So says Andrea Wulf of the L.A. Times.

She continues:

As America’s gardeners dig, plant, weed and grow lettuce, beans and tomatoes in their vegetable plots this summer, they are part of a tradition that harks back to the beginnings of the United States. Just by working on a compost pile this weekend, you’ll be in good historical company.

The first four presidents of the United States — George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison — were all utterly obsessed with manure and recipes for compost. Adams even jumped into a stinking pile when he was America’s first “minister plenipotentiary” to Britain in London in 1786. Teasing apart the straw from the dung (clearly not minding the muck on his hands), he declared with glee that it was “not equal to mine.”

Well, I like compost as much as the next guy, but there is a limit… This is a good read; read the full story here: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-wulf-gardens-20110529,0,4593400.story.

Our Founding Farmers… is a post from: Community Gardens Blog

Please be observant in the garden and watch out for our garden snakes – please do not harm the garden snakes – they are our friends.

What do snakes eat? Gophers, squirrels and rabbits have been a problem at the Antonio Garden, which backs up to the brushy hillside. These creatures are also prey to the local snake population. I like snakes better than vermin…

Freeing a garden snake

A short while ago, Eileen found a gopher snake in distress and called for help. She was not sure of snake type, but thought it was a gopher snake; it was.

I used to keep a boa constrictor named ‘Panama’ and am not afraid of them so I went to help free the poor creature. It was trapped in a wad of the bird netting people are using in the garden to keep rodents out.

The net was cutting into the gopher snake’s scales and were keeping him/her from breathing. Eileen supplied a pair of scissors to cut away the mesh strands and then kept him occupied (or was taking this garden snakes photos) while I cut him loose.

Close Up of Gopher Snake Head

While we were working on freeing this one, Eileen mentioned the one in her Antonio Garden plot.

This garden snakes been there for a year, and it is getting bigger. Snakes are not vegetarians – this guy has been helping us restore the balance of nature to not too many rabbits and squirrels.

Last night I got a post from Greg D, which read:

I rescued a large gopher snake, tangled up in black mesh. I saw a snake in the shed the last time I came to the garden and this is the second visit in a row that I’ve seen a snake. Gophers bad, gopher snake good.

The reason the snake is in the shed is possibly from being trapped in there, but much more likely, he/she was after mice or other such pests. Garden snakes will go after the garden rodents and may be found any where. Today I got a report of still another sighting. Please watch your step, and look where you are reaching.

A word on local poisonous snakes:

know your snakes

There aren’t any to speak of. You will find rattlesnakes in the dry, hot, stony areas of the Coastal Range, Simi, Ojai, Santa Paula, but in 60 years of knocking about the hills have not encountered a single one in the Heights. The high number of gopher and king snakes (which do eat rattle snakes), our environment and the amount of development and agriculture probably accounts for that.

This is not to say you won’t run across a poisonous one, but your chances are slim in the garden.

Here’s how to tell what kind of snake it is

rattle snake differences

Here are two illustrations showing the differences. Primarily, look at the head – rattle snakes heads are much larger than the body, while gopher snakes are much smaller. King snakes heads are the same size as the body.

Body shape is much different, as are the scales. Rattle snakes appear to be rough skinned even from a distance. The ‘Keels’, or sharply raised ridges running the length of each scale are very noticeable. Gopher snakes are (sometimes) slightly keeled, but are generally simply curved. King snake scales are very smooth.

This page shows the varieties of gopher snake colorations you are able to find in the state, from almost black to almost yellow, but generally golden to dark brown in this area. While gopher and rattle snakes both have diamond-like patterning, the scale of the patterns is larger on the rattler.

king snake showing 'red and black'

The other common snake in this area is the king snake, which comes in two distinct variations. The California king snake (lovingly detailed and documented on this page) comes in two varieties, striped and banded. The striped ones I see are chocolate brown, almost black with a yellow racing stripe running their length. The banded variety is shown in the two links above are somewhat less common (at least where I live 1/4 mile from the garden) is sometimes found with red banding, and is often confused with a coral snake, which does not occur here. The kings’ color have red and black stripes adjacent to each other while the coral snakes banding has red and yellow stripes adjacent (“Red & Black, venom lack, Red & Yellow, kill a fellow” – 30s Boy Scout Handbook).

Don’t get bit!

Gopher snakes are constrictors and are not venomous, but they do bite. They can strike a surprising length if startled or they feel threatened (like when you reach for them). They do not have fangs, and the teeth are too short to penetrate all but the thinnest skin, but the teeth point backwards and once they bite can be tenacious in hanging on.

If you do get bit, lift the upper jaw of the snake off of you, then peel away the lower jaw, and try not to harm the creature while you do it. Treat the bite with antiseptic or alcohol swabs – snakes have very poor oral hygiene…

Yes, I said they were constrictors, and that they bite. Constrictors need to hang onto their prey while they coil around it, and their teeth do this. The saw-like shape also allows them to eat prey many times their size. They ratchet their way around the animal after it is deceased.

A final note on the bird netting… I worry that it is counter productive. I have removed numerous lizards trapped in netting like Eileen’s snake, but none of them survived. I also doubt the effectiveness of the soft netting in keeping out rodents. I feel 1/2″ wire mesh from the supply big box, which can be formed into durable cages, is much more effective in protecting your crops and the garden pet who are helping us.

Gopher snakes will also buzz their tails on the ground and hiss. The tail shaking may be mistaken for rattling, but notice the sharp pointed tail without the buttons.

What to do if you encounter a snake in the garden

Don’t panic. It won’t pursue you, doesn’t care to be around you and will leave.

If you find trapped garden snakes and need help, call me at 207 4457 – I am less than 5 minutes away.

Garden Snakes is a post from: Community Gardens Blog

declares Sonoma County’s Press Democrat in this February 15th article.

The Sonoma Board of Supervisors resolution offers low-cost small farm and free garden acreage for neighborhood projects.

Under a program endorsed by supervisors, more county land — including parts of parks, school yards, open space parcels and vacant lots in residential areas — would be opened to community gardeners and small commercial farmers.

The cities of Oakland and Portland pioneered similar programs, turning over hundreds of acres of public land to urban gardens. Sonoma County first got into gardening last year with the creation of more than 600 projects, mostly on private land and school yards.

“We’ve got this land. How do we go about giving people access to it?”says  Stephanie Larson, director of UCCE in Sonoma County.

The program was praised by health advocates — who believe more local farming and gardening could ease the county’s obesity rate — and small-scale farmers.

“There are a lot of young farmers who want to get into business,” Santa Rosa small farmer Wayne James told reporter Brett Wilkison. “(The county) should really be doing more of this.”

We also feel “the County” (fill in the name of your favorite) should be doing more. School yards, power-line right of ways, flood control areas, all are unused resources we should tap.

Sonoma County Endorses Public Use of Public Land is a post from: Community Gardens Blog

Plant Your Garden And Grow Cash for Camarillo Community Garden!

Buy your garden seeds from Renee’s Garden Seeds and 25% of the order value will be donated to Camarillo Community Gardens.

Here’s how it works:

Simply go to www.reneesgarden.com and choose from the wide selection of seeds for heirloom and gourmet vegetables, cottage garden flowers and culinary herbs, special seed collections and great kitchen garden cookbooks.

At check out, just enter the code FR442A in the coupon code box on the checkout page, and that’s it!

Renee’s Garden will send a year-end check to Camarillo Community Garden for 25% of all orders who use this fundraising code. Code expires December 31 each year.

This is a year-round, on-going fundraiser, so order regularly for spring, fall and holiday gifts.  Spread the word to your friends and family!

A Note From Renee Shepherd

I am excited to be partnering with Camarillo Community Garden to grow cash donations for your new community garden through our fundraising program. Here’s a little background about my seed company:

At Renee’s Garden, I offer only the varieties that are very special for home gardeners, based on great flavor, easy culture and exceptional garden performance. This seed line is my personal selection of  time-tested heirlooms, the best international hybrids and fine open-pollinated varieties.

I harvest and use the vegetables and herbs in my kitchen to choose the most delicious, and cut the flowers for bouquets to select the finest colors, forms and fragrances. Our varieties are tested and guaranteed for every major US climate zone.

Our individually written packets offer beautiful watercolor portraits, with personally written descriptions, complete growing instructions, a quick-view planting chart, growing tips, harvesting information and cooking ideas.

Inside you’ll find superior quality seed–the top germinating, reliable seed usually reserved for specialty growers.

Renee’s Garden is my practical way to spread the joy of gardening as a meaningful, productive and satisfying activity that connects us to each other and the earth. Please join me!

6060A Graham Hill Rd. Felton,  CA 95018    www.reneesgarden.com

A New Partner is a post from: Community Gardens Blog

Proposed Community Center Garden

Our new Community Center Garden was unveiled for the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Parks Department at their last board meeting.

The drawing, shown at left, is a conceptual drawing showing the lay out. The plots are not too scale as the actual garden will have over 125 10′ x 20′ plots and only 1/2 that number are represented.

The drawing includes a future enhancement – a gazebo – which will be used to stage class demonstrations and as a general meeting and rest area.

Currently, we are looking at approximately 2 acres for this garden. This is in the second location designated by PVRPD, and represents the 4th design we have prepared.

Community Center Garden Preview is a post from: Community Gardens Blog

Saving Seeds

Now that we have been harvesting our crops, a number of people have asked about seed saving. Today I got a a copy of a new publication on seed saving. Although it is designed for teachers with school gardens, there is a bounty of really useful information included for everyone.

I have loaded the book onto our site, and you can read it by clicking this link: A Handful of Seeds – SEED STUDY AND SEED SAVING FOR EDUCATORS, by Tina Poles, Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. If you would like to save a copy to your computer, right-click the link and select ‘save as…’ from the pop-up menu.

As I said, this is meant for use in schools, but you will find everything from basic botany, parts of flowers named and explained, what (and why) are there fruits, essays on our major food crops and our food pioneers.

Saving Seeds is a post from: Community Gardens Blog

Asian Citrus Psyllid showing characteristic tubules

This tiny insect is the vector for the Hunglongbing disease that has wiped out citrus across the globe. The arrival of this pest (and the disease it carries) in Florida caused the loss of 50% of Florida’s citrus industry within a mere five year period.

A week before Christmas, this pest was discovered in Ventura County, according to a news release distributed yesterday by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

The detection triggered a quarantine, according to the agency. No host nursery stock may be moved out of the area and all citrus fruit must be cleaned of leaves and stems before it is shipped to market.

The psyllid was found Dec. 16 in La Conchita, north of Ventura as reported in an article that appeared in The Packer. The pest was in a ‘yellow sticky’ trap in a small citrus grove at least 20 miles from the closest major commercial groves.

The discovery of the destructive bug has rattled the agricultural community, according to an article in the Ventura County Star. The county ag commissioner reported that the county’s citrus industry had revenues of $145 million in 2009. Lemons, grown on 17,703 acres, are the main citrus crop, valued at nearly $130 million.

Asian citrus psyllid is of grave concern because it can carry the disease huanglongbing (HLB). All citrus and closely related species are susceptible hosts for both the insect and the disease. There is no cure once a tree becomes infected. The diseased tree will decline in health until it dies.

Although HLB has not yet been detected in trapped Asian citrus psyllids or trees in California, the disease is as close as the Mexican border and the eastern parts of Texas.

Asian Citrus Psyllid Reaches Ventura County is a post from: Community Gardens Blog

Growing A Greener World, Episode 126

Joe Lamp’l and Patti Moreno produce ‘Growing a Greener World‘, a TV program which available on the net and as podcast. Their latest episode features a look back at Victory Gardens. Also featured is Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsak speaking on the People’ Garden program.

You can watch the whole episode here on ‘Growing a Greener World, Episode 126‘.

This is a great episode, and I encourage you to take a look. If you like it, click the ‘share’ button. You can also subscribe to receive new episodes…

Victory Gardens on Growing a Greener World is a post from: Community Gardens Blog

Update:

Our fund-raiser is over. We raised a significant amount of money towards our goal. We will put out a full report soon, but until them, please accept my thanks for your help and generous support of each of you, all our donors and El Gallo Restaurant.  With all you help, we are more than $1,100 closer to a garden… ~Mike

We are having a fund-raising event this Saturday afternoon at El Gallo Restaurant, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. There will be a buffet dinner for a modest $10 per person, and 50% of your buffet dinner cost goes directly to fencing the new Community Garden site. Please turn out for dinner with us and help us secure our new garden spot!

Besides a great dinner, there will be raffle/door prizes, kids activities and live music. The band, by the way, comes to us all the way from Austin, Texas! Save the drive across the southwest and check them out this Saturday afternoon!

(Click the image for a larger view)

Fiesta Flier

New Garden Fund-Raiser is a post from: Community Gardens Blog

The kids at the school turned out in force. Some of them worked all day and out-lasted their dads. It was a great experience for them to do so much of the work, from digging up sprinkler heads and filling the holes back in, to building the boxes and filling them.

Check out the video of the day’s doings…

Starting new school gardens is a post from: Community Gardens Blog