Urban Gnomestead

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Bremerton, WA
Urban Gnomestead

I am a local garden consultant with a WSU Horticulture Basic Certificate.
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12/12/2024

Spider Plants for sale this Sunday at the garden talk $10-20 price range.

Why spider plants?

1) Easy house plant to care for!
2) Can be outside in summer and inside during winter
3) Not toxic to animals
4) Proven to be #1 plant at purifying air of nasty toxins

The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), which tested the abilities of three common houseplants to remove formaldehyde from the air, found in preliminary tests that spider plants were the champs, removing 95 percent of the toxic substance from a sealed Plexiglas chamber in 24 hours.
https://www.nwf.org › Magazines
Spider Plants and Clean Air - National Wildlife Federation

One plant per 100 square feet is needed to effectively clean your household air. With a spider plant you will eventually get babies and can keep spreading the plants around your house.

The selling of these plants helps me put together the funds for next year's classes. In 2025 we will be taking deep dives into annual vegetables. One vegetable a month from start to finish.

12/10/2024

Come learn about citrus plants this Sunday at Ridgeline brewing from 1-3.

We will go over varieties, how to maintain, how to winterize, and where you can buy your citrus plants.

I will also have a handful of melted record planters and decorative planters with spider plants for sale. Along with a small selection of t-shirt. All of which make great Christmas gifts.

The sell of these items helps me put together these classes for the season. I am happy to say that we are working on the 2025 season and we will be switching to discussing annual vegetables. Each month we will take a deep dive into one vegetable from start to finish. Stay tuned for all the details.

12/07/2024

Found my monthly poster, a wood carved gnome for the gnomestead, and a delicious cider at Ashley's Pub

12/06/2024

These morning sunrises this fall have been amazing!

Helps me forget how cold to the bone it is outside on these late fall farm days.

I am so happy to be seeing as much of this sunshine that we have been. Makes the short days of the north not as bad.

12/02/2024

I got myself this handy dandy leaf mulcher and it's fantastic!

I took the rest of the leaves I collected from people and shredded them down. Which take the matter down to a 1:5.

It was enough to fill my 2 empty metal puppy pens to the top.

By shredding the leaves it will allow them to break down quickly and hopefully be usable by next year.

The leaf mold will get used in seed starting, up potting, transplanting, etc. It's not high in nutrients but it is great organic matter and should hopefully be teaming with microbiological activity.

Thank you to everyone who collected their leaves for me! This is truly a gardeners gold mine.

12/01/2024

Happy December 1st everyone!

If you are in the Peninsula area of Washington, can you believe the weather we are having? Here in Kitsap County (Bremerton) we woke up to our first frost of the season, which is 3 weeks later than what it usually is said to be.

I also cannot believe that I have items on my December seeding for you.

With it just now hitting a frost it's your last chance to get some garlic, shallots, or favas into the ground to overwinter. You will want to get them in ASAP if you have not!

I put in there poppies and snapdragons as well. You have two seeding options with these.
1) Sprinkle in the garden where you might want them and let them fall under the cover you hopefully have on your garden. This one does risk seeds being eaten by birds if they are seen.
2) Sow in cell trays, water them really good, and keep them in a cold greenhouse. Will need to remember to check on them through the winter and make sure they stay moist.

I put these two in here because they both germinate better with cold stratification. The freezing to thawing helps to break down the outer coating of the seed shell. Once the weather warms up it will be able to germinate easier.

Friendly reminder...if you haven't put your garden to bed and covered with a nice mulch layer please do! Take advantage of the sunshine and nice weather we are having.

11/29/2024

Please consider your small businesses over big corporations!!

Small business Saturday at the Poulsbo Farmers Market will have fresh vegetables, drinks, crafts, and more.

This will be our last market of the season and we are coming prepared for you all to be able to stick up on your delicious fresh vegetables.

What we will have:
Salad Mix (1 pound bags will be back for the end of season in limited quantities)
Spinach (limited)
Mustard Greens
Leeks
Beets
Carrots
Parsley
Kale
Collards
Swiss Chard
Brussel Sprouts Greens - bunches
Fennel bunches
Radishes
Delicata Squash
Baby Butternut Squash
Black Futsu Squash

11/28/2024

Today is a day to look at all your wonderful fall harvests coming in and to be thankful for the bounty that your garden provided or your local farmer provided.

Next is the time that we sit around the table with people in our lives. Each person around you has a purpose in your life and we should be reflecting on the reason and be thankful for them.

11/24/2024

UPDATE: Moved to the 3rd Sunday this month so December 15! Click the reminder to be notified.

We will be discussing citrus trees!!

I will also have all my shirts, totes, and lavender wreaths/bunches for sale.

11/22/2024

Please consider doing your Thanksgiving shopping at the Poulsbo Farmers Market this Saturday.

There will be plenty of hard working farmers, meat producers, mushroom growers, pastries, and breads!

Roots Farm booth will have the following:
Carrots - 1 # and 2 # bags
Beets - Red, Golden, and Chioggia
Salad mix
Spinach
Kale
Collards
Potatoes
Garlic
Tropea Onions - sweet Italian red onion
Parsley
Chives
Leeks
Fennel
Broccoli
Delicata Squash
Butternut Squash
Black Futsu Squash

We are thankful for all of you who come out and support your local agriculture and local community shops!

11/18/2024

Went for a walk with a friend today and as we were leaving the trail this tree caught my attention.

I thought it was oysters and was a bit shocked. Went to take a picture and once I got close enough I realized they were not oysters but turkey tails and TRUE turkey tails mushrooms.

You can tell they are true turkey tails mushrooms by their stripe coloring on top and pourous looking undersides.

The whole tree is covered but I only grabbed a couple handfuls to bring home.

11/17/2024

Mulching is the name of the game this week!

Part 4 - living mulches

I love using clover as a living mulch at the base of fruit trees, perennial plants, garden walkways, and lawn replacement.

Not all clover is created equal and as nice to use. Each variety has slightly different growth habits and coverage. Do some homework and find the right variety for your purpose and grow zone.

Though this doesn't do a lot in the way of moisture retention it does help provide some good soil protection from the beating sun rays. Clover also helps break up soil, provides nitrogen into the soil, provides a habitat for beneficial, and provides food for pollinators.

11/15/2024

Mulching is the name of the game this week.

Part 3 - Straw

Straw can actually as a great mulch layer and soil builder. Protecting from harsh weather and give a home to small beneficial insects.

Many of the good protections with using straw:
🌞 - during the heat is will block the sun rays from drying out the soil levels, helping to keep newly planted transplants moist and cool
💦 - holds A LOT of moisture, reducing your need for watering often.
🌬️ - with holding the moisture from the rain it will be the first to freezing which helps protect the soil temp from getting the first shallow frosts of the season. Also, protecting the newly sprouted overwintering garlic, onions, and shallots.
🪱 - creates a great moist habitat for your beneficial creepy crawlies and insects.

What to watch out for:
It is hard to find organic non-herbicide contaminated straw. Do some research and ask questions before you purchase.

11/14/2024

Munching is the name of the game currently

Part 2 - LEAVES

A natural free mulch provided by nature with great benefits.

Protects from harsh weather when spread around plant bases.
🌞 - Keeps the harsh sun rays from drying out the top layer of soil and keeping the soil temperatures cooler.
💦 - protects soil from being beaten by the heavy rains.
🌬️ - if laid down thick enough it can keep the soil from freeze till a deep hard freeze hits.

This time of year I collect a lot of leaves from people. I put them through my leaf shredder and let them decompose in metal puppy pens. Come next fall they will be broken down well enough to be worked into my garden beds or used the following spring in my seed starting mix.

I mulched all my garden beds this year with leaves, not chopped up, to protect my beds that are full of garlic. The garlic should pop through the thick leaves before they become a w**d blocking mat.

I even heavily mulched around my apple trees after plants a large variety of spring blooming bulbs.

11/13/2024

Mulching is the name of the game right now

PART 1 - Woodchips

A great free resource, most of the time, that had a multitude of benefits.

1) Protects soil from harsh weather
🌞 Summer protection by absorbing the heat and keeping the moisture in the soil rather than evaporating out
💦 Rain can compact soil pretty quickly or even make it over saturated. Woodchips help absorb and disperse water, while protecting the soil from compaction.
🌬️ Frost can kill shallow rooted plants but with a layer of wood chips the frost hits those first and won't always travel down into the soil level, unless it's a long deep freeze.

2) Feeds the decomposers
🍄 Mushrooms love woodchips matter and helps them create a mycelium network, which benefits all life!
🪱 Worms and other decomposers love your Woodchips and help convert them into good nutrious soil

3) W**d suppression
🌿 With a thick enough layer to helps with those pesky little w**ds and keeping them under control, not eliminated but sort of controlled.
🌿 With cardboard and wood chips you can even kill off thaf annoying lawn and create a growing paradise!

Woodchips are great for in walkways, perennial gardens, berry beds, orchards, container plants, mushroom fields, and compost piles.

We are lucky enough this year to be revamping a living hedge between us and neighbor so I am getting chips.

A great option for you would be to get on Chip Drops website and let the local tree services know you would take their Woodchips.

11/10/2024

Let's drink a beer and talk about plants!

Today from 1-3

All about elderberries

11/08/2024

The war on sugar ants has been happening this week in my kitchen!

Used this bait to hopefully kill off the colony that is coming in from the outside.

After a couple of days my hubby sprayed flex seal on the inside of the electrical outlet.

This seemed to work last year when they came through a different outlet and had held up.

I think we might be doing this to all our outlets here soon.

11/07/2024

My queen trumpet oysters are taking off!

I was able to cut off the first large pieces on Wednesday.

I just love how mushrooms grow so quickly!

Queen oysters are my favorite oyster mushrooms to eat because they are so dense and gold their texture well.

This kit is from the wonderful

Address

Bremerton, WA

Telephone

(360) 550-5103

Website

https://growoya.com/URBANGNOMESTEAD, https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=580941&u=2052323&m=52284&urllink&afftrack, https://d

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Added a splash of fall color and some forever dwarf Christmas trees.

Open season on cucumbers!! #cucumber #cucumbers #cucumberseason #farmlife #pnwgardening #openseason #huntingseason #kitsapcounty #kitsap #bremerton #silverdale #poulsbo #portorchard

It's Farmer Jen's birthday today!!!! Send her all the good wishes today because she deserves them. 🥳Happy Birthday Boss Lady 🥳 @rootsfarmwa

Preparing Hakuri Salad Turnips for the market! #hakuri #hakuriturnips #turnips #market #farmersmarket #thisishowwedoit #kitsapcounty #womenwhofarm #produce #whatittakes #smallscalefarming #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming

Wacky Wednesday...carrot style! Life is too short..enjoy the time you have doing what you love with the people that matter the most in your life. Carrot season always provides the most entertainment, especially when it's super hot or super cold. Laughter is the best medicine. #carrots #carrotseason #carrot #funnycarrot #wackywednesday #humpday

Farmers Appreciation Week! Sweet thank you cards from kids in the community showing their appreciation for local farmers. #thankyou #farmerappreciation #farmersmarket #poulsbo #kitsapcounty #poulsbofarmersmarket #loveyourfarmer #supportlocalfarmers

Time to go #slugs #slugsoftiktok #pests #farmcritters #farmlife #farm #farming #kitsapcounty

July was a total hit around the GNOMESTEAD. #julysofar #julyharvest #julygarden #gardeninjuly #growingfoodinthecity #pnwgardening #zone8b #kitsapcounty #canteatgrass #growfoodnotlawns #dontforgetthepollinators #pollinatorgarden #pollinators #vegetables

Oya watering system update! I am loving the Oya watering pots. I am currently having to fill them once a week. This is really great with how busy I am out at the farm this time of the year because after a long day I don't always water to go out and water. Plus, the pesky raccoons cannot chew through these like they did my drip system. The reclaimed hot tub water hasn't had a negative impact on the plants either, which means I was able to neutralize it well enough. Between these raised metal Bridie Garden Beds and Oya watering systems, I feel like I have the best garden set up yet! Affiliate links for both these products are in a link on my BIO. #oyapots #growoya #wateringsystem #reclaimedwater #waterconservation #birdiegardenproducts #raisedbeds #epicgardening #growingfoodinthecity #pnwgardening #zone8b #kitsapcounty #poulsbo #portorchard #silverdale #bremerton #canteatgrass

It's Christmas in July...in the way of all the vegetables! #christmasinjuly #julyharvest #vegetable

The difference between male and female cucurbit flowers. Male flowers have long stems with a flower at the end. Female flowers have the fruit at the base and the flower following. This is true for all plants in the cucurbit family. #cucumber #cucumberflower #maleflowers #femaleflowers #pollination #growinkitsap #growyourownfood #growingfoodinthecity #bremerton #silverdale #poulsbo #portorchard #manette