
Well I took a year off the growing challenge out at
One Green Generation last year. I decided because my focus was on growing community rather growing the garden that I didn't want to give myself extra pressure. Needless to say when the veggie garden takes a mental back seat so very often does it's level of productivity.
This year I have decided I need to refocus and reporting back to the growing challenge fortnightly should be just what I need to remember to actually make entries into my garden activities calendar. I have been doing a reasonable amount of planning and planting but without actively recording I find it extremely difficult to remember if I have anything to talk about.. so activities calendar here I come.
Honestly the Evangelist side of this challenge isn't a problem for me. Working as part of a group trying to pull a community garden out of nowhere should count for something.. Oh, that and the fact I am not sure anyone who expresses any type of mild interest in growing walks away from my place empty handed. In some ways I may not have pushed people to grow that weren't already thinking about it.. but I sure have been a motivating enabler on many, many occasions so that they ended up with something in the ground.
The Extreme part is a little more challenging, not because I don't save seed, I do but because I am actually not too sure I am growing much this season I haven't in the past. I tend to be a bit of a seed hoarder. No really, thus I made a pact with myself that for the next 6 months I won't buy any new seed.
How I have decided to tackle this is to save seed from varieties I haven't saved before. Although it's a bit against the spirit of this part of the challenge, rather than a learning exercise in regard to how to save certain types of seed I am using it as motivation to build my seedbank so I can distribute it out to unsuspecting people at the local mid winter Lantern Pde.
At this point the seed I am looking at saving is
- Crimson Flowered Snow Pea
- Burdock (all new to me, currently in flower)
- Sugar Loaf Cabbage
- Violet Sicilian Cauliflower (just cause every winter Lantern Pde should have cauliflower)
In case anyone else is interested in joining I have copied the details of the challenge. Just click on the graphic at the top of the page and sign up.
The Rules
In a nutshell: Grow 3 crops from seed, and plant the seeds in 3 new people.
1. Grow 3 Crops from Seed this Year. I leave the details up to you, but I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone – even seasoned gardeners. If you are still learning, feel free to grow the easy stuff, or seeds you might have grown before. If this is old hat for you, you might try to grow something new – challenge yourself!
2. Plant the Seeds in 3 New People. In other words, inspire 3 new people to grow crops from seed this year. I know for some of you this means really stepping out of your comfort zone. But you can do it. We’ll all support each other – this is how we change the world, one bit at a time! It’s easy. Let your enthusiasm shine through what you do. Be an inspiration and resource to others!
This could be your neighbors, your friends or family, people in your community garden, people in your book group or parents at school… You can wait until someone asks you, or you can strike up a conversation with them. And you don’t have to do it in person! You can write an article in your local newspaper or community newsletter (I’m writing an article in my local garden newsletter), if you have a blog you can write a blog post about how easy and fun and cheap seed starting is, you can volunteer at a local senior center garden, you can inspire your kids to grow with you….
If you’re more experienced, think about teaching a class at your community center, or a community college – you might make a bit of money at the same time! Or you could teach gardening at your kid’s school (maybe help them grow a garden?), teach someone in your community garden, or participate in an online forum – so many easy ways to spread the word.
3. Tell the Stories About Your Seed Planting Here. We all want to hear your stories! So in the periodic updates here, come and tell us how you’re doing, ask questions, talk about your experiences teaching others, your frustrations or thoughts or ideas or whatever. We want to hear them, and take advantage of this awesome community!
Need More? Go Extreme!
For the Optional Advanced or Extreme Edition, add this step as well:
4. Make it Seed to Seed! Grow 3 crops from seed, and save the seed from each of those 3 crops to grow them next year. That means you do have to buy open pollinated seeds (not hybrids), and learn a bit about the crops so that you save the seed well enough that they’ll produce a good quality crop next year. I’ll be continuing to write about saving seeds in the coming months to help out.
Can you swing it? I’m thinking about ways to reward those who participate in the bonus edition. Maybe a special prize*…