A Weed Grows in JDIG

Regardless the experience level, gardeners are reminded of the quick passage of time through the appearance and rapid growth of weeds. It's astounding how fast and furious these unwanted plants can dominate everything in their vicinity and beyond if we don't work diligently to keep them in check. 

Our current nemesis is a weed called Galinsoga and it's sown itself everywhere in our JDIG! Don't let the cute miniature daisy-like flower fool you. It's not anything you've sown and forgot about, or something special that magically appeared in your little patch. If this feracious organism isn't immediately removed upon the rearing of it's deceptive flowerhead it will invade and spread, leeching all the beneficial nutrients meant to feed your tomatoes, basil, eggplants, roses, lilies, lettuce, beets and anything else you've worked hard to cultivate. 

The best way to keep order amongst your crops is to remove the Galinsoga as soon as it appears. If you're not sure and you've waited until it's bloomed don't worry just pull it and discard in the compost bin. You, your fellow gardeners and your crops will be most grateful! 


Special thanks to Janet Atkinson for alerting the JDIG Blog of this insidious pest. 

Happy Gardening!

Chrysoula

Welcome Fellow Gardeners!

The Jeff Dullea Intergenerational Garden of Penn South is a world of garden delights packed up in a small lot in Chelsea, New York. As it awakens in early spring the JDIG members eagerly start to prep their patches. Decisions have to be made as to what veggies, flowers, herbs or combinations of all three will be planted.

Every year the garden takes on a different look as the gardeners experiment with their choices. It's always beautiful, peaceful, aromatic and educational. Once in a while we'll get a wonderful surprise, like in the spring of 2010 when a robin chose to place her nest within the orange rose tree growing against the East fence. We marveled at the perfect shade of robin's egg blue and were thrilled when the baby chicks finally hatched and beckoned to be fed. 

This year the roses are robust, the fig tree is joyously fruitful, the basil scent wafts in every direction and the sour cherries went as fast as they came! I planted red leafed beets for the first time. They are a deep garnet red so I threw in some silver Dusty Millers for a pop of cool color. I'm eager to see how the beets will turn out. 

Happy cultivating!

Chrysoula