Compost Confidential

Virtual Friends Share Their Bounty – My Quest for the Twenty-Five Dollar Victory Garden

It was a fun and busy weekend for me with this twenty-five dollar victory garden project! On Saturday, I checked my mail and just as I had hoped, it included lots of envelopes containing a bounty of seeds from friends across the country that I’ve never met in person. It was truly an amazing sight and feeling. I even received my hand-painted plant markers from my new best friend @EmilyofTexas, as we know here on Twitter.

So, for most of Saturday and Sunday, I sorted and sowed many of my new free seeds, into my new free boxes and cake toppers recently obtained while stalking grocery store stock boys and birthday parties. For the record, this isn’t as weird as it sounds. But I will say, I’m finding a lot more reasons to grocery shop these days and my excitement to chaperone children’s birthday parties is at an all time high. I’m pretty sure I’ve become obsessed with this challenge as I constantly ponder more ways to find free things I’ll need to fill the gap of conventional gardening supplies I won’t have the money to buy.

But at least for now, just about everything I needed to plant ahead of time is finished. And yet, much of what we’ll eat this summer will be sown directly into the garden in a few more weeks. My budget is still holding at seven dollars but I’m out of seed starting mix and I need more shop lights. I’m counting on Freecycle or garage sales for that. Other concerns will be how to keep the rabbits out of my garden once everything is planted. Currently they’re munching on my irises that share the same location as my future Victory Garden. So, I’ll be looking for fencing and something to build up the beds too. Other thoughts may be homemade rabbit repellent. Any thoughts anyone?

JL

p.s… With new video camera now in hand, I am documenting this journey visually as I take you along for these special moments. I hope to have these ready to include in my blog posts starting around Wednesday. So stay tuned as they say and I’ll see you back here soon.

A Little Help from Good Morning America – My Quest of the Twenty-five Dollar Victory Garden

What a great day for a little positive gardening PR. Thanks to so many of you writing, blogging, tweeting and basically shouting about all the important benefits of gardening, the world is starting to finally hear us. Sure, it doesn’t hurt to have Michelle Obama breaking ground for the new Victory Garden on the White House lawn. But I’d say it’s about dang time somebody at some level high enough, does something to actually make gardening a newsworthy event.

So for whatever reason, on Tuesday, Good Morning America wanted a segment on growing your own vegetable garden. Two days later, a six-minute segment about how to start and grow your own groceries on the cheap, is in the can. I’m writing this post from the airport, still trying to recover from the blinding pace at which this happened. On Tuesday, having just returned from a working weekend in San Francisco, I thought I was home for a few days, and thankful to catch up on some much needed office and family time. But this was not to be. Next thing I know, I’m packing my bags and props for my $25 Victory Garden segment. GMA loved the idea of the “gardening on a tight budget” idea, and were more than willing to make this a feature of the segment.

Two days later, I’m heading home from the Big Apple and feeling really good about the genuine interest the GMA producers and hosts had in creating this food garden segment. In addition, while at the studio, I was approached by numerous behind-the-scenes folks, politely barraging me with gardening questions. I was thrilled. What’s happened? I’ve done gardening segments before, but never have so many people approached me with such a genuine interest in wanting to know more!

I am greatly encouraged to feel like we are finally getting through. So, keep up the great work everybody. Gardening is important, especially now. We have a story to tell and finally an audience that will listen.
JL

Tomorrow, I’ll share pictures and stories of my bounty of free seeds and supplies sent to me from friends I’ve never met, all around the country. By the way, the official expense to date is hold at seven dollars. That was for two bags of seed starting mix.

Good Morning America Today – My Quest for a Twenty-five Dollar Organic Victory Garden

Well, it’s only been two weeks today, since making the announcement to start my twenty-five dollar victory garden. A lot has happened since then. As I write this quick post, I’m preparing to do a live segment about home vegetable gardening in a few hours on the set of Good Morning America. The Obama’s have broken ground on their plans to move forward on a White House Victory Garden and my little garden is coming along nicely too.

So far, my total cash outlay is seven dollars. That was for the necessary but all-important purchase of two bags of organic seed starting mix. And I’m really liking my containers to hold this mix; pizza boxes! No store-bought expensive trays for me.  Even better are the free mini-greenhouses that once topped birthday cakes from my daughter’s party recently.

What I’ve planted to date is germinating nicely but the fun really begins when I get home. I’ve received a number of seeds from friends all over the country who are sharing in the excitement of this project. I’m even getting some hand-painted signs to mark my veggies, once I plant them in the ground. Those are coming from my new friend from Texas that I met on Twitter.

So, I must run now to prepare for my GMA segment but all is well with our twenty-five dollar victory garden. Thanks for all the encouragement so far. It really does help to know I have a lot of people supporting this.

Using Freecycle to Find Gardening Supplies - 'Our' Quest for the Twenty-five Dollar Victory Garden

Today's post is by guest blogger Vanessa "Nessa" Richins. You've likely seen her all over the twittersphere (@treesandshrubs) and she writes for About.com on trees and shrubs. Nessa is one busy lady but she took some time to share with us what she knows about a great source for free gardening gear and supplies as well all look to save a few bucks this year:

Several years ago, I started a local chapter of Freecycle.  Since then we've grown quite a bit and now have 6286 members.  I've learned that Freecycle can be an amazing way to get free supplies for your garden.

What is Freecycle?  It's an online organization that connects people who are looking for items or have possessions they would like to give away.  Currently, it is run using Yahoo Groups, though they are migrating slowly to their own website.  Everything must be absolutely free.

I have been able to request and receive all sorts of seeds for my garden.  I picked up many bricks for a project.  People have given me extra plants that they had.  When I needed pots for my gardening class, Freecycle was there.  Fill dirt and manure are regularly offered up.

How do you get started?  Go to Freecycle.org and enter your city in the search engine.  They will be able to connect you to the group that is closest to you.  Sign up and you are all set to go.

Here are some tips for a great Freecycle experience:

1. This is a mailing list: Especially with the bigger groups, you may get a TON of email.  Consider setting it to digest or "special notices" and visit the website often for updates - it's faster and saves your email box from overflowing.

2. Give as well as receive: I would suggest starting out by offering something first, as it can seem greedy if you only come to request items but never participate otherwise.  Most people have something lying around they no longer need - magazines, clothes, toys.  Among many other things, I have given out bricks, landscape fabric, potting soil and fertilizers.

3. Don't ask for the world: This is not a magical wish granting list :) I have had to moderate out many messages where the poster wanted items like houses and cars.  (Though, we HAVE had a few cars offered!)  This shouldn't be too much of a problem with garden items.  I would suggest asking for general gardening supplies instead of making a long list detailing every single item needed.

4. Follow the proper posting procedures: Each Freecycle group may be a bit different, but the general rule is to format your subject line in a certain way. 

Here are some examples:

OFFER: Vegetable Seeds (Your City Here)     WANTED: Gardening Supplies
TAKEN:Vegetable Seeds (to show that someone has been chosen)

5. Be polite and thankful: These are real people offering up their possessions.  Be polite in your responses and posts.  Don't email more than once to request items - wait until you get a response.  If you are chosen, be sure to show up at the time and place given.

I have been able to get so many wonderful items for my gardening projects through Freecycle.  I hope you will be able to use this service as you grow your $25 Organic Victory Garden.

Vanessa “Nessa” Richins
Guide to Trees and Shrubs: http://treesandshrubs.about.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/treesandshrubs

10 Ways to Equip Your Garden for Cheap – My Quest for the Twenty-five Dollar Organic Victory Garden

 Until now, I’ve never really considered how much of what you need to start and maintain a garden can be acquired for free or nearly free. But in my quest for the twenty-five dollar organic victory garden, I’m discovering just how far you can stretch that almighty dollar when you put your mind to it.

Take starting seeds for example. Rather than buying expensive commercial products, I’ve learned to improvise using common household items. Through this blog and online with Twitter, many readers have responded with clever ideas of their own when it comes to frugal gardening.

Here are 10 easy ways to equip your garden for free or nearly free:

1. Repurpose or recycle: When you look around any house and yard, you’ll be amazed at the amount of things you discover that can be used in place of the ‘store bought’ model. For example, I just returned from two local groceries stores. They both donated large clear plastic cake domes with base. These make perfect mini greenhouses and they’ll last for years. If I purchased the real thing, I’d spend about five dollars each. My total investment in the cake domes; about a minute with the store manager.
2.  Social Media: Twitter has been a gold mine for me in the quest of my Twenty-Five Dollar Organic Victory Garden. In addition to making great new friends I’ve tapped into a vast network of talented, giving people that want to help you succeed, (or seed in my case). I’ve had an outpouring of offers for seeds and supplies. One twitter friend I met today is even making hand-painted markers for my garden! Facebook is another great option. For my twenty-five dollar victory garden, we’ve set up a group page and invite people to share ideas, seed swap or barter for plants, tools, etc. Come join us here.
3. Garage Sales: Many people have written me to say how much success they’ve had finding just about everything they need here. As much as you need that grow light or nice shovel, someone in your neighborhood is ready to make a deal.
4. Freecycle.org: This is the coolest online way to give away things you don’t need and find things you do need. And it’s all free. There are groups all over the country. Check out their website, sign up for a group in your area, and get ready. I have friends that have equipped their entire garden on Freecycle, from hoses and soil to bricks, seeds and plants.
5. Master Gardeners / Cooperative Extension offices: As a Master Gardener myself, I can attest to our passion for gardening, helping others and sharing the bounty. Master Gardener volunteers work under the guidance of local cooperative extension offices--an outreach of the state university system. They are there to help and do they ever. You can find the office closest to you by clicking here.
6. Local government: Many city, county or municipalities offer free compost for the taking. Some offer rain barrels and helpful seminars on gardening and environmentally responsible practices. These services are almost always free.
7. Organize Your Own Swap: Local events provide the ideal opportunity to swap seeds, tools, plants and supplies. Schools, churches, and civic groups are great places to organize these events. Not only are you able to trade for free, you’ll meet some wonderful people and recycle many of those items you’re ready to part with.
8. Online Seed Swaps: There are many organizations and groups across the country that facilitates seed swapping. The National Gardening Association has a free online service for this. Emilycompost has a free seed swap page. And The Great Let's Get Growing Seed Share at hyperlocavore.com is just about to get underway.
9. Local Market Bulletins and classified ads: Many regions or states have an online and/or printed version of their agricultural news. It includes a classified section that lists many people willing to mail you seeds, merely for the price of a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE). The offerings are amazing. Georgia’s State Department of Agriculture has an outstanding example of this.
10. Think Outside the Pot: Think of places that have what you need, but they use it for a different reason. My cake dome is one example. The rain barrel in this picture is another. It was free. Well almost anyway. It’s a food grade barrel that is readily available when you start looking around. For the cost of a paddle bit, brass spigot, a couple of rubber washers, and a mesh screen on top, this barrel was ready to harvest and dispense water for a grand total of about ten bucks!

How about some other ideas? It’s going to be a long growing season.
JL

Tomorrow, I’ll have guest blogger, Vanessa Richins, (@treesandshrubs on Twitter), founder of a Freecycle chapter in her area, which now has 6286 members. She’ll tell more about Freecycle and how she furnished her own garden this way. (By the way, she uses five-gallon buckets with a hole cut out of the bottom to grow her upside down tomatoes...now that's my kinda girl!)

The Rules of the Game – My Quest for the Twenty-Five Dollar Victory Garden

 No sooner had I made the first post announcing my plans for my twenty-five dollar victory garden, when Daniel left a comment, questioning my word choice. Her concern was valid; “First you say you're starting from scratch to meet the $25 challenge; you're not using gear you've acquired in past seasons. Then you mention amending soil with compost... which can only have come from past years. Compost is a long-term investment that newbie gardeners aren't likely to have made”.

Ouch. She’s right though. As much as I’d like to use all that compost I’ve been making, a new gardener is not going to have compost bins loaded with two years worth of ‘black gold’. I also have plenty of seed-starting trays, heat mats and lots of leftover seeds. But, using them and spending twenty-five bucks on new stuff would be unfair to the person that doesn’t have any of this. So, all that avid gardener stuff is off limits.

So that got me thinking, what can I use and what’s taboo? In the spirit of fair play and a level playing field, let’s assume we are starting with nothing related to gardening stuff. Up to this point, none of the proposed rules have been broken but it would be good to hear what you all think about this before I make them official.

Rule #1: You can buy and use whatever you want with your twenty-five dollars. But, once it’s gone, it’s gone! That includes items listed below in the “can’t use” list.

What can be used from existing inventory (Anything that would reasonably be expected to already be on hand if you lived in a house with a yard, including equipment to maintain it)

• Tools (hose, shovel, rake, etc)
• pots & containers
• Fertilizer used to maintain landscape
• shop light, tables or shelves, etc.

What can’t be used from existing inventory (but you can buy with your $25):

• Compost (I hate this one the most)
• Seeds (personally owned from previous seasons)
• Seed starting trays and kits including heat mats
• Specialized tools specific to seed starting or veggie gardening, not commonly owned

What is fair game: Everything. This is the best part. Anything and everything you need can come from outside sources as long as you don’t spend past your limit. Just get creative and barter, go online, beg or borrow, just don’t steal!

So that’s my list as of today. Next post I'll include some of the places I've found so far that are going to be great free or cheap sources for much of what we'll need. What do you think? Any thoughts you have as I finalize the details are appreciated.

One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Twitter - My Quest for the Twenty-Five Dollar Victory Garden

Four days ago, I threw out a ‘tweet’ on Twitter regarding my crazy idea to install an organic Victory Garden at my house, sufficient to feed my family of four over the entire summer, and spend less than $25 total! Sound ridiculous? Some people think so, yet the overwhelming response to the idea was an enthusiastic thumbs up!

Since then, I’ve been obsessing on how to actually pull this off. I realize my biggest expense will be all the ‘stuff’ I’ll need to get the seeds started properly, like those mini greenhouses to hold in moisture, not to mention the special soil and even the seeds and containers to grow them. It all adds up so quickly! Where will I find all of this without blowing through my budget in the first few days?

But have you noticed that once you set your mind to something, things that you never noticed before suddenly become apparent? That happened for me this morning, while partaking in my 5:30 spin class. To take my mind off the misery of fatigue and exertion (niiice), I pondered where I could find everything I need for this project without buying any of it. My eyes (when they finally opened) happened to gaze upon the stray plastic water bottles lying about. The light bulb went off.

There’s my first idea of the morning. In addition to the spent toilet paper rolls I’ve amassed for seed starting, here’s another option. I’ll gather up all the discarded bottles from the gym, haul them home, and cut them down to size while tossing the top parts into the recycle bin. It didn’t take long to fill my workout bag with abandoned and discarded bottles. Don’t people know they’re supposed to recycle these things? Just for now, I’m glad they haven’t.

 As soon as I get home, I get my next idea. This time it’s for the mini greenhouses I need to germinate the seeds properly. We had been celebrating my oldest daughter’s birthday all weekend, so multiple store-bought cakes were involved. Did you know those cakes come in recyclable mini greenhouses? Now I’m on a roll. I’ve already decided to hit the grocery store manager later today and see if I can get him to donate a few more of these disposable cake thingamajigs (that’s actually a word in spell check by the way).

We also ate a lot of pizza this weekend. Those boxes are just the right height for loading with soil and planting a few seeds as well. Even better, after I transplant the seedlings from them into the garden, I'll toss the boxes into the compost bin. You can't do that with plastic seed trays.

I also have an idea for other seed and soil options. In addition to the very generous offers I’ve received from my friends on Twitter, I’m going to contact the Master Gardener groups in my area and see if I visit their next meeting, tell them what I’m doing and tap into their excellent resources. Keep in mind, the goal here is to equip and grow out this garden with less than twenty five dollars and without using things I personally already have as it relates to all of this. My intention is to show that anyone, especially the new gardener tight on cash and short on equipment, that it can be done!

Tomorrow, I’ll post the rules of the game (as I know them so far) on how I plan to pull this off and to give you some guidelines, should you decide to take the challenge as well. I’ll continue to post on my daily struggles and victories and I’ll start including almost- daily-videos within this blog later next week. If nothing else, these next few months should prove to be entertaining but I suspect it will far more than that.
JL

My Twenty-Five Dollar Organic Victory Garden Challenge

 There’s a popular country song out there these days with this refrain; “What was I think’n?”

I doubt that songwriter was regretting anything remotely related to gardening, but today I find myself “think’n” the same thing. Yesterday I posted an entry on Twitter to see if I could get at least some moral support if I pledged to do a daily video blog, documenting my efforts to grow an organic victory garden, sufficient to supply my family of four with all the vegetables needed for the entire summer, without spending over twenty-five bucks!

The response from Twitterland was swift and overwhelmingly positive. Before I had even a moment to second-guess my decision, word was spreading in cyberspace and my fate was sealed. The challenge was on. So, not counting the video camera I just finished ordering for $$$$, twenty-five bucks is just about all I have left to spend!

 So, step one is obviously to organize my budget. With so little money, this will require that I be creative, resourceful and cut costs at every turn. Although I already have a lot of the needed supplies from previous seasons, I’m not going to use them. I want this to be a level playing field so that anyone following along can do the same thing and truly create his or her own twenty-five dollar victory garden.

My mind is racing right now at all the things I’ll need to start this garden from scratch and see it through to harvest. I’ve got a small area on the side of my garage that I’m going to use to put my garden. Location is key when growing vegetables and full sun is the most important thing. The garden will be long and narrow and I need to retain the soil with timbers or large stones or blocks or whatever. But since I’m not spending money, I’ll have to see what I come up with.

I like deep raised beds, but that requires lots of good organic soil and amendments. But where will I get all that for only a few dollars? Part of it will come from the compost I’ve been making but that won’t be nearly enough. I need soaker hoses, timers and mulch. I’ll need more compost and nutrients along the way and I need to be prepared to deal with pests that might show up.

 I’ll need quite a few varieties of seeds but that can add up quickly. Again, I have to get creative. Can I get these essential items donated or at least deeply discounted? Not likely since technically I’m not a charity case. Perhaps I can barter myself for a few hours work in exchange for a few garden essentials instead.

So, please check back often as I take you along for the journey. I’ll be video blogging about this nearly every day and you can see first hand my trials, challenges and ultimately my victory. This is certainly going to be an exercise in patience, pride and frugality to be sure. But this is also going to be a lot of fun. I’m excited to get my hands in the dirt again and along the way, share this experience with you and many others. Ultimately, through the process, I hope to end up feeding far more than just my family of four. That’s the plan and that’s what I’m think’n!

JL

p.s. The images in this post document the first step in starting this garden on a shoestring. Toilet paper rolls are a great seed-starting pot and it's recycling too. The soil in the tubes is home made compost and leftover potting soil.

The Healing Benefits of Gardening – How a Garden Saved My Life

Today's post is by my friend and guest blogger, Shawna Coronado. Little did I know, when I met Shawna only a few months ago on Twitter, her story would be so perfect for a new campaign I was working. With all the cutbacks and reduced media exposure these days to gardening, I embarked on a mission to be a champion for the cause. With apologies to Michael Pollan, I wanted to entitle my campaign; "In Defense of Gardening", but for now, I'm calling it "Why Gardening is Important".

Part of what makes this popular pastime so vital to millions, is the health benefits derived from it. We all know what we get out of it personally as it relates to stress reduction and a bit of exercise, but countless studies worldwide, support just how important the act of gardening really is in so many ways, well beyond simply what we do as a hobby.

So today, I introduce  you to Shawna, and her story of how gardening literally may have saved her young life:

Over 10 years ago, I was very ill of health. A single Mom, I had endometriosis, combined with stress, lack of outdoor exposure, poor eating habits, severe allergies, high blood pressure, asthma, sugar and chemical sensitivities. This escalated to severe upper respiratory problems. I was always sick with bronchitis triggered by allergies as well as non-stop woman issues such as yeast and bacterial infections, and I frequently suffered migraines and head and back pain.

All these things and many other pressures began to build in my life. Before I knew it I looked like a skeletal stick figure and weighed only 96 pounds. My back would go out often and I would be left unable to walk for days or even a week at a time. I worked and came home and rarely went out doors. At one point I took over a dozen prescriptions a day just to survive. It was a grim existence.

 One day a surprising thing happened that changed my life; I got the genius idea to build a garden on the city easement area around my front mail box. That experience was the beginning of an incredible journey for me both emotionally and physically. It was a revelation and within a few years, “down-sized” my career, became a professional garden designer and full-time writer. I feel better and look better than I ever have – I am thirty pounds heavier than I was ten years ago, but I look healthy and feel well. It is still necessary for me to take prescriptions, but now I only take three per day instead of over a dozen.

 Many gardens later, I am still gardening heartily. As I became exposed to the outdoors and increased my physical activity, I started feeling relief with all my health ailments. Better diet, exercise, and outdoor exposure truly helped me to recover and feel as if I am alive again. Although far from perfect, it was such a tremendous change that I still feel it could be called “a miracle.” Building my health back through gardening had become such an amazing experience for me that in 2008 I wrote and published "Gardening Nude", a book about better health through environmental exposure and greening.

Gardening and green lifestyle living helps me cope with stress better and in-turn it also helps my body tolerate my allergies and other conditions as well. I make time for the outdoors, and even more important to my plan, I make time for community. Building a healthier community, particularly in the gardening world, is a fantastic prelude to expanding your soul. Meeting people who live in the surrounding area and building wacky relationships with wonderful friends in my community helped me realize how important being a part of a community contributes to my better health and can do so for you too. 

Gardening is a natural step towards community. Who has a plant to share or a vegetable to share during the gardening season? Every gardener I know. The simple act of giving to another human being is enough to begin a healthy mental relationship with that person. While making the physical effort to get out into nature and build a garden is important, it is the act of following through with community which will truly make a difference for your emotional health.

It has become my passion to bring community together and to teach people that it is possible to be energetic, healthy, and to live a lifestyle which is good for the environment and the world. It is possible to be less stressed, less isolated and more satisfied with who you are and the life you are living. I know because my family and I are happily living it; the green life.

All thanks to a garden and one determined woman.

Shawna Lee Coronado is an author, locally syndicated newspaper columnist, energetic speaker, and environmental and health correspondent. Her book “Gardening Nude” is focused on health improvement by exposure to nature, greening, and community building and can be purchased on www.amazon.com. Find more about Shawna through her website – www.thecasualgardener.com.