At SARAH’S: We got to see how she is protecting her strawberries from the birds and her leaves from slugs and snails. Also how she and Bill battled the bamboo and won! After we toured all the gardens, Sarah also entertained us with a lovely lunch and some delicious gin and tonics! If you like, send an email to Sarah, as she still has some starts to share:

Slicing cucumber
Golden beets
Purple spinach
Green spinach
Red cabbage
Red heirloom lettuce
Snap peas
Shelling peas
Red radishes
Broccoli
Bush beans

At PATRICK’S: Ok, at first we could not find the veggie garden among the lovely perennials, but as we descended the slope into the ravine, an entire farm emerged! This garden is huge, phenomenal, and Patrick is a font of knowledge on everything from growing potatoes, to composting successfully, to using rain water to make your garden grow.

At NANCIE’S: These are three beds and a rockery on a severe slope - simple 18″ retaining walls have allowed me to even the planting field and put in more food than I ever thought possible. Today, I planted my 25th tomato start! And we are already eating mesclun and baby lettuces, butter head, giant radishes and baby scallions. Peas, beans, beets, peppers, parsley and patty pans are on their way….the theme here is “tri-color” - every veggie in assorted colors! Here are the starts available here if you’d like them (email me):

Oregano, Spearmint,Chocolate Mint, Chives, Lavender ( much, much of this!), Calendula, Chard, Bush Beans: Dragon’s Tongue, Bush Beans: Yellow Haricots Scott brought from Amsterdam!, Bush Beans: Tri-Color, Heirloom Sugar Pumpkins, Tri-Color Patty Pans and Zucchinis, Tomatillos

At ANNE’S: Anne’s is the most mature parking strip veggie garden we know - she (and Terry!) have been doing this for years. Their support structures, multi-seasonal approach, and general knowledge in this arena is amazing. Anne proposed at the end of the day that we institute a mentoring program, and we all agreed. Folks are welcome to contact any of us for one on one support, at your site or by phone or email, to help get your hands truly dirty and your green thumb to grow like a radish start….

At MARISA and JOHN’S: This is the place for extreme beauty of structure and cleverness of systems. The watering system, fruit, pea and tomato support structures, and crop affinity planning here is amazing. Swing by and see this at 4 West Raye. Welcome Marisa and John!

So there you have it. A positively blissful experience in which we all shared our inspirations, aspirations, confusion and knowledge. We hope to do it again toward harvest time, so we can all see what became of those lovely gardens we visited together this weekend . . . and enjoy some of their bounty, too.

Thanks for being there!

Catch your neighbors dirty-handed at a delectable garden tour to inspire the farmer in you. Get great ideas for supporting peas, protecting heirloom tomatoes and starting from the ground up. There is no greater satisfaction than shopping for dinner in your own front yard.

We will start at 2603 2nd Ave N. at 10am to carpool from garden to garden and meet the farmers. A basket of maps will be on the front porch for latecomers. When we return, join us for refreshments and a question and answer session with two of GNGP’s founders, Nancie Kosnoff and Sarah Holt. Starts for sale, and while supplies last, free Trex lumber from last year’s display gardens if you promise to build a raised bed of your own!

10am–1pm

2603 2nd Ave N.

Questions? Sarah Holt 206 282-4269

May 11, 2009

Mayor Nickels Announces New Rules for Gardening in Planting Strips
New procedures to encourage more gardening citywide

SEATTLE - Mayor Greg Nickels today announced improvements to make
gardening in planting strips easier for Seattle’s residents. The new
planting strip policy, issued by the Seattle Department of
Transportation (SDOT), eliminates any permit requirements for gardens
and ends fees previously required for hardscape improvements, such as
planter boxes or pavers.

“This change makes it easier to plant flowers and vegetables in the
strip between the sidewalk and the street. For many gardeners, that’s
prime space,” said Nickels. “It’s one of the things that makes
Seattle special, and, with planting season upon us, it’s time to get
those green thumbs going.”

Under the new rules announced today, residents no longer need to obtain
a $225 permit for hardscape improvements, such as raised gardens or
stepping stones. Instead, they can obtain a free online permit for these
improvements and to plant a tree at:
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/stuse_permits_online.htm

SDOT has updated its Web site with information explaining the rules:
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/stuse_docs.htm

To ensure public safety and protect city infrastructure, they also
provide guidelines for making planting strip improvements.

The 2009 Queen Anne Farmer’s Market will be open Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm, June 20th through October 3rd in the heart of upper Queen Anne on West Crockett Street. The market, hosted and managed this year by the Queen Anne Farmers Market Association, will feature locally-grown fruits and vegetables as well as honeys, breads, free-range eggs, meats, fish, and offerings from local artisans. For more information, visit www.qafma.org

What size market is best for Queen Anne?
About 30-40 stalls 22.2%
About 40-50 stalls 54.2%
About 50-60 stalls 23.6%

2. Which location do you believe best meets the needs of the community?
Coe 30.3%
Crockett 45.6%
Either 19.8%
Undecided 4.2%

3. At which location would you be most likely to shop?
Coe 29.2%
Crockett 42.2%
Either 26.8%
Undecided 1.9%

For more market news, go to the Queen Anne Farmers Market website, www.qafma.org

Click Here to take survey

First, a little background:

For the past two years, the market has been located at the McClure Middle School parking lot. This year, due to construction, another site must be found. Among the many factors considered when determining the best location are:

size/scale
accessibility (e.g., walkability, parking, proximity to public transit)
proximity to other retail
“neighborhood” market versus “destination” market

Two sites are being explored: West Crockett (between Queen Anne Avenue and First Avenue West) and the Coe Elementary playground (near 6th West and McGraw).

For the past two years, the market has ranged in size from about 30 to 40 stalls. A Crockett location would allow up to 48 stalls. A Coe location would allow 60 or more stalls.

The 2009 market is proposed for summer Saturdays from 10am-2pm (previously, the market was on Thursdays from 3pm-7pm). Whatever the location, the site must be available on market days 2 hours before and 2 hours after the market (8am-4pm) to allow for loading and unloading.

The QA Farmers Market Association and the city’s Office of Economic Development have stated a preference for a market located in the central retail core. The market managers, Seattle Markets, would prefer a location that allows for growth.

Please consider the above factors as well as your personal preferences, and give us feedback!
Click Here to take survey

The snow means some of us will be doing some very, very local shopping for last-minute gifts. Our canvas tote bags make colorful gifts or wrapping, and you can show your support for the QA Farmers Market and GNG while you’re at it. They are now available for only $15 at Eat Local.

Think green, stay warm, and have very happy holidays!

With a quick search, I found this recipe and decided to give it a whirl, as I had all the ingredients on hand except the linguine, for which I substituted some little spiraled stuff (spiralini?) that I found in the cupboard. I am always running out of pasta, and have been known to rip open the kids’ Amy Mac and Cheese box for the little noodles

Let me tell you, THESE. GREENS. ROCK.

Although honestly, you could cook shoe leather with these ingredients.

Savory and nutty and tangy and of course, bacony. Really scrumptious. I didn’t use as much bacon grease as it called for, or any of the olive oil, and it still worked.

LInguine with Bacon and Collard Greens

Cook bacon in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons bacon fat from pot. Add pine nuts to pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and season with salt.

The economy is forcing a lot of folks to stop buying organic. Come spring, many of them will be growing their own, many for the first time. Our project is more relevant than ever. We look forward to developing our outreach program to demonstrate just how easy, and rewarding, urban food gardening can be.

Toward that end, please consider wrapping your presents this holiday in one of our tote bags. They make lovely, reusable, waste-free packaging!

The totes are available for a minimum $15 donation (down from $25!) at Eat Local, located at Queen Anne Avenue North and McGraw Street. If you don’t see the totes at the counter, please ask. And help us say thank you to owner Greg Connor and all the staff at Eat Local for supporting our project, and for their contributions to a healthier planet.

(PS, their cheesy greens are to die for).