my own drum

Over the last couple of weeks the garden has flourished. Weekend rains, daily sunshine and warmer temperatures have all combined to create a climate of prosperity for anything green. It's already apparent that there will be a lot of weeding and maintenance for this garden.

I've taken a new batch of photos and posted them on this site. As I discover or learn a new plant name, I'll update that page with the information. I will also be adding more pictures as they come.

I've also done some research about the Boulevard Community Garden (ala Google). So far, there is only one link that I thought was work referencing, and it was from 2000. But the article describes how our garden began, and shows an image of the original sign out front. This sign is currently under renovation. The original lettering had been replaced by stick-on letters, and the paint was faded and peeling. Our friend Emily is doing the artwork.

Bookmark this new page and check back often.

Today I took pictures of the many flowering blooms in our garden. Unfortunately, some flowers have already bloomed and then lost their color or foliage. Seeing that happen, I thought it was a good time to snap a few new photos. These can be viewed at the link below, Garden in Bloom.

How does our garden grow

Garden in Bloom

This might also be a good time to mention that the Boulevard Community Garden has a new e-mail address at "BoulevardCommunityGarden@gmail.com"
Please use this e-mail address for any garden correspondence. Thank You.

It is also worth noting that very soon the garden will be identified on Google Maps. Anyone looking at the maps in the vicinity of the garden will see a marker on the map, directing them to the garden.

I'm posting a few random items, because I can. First, you may or may not have noticed a name change. For some time I have been making anagrams using the following letters - A E O C P R S T. I don't have a reason for this, it was an idea that came to me late one night, and I followed it. I've decided to change to something completely different, and for now, more appropriate - Aromaman. You see, I'll soon be making premium quality fresh hand dipped incense. For people in Atlanta, this is good news. For the rest of you, my apologies. This incense won't be available on the internet for some time, if at all.

Last weekend I was in Suches, GA. The event was a pig roast, given by a fellow to gather his friends and acquaintances for fun and fellowship. It was a great time. On Sunday morning a few of us hiked a short distance on the Appalacian Trail (from Woody Gap) and meditated in the glory of nature's bounty. I took a lot of pictures, and these can be viewed at http://theworldwidewiki.com/pigroast/

During the last week the drug dealers visited my rose bushes, located outside the fence of my garden. Both rose bushes were trampled. I'm certain this had nothing to do with what I wrote about those morons in this blog; they're simply bullying morons who cannot stand to see anything nice in their midst. Oh well.

A friend sent me a link about using styrofoam cups to build a simple hydroponics system. After reading the article I thought I would post the link here for my gardening readers.

Hydroponics with McDonalds cups

Enjoy!

del.icio.us tag: Hydroponics

del.icio.us tag: Community Gardening

It rained Saturday, and Sunday, and Monday. Because we are in a period of severe drought this rain is more than welcome. It isn't enough rain to end the drought, but every little bit helps. And for the garden it is truly a blessing. Everyone has applied some sort of mulch or covering, mostly straw, to help preserve the soil moisture.

Last week I planted more in my own little plot of the garden. There are some volunteer tomatoes (found in a walkway), okra and onions (donated). I noticed this morning that some of the flower seeds I planted last week might be coming up already.

There are two plots left in the garden that haven't been claimed. Two others seem to have a claim on them, but they haven't been worked at all this spring. The two remaining plots are near the back of the garden, and get a generous amount on shade in the morning, but plenty of direct light from noon on through the afternoon. I'm thinking about doing a little landscaping on them to improve their appeal. One of those plots has parsley and oregano from a previous season.

Our volunteer sign painter came by last week. She loves the garden, but the neighborhood is a bit daunting. She wants me to remove the sign out front so she can paint it in a safer environment. But I've noticed the bolts holding it in place are bent, and so it can't be removed. I'll have to be there when she works on it. She also wants to put up a shrine in the garden. I gave her the OK to do this, and I'm sure it will enhance the natural beauty of this spot.

del.icio.us tag: Community Gardening

OK, I hear you thinking, "What has this got to do with gardening?" Well let me explain.

The Boulevard Community Garden is on Boulevard Avenue in Atlanta. Mention that street to any local and they'll nod in a knowing way - Boulevard is a haven for drug dealers. The garden is on the site of a former apartment building, and there are apartments on either side and across the street. One on side is a nice Christian based group for young people. On the other side is subsidized housing, and the scene for daily drug dealing. The dealers also lounge at the subsidized apartments across the street.

These particular dealers are not very smart at all. (Don't tell them I said that!) They tend to mix business and personal issues together, right there on the sidewalk. This, of course, results in problems for them, and for others.

About two weeks ago there was a fight. The dealers were beating up a fellow who I assume was a disgruntled customer. Anyway, I was working in the garden at the time and my view was obstructed by their apartment building. But I heard the shouting and wrongly assumed it was more of the same that I hear almost daily. I did notice that some people were watching from the Wendy's parking lot across the street, but still I didn't bother to go have a look for myself. Soon enough I heard the sirens approaching - first the police and then the ambulance. For the rest of the day there was a police presence on the street, which of course, is bad for the drug business.

This morning I once again heard loud voices, expressing lots of anger. Taking a quick look on the street I could see there wasn't a fight, only an argument. From what I could tell someone owed someone else money. And the police had been called again (not by me). And, once again, there was a police presence on the street today. First it was a uniformed officer parked down the street. I walked by him when I went to get the seeds today (see previous post), and as I passed him I offered a quick "Thank You".

He left the scene and returned later for a drive around the apartments. Then another officer, in uniform, arrived in his personal vehicle. He parked on the sidewalk right in front of the garden. The dealers sauntered away when he got out of his truck. He spent an hour or so walking around the area. He walked the apartment parking lots, he walked over to Wendy's, he talked to the old ladies on the lawn next door, and he came to the garden gate and talked to me. Our entire converstaion was about gardening. He asked what we were growing, and explained that he was gardening at home.

Finally he left and I saw him make at least one trip around the block. Eventually the drug dealers meandered back to the sidewalk, but I suspect that now their business is going to be interrupted more frequently. I can't say that I'll be sorry to see the dealers leave. But the truth is, there has been drug dealing on this block for as long as there have been drugs, and I don't hold out a lot of hope that will be changed any time soon.