I'm not just a proponent of the high density lifestyle, I'm also a member and president of the SCV Chapter of High Density Living (motto: Grow Up, Not Out!). But living high density has some downsides, chief among them is the lack of space in which to grow things that are not marijuana.
Fortunately, my wife works at a certain local educational institution where they are trying a radical new concept: renting garden space to interested would-be gardeners. It's quite a new take on community gardening...socialist, yet capitalist too!
She took the first step in the spring, reserving a small plot, and last weekend, we prepared to irrigate our own garden. Check it out!
This is the size of the plot you get for a small fee. It's about 6 feet long by 4 feet wide. Not much to work with so you have to think ahead.
Here is the author toiling and tilling at the earth. Note the look of enjoyment on my face as I get in touch with nature and spread that rich, organic, hippy dirt from Green Thumb all over my plot. It took about one and a half bags of soil to file this cedar wood enclosed gardening box.
Almost done now. The soil has been spread, the dirt underneath tilled to the surface, and we're ready to build our own miniature version of the California Water Project with those handy drip timers you see on the bottom left corner of each plot.
So with tools, hose, and, I kid you not, plastic nipples from the storage shed, you carefully run irrigation around your plot. You make small punctures in the hose and insert a small hard plastic tube to the hole, then attach another small hose and the nipple to that.
Next, you have to carefully map out and think about how you're going to plant your garden. We tried to run the hoses strategically but found we had cut the hoses a little too long, so we plan to go back and fix that.
For now though, we've got satisfactory -if a little unpretty- irrigation throughout or garden plot.
Now comes the real debate: what to plant? I'm a starchy guy so I voted potatoes, but my wife says root veggies won't work. She's thinking Zucchini, cabbage, or perhaps broccoli. We've got a gardening guide for Southern California with advice on what to plant but I'm open to suggestions. Will we have success in this wind-swept, semi-arid place, or are rookie gardeners doomed to failure for a few years until they get the knack of growing things here?
Do you have tips for successful gardening in the SCV, high density or rental plot? I know many people have had success at the City's community garden at Central Park so I'm eager to hear from you . Email me at jeff @ scvtalk.com and I'll share your comments with the readers.
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Gardening in the SCV
Fortunately, my wife works at a certain local educational institution where they are trying a radical new concept: renting garden space to interested would-be gardeners. It's quite a new take on community gardening...socialist, yet capitalist too!
She took the first step in the spring, reserving a small plot, and last weekend, we prepared to irrigate our own garden. Check it out!
This is the size of the plot you get for a small fee. It's about 6 feet long by 4 feet wide. Not much to work with so you have to think ahead.
Here is the author toiling and tilling at the earth. Note the look of enjoyment on my face as I get in touch with nature and spread that rich, organic, hippy dirt from Green Thumb all over my plot. It took about one and a half bags of soil to file this cedar wood enclosed gardening box.
Almost done now. The soil has been spread, the dirt underneath tilled to the surface, and we're ready to build our own miniature version of the California Water Project with those handy drip timers you see on the bottom left corner of each plot.
So with tools, hose, and, I kid you not, plastic nipples from the storage shed, you carefully run irrigation around your plot. You make small punctures in the hose and insert a small hard plastic tube to the hole, then attach another small hose and the nipple to that.
Next, you have to carefully map out and think about how you're going to plant your garden. We tried to run the hoses strategically but found we had cut the hoses a little too long, so we plan to go back and fix that.
For now though, we've got satisfactory -if a little unpretty- irrigation throughout or garden plot.
Now comes the real debate: what to plant? I'm a starchy guy so I voted potatoes, but my wife says root veggies won't work. She's thinking Zucchini, cabbage, or perhaps broccoli. We've got a gardening guide for Southern California with advice on what to plant but I'm open to suggestions. Will we have success in this wind-swept, semi-arid place, or are rookie gardeners doomed to failure for a few years until they get the knack of growing things here?
Do you have tips for successful gardening in the SCV, high density or rental plot? I know many people have had success at the City's community garden at Central Park so I'm eager to hear from you . Email me at jeff @ scvtalk.com and I'll share your comments with the readers.
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