Windowsill Onion Planter

Grow something green on your windowsill this winter. From Auntie Dogma's Gardenspot Blog, is how to create this ingenious onion planter from a simple bottle!

Perfect Plants For Pots and Small Gardens

Ever wonder what the perfect plant for pot's are? This article features the best plants to use in containers, but would also be perfect for small gardens like ours at the B-Patch!

Seattle Tilth Looking for Volunteers for their Harvest Fair

We’re excited for our 26th annual Harvest Fair on Sept. 7 at Meridian Park and would love your help volunteering! We’re still in need of about 75 more volunteers to make the event a success. Top needs include:

• Site Prep/Field Markers (Fri. Sept. 6, 10 a.m.)
• Set Up Crew (Sat. Sept. 7, 6:45 a.m. – coffee on!)
• Traffic & Load-in (Sat. Sept. 7, 7 a.m.)
• Harvest Fair Greeter (Sat. Sept. 7, 9:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m. or 2 p.m.)
• Music Support (Sat. Sept. 7 9:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m.)
• Raffle Ticket Sellers (Sat. Sept. 7, 9:45 a.m. or 12:30 p.m.)
• Clean Up Crew (Sat. Sept. 7, 3:30 p.m.)

SIGN UP NOW!

Volunteering is lots of fun at this festive celebration of our local harvest. The event is behind the Good Shepherd Center in Meridian Playground. Get directions. Forward this email on to your friends who might be interested!

Find Out More
Read all about the Harvest Fair, including lists of farmers, vendors, and community organizations, activities, schedule of demonstrations and music, and much more.

Volunteer Party
Stay tuned for an end of the year volunteer party in late October or early November, which all our Harvest Fair volunteers will be invited to.

Other Volunteer & Internship Opportunities
Get involved in Seattle Tilth’s garden and farm education programs! Find out about other volunteer and intern opportunities.

Food Banks needs Gardeners!!!

If you are interested in gardening for the Food Banks, we are having a meeting at the Church on 156th and about 4th S.  The meeting will be at 6:30 on Wednesday.  Email John Feeney if you need better directions or address. 

June 8th Work Party

We had a successful work party. the Rain Barrel finally got installed, more of the common areas got attention, and we had a great potluck lunch.  It don't get no better.

 Finally the rain Barrel is installed. Free water!

 Folks enjoying the potluck lunch and each others's company

Linda works on some weeds in the paths.

How to dig up your garden...

The Community Garden- A Backyard Wildlife Habitat!

Your community garden is now a Certified Wildlife Habitat! One of our gardeners gifted the "B-Patch" (and the city) with a donation of a NWF WILDLIFE Habitat Certification. And that does not mean Nancy at our potlucks! What does IT mean? Well, nothing in the way of any changes, just that the community garden will provide habitat, food and water for the urban wildlife that already lives there. Just check out the Bird house, we have a family of birds living there!

GARDEN PARTY PART DEAUX

GARDEN PARTY!

We are going to hold a second garden party for spring (Just in case anyone missed out on the first one!)

SATURDAY, JUNE 8 

10:00 AM

We will have a potluck (Bring a salad, side dish or dessert)

ALL B-Patch Gardeners:

SPRING CLEAN UP PARTY

 Saturday May 4, 2011

11:AM until 2pm at the B-Patch!

SEATTLE TILTH MAY PLANT SALE

Come out to our May Edible Plant Sale and choose from a thrilling selection of organic and sustainable edible plant starts perfect for summer gardens. It’s FREE and takes place on Sat. and Sun., May 4 and 5, 9 a.m.-3 p.m at Meridian Park in Wallingford. Find warm season crops like tomatoes, basil, peppers and squash that will thrive this summer. More Information HERE!

EASY TO GROW LETTUCE BASKET!

Want to learn how to grow a basket of lettuce like this? It is very easy... just follow THIS LINK to find out how. Perfect for an apartment balcony, easy to do.

Britta Riley, "A Garden In My Apartment"

SOUTH KING COUNTY FLOWER & GARDEN SHOW!

From the shows Facebook page:

"Join us for the South King County Flower and Garden Show! Become a garden guru with tips on design, plants, container gardens and more. Enjoy all-day entertainment and family fun while cultivating your creativity, health, friendships, and your community! Grow your expertise to make this year’s flower beds, vegetable gardens and herb gardens your best ever! Tour the Highline Botanical Garden, talk to experts and just have fun! This is a Rotary Charity Benefit where all proceeds go directly back into our community. Entrance is Free to 12 years of age and under. Seniors & Students $5.00. Adults $7.00" Saturday April 13, 10 am until 5pm

 

Mason Bee Time!

You may notice a small black box hanging at the arbor at the B-patch. These are our guest mason bees from Rent Mason Bees.  A few words from Missy AKA The Queen Bee:

"Remember the 80's movie Field of Dreams?  Well, I liken myself to that corn farmer; I have built the boxes believing people will come learn about these bees.  We are Team GAP (Gardeners Adding Pollinators) and you are all now members. 

You have come down from the bleachers and are on the playing field.  You know the rules of the game and you can make a difference in your own yard and by spreading the word about these marvelous native pollinators"

Hopefully, we can have Missy come and give her Bee Buzz (Talk) to our gardeners soon. Very interesting lady.
And before anyone gets all abuzz about mason bees:

Mason Bees:

• are solitary. There is only one bee per nest, not thousands.

• are native to North America whereas honeybees are not.

• rarely sting.

• are early spring bees & emerge about the time cherries bloom.

• fly at a low 54 degrees F. Honeybees fly at 57-59 degrees F.

• forage earlier in the morning and later in the afternoon than honeybees.

• use holes in wood or nesting tubes for egg laying

are low maintenance and require only a small bee house with a VERY low start up cost!
and remember mason bees do not sting! So don't be scared of them

In fact the mason bees look more like flies than bees.

Inside their home, the tubes and the holes in the wood each have one mason bee nest.

 

Mark Your Calendars

Everyone should have gotten a reminder to renew their plots. If you didn't get in- Call the parks department  at (206) 988-3700. The Mandatory Community Garden Orientation is April 16, at the Green House in the Garden. Be their or be square!

The Seattle TILTH Spirng plant sale is Saturday- Here is some plant lists to help you plan!

SEATTLE TILTH MARCH EDIBLE PLANT SALE

VEGGIE LIST

HERB & FLOWER LIST

FRUIT TREE/SHRUB LIST

Seattle Tilth Winter Plant Sale

Seattle Tilth Winter Plant Sale

March 16.

 A new location this year at Pacific Market Center, easy to access from I-5 and Hwy 99.

More info HERE

Use all your Mayonaisse!

TIP OF THE DAY FOUND AT OAKPARKHATESVEGGIES.COM ( http://oakparkhatesveggies.wordpress.com/ ) when we get to the end of a jar of mayonnaise, i add some warm water, some sea salt, and more garlic powder than i should. i shake it all up, and it makes the best creamy garlic salad dressing ever. not only does this use up the last of the mayo that would never come out of the jar otherwise, but it is a delicious thing to put on salads or cooked veggies. (try it on mashed potatoes -yum!) this is especially good and thrifty if you make your own mayo, because with the amount of time you have invested to make the mayo, you really want to use every single drop.

Growing Carrots in Containers

You can grow carrots (and other root crops) in containers!!!

How it all Began: The History of Seattle's P-Patches

A little local history for y'all!:

West Crest P-Patch

Not looking like much now I am thinking this will be a welcome green addition to the area come summer 2013.

Hope everyone is staying warm and fed this winter. Looks like we have a new neighboring community garden to say hello to... West Crest P-Patch. Located in the fabulous Westcrest Park at 8th Avenue Sw and SW Henderson, West Crest known for its expansive Dog Park, was the lucky recipient of the City of Seattle Parks and Green spaces Levy. Open to City of Seattle residents, sign ups for space is now. You can sign through the City of Seattle's P-Patch program.

West Crest Garden Design (click to enlarge)