Gardening at Wagner Farm is a favorite hobby for many Glenview residents.  Gardening is fun and rewarding but it’s a lot of hard work too. Does all of the hard work pay off?  This year, experienced gardeners, Fran and Barry Gustafson proved that it is.

Fran and Barry have been gardening at Wagner Farm for the past 7 years.  They garden 2 garden plots: one for themselves and one with Barry’s mother, Rose Fiedler.  They have had garden plots in the Community Garden for 5 years and in the original Heirloom Garden for 2 years.  They cannot have a vegetable garden at home since they have too many deer and rabbits coming through their yard.  Although they have no formal garden training, Barry shared that he has farmers in his extended family.  They get most of their gardening knowledge from reading, trying new things, and from listening to other experienced gardeners in the Community Garden.

This past 2017 gardening season, the Gustafsons decided to keep track of their harvest.  This is what they harvested for the year:

Radishes 118

Lettuce 13 bags

Carrots 71

Hot Peppers 265

Cabbage 15

Zuccinni/Squash 105

Onions 110

Green peppers 71

Beets 10

Butternut squash 7

Green beans 1300

Tomatoes 148

Cherry tomatoes 125

Cucumbers (very small) 10

What an amazing bounty of vegetables!  When you visit the Community Garden, you will always notice that their plots are beautifully, well laid out, and meticulously kept.  The Gustafsons recommend the following tips for a successful garden:

-When you plant seeds, keep them moist until the plants emerge and get started.

-Weed your plot continually!

-Use your space efficiently and replant as spaces become available.

Thank you Fran, Barry, and Rose for sharing your gardening success story with us!

Dear Gardeners,

It has been another amazing season in the Community Garden!  I am always sad to see the season end.  The closing date for the 2017-2018 season will be Saturday, October 21.  Please have your plot cleaned out by October 22.  You will find the information about the closing procedures below.  IF YOU FAIL TO CLEAN OUT YOUR PLOT, YOU WILL BE ASKED NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LOTTERY NEXT YEAR.

This year, I am also looking for volunteers to help do a final clean-up in the garden on Saturday, October 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (weather permitting).  We will be collecting any remaining produce to donate to the pantry, collecting remaining non-organic materials, and removing remaining plant material.  Please RSVP to this e-mail if you are available to join me.  Your help is greatly appreciated!

Happy Gardening!  Have a great week!

Alyssa Tadelman

Community Garden Plot Coordinator

Historic Wagner Farm

Wagner Farm Community Garden Closing Procedures
1. TOMATOES- Plants and fruit should be removed and put in a TRASH can.
2. CORN and SUNFLOWERS- Remove entire stalks and pile them next to one of the compost bins.
3. WEEDS- If your weeds are 8 inches or taller, please remove them and put them in one of the COMPOST bins.
4. ALL OTHER PLANTS- Remove plants and put them in one of the COMPOST bins. If all the compost bins are full, please pile them in the middle of your plot.

5. All other NON-ORGANIC MATERIAL should be removed from your plot. This includes plant tags, strings, stakes, tomato cages, and tomato ties. Put these in a garbage can, dumpster, or take them home.
6. Please send me an e-mail when you are finished cleaning out your plot.

Dear Gardeners,

I am so proud of the big tomatoes I picked this week.  Check out the picture to the right of this article. It is a photograph of me with one of my favorite varieties of tomatoes, Chef's Choice Pink.  This tomato is a hybrid tomato with the taste of an heirloom.  It has a potato-shaped leaf and grows very large fruit.  I voted this variety my favorite last year, so I grew it again.  I can't wait to taste these beauties on a BLT sandwich.  

This Week in the Garden:

-END OF THE SEASON REMINDERS-  If you are finished with your plot for the season, please remove EVERYTHING from your plot.  All non-organic materials must be taken home or put in the trash.  All tomato plants should be put in the trash as well.  All sunflowers should be pulled and piled up next to the compost bins.  ALL OTHER PLANTS should be pulled and put into the compost bins. Please let me know as soon as you are done cleaning out your plot.

-HARVEST, HARVEST, HARVEST-  Don't forget to come and harvest your veggies!  Take advantage of your hard work!  Yum!

-WEED, WEED, WEED!-  Please be a good community garden member and remember to weed your plot!

-FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS-  Please bring any pantry donations to the information booth at the farmer's market Saturday between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m.

-MILK FUNGICIDE-  Please bring your own spray bottle for milk fungicide.  I will be out of town this weekend, so if the milk is not out at the garden, please ask for it at the front desk of the Heritage Center.

Please check out some of the special opportunities coming up at the farm:

*Craftsmanship Series- Are you interested in woodcarving by hand, basic basket weaving, or beginning broom making?  

*Harvest Supper- Our harvest supper will be a night to remember.  Dining under the stars, on the farm, true farm to table cuisine.  Our friend and chef Natezore Cooks is already preparing the meal by checking out the ingredients being grown and checking on the progress with the farmers.  For more information and to purchase tickets:

http://www.glenviewparks.org/events/historic-wagner-farms-harvest-supper/

Happy Gardening!  Have a great weekend!

Alyssa Tadelman

Dear Gardeners,

Please check out some of the special opportunities coming up at the farm:

*Bonfire and Barndance- THIS Saturday, September16 from 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.  Bring your family to the farm for an evening filled with fall fun for everyone!  Enjoy wagon rides, live music and dancing.  Roast s'mores and listen to storytelling by the fire.  Admission: $5 per person, children 2 and under are free.

http://www.glenviewparks.org/event/bonfire-barn-dance/

*Craftsmanship Series- Are you interested in woodcarving by hand, basic basket weaving, or beginning broom making?  Check out the attached flyer for more information on these NEW classes at Wagner Farm.

*Harvest Supper- Our harvest supper will be a night to remember.  Dining under the stars, on the farm, true farm to table cuisine.  Our friend and chef Natezore Cooks is already preparing the meal by checking out the ingredients being grown and checking on the progress with the farmers.  For more information and to purchase tickets:

http://www.glenviewparks.org/events/historic-wagner-farms-harvest-supper/

This Week in the Garden:

-END OF THE SEASON REMINDERS-  If you are finished with your plot for the season, please remove EVERYTHING from your plot.  All non-organic materials must be taken home or put in the trash.  All tomato plants should be put in the trash as well.  All sunflowers should be pulled an piled up next to the compost bins.  ALL OTHER PLANTS should be pulled and put into the compost bins. Please let me know as soon as you are done cleaning out your plot.

-HARVEST, HARVEST, HARVEST-  Don't forget to come and harvest your veggies!  Take advantage of your hard work!  Yum!

-WEED, WEED, WEED!-  Please be a good community garden member and remember to weed your plot!

-FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS-  Please bring any fresh food pantry donations to the information booth at the farmer's market Saturday between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m.

-MILK FUNGICIDE-  There will be NO milk fungicide this week due to the special event tomorrow.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

Happy Gardening!  Have a great weekend!

Alyssa Tadelman

Dear Gardeners,

Just a friendly reminder, don't forget to HARVEST, HARVEST, HARVEST! Don't let your bounty go to waste.  You have worked so hard on your garden.  Please come by and pick your veggies!  Veggies that are rotting on the ground attract insects and disease.  Remove rotting veggies as soon as possible.

Last week, I shared the names of some of my favorite varieties of tomatoes.  Here are a few favorites from our fellow community gardeners:

John Brossard recommends Heriloom Beefsteak, German Queen Pink, Bradywine, The Brossard Tomato (a cross between a Brandywine and Cherry Tomato), and Mexico Midget Cherry.

Donald Cohen recommends Black Prince and Abe Lincoln.  

Please keep sending in the names of your favorites!

Also in the garden:

*PRIVATE EVENT SUNDAY- There will be a private, special event this Sunday from 3:00-5:30 p.m.  You are welcome to work in the Community Garden but please DO NOT PULL IN OR PARK in the circular driveway. Sorry for the inconvenience. 

*WEED WARNINGS- Last week, there were tons of weed warnings.  I will be rechecking plots this Saturday, September 9.  Please be a good Community Garden member and weed your plot.

*WHAT TO PLANT NOW- Even though fall is here, it's not to late to plant for a fall crop.  You can still plant the following veggies: spinach, lettuce, kale, and radishes.  We are hoping to keep the Community Garden open until around the 2nd week in October. 
 

*MILK FUNGICIDE- This solution is already mixed for you!  It consists of unpasteurized milk and water.  It will be available on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. until it is used up.  Spray this mixture on your plants to prevent powdery mildew.  Please bring your own spray bottle.

*DONATIONS- I will be in the garden from 10-12 to collect any donations of fresh produce to donate to the pantry.  Leave them in the donation plot if you don't see me!

Happy Gardening!  Have a great holiday weekend!

Alyssa Tadelman
Community Garden Plot Coordinator

Historic Wagner Farm

Dear Gardeners,

This week, gardeners and volunteers joined me for a wonderful and informative BEE TALK by Robin Forde.  We learned all about the life cycle of bees, how to maintain a hive, harvesting honey, the importance of planting flowers that attract bees, and much more!  We also loved tasting several varieties of delicious honey such as cactus honey, blueberry honey, and orange honey.

Also, in the garden, plot #43 was recently relinquished.  I replanted the garden with a wonderful group of volunteers. We used the raised bed gardening technique to protect the plants from possible future flooding.  We planted bush beans, radishes, and arugula.  These are all great late summer/early fall crops.  Stop by plot #43 to check it out!

*FIELD TRIP TO THE TALKING FARM- IF you are planning on attending the field trip to The Talking Farm, please RSVP to:

 Alyssa.Tadelman@glenviewparks.org

This field trip will be at The Talking Farm in Skokie at 10:00 a.m. At the farm, you will hear all about the farm's mission, their organic gardening practices, and how they use hoop houses for an almost year-round garden.  A $5 donation per person is recommended.

*MILK FUNGICIDE- This solution is already mixed for you!  It consists of unpasteurized milk and water.  It will be available on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. until it is used up.  Spray this mixture on your plants to prevent powdery mildew.  Please bring your own spray bottle.

*DONATIONS- If you have any donations to give to the food pantry, please drop them in the donation plot this Saturday from 10-12:00 pm.  I will pick them up for delivery. 

Happy Gardening!
Alyssa Tadelman
Community Garden Plot Coordinator

Historic Wagner Farm

The Bee Talk on Wednesday night was amazing!  Thank you Robin Forde.  We also enjoyed tasting 6 different varieties of honey.

Dear Gardeners,

Many gardeners have been experiencing problems with their tomato plants this year.  One common problem Community Gardeners are having is BLOSSOM END ROT.  Another issue that is occurring is that the tomato plants are not producing a enough flowers.  Due to the heavy rains, many of the nutrients in the soil have washed away.  Here is a list of ORGANIC products available to help these common tomato problems.  You can find the products at Chalet in Wilmette, Pesche's in Des Plaines, or Reds in Northbrook.

BLOSSOM END ROT- This is caused by a calcium deficiency in the soil.  There is a product called ROT STOP by BONIDE you can use.  This product comes in a spray bottle or in a concentrated form you can mix with water in your watering can.  You can also add crushed egg shells to the soil but this will only add calcium to the soil after the shells break down over time.  Bonemeal is another product you can use to add calcium to the soil.  It is perfectly fine to eat tomatoes with blossom end rot if you cut off the rotten part.

NOT ENOUGH TOMATO BLOSSOMS?- You can use a product called BLOSSOM SET SPRAY (also called blossom set hormone) by BONIDE.  This product helps your tomato plant produce flowers even in poor conditions.  Blossom set spray can also be applied to beans, cucumbers, melons, peppers, and strawberries. 

GENERAL FERTILIZING- If you have not already applied a general fertilizer yet this month, you can apply a general organic fertilizer such as DR. EARTH TOMATO, VEGETABLE, and HERB FERTILIZER or TOMATO TONE by ESPOMA.

Feel free to contact me if you have any other concerns about your tomato plants.

Happy Gardening!

Alyssa Tadelman

Community Garden Plot Coordinator

Historic Wagner Farm

The Physical and Mental Benefits of Gardening

Over the last several years, the popularity of natural produce and organic products has grown exponentially. More people are rediscovering the enjoyable pastime of maintaining their own gardens right in their own backyards. Between cleaner eating options and the healthy advantages of physical labor, gardening provides a fair amount of benefits to our physical and mental health. It’s no wonder that we are going back to our roots to cultivate a healthier future through gardening.

The two major categories of our health include physical health, pertaining to the strength and overall wellness of our bodies, and our mental health which relates to our emotional well-being. Gardening incorporates elements that improve both of these areas of our health. So the next time you clip those hedges or spread out new soil, consider these surprising ways that gardening can impact your health for the better.

Physical Benefits

It’s obvious that gardening packs a significant workout routine. It requires something from nearly every major muscle group we have. We trim, prune, pull, plant, and water, which means we walk, stretch, twist, bend, and tighten our muscles while we are gardening. In fact, according to professor Clyde Williams at Loughborough University, you can burn the same amount of calories during a three hour span of gardening, as you would during an hour-long workout routine at the gym. Plus, who wouldn’t prefer a little color and fresh air to spruce up their workout? Of course, as with any physical exercise, you would need to participate in gardening activities multiple times a week, for at least thirty minutes a day in order to count it as the majority of your weekly exercise routine. You will also want to do some stretches before you begin, and drink plenty of water to keep you hydrated in the heat.

While you explore your new gardening physical fitness plan, take advantage of your new horticulture skills by eating some of the fruits and vegetables you grow in your garden. Homegrown, natural produce can be the healthiest option for your diet. And surely the sense of excitement and accomplishment from a successful garden will pair well with any of the edible creations you grow.

Mental Benefits

Since physical exercise and healthy eating habits are good for your bodily health, they will naturally affect your mental health as well. For example, exercise and gardening are both known for their ability to turn a stress-filled day into a calming and relaxed one. That’s because of something called endorphins, which are released in the brain when we engage in physical activities like gardening, and help us feel more positive emotions. Also, filling your diet with options like fruits and vegetables may help improve your memory, increase your alertness, and prevent future illnesses. So by planting and harvesting, you are sowing into your future and reaping the mental health benefits. 

For those who struggle with depression, gardening can be one of the best healthy treatments available. While taking care of plants and flowers, you gain a sense of purpose, a stronger awareness of responsibility for another living thing, the honor of nurturing something to allow it to grow, and some quiet, personal time that isn’t steeped in worry or caught up in the daily to-do list. It’s the perfect way to destress and relax, while you soak in some much needed, sun-inspired Vitamin D.

So put on your gardening gloves, fill the watering can, and grab the clippers. Nurture your health while surrounding it with life in the garden. Allow gardening to improve your physical and mental health.

article submitted by Maria Cannon freelance garden journalist