Size Up Some Space For Veggies!

Janice was in doing some work regarding our spring plant sale offerings which include lots of neat vegetable varieties. This prompted my blog topic for today. For the past five years, we've been offering plants of heirloom tomatoes and a wide range of variable veggies and herbs selected each year. Above is a shot of freshly sliced heirloom tomatoes from Mary Ann M. Our spring plant sale is held this year on May 14th and 15th (9 am - 5 pm at the Horticulture Center). However, RBG Friends Members can come to the pre-sale on Friday, May 13th from 9 am - 5 pm and get a 10% discount. The member discount extends thru the duration of the sale (and the entire fall sale as well!). We'll be offering a wide range of heirloom tomatoes, hybrid tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, squash seeds, basil varieties and over 80 varieties of additional herbs. A neat focus this year will include compact vegetables for containers, hanging baskets, windowboxes and/or any small space. We'll also have a "plant your own container" component although details are still being worked out. We will also be offering a wide range of perennials for all garden situations. If this blog seems like a shameless infomercial for our spring plant sale...it is. Come support the gardens and subsidize my salary! :)

Consider the value of growing your own food at home. Many of us do it to a certain degree but maybe there is more opportunity to plant vegetables in containers, new beds or even open pockets in other areas of your landscape. Sales in vegetable seeds have increased 40% over each of the last three years. More people are getting back to growing their own food and it is exciting to see this movement (hopefully not just a temporary trend). Consider the convenience of being able to walk out to that containerized tomato plant on the back porch to pick a fresh, tasty tomato. You'll also feel better about knowing the "inputs" and maintenance regarding your vegetables and not wonder what weird sprays, fertilizers, soil modifications, shipping implications, etc. have been involved with your store-bought produce. Growing your own vegetables also allows for a wider variety of options beyond what is typically available at the grocery store and is a fun and educational endeavor. My primary points are to make space for veggies at home and come to our spring plant sale. Plain and simple. Get the kids involved too!

Today was cooler but nice and sunny outside. Urban was in to do some pruning and we had a productive committee meeting regarding our Home Garden Tour on July 23rd (Bill, Janet, Cora, Barb, Jean and Tim). Janice was in to work on various projects and we also saw Vern, Bill, Mike, Gary and Rich. I was able to almost finish two presentations that I'll be giving in MI in a couple weeks (Ornamental Edibles and Foliage Perennials). Next week will involve the last of my seed ordering and Marianne and I will get our seeds ready for the growers.

The volunteer soup night went well last night with about 80 in attendance. The soups (four selections) were good and there wasn't much left. I did a short talk on what's happening this year at the gardens and addressed some of the upcoming volunteer opportunities. My second talk was on the gardens of Los Angeles. We also distributed a survey for our attendees to fill out. The results of these surveys, which will be provided to many people, will help shape future garden modifications, developments and educational programs. Our next volunteer event is on March 16th and I'll talk about gardens of New York City. Spring is coming soon and I need another two months of preparation time!