Gardening & Composting

Overview

This week, let’s make a commitment to get to know the earth around us a bit better. From growing plants to composting, we can enjoy how the earth treats us and how we treat the earth. Try the activities and challenges below and then share the joy by emailing your pic(s) and ideas to webmaster@cherryhillna.org

Activities & Challenges

ACTIVITIES

  1. Grow some food!
    a) Examples: tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers, OR
    b) Watch YouTube video(s) on growing summer foods: Top 8 Easy To Grow Vegetables For Beginners|SEED TO HARVEST – YouTube
  2. Start composting
    a) Watch this video for composting ideas: Composting for Beginners | The Dirt | Better Homes & Gardens – YouTube OR
    b) Work with a neighbor to share compost & get composting worms for your garden.
    c) Not ready for home composting? Please put food scraps in the YELLOW side of your split cart to keep them out of the landfill https://sswr.com/foodcycle/
  3. Send a photo of your sustainable garden or compost area to: webmaster@cherryhillna.org with the subject line Garden Gallery.

Use our Gardening/Composting Activities & Challenges Submission form to tell us what you did!

CHALLENGES

  1. KIDS: Take an adult, go to your favorite garden, nursery or park and take a picture of your favorite flower or plant. Email your photo to webmaster@cherryhillna.org with the subject line Garden Challenge to be entered into this week’s prize drawing. One entry per email address, please. Please tag CCNA if you are in Cherry Chase Neighborhood Association
  2. Draw or sketch your ideal sustainability garden on an 8”x11” sheet of paper and scan/email it to webmaster@cherryhillna.org. Extra credit for how you would create this ideal garden where you live.
  3. Take a photo of drought tolerant plants in your garden, send to: webmaster@cherryhillna.org. See below in the Resources Section for links to a list of drought tolerant vegetables and tips on growing them.

Use our Gardening/Composting Activities & Challenges Submission form to tell us what you did!

Need some gardening inspiration?

Ready to start composting?

Other Actions You Can Take

  1. Visit the free seed library at 1236 Elderberry Drive (right here in our neighborhood)!
  2. Sign up for UC Master Gardeners, Santa Clara County monthly newsletter: http://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/garden-help/monthly-tips/email-sign-up/
  3. Convert to low water use landscape – rebate info here: https://www.valleywater.org/saving-water/rebates-surveys/saving-water/rebates-surveys/landscape-rebates
  4. Share extra seeds and garden bounty with friends and neighbors, or at the Cherryhill Harvest Share in September.

Resources & Further Reading

Gardening/Composting Activities & Challenges

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What are our neighbors growing this summer?

Sabrina K.

We are growing lots of jalapenos, sweet Italian peppers, okra, and basil.

Avanti N.

Tomatoes, mint, yellow pepper.

Kathy B.

We are growing a ton of things! Tomatoes, olallieberries, Armenian cucmbers, Padron peppers, lemons, limes, satsumas, kiwi, apples, pears, passion fruit, sorrel, lettuces, basil, German chamomile, echinacea, edible flowers like borage and violets, thyme, rosemary, sage and 4 kinds of mint.

Maggie S.

We are growing tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, corns, peppers, eggplants, potatoes, squash, lettuce and various herbs in the raised beds.

Stephanie R.

I’m fairly new to the gardening world but I am enjoying my garden so much this year, and have already been able to share my lettuce with neighbors! I’m growing tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, yellow squash (from Campbell FFA), purple bell pepper, ancho chili (from Campbell FFA) and several different kinds of basil. I’m most excited about my tomatoes though, they are from Wild Boar Farms! One of my sons is friends with Brad, the owner.

Christine H.

Artichokes – have eaten 15 and given away 10 this season so far!
Tomatoes – 10 plants
Beans/peas
Herbs
Chard/kale
Cucumbers – already eaten 5
Zucchini
Pumpkins

KimChi C.

I am growing my own food that includes pomegranate, tomatoes, celery, special Vietnamese herbs like Vietnamese coriander, Vietnamese cilantro, Shiso leaves.  I am also allowing my lettuce to go into seeds so I don’t have to rely on others for our daily salad consumption.

Andrea C.

Flowering mint, pineapple guava, persimmon, apples, mustard greens, green onions, Swiss chard, bok choy, celery, kale, okra

Deepti K.

We got free compost from the city. We are growing tomatoes, zucchini, mint, cilantro, kale, jalapenos, okra, basil.

Holly Z.

Tomatoes and herbs.

Tammy H.

We are growing 3 varieties of tomatoes, strawberries, mint, zucchini, pumpkin , basil, chives, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage. We’d really like to grow kale but haven’t had any luck finding any at the nursery.

Veronika S.

Cherry and beefsteak tomatoes, strawberries, kumquats, Cara Cara oranges, Meyer lemons, limes, spicy peppers.

Josh C.

I grow a lot of fruit and vegetables, so I’ll just highlight a few new ones that I’m trying this year.

1. Gogi berry plants
A few months ago someone gave me a red gogi berry plant. At a recent garden share I picked up a few black gogi berry starters. The red gogi berry is doing really well, and is starting to flower.

2. Japanese Pumpkins
I’m trying three varieties of Japanese pumpkins (kabocha):
– Kogiku
– Blue Kuri
– Hokkorii 133

Looking forward to see which grows the best.

Jackie G.

Herbs: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Tarragon, Cilantro, Oregano, Basil, Mint and Chives.
Blueberries
Raspberries
Shishito Peppers
Various tomatoes

Toby P.

We finished construction of a new raised garden May 1st using our own specially curated compost and fully organic worms!! Planted tomatoes, green beans, carrots, green pepper, purple pepper, cucumber, zucchini, and parsley!!! We are now 1-month after planting and I am going to provide updated photos. The garden has really taken off and the amount of growth over 1-month is amazing. Cucumber and zucchini especially are becoming quite large. Expecting to see initial harvesting over the next 30 days or less for some of the vegetables.

Joann R.

The only edible I’m growing so far is red onion, with four “starts” from an onion that had sprouted before it was used. The onion was at a friend’s house and she was going to throw it out, so I took it and started the four new onions that were growing within.