TDN Newsletter: 3-29-13

 

Dear Gardening Friends, Spring is finally here, and we're busier than ever before with a season opening that took us by storm (and by surprise!) Our idea of offering "Pre-Orders" before the Spring Kick-Off Sale & Food Drive proved to be a good one...some 50 pre-orders came in steadily once we announced the line-up of this year's Heirloom Tomato varieties; our patio was filled to capacity! Since many people picked up before the Sale weekend, our driveway was not the usual mob scene it has been in past years. (We were happy as we were running on very little sleep all that week.) We actually had time to talk with folks and not be in a frenzy! We'll definitely do it this way again next year. ~ The Food Drive Results ~ ...were great! We collected 385 pounds of food donations, and a cash collection total of $750!   It was a fun weekend, and this is my favorite photo from the event, taken early Saturday morning...        Thanks again to all who participated and made our   Annual Spring Kick-Off a success!  CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS FROM THE 2013 SPRING TOMATO SALE & FOOD DRIVE    Rebuilding Inventory!   We're working day and night to restore our inventory levels on everything  after the Sale. Last weekend, being the first time we brought Tomatoes to the Markets, was also a wipe-out - we had 27 tomatoes left on the tables at   La Canada Saturday after the dust settled!! This weekend we promise to have: Persian Cukes Beans Lettuces Summer Squash  We'll also have (in limited supply) these great herbs this weekend: Stevia Summer Savory  Sweet Marjoram  Perennial Basil  And next up will be Corn, Melons, Winter Squash & Okra!            TWO Ways to get   YOU involved! 1.) Cherry Tomato Challenge!   VS.         SunSugar                                                           Sun Gold  During my Tomato research, I came across a variety called "SunSugar". It was the top pick by Sunset Magazine, edging out the beloved "Sun Gold"!! According to our seed source, SunSugar really took off after that article, so I bought one pack of seeds. We've grown 6 seedlings of SunSugar which will be ready to plant out in about 2 weeks; we'll plant one out with a Sun Gold in the same EarthBox. I'll plant the same for my Mom, and we've found 2 other customers who will do the same trial.   So we need 2 more volunteers to grow both and   REPORT their findings. We want to know: which was your favorite of the two and WHY: Flavor? Production? Plant Size? Disease Resistance? They don't have to be grown in an EarthBox...just be sure you can grow both of them in the same environment and location (a large-enough raised bed for example, or identical containers, placed side by side) and be sure to take notes and photos! The SunSugar will be free to whoever wants to join in! Just give us a call: 323-422-3835.   We'll post the results & photos in a Fall Newsletter! 2.) AT LAST, GLASS GEM CORN!   ...and a CONTEST!         Many of you probably saw the photos of this incredibly rare and beautiful variety of popcorn called "Glass Gem" going around on Facebook last year. I did, and after some research, I put us on the waiting list (along with about 7,000 others) with the Native Seeds/SEARCH group, and 3 weeks ago we got an email saying we could finally purchase it! I am so excited to grow this special corn (and again I wonder at what my corn-farming grandparents would think : "Multi-colored, translucent popcorn grown in EarthBoxes, out in the front yard! What's she doing now??") Each person on the Waiting List was allowed to only purchase ONE packet with approximately 50 seeds. We plan to fill two EarthBoxes with it, which means we have enough for ONE other customer to do the same. But we wondered, WHO SHOULD IT BE?? ...So we decided to hold a contest...If you are interested in receiving four FREE 6-packs of Glass Gem Corn Seedlings, please email us your 30-second video stating why YOU should win them. You'll grow the corn out, practicing the method of Hand-Pollination to ensure variety purity (linked instructions here), and take lots of photographs along the way! Once harvested, we encourage you to save some seeds for yourself and to share with someone next year. We think this whole experience would be most appreciated in a School (or large Community) Garden where a number of children can experience this amazing expression of Mother Nature's infinite imagination! The Days to Harvest is roughly 110, so remember, we're looking at sometime in mid-July for the harvest...so please don't enter if you plan to be on vacation at that time. Don't delay... The DEADLINE for entries is:  Friday, April 19th!! Shoot your best and email it to twodognursery@gmail.com The seeds were sown today and will be ready to plant out in 3-4 weeks. We'll announce the Winner in our next Newsletter (and include the winning video entry.) Later in the Summer we'll post photos of your process & harvest and of our own, too! Good luck!!! Click here to read the    Glass Gem Back Story    (from Native Seeds/SEARCH)    All Glass Gem Corn photos shown here are copyrighted by Greg Schoen and used with his gracious permission.   Tomato Tragedy? Sometimes, tragedy strikes and a tomato plant gets broken off right at the soil line. Don't panic! When this happens to us, we simply put the upper part into a water bottle filled with a solution of Great Big Tomatoes and voila...new roots!! We love this product and use it to water-in every seed we sow. It's excellent as a soil drench, a foliar spray, and handy to just pour a half-cup right into an EarthBox watering tube!     Often the remaining stub of a plant will re-grow itself, too!   How determined Nature is!! The Garden Party!   For the 3rd year in a row, Two Dog Nursery has been invited to participate in the wonderful Los Angeles Garden Party & Tour given by the Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society. We'll be selling our Organic Seedlings, Blueberries, Fruit Trees and lots of Products once again at the lovely Getty House (official residence of the Mayor of Los Angeles). CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS FROM LAST YEAR'S GARDEN PARTY!     Guests will tour 6 Private Residential Gardens in the Windsor Square-Hancock Park neighborhoods and enjoy a light lunch in the Getty House garden. There will be a lecture on Urban Farming and a demo on Wall Gardens. There will also be a Boutique for purchasing special items, and the event will honor Councilman Tom Labonge! This event always raises an impressive amount of money, and this year, proceeds will be used for "greening" L.A. High School at Olympic & Rimpau Blvds and Third Street Elementary School at 3rd & June Streets. We hope you can join us on   EARTH DAY, April 21st for this fun event! For more info and to purchase tickets online, go to:   www.losangelesgardentour.org  or call 213-243-8182 with questions. Time to Chop, Turn & Plant!   The Roof Top Cover Crop is all flowered-out and ready to chop down. We'll turn under as much of the beautiful "green manure" as will fit in each container, and the rest will come home to our compost bin. In about 2 weeks it will have broken down, and the soil will be ready for us to plant ALL the New Varieties!      CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL OF THE VARIETIES!     NRDC Competition Results: Well, since the big NRDC 40th Anniversary shindig is NEXT Thursday in San Francisco, I guess it's safe to assume Two Dog did not win this year. I'd been holding out hope, but oh well, we'll try again next year. We want very much to go solar and to install a water filtration system at the Nursery, so we'll have to figure out another way. Meanwhile, to those folks who sent such nice Letters of Recommendation on our behalf, our heartfelt thanks! Cabbage Consolation...   It did make me feel better to go out to the "Front Yard Container Farm" and harvest this gorgeous Mammoth Red Rocks Cabbage!      A friend of ours makes the most delicious slaw with  just these 3 ingredients: Olive Oil Lemon Juice Salt It's so light and fresh with juice from our   35 year-old Meyer Lemon tree!

Well friends, that's it for now. We'll see you this weekend at the Markets! Don't forget to let us know if you want to help us "Trial" the SunSugar vs. Sun Gold, and do send in your video entries for the Glass Gem Corn Competition!! Thanks as always, and Happy Harvests, Jo Anne, Alex, Jake & Lalo P.S. Fruit Trees (link to tree page) are selling like mad! Some fun varieties coming with us this weekend:     Cara Cara Orange, Kaffir Lime, Calamondin, Buddha's Hand, Fuji Apple, Panache Fig, Utah Sweet Pomegranate, plus thornless Triple Crown Blackberries! Oh, and Chandler Strawberries, too!  P.S.S. We're hoping to catch a glimpse of our favorite Easter Bunny, Nutmeg, in Westlake Village this Sunday!!     If you haven't got a chance to "LIKE" us on Facebook, please do!! And share our page with your like-minded friends!!