Out on the Streets: East Dallas Community Garden

I've been building up to this for a couple of days. This is the most exciting local garden find I have come across in years.

This is the East Dallas Community Garden located at 1416 N. Fitzhugh between Ross and Bryan streets. It is located just behind Jimmy's Store.

This community garden was established in 1987 to assist south east Asian refugees.

 

The gardeners sell produce to pay for water, purchase seeds and offset other gardening related costs.

 

Many of us are rallying around the "Buy Local" movement. To me this is more than just buying local, it is providing support and resources to this little community niche.

 

Remember all the produce I came home with on Saturday for very little coin. We thought they were selling themselves short, but the point is to provide funds for the garden, not making a large profit.

I talked briefly to a gardener who spoke a little English. She said that most of the gardeners were elderly and on SSI benefits. She feels like it helps them get out and exercise. Two large plots rent for $30 a year.

Now go check out the other On The Street Posts hosted by VP.

Neat Little Shops in East Dallas

Saturday, I went to an advanced Google class with my coworker, Kathy. Yes, it is worth it to take an advanced Google class.

After the class we had a sandwiches Jimmy's Food Store in east Dallas. This is an Italian food store and deli. The sandwiches were to die for. I had a grilled ham and cheese with habanero sauce. It had an Italian name, but I cannot remember it. Kathy had a muffuletta that was almost as big as her head. She didn't finish hers. I ate all of mine.

 

Here is Kathy buying some meat and produce from the store. They had great stuff. There were wonderful capers. I love capers. I didn't buy any. There has to be a good excuse to go back. Doesn't Kathy have nice hair?

 

Here she is down the street outside a little hole in the wall restaurant supply place. They sell Texas grown, processed, and bottled olive oil. Unfortunately, they were out when we visted. The did have some yellow tomatoes. Kathy bought one.

 

Here are some great nasturtium outside the shop.

Tomorrow I will tell you what was just down the street from these shops. Can you wait? Do you know already?

Real Veggie Deal.

 

I found a real treasure. I cannot post about the location until Monday. The veggies in the picture cost $5. My coworker, Kathy, and I bought ten dollars worth of cilantro, bok choy, borccoli rhaab, celery weed, Korean squash, tomatoes, and green onions. We then split the it up between us. This is my share. I actually only paid $2 because she refused to take more money and wanted to share what she bought. These veggies are locally grown and support a great cause. Check back on Monday to read all about it.

Baby Pictures

 

Here are a few pictures of our new additions.

What is Going on With the Weather

It is got into the 80's yesterday and is doing the same today. Last night, we saw Trixie, our calico, waiting on the deck rail to get into the house. She was sitting under the porch light and something was bugging her. When my husband went to let her in he saw a hummingbird dive bombing her head. Why do we have a hummingbird here in February? Also, we already have May flies. What's up with that?

Ants in the Worm Bin

I am risking the wrath of I know it is you, Ed a commenter by posting this, but it worked and no worms were harmed. A while back fire ants had set up a colony in my compost bin. I used diatomaceous earth to kill many of them. The rest moved. This weekend I discovered they had moved into my worm bin. I dusted the top with DE, but was afraid to disturb the bin contents too much. I have read that fire ants hate molasses and cinnamon and have tried both with limited success in evicting fire ants. This time I used both. A cheap bottle of cinnamon from the dollar store and a bottle of molasses were applied to the bin and watered in well. I am happy to report that the ants moved on. While, I know they will show up someplace else, I am happy they are gone from the compost pile and worm bin. I can use more direct methods outside of the bins. I want to harm as few the good bugs as possible. After the molasses and cinnamon, the worms looked particularly fat, active and healthy.

Worm poo is very good poo. I put rabbit poo in the worm bin along with kitchen scrap and the resulting castings are wonderful for plants. A tea made from these castings is a great foliar feed as well.

To read more about poo and guano check out these posts from Weed Wackin Wenches and Poor Richard's Almanac.

Thin Mints or Samoas?

It is that time of year again. Just when we have made it through the holidays and it looks like winter will be over. Right about the time it seems possible to lose a little weight, the Girl Scouts arrive with their crack. Every year for Valentine's I get a box of chocolates or two. Then a couple of weeks later, I get a box of Thin Mints or two. These are gifts from Manly Man and I love him. Now, I don't eat all of the candy or cookies at one time. In fact, I eat about one piece of candy or one cookie a day. Here is the problem, I do not want to share my cookies or my candy with anybody. To keep them all to myself, I hide the boxes all over the house. If something happens to me y'all are going to have to come over here and find it all.

Thin Mints or Samoas?