April, 2019 Vol. 1-1
The Community Garden ENews
Fact or Fiction?
Susan Marcus, editor
As we approach April and the start of our new gardening project, I began to think about some of the famous gardens in antiquity. Of course my mind settled on one of the Seven Wonders of the World – The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Did it really exist and what can we learn from its design for our own garden project?
While no actual proof exists of its actual site other than the belief that it was part of a royal palace in Babylon (Southern Iraq), current theories do suggest that they were rooftop gardens or walled in sections of the palace. This garden did not actually hang, but were “up in the air”, or terraced gardens that were irrigated by an ingenious method of pumps from the Euphrates River. One theory holds that King Nebuchadrezzar II (605-c – c.561 BCE) built them for his homesick queen, Amytis, who longed for the greenery of her home in Media (Northwestern Iran).
Classic writers have written about the Hanging Gardens. Though the original builder may be in dispute, most writers agreed with the idea of vaulted terraces, ingenious irrigation, and stone balconies which were layered with reeds, lead and bitumen to make the terraces leak-proof. One German archeologist, Robert Koldewey, did discover chamber, vaults and wells, which he believed could have been part of the substructure of the Hanging Gardens. However, the most current theories suggest that the Gardens were constructed a century earlier by Sennacherib at Nineveh (Northern Iraq). That layout was done to imitate a natural mountainside and was irrigated by a system that made early use of the Archimedes screw.
So what is the takeaway for our gardening project? We, of course, will also be creating a rooftop garden that will be located “up in the air”. While we may not be terracing, each of our boxes will be lined with materials that will hold in the water and rain. And while we will not be depending on water from the Euphrates, thanks to our newly won grant, we will have handy watering systems. Now if we can only incorporate the Archimedes screw, then our garden may become the Wonder of Marine Drive.
Welcome to the Imperial Towers Community Garden website. We hope you find this to be a useful resource for all that we have going on. You may find everything you need regarding event information, RSVPs, community events, and educational resources. We also encourage you to sign up for and follow us on Instagram to contribute photos. You will find our account in the Instagram app @itcommunitygarden. Or you may view photos online via a third party site.
Rona’s Gardening Resources
Hello, Gardening Buddies! Join me here to find gardening workshops and events in the Chicagoland area in the next few weeks.
Gethsemane Garden Center – our closest gardening resource, and one of the finest. This link will take you to a plethora of gardening events at Gethsemane; here are a few that seem most timely for us:
Seed Starting, Sat April 6, 10-11am @ Gethsemane Garden Center Home Department (free/no reservation required)
Orchid Seminar, Sat April 6, 11am-noon @Garden Center. With Accredited Orchid Judge Cheryl Eims ($40; reservation required – call 773-878-5915)
Annual Garden Center Spring Open House, Sun, April 7, 10am-4pm (free to walk in, but you’ll probably find things to spend money on!)
Knife and Tool Sharpening, Sun, April 7, 10am-noon (sharpening prices on-line; pay on-site)
Peterson Garden Project – Peterson sponsors a number of community garden spaces in our area, and many of their events focus on supporting those gardeners. However, this one might be of interest to us:
On-line Garden Planning Demo, Wed, April 3, 7-8pm (free, but registration required )
Chalet Nursery – Chalet is in Wilmette, at Skokie Blvd and Lake, right off the Lake Street East I-94 exit, so you will need a car to get there. Like Gethsemane, a great supply of plantings, supplies, etc, and also some classes.
Christy Webber Farm and Garden – I discovered this resource at the Navy Pier Garden Show, where they had a nice selection of plants, tool, etc, and very helpful staff. Like Chalet, you probably need a car to get there. Some interesting recurring workshops.
Lincoln Park Conservatory Spring Flower Show – Continuing until May 12, this is a great opportunity to enjoy a beautiful garden before we can actually enjoy our own!
This is enough for April! See you next month!
-Rona
Dear Gardeners,
Where do we start? The answer to this question will depend on what your experience with gardening has been. All of us, members of the Imperial Towers Community Garden, have varied experience in gardening. Some of us have been trained. Others have years of experience with home gardening. Some of us even have no experience yet are jumping right in with excitement. This column will serve as a monthly Q&A. You ask, I'll do my best to give expert advice based on practical experience and research.
This first month will be a little bit different. None of us have started our gardens yet, so I thought I would just offer a little advice for planning purposes.
I hope you have all learned a lot from Mike during your garden planning session. But, if you think of something you'd like to look into down the road, these articles on Companion Planting, In Depth Companion Planting, and A Companion Planting Guide should serve as a guide for reference. Some plants are good buddies, like peas and carrots or strawberries and thyme. However some stunt each other, like beans and beets, carrots and dill, or sage and cucumber. And some plants, like fennel prefer to have no friends at all. I know I am excited to grow a plethora of plants, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Careful planning, a bit of rain, and sunshine will all help.
Good luck to you all, and please, please, please send your questions for next month!
Growing Together,
-Rose
Articles on Companion Planting:
GARDEN PLANTS THAT GROW WELL TOGETHER
Corn, Beans and Squash
The traditional trio of corn, bean and squash plants is referred to as three sisters, so
named within the Native American culture. Beans fix nitrogen in soil and corn requires a
considerable amount of nitrogen to grow. The corn also provides the bean with support,
as the beans use the corn stalk as a trellis. The squash, with its large, fan-like leaves,
keeps the soil cool and moist, protecting the delicate root systems from the summer’s
heat.
Tomatoes, Basil and Garlic
Tomato, basil and garlic together make a tasty pasta sauce. Grow them together in your
garden as well. Garlic repels aphids, beetles, snails and a host of other pests. Plant the
bulbs close to the stem of the tomato plant. Plant the basil a bit further away, as it
requires space to grow outward as well as upward. The basil plant wards of spider mites
and aphids, and because it requires a different set of nutrients than the tomato, there is
no competition for food.
Okra, Peppers and Lettuce
Okra is a fast-growing, sturdy plant that can reach heights of 6 feet. Plant okra with
peppers and lettuce. Plant the okra so the large plant provides shade for the lettuce,
which prefers cooler temperatures. Place your pepper plants downwind of the okra, and
the okra plant will act as a windbreak for the delicately stemmed pepper plants.
Sunflowers, Tomatoes and Peppers
Sunflowers are lovely to look at, but they are also a tough plant. Use them as a trap
plant for aphids. Aphids are attracted to sunflowers, and when these flowers are present
in your garden, the aphids will ignore your tomato and pepper plants and instead attack
the sunflower stalks.
Sunflowers will also attract hummingbirds to your garden. The hummingbirds will eat any whiteflies that happen upon your garden, looking to decimate your tomato and
pepper plants.
Marigolds and Vegetables
Marigolds ward off aphids, whiteflies, nematodes and squash bugs, among other pests,
making it beneficial to most vegetable plants. Exceptions to this are beans and
cabbage. Marigolds give off a secretion most pests abhor. This same secretion has a
negative effect on the growth of both beans and cabbage plants, preventing them from
establishing strong root systems, effectively choking off their food uptake system. Plant
marigolds at the corners of your garden beds are along the garden borders. Not only do
they provide pest control, they also attract beneficial insects such as lacewings and
parasitic wasps.
PLANT RELATIONSHIPS
Plants need good companions to thrive. Except for growth and fruiting, plants are
relatively idle objects. They are rooted in one spot and don’t seem to have much
control over their environment. In fact, however, relationships between plants are varied
- similar to relationships between people. In plant communities, certain plants support
each other while others, well, just don’t get along. Plants, like people, compete for
resources, space & nutrients.
Some Plants Bully Others
Certain plants grow rapidly, crowd others and take more than their fair share of water,
sun and nutrients. Some exude toxins that retard plant growth or kill plants. A
common example of this is the Black Walnut tree that produces hydrojuglone. Other
plants are upstanding citizens and do good by adding nutrients to the soil, drawing
beneficial insects into the garden or by confusing insects in search of their host plants.
As a gardener, you’re both the mayor and the city planner for your garden city. By
growing plants with good companions, you bring peace and prosperity to your town.
Alternatively, the planting of disruptive plants can quickly bring your garden to
ruins.
As with city planning, the way your lay out your vegetable garden is crucial. Avoid
planting vegetables in large patches or long rows and interplant with flowers and
herbs. Large groupings of one type of vegetable serve as a beacon to problematic
pests.
If you mix in flowers and herbs, it becomes more difficult for pests to find your
veggies. The scent of flowers and herbs, as well as the change up in color, is thought
to confuse pests. Certain flowers and herbs attract beneficial insects to your garden.
Three Sister Planting
Almost any article on companion planting references the Native American “Three
Sister Planting”. This age old grouping involves growing corn, beans and squash
– often pumpkin – in the same area. As the corn stalks grow, beans naturally find
support by climbing up the stalk. Beans, as all legumes, fix nitrogen in the soil, which
supports the large nutritional needs of corn. Squash grows rapidly and the large squash
leaves shade out weeds and serve as natural weed block. Good plant companions work
in support of each other.
Many long time gardeners swear that growing certain plants together improves flavor as
well. While science hasn’t found support for some of the benefits of companion planting,
there is support for the above information. Garden wisdom and experience supports
these traditional beneficial plant companions.
From Burpee
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