Anita's

Anita's
My Favorite Jacksonville Garden Shop

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Urban Gardening Hotlanta Style....



Summer is in full swing here in zone 8/9. The only thing surviving right now, aside from the weeds, are eggplants and peppers, and even they seem to struggle. Even after a deep watering the droopy leaves just seem to be begging for cooler weather.

So while the garden is almost empty I will relish in the bounty of others.
This past weekend I visited some friends in Atlanta. One of my favorite things to do while on vacation is to eat, and visit other gardens and see what’s going on. I inevitably learn something new every time.

This trip was all about tracking down The King of Pops. We are talking yummy, homemade, gourmet popsicles from a street corner vendor. This guy is the real deal. These pops are made from as many local as possible and always fresh ingredients. The Arnold Palmer was so refreshing. The perfect southern treat for a 100+ degree day.

Another noteworthy addition to the Atlanta restaurant scene is Farm Burger. Truly farm to table.
“Farm Burger is defined by its mission, its farms, its team, and its community. We depend on local farmers, ranchers and land stewards to make your burger as good as it is. From our beef to our tomatoes to our compostable containers to our owners, Farm Burger is sustainable, local, humane, and helping to reroute our food system to function more like an ecosystem than a corporation. Our goal is to connect soil, animal, plant, rancher, butcher, chef & you…all in a simple wire basket.”
And though we chose not to wait it out, the enormous line out the door said it all. It is a must the next time I am there.

But truly the highlight was getting to see my friend Robins garden. It was a small 3x8 raised bed, but it was prolific. Over flowing with cucumbers, tomatoes, beans and herbs. It was seemingly disease free, just a few beginning signs of powdery mildew. But I really was left with a strong admiration for what has always seemed to be the perfectness of zone 7 gardening.

To do this week:
Finish cleaning up after last weeks storms
Put together new raised beds (HELLO - half price at Lowes!)
Start fall seeds (broccoli, broccoli and more broccoli) inside
Finish spreading out all of the free mulch that my friend Samantha delivered after having some trees taken down and the stumps ground up. (I LOVE FREE!)
Read new Fall 2010 Edition of URBAN FARM magazine (make sure to check out the list of notable blogs on page 106!!!)

1 comment:

  1. My baby is web-famous!
    The zucchini are gone. That was where all the powdery mildew was, and they were just feeding the chipmunks. Oh, and I accidentally dropped a tomato cage on the good one and snapped it in half.
    And I've torn out the beans in favor of more tomatoes, more beans and more herbs. And I threw some fennel seed elsewhere.
    It was great seeing you! And I will think of you every time I see the King of Pops. He had one today - Banana Toffee. omg.

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