're talking clip and stir in some Braggs Liquid Amino and voila! Dinner is served!

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Here Bruce talking about how he was inspired to begin eating raw foods as more than just an occasional thing.

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Here's another dude-o-rama you'll meet at McRorie Community Garden. Ron Chandler is my Texan buddy. If you think veggies make for wimpy people, think again. Ron is one strappin', healthy bloke. If you're not nearby, you can cruise over to Ron's Zoobird blog and see what he's up to. The cool thing is, Ron just moved into the neighborhood, too! So, he's another lucky individual who can just walk over to the garden and collect his dinner. Thanks to Ron, I learned how to make mango jalapeno salsa. Let me tell you, it rocks and rolls.

Ron also taught me that tarragon goes well with eggs. Did you know that? I tell you what! Wish you could hear me say that with a Texan accent. Hmmmm...stay tuned for that. (emphasis on "whaaaaat!")

(Zebra Swallowtail amidst rosemary)

Gorgeous butterflies are frequent visitors to the garden. They're attracted to colorful flowers that sometimes people plant specifically to attract them. Can you smell that rosemary? Nearly? The air is thick with the smell of herbs and yes, fresh horse manure! But, I digress.