Spicewood Library Pea Patch

Press Release: (June Class) Manging Garden Pests & Diseases

2011-05-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

It's almost class time again! If you are planning to attend and have a problem in your garden, feel free to bring a sample of what's going on. Just put some of the insect and what it's eating, or diseased leaves, blooms, fruit, whathaveyou, in a ziploc bag and bring it to the class. Linda and Marge will do their best to help you figure out what it is and what you can do about it.

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Class Title: “Managing Garden Pests & Diseases”

When: Saturday, June 4^th at 10am.

Where: In the beautiful, new air-conditioned addition to the Spicewood Library, 1011 Spur 191.

What: Special guest lecturer and Master Gardener Marge Trachtenburg will help you identify pests and diseases in the garden and manage them organically.

Who's invited: everyone

To Sign Up: call Linda Wall at: 830-220-0320 or email LindaWall@gmail.com

For More Info: visit www.spicewoodlibrary.org or spicewoodpeapatch.blogspot.com

How Much: A suggested donation of $10.00 goes to support the Spicewood Library's organic teaching garden, the Pea Patch.

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Press Release

“Managing Garden Pests & Diseases”, Saturday, June 4^th, 10am

Got bugs, yellow leaves, plants that aren't thriving? Then this is the class for you, the home vegetable gardener. Special guest lecturer and Master Gardener Marge Trachtenburg will help you identify pests and diseases in the garden and manage them organically. This class will be held in the beautiful, new, air-conditioned addition to the Spicewood Library. To sign up, please call Linda Wall at 830-220-0320 or email LindaWall@gmail.com. A suggested donation of $10 goes to support the Pea Patch. For more info on the Pea Patch Project, please visit SpicewoodLibrary.org or SpicewoodPeaPatch.blogspot.com.

Spring Planting with the Boy Scouts

2011-03-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

Kaye, Dan, and Jack Rich along with Jack's friend, James.

Two Cub Scouts joined us for our Spring Planting yesterday. They were working on their World Conservation Badges and planting a vegetable garden was one of the requirements. We were only too glad to have them.

Thankfully, many other people joined us for the planting ~ thankfully because we had two yards of turkey compost to unload! We spread it all over the beds and worked it in well. We also built two 4'x4' square foot garden boxes (those should be exciting to watch grow). All in all, we planted tomatoes, peppers, okra, cucumbers, melons, squash, green beans and basil.

The boys really got into the planting. Ah, boys and dirt...

Later in the day we held another class, this one on Basic Organic Gardening. The heat drove us inside where we met in air conditioned comfort. Linda spoke for over an hour, talking about such topics as how to build a garden from scratch, light and water requirements of vegetables, how (and with what) to amend the soil and organic fertilizers. Handouts were ... well... handed out, listing everything she talked about and more, including a list of popular and easy-to-find organic fertilizers and soil amendments and information on each in an effort to demystify them. Also in the handout packet was a planting guide listing most all the crops we can easily grow in Central Texas and the best times for planting them, a paper explaining how to compost, The Natural Gardener's handout on vegetable gardening and another on sheet mulching. Linda even brought some tomato plants she'd started from seed and some excited class participants took them home. Here's hoping they get bumper crops of mouth watering 'maters!

Donations, Donations, Donations!

2011-03-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

We received donations this week from David Naumann, owner of Naumann's Feed Store, and The Natural Gardener that will allow us to plant the Pea Patch this spring! David Naumann generously gave us seeds, seeds and more seeds ~ so many that we were able to freeze the excess for planting next year (and maybe the next, and the one after that!). Thanks, David!

The Natural Gardener gave us $150 in gift certificates to spend at the store any way we liked. Can you say "Shopping spree?!" We bought compost, pine straw mulch and transplants. Thanks, TNG!

Laura McKissack, left, from The Natural Gardener presenting Linda with the donation.

Media Coverage

2011-03-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

It makes me feel all important to say "Media coverage". *snicker* Look where we've been so far! In the past month, we've been in the Highlander newspaper twice. The first time was a great article telling about the fruit tree class (article on right ~ click for larger, readable image). The second was as the feature photo for the Calendar of Events (photo below ~ also clickable to see larger image). Exciting!

Seed Starting Class

2011-02-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

Starting your own seeds has many benefits: gives you independence and a sense of self-reliance, allows you to try varieties not easily found locally, gives you more flexibility with planting dates (like getting those tomatoes out extra-early) and saves you money. If you've ever wanted to learn how, you would have had you been at the Spicewood Pea Patch's Seed Starting Class yesterday.

It was a beautiful day for a seed starting class ~ breezy, overcast and cool. Ten people (and two dogs!) gathered to hear Linda talk about all aspects of starting seeds. She started by telling how a seed is a living thing, then explained exactly what hybrid, open pollinated, heirloom and GMO seeds are. She touched on how to save seeds as well, but the main subject was how to start those seeds indoors.

Two of Linda's dogs, BJ and Nellie, enjoy the class.

Linda talked for over an hour about soilless mediums, sowing containers, planting dates, adequate lighting, bottom watering, germination temperatures and what to feed those babies when they finally start growing up. She explained how you could really can start seeds on a budget using butter tubs, get fancy and use handmade newspaper pots she showed how to make, or get fancier still and buy any of a number of commercially available seed starting trays. She talked about problems and how to remedy them, and ended the class by touching on how to save seeds and generally propagate garden plants.

If you're interested in learning about starting your own seeds, this class will be repeated next year. Just contact Linda to get on the Pea Patch email list and she'll make sure you hear about upcoming classes.

Press Release: (Feb. Class) From Seed to Fork: A Seed-Starting Class with Linda Wall

2011-02-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

Get a jump start on the Spring gardening season and save money by learning to grow your own vegetables and flowers from seed with gardening expert Linda Wall. Linda, who grew up on a farm and is currently working at the Natural Gardener in Austin, will demonstrate how to start your own plants from seed, saving you money and allowing you to grow heirloom and hard-to-find varieties of veggies and flowers. "Seed starting doesn't just save you money," Linda says. "It lets you get started earlier, gives you access to varieties of plants you won't find in the nurseries, and is just plain fun!" The class will be held on February 26 at 2pm in the Pea Patch behind the Spicewood Library, 1011 Spur 191 (next door to the Spicewood Elementary). A suggested donation of of $10.00 will go to support the Pea Patch, the Spicewood Library's community Organic Teaching Garden. Space is limited, so sign-up now! Contact Linda at: 830-220-0320 lindawall@gmail.com or visit: spicewoodlibrary.org.

Spicewood Library's Fruit Tree Class a Success!

2011-02-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

Under a bright blue sky on a mild winter day, the Spicewood Library's Pea Patch held an outdoor class on the selection planting and care of fruit trees, berries, grape vines and more. Class members filed into the Pea Patch and sat at folding tables and on wooden benches, eager to learn how to select, plant and care for fruiting trees and plants.

Ably presented by the very knowledgeable and engaging gardening expert Linda Wall, the class consisted of beginner and experienced alike. The eleven class attendees received instruction on planting and selection, an explanation of chill hours and why they are important, and handouts on the best varieties of fruits, nuts, grapes and brambles for the Spicewood area. Linda also demonstrated various pruning techniques, answered questions from the attendees, and as a bonus, class members could select from several types of fig tree cuttings to take home with them. "Even though I have had fruit trees for many years, I learned a lot from this class," said attendee Kelly Baty.

This successful class, with 11 people in attendance, was the first in a year-long series of Organic Gardening classes to be held each month at the Spicewood Library Pea Patch. Future class subjects will include basic organic gardening, seed saving, and preserving the harvest. The Pea Patch is an organic teaching garden where the public is invited to learn how to grow their own food organically and sustainably. Organizers expect it to grow from the current fenced patch of wide-row planting beds to a full-fledged demonstration garden with a greenhouse, cold frames, herb garden, grape arbor, raised beds and more. If you would like to donate materials, money or time to help them reach this goal, please contact Linda at the email address or phone number below.

The next class will be "Seed Starting: From Seed to Fork" on Saturday, February 26, at 2pm. Linda Wall, who grew up on a farm and is currently working at the Natural Gardener in Austin, will demonstrate how to start your own plants from seed, saving you money and allowing you to grow heirloom and hard-to-find varieties of veggies and flowers. "Seed starting doesn't just save you money," Linda says. "It lets you get started earlier, gives you access to varieties of plants you won't find in the nurseries, and is just plain fun!" A suggested donation of of $10.00 will go to support the Pea Patch, the Spicewood Library's community Organic Teaching Garden. Space is limited, so sign-up now! Contact Linda at: 830-220-0320 lindawall@gmail.com or visit: spicewoodlibrary.org.

Press Release: (January Class) Growing Your Own Fruits, Nuts and Berries: A Basic Class with Linda Wall

2011-01-08T17:19:00.000-08:00

Growing Your Own Fruits, Nuts and Berries: A Basic Class with Linda Wall

Have you ever wanted to start a home orchard, strawberry patch or just plant a fig tree in the back yard, but were daunted by all the talk of "chill hours", pruning and spray schedules? Learn how with plant expert Linda Wall. She'll help you understand what those chill hours are and why they are so important, teach you how and when to prune (it's really easy!), and fill you in on the types of fruits you don't have to spray (yes, there really are some).

This, the first in a series of fun and informative Organic gardening classes at the Spicewood Library, will be held on January 22, 2011 at 2pm. A suggested donation of $10.00 goes to support the "Pea Patch", the Spicewood Library's Organic teaching garden.

For more information, please contact Linda Wall at (830) 220-0320 lindawall@gmail.com
Light refreshments provided. Space is limited, so sign-up today!

Pea Patch Class Schedule

2011-01-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

2011 Class Schedule

All classes held at the Spicewood Community Library, unless otherwise noted

1011 Spur 191, Spicewood, 78669

$10 Donation suggested.

For more info or to rsvp:

LindaWall@gmail.com

830-220-0320

February 26th ~ Seed Starting
March 26th ~ Basic Organic Vegetable Gardening
April and May ~ Postponed (too many other area events going on)
June ~Pests and Diseases
July ~ Seed Saving
August ~ Food: Why Eating Local is Better
September ~ Preserving the Harvest
October ~ Winter Gardening
November ~ Basic Landscape Design
with focus on edible landscaping and herbs
December ~ Break

This post will be updated as changes are made.

Plant Sale Success!

2009-10-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

Just got home from the plant sale and we did very well! $189!

Thanks to everyone who came and bought plants. This was our first try at it and I would have been happy with a hundred dollars. We almost doubled that and I'm ecstatic! To give you an idea of how much that is, it's:
189 packages of seeds
or 14 cubic yards of composted cow manure
or half of the Pea Patch greenhouse
or the entire water system for the 38x17 wide row plot, including a timer
or almost half of the garden shed on our want list
or 18 fruit trees (where are we going to put them all?!)
or the entire asparagus patch, complete with soil ammendments and fertilizer for a year.

We had very few plants left ~ not even enough to completely fill the back of my little Toyota truck. Not bad when you think what we started with (picture above, and that's not all of them). Thanks to Alice, Kelly, Connie and Bettie for all the help and plants. And to all the new friends we met today ~ thank you, thank you, thank you for buying them! We enjoyed meeting every one of you and look forward to working with you in the Pea Patch next year.

The book fair inside did quite a good bit of business as well ~ almost $800! That's a lot of books sold and a lot more books we can buy. Incredible. Jane was busy all day long both Friday and Saturday and it sure paid off.

I have to add this:

The next gorgeous piece of art made by Alice (left), Carol (right) and their quilting group. It will be raffled off to benefit the library. Each year they make one of these and each year it's more beautiful than the last.

Now I'm headed outside to plant some garlic before the rain comes...

The Plan

2009-09-24T06:03:00.000-07:00

A group of us with the Spicewood Community Library are building a teaching garden. This will be an organic garden where we'll hold classes for the general public on things like seed starting, saving true seed, intensive planting, building good soil, etc. It will also be a demonstration garden, giving people ideas on a cheap way to build a greenhouse, how to build and use cold frames, different ways of building beds (rock, wood, roofing metal, cinder blocks, unsided wide rows, etc.), how to make gardening accessible for the physically challenged, and where people who've never tried out an uncommon tool like a diamond hoe can do so before buying one. I hope to also have guest lecturers as often as possible. And I'll be talking to the elementary school next door to see if they can use it as well.

We're not going to do the first planting 'til late January and first class 'til atleast spring. At first, it'll be small class size, on things that can be taught in half-hour or hour classes, like making tomato cages out of cement form wire, direct seeding (depth and spacing) and installing drip irrigation. As time goes on and we raise money/donations for the greenhouse, more seating with tables for desks, etc., we'll hold larger, longer and more regular classes.
So far, the county commissioner has leveled the 80'x60' plot for us, and we have a fence built around it. The wire was donated by Bob Lacey, a local resident, and the rest of it, including labor and those gorgeous posts you see in the pictures, was donated by Austex Fence (SUCH nice guys!). Isn't it gorgeous?! Once Austex is finished building the gate, they'll come back out to hang it and cut the posts off all the same height.

And here's the plot plan I've drawn for the hardscape. Walkways around the large areas are atleast five feet wide. The wide row plot will hold seven 3'x17' beds with two foot wide walkways. The fruit tree and grape areas are eight feet deep.

We still have much to do and many things to obtain. I've made a list of both and put them here:

Want List

~*~

ToDo List and Schedule

I'll be updating those as we go along, so those lists will be changing over time (hopefully with the Want List getting shorter and the To Do List getting longer!).

It will be some time before the final garden looks like the plan above, but we'll get there. I'm so looking forward to the journey!

The Map

2009-09-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

We've got a plan! Everything fit nicely in 80'x60'. Yeah, it'll take a few years to look exactly like this map, but I'm excitedly looking forward to it.