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Helping Neighbors Grow Their Own
Creative Master Gardener in Prince George’s Co. Helps Neighbors Grow their Own
Master Gardener Joe Henson and his wife Nila of Fort Washington created their own version of Grow It Eat It – and combined it with container gardening ideas Joe learned from Jon Traunfeld of University of Maryland Extension. Their practical and friendly approach can be described as – invite, feed, and teach your neighbors.
Their method of enticing the neighbors to garden seems to be working: so far three of the eight have started their own garden!
Joe and Nila started their garden in 20+ containers that range in size from 12-inch and 24-inch flower pots to a “super box” that is 4-foot by 12-foot. The super box is a fine example of Jon’s Salad Table™. In containers, they grew everything that you would find in a regular garden – corn, cantaloupe, sweet peppers, squash, string beans, tomatoes and cucumbers, as well as raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. In the “super boxes” they grew several varieties of lettuce, as well as cabbage, leeks, sweet potatoes and carrots. In two four-foot window boxes, they grew basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, sage and thyme.
Once the garden was growing, Joe and Nila wanted to introduce their neighbors to the joys of gardening. So they sent out a formal announcement to eight friends and neighbors, explaining that their mission is to encourage the friends to start gardening. To tempt them, Joe and Nila offered them food – pretty much anything they wanted from the garden. And, they delivered the food once to each neighbor. This was the one stipulation: “We will deliver to you ONCE, fresh picked vegetables from the Box and our Container Garden. After this first delivery, you can call or come over and pick items of your choice.”
Joe provided his friends with instructions on how to build the super box. Information on planting, watering and harvesting various crops was included in his announcement. Joe also explained to his friends, “There are several benefits to the super box: You can use it as a partial green house or as a cold frame both of which allows you to jump start the season as well as to extend the season.” They are now exploring the use of heating tapes to keep the soil warm and extend the season even longer. Joe also reminds gardeners that you can keep critters and most of the bugs off by protecting the plants with a floating row cover- a light, gauzy material popular with gardeners. You can even build and attach a simple frame to the box to support the row cover. Using a super box provides additional control of plant growth because you can use compost and potting soil, which are well-aerated (faster plant growth) and weed-free.
Master Gardener Joe Henson and his wife Nila of Fort Washington created their own version of Grow It Eat It – and combined it with container gardening ideas Joe learned from Jon Traunfeld of University of Maryland Extension. Their practical and friendly approach can be described as – invite, feed, and teach your neighbors.
Their method of enticing the neighbors to garden seems to be working: so far three of the eight have started their own garden!
Joe and Nila started their garden in 20+ containers that range in size from 12-inch and 24-inch flower pots to a “super box” that is 4-foot by 12-foot. The super box is a fine example of Jon’s Salad Table™. In containers, they grew everything that you would find in a regular garden – corn, cantaloupe, sweet peppers, squash, string beans, tomatoes and cucumbers, as well as raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. In the “super boxes” they grew several varieties of lettuce, as well as cabbage, leeks, sweet potatoes and carrots. In two four-foot window boxes, they grew basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, sage and thyme.
Once the garden was growing, Joe and Nila wanted to introduce their neighbors to the joys of gardening. So they sent out a formal announcement to eight friends and neighbors, explaining that their mission is to encourage the friends to start gardening. To tempt them, Joe and Nila offered them food – pretty much anything they wanted from the garden. And, they delivered the food once to each neighbor. This was the one stipulation: “We will deliver to you ONCE, fresh picked vegetables from the Box and our Container Garden. After this first delivery, you can call or come over and pick items of your choice.”
Joe provided his friends with instructions on how to build the super box. Information on planting, watering and harvesting various crops was included in his announcement. Joe also explained to his friends, “There are several benefits to the super box: You can use it as a partial green house or as a cold frame both of which allows you to jump start the season as well as to extend the season.” They are now exploring the use of heating tapes to keep the soil warm and extend the season even longer. Joe also reminds gardeners that you can keep critters and most of the bugs off by protecting the plants with a floating row cover- a light, gauzy material popular with gardeners. You can even build and attach a simple frame to the box to support the row cover. Using a super box provides additional control of plant growth because you can use compost and potting soil, which are well-aerated (faster plant growth) and weed-free.
Last updated: 10/5/2009