[NFB-Krafters-Korner] in the garden

Thu Aug 30 00:26:38 UTC 2018

Tracy:

You can send those extra tomatoes to me; I haven't had a good tomato since
moving to the desert.

I use both rocks and sticks to mark my plants.

Nella

-----Original Message-----
From: NFB-Krafters-Korner [mailto:nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Tracy Carcione via NFB-Krafters-Korner
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 9:43 AM
To: 'List for blind crafters and artists'
Cc: Tracy Carcione
Subject: Re: [NFB-Krafters-Korner] in the garden

Hi Judy.
I am always happy to talk about gardening!
My method for telling weeds from vegetables and flowers is to mark where I
planted my seeds with a bit of stick.  There are always twigs and dry stalks
lying around to use.  If it's a plant with some space around it, like
broccoli, I put the stick close to where I planted the seed or seedling.  If
it's a square of seeds, like a space for lettuce or spinach, I put a stick
at each corner of the square.  I use the square-foot method, sort of, but
the same kind of stick markers could be used for rows.
Then, when my seeds start to come up, like lettuce, I look at the plants.
If there are several the same and one different, the odd one is probably a
weed.  If I'm not sure, I leave it until things are a bit bigger.  
Over the years, I've learned what most of my plants and weeds feel like, so
it's easier to tell, but every year a new kind of weed shows up to keep
things interesting.

These days, quite a few plants are being bred to grow in containers.  A
container makes it easier to control water, and to put the plant where it
will do well.  Nella likes this method, and I'm doing more of it myself.  I
particularly like self-watering pots, which make it even easier to manage
water.

My tomatoes are rolling in faster than I can eat them now, and the beans,
zinnias, sunflowers and dahlias are all growing and flowering at full tilt.
And the passionflower is trying to take over the world.  My garden is
spilling over with joyful abundance.
Tracy

-----Original Message-----
From: NFB-Krafters-Korner [mailto:nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Judy Jones via NFB-Krafters-Korner
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 3:41 PM
To: 'List for blind crafters and artists'
Cc: Judy Jones
Subject: Re: [NFB-Krafters-Korner] in the garden

I admire anyone who has a talent for gardening.  I love it, but either water
too much or water too little

I would love to hear what you do and how you do it, what you grow, etc.  

The years we had a garden, I did very well with zucchini and cucumbers, also
broccoli, but I have a hard time telling the weeds from the plants.  In fact
when I got all inspired and planted the broccoli, I realized I hadn't paid
attention to what the leaves would look like, so I went to the store and
checked out the fresh produce.

I would love any tips and a go-to person.

BTW, is this off-topic?

Judy

-----Original Message-----
From: NFB-Krafters-Korner [mailto:nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Tracy Carcione via NFB-Krafters-Korner
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 6:27 AM
To: List for blind crafters and artists
Cc: Tracy Carcione
Subject: [NFB-Krafters-Korner] in the garden

>From what I've seen, when sites talk about accessible gardening, they mean
accessible for people who use wheelchairs, or who have trouble bending or
getting up and down.
I find gardening very accessible to me, a totally blind person.  The only
thing I need to do better is labeling what I've planted, and that's not an
essential.
I also need to label my seeds in braille, but I worked out a method ages
ago.  The only tricky bit is identifying the packets to label, and I used Be
My Eyes for that last time I needed to do it.
Tracy

> In the Garden: Enabling Garden offers ideas for accessible gardening
>
> Article Link:
>
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/aug/25/in-the-garden-enabling-garden-m
> akes-offers-ideas-f/
>
<https://mandrillapp.com/track/click/30489975/www.spokesman.com?p=eyJzIjoiaU
>
k0cXF4ZUlmQ3plT2VNcFd1c3FSM3ZmUVQwIiwidiI6MSwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDQ4OTk3NSxcIn
>
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>
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>
tlcy1vZmZlcnMtaWRlYXMtZlxcXC9cIixcImlkXCI6XCIzNTgxMzg1NjUyMGU0YmYwOTA0MzhhZm
>
ZlNTVjYjY3YlwiLFwidXJsX2lkc1wiOltcIjllNzk4NWViODY5ZjAzNTEwNjg2MTFmNTgwNzdhZT
> BjY2ZmODNhZTBcIl19In0>
>
> I've just returned from this year's garden writers conference that 
> took place in Chicago. I was so impressed with the city's many green 
> spaces, colorful container plantings and beautiful gardens.
>
> One of the most memorable stops was the Chicago Botanic Garden, and I 
> heartily recommend it to all of the garden-lovers out there. While 
> strolling through the many different regions within it, I was most 
> inspired by the Buehler Enabling Garden. Billed as a "teaching garden 
> that encourages gardening for people of all ages and abilities," it 
> offers excellent take-home ideas for those with sensory or physical 
> limitations so they can experience the many delights of a garden.
>
> In one area, the designers focused on textures, fragrances and tactile 
> cues to assist visually impaired gardeners. For example, soft, fuzzy 
> plants such as lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina), celosia spikes, and 
> purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum Rubra) added both interest 
> and texture to garden beds.
> Aromatic herbs, scented geraniums, heliotrope and chocolate cosmos 
> provided fragrant ways to locate specific plants while pleasing the 
> senses. One ingenious idea involved placing a large-holed metal grid - 
> such as a cattle panel - on the surface of a bed so a gardener can 
> count the squares in order to zero in on a certain plant.
>
> Water features that included fountains, small pools and cascading 
> waterfalls provided pleasing sights, sounds and sensations to increase 
> one's enjoyment of the garden.
>
> There were plenty of useful ideas for gardeners who could use a bit of 
> physical help in pursuing their passion for growing things.
>
> Raised beds are a perfect example of this as they make it easier to 
> reach plants. They can be as tall as is needed, provided the beds are 
> narrow enough for reaching across without having to step, lean or 
> kneel on the soil. Many of the walls of the beds in the enabling 
> garden offered a comfortable place to sit while tending plants.
>
> Tall containers filled with bright, colorful plants were another idea, 
> both for folks who need to garden from a seated position and for those 
> with limited vision. Plantings included intensely colored zinnias and 
> Gloriosa daisies (Rudbeckia hirta), caladiums, the gorgeous 
> silvery-purple Persian shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus), and many 
> coleus in eye-popping colors.
>
> One creative suggestion was to install a vertical wall garden where 
> plants can be tended and enjoyed while standing or sitting. Elevated 
> "shallow pan"
> containers also permitted seated gardening with clearance for 
> wheelchairs underneath. I enjoyed seeing the hanging baskets that were 
> each connected to an easy-to-use pulley system. This allows one to 
> lower the baskets for planting, deadheading spent blossoms or pruning 
> foliage and then raise them up to a safe height for head clearance.
>
> The garden was paved with level, smooth bricks both to make walking 
> safe and to provide easy access for individuals who use wheelchairs or 
> walkers. The pathways were also wide enough to maneuver in.
>
> The sign at the entrance to the enabling garden reaffirmed what I've 
> always
> felt:
>
> "No matter what your age or physical ability, gardening doesn't have 
> to be a challenge. This garden shows you that in a well-planned space, 
> anyone can garden."
>
> I firmly believe that all individuals should have the opportunity to 
> grow a garden and the ideas demonstrated at the Chicago Botanic Garden 
> are a great starting point to make that possible.
>
>
>
> Susan Mulvihill is co-author, with Pat Munts, of "Northwest Gardener's
> Handbook." Contact her at Susan at susansinthegarden.com
> <mailto:Susan at susansinthegarden.com> . For a video tour of Anne Moore
> Knapp's garden, watch this week's "Everyone Can Grow A Garden" video on
> youtube.com/c/susansinthegarden.
>
>
>
>
>
<https://mandrillapp.com/track/open.php?u=30489975&id=35813856520e4bf090438a
> ffe55cb67b>
>
>
>
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