In Shaw (an historically gentrified blog)

Random gardening post

Over on the main In Shaw site there is an announcement for an urban gardening class offered by Shaw Eco-village. Thought I'd just mention that.
There is probably a lot one can learn about urban gardening, but currently I'm okay with my general gardening knowledge. Besides, with the upcoming construction and being out of the house* my gardening will be next to nada this Spring. I'm just letting the mint go wild, and seeing what ever I planted do its thing. Maybe some container gardening. I'm not going to be very aggressive about it, not like last year.
There are some things I'd like to know about my urban garden that I wouldn't learn in the class. Like is there really lead in my soil? When I talk to others and mention my gardening theme of 'if I can't eat it, I ain't growing it,' someone eventually brings up the worry about stuff in the soil. Considering the soil was a big patch of clay when I got it, and I added a lot to it in the following years. What is on the top should be all the Home Depot purchased top-soil, peat moss, sand, fertilizer and my own compost. I guess the possible lead should have washed out of the soil by now or absorbed by the plants that I pulled out when moving in. But I would like to take the guess to a knowing and have the soil tested, so I know that I'm right.
How's the garden now? Well a few days ago I wandered out to the back yard and grabbed some Spring onions growing in an Earthbox that I planted in fall. They are looking well and I used three of them to make a nice onion wine sauce for a bit of fried trout. In other pots the alpine strawberry has some green leaves, as does the oregano, and the mint. I'll probably need to divide the roots and repot them. The laurel bay is dead. From what I can tell it was killed by too many freezing days. I'll leave it alone, maybe it will spring back. There are some chives that have popped out in the window box that I think I seeded in Fall. Last year's thyme and sage are chugging along in the window boxes as well. I've used the thyme all year, and it's been okay. However, I look forward to more mint for the mojitos.

*Got housing in a undisclosed TC location. I'll stay there until one of the owners' pets decides that I gotsta go. Then it may be followed by crashing in Hyattsville or CH.

Labels: gardening

posted by Mari @ 22.3.07