Becky Griffin

Becky Griffin helps school and community gardeners succeed! This includes organizing school garden teacher training with county agents, assisting schools with STE(A)M goals, and creating resources on starting and sustaining successful gardens. Becky is a Georgia Certified Beekeeper and works with community and school gardeners to increase beneficial insect habitat. She is the coordinator of the Great Georgia Pollinator Census, happening this year on August 19th and 20th, 2022. She is also part of UGA's Native Plants and Beneficial Insect Working Group.

Cooking with Georgia Kale and Seth Freedman

November 30, 2015March 11, 2015 by Becky Griffin

Chef Seth Freedman is a Southern man with New York chef training. That can be the best of both worlds! He still cooks with his grandmother’s cast iron skillet but using advanced culinary techniques.

Owner of Forage and Flame, Seth specializes in catering for groups large and small. He enjoys educating people about cooking locally grown food. In addition to Forage and Flame, Seth is a partner at Peach Dish where you can order fresh ingredients with recipes and have them delivered to your home for preparation. And, Seth loves his greens!

Recently he shared a kale recipe at the Georgia Organics conference. For those of us who are not kale lovers, we were impressed. I asked Seth if I could share the recipe and tips and he happily said “YES!”.

Kale and Apple Salad

1 bunch of kale

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tsp honey

2 apples (crisp and sweet)

salt and pepper to taste

1. Remove stalks from the kale and discard them. Wash leaves and slice them thinly.

Massaging the kale is the most important step in the recipe.

2. Dice apples into 1/4 inch cubes.

3. In a large bowl, mix vinegar with honey and ground pepper. Drizzle in the 1/4 cup of olive oil while whisking. Pour dressing into another container.

4. Add kale and a small sprinkle of salt to the large bowl. Using your clean, bare hands massage the kale with the dressing left on the sides of the bowl. Seth says to squeeze them so that you are actually bruising or breaking the greens a bit. Squeeze, mash, massage – really get in there. This helps take some of the bitterness out of the greens and is the secret to this recipe!

5. Pour the rest of the dressing over the kale and add the apple dices. Adjust seasoning, toss and serve.

Seth says that really any Georgia grown green will work in this recipe – mustard greens, collards – whatever you have growing in your garden plot. Remember the squeezing, mashing, massaging is the key!

Let us know if you prepare this recipe and what you think of it. If you would like to contact Seth you can reach him at seth@peachdish.com. Thanks again, Seth, for sharing your expertise!

Happy eating!

For the Love of Georgia Kale

November 30, 2015March 4, 2015 by Becky Griffin

Kale plants are loose leaves and do not form heads. Photo courtesy of Purdue University.

Kale seems to be the vegetable of the year. The nutritive properties of kale are legendary. It is high in vitamins A and C and loaded with fiber. You can find it raw in salads, sautéed in stir-fries, fried into chips, steamed in to a side dish and pureed into smoothies. The good news for community gardeners in Georgia is that kale is easy to grow. It is a cool-season crop and March is the time to plant kale transplants outdoors.

March weather in Georgia can be tricky. If you have grown your own transplants from seed indoors, it is imperative that you harden off your plants. Give them a chance to acclimate to being outdoors by setting them out in a protected area, like on a porch, during a sunny day with no wind. Leave them out only during the day at first. Gradually expose them to a less protected area and then let them be out overnight. Once they are in the garden, protect them from wind. Wind can dry out the plant and damage the plant tissues.

Add compost to the kale bed before planting or add high nitrogen amendments such as blood meal or cottonseed meal. Nitrogen is important since you are growing the plants for the leaves. Space the transplants 18 to 24 inches apart since the plants will get large. Mulch helps keep soil temperatures and moisture even.

Many gardeners say the key to tender kale is the watering. Keep the transplants well watered. As they grow make sure they get about 1 inch of water per week. During the cool temperatures of spring, it is easy to forget to water.

When the plants are ready for harvesting, start with the outer and lower leaves. Remember the smaller leaves will be more tender and would probably be better in salads then the tougher, larger leaves. As the soil temperatures warm up you will find the plant grows faster. As it approaches really warm weather and longer days your established plants may bolt sending up a flower stalk. This is your cue to replace the kale crop with a warm-season vegetable.

Varieties such as “Vates”, “Dwarf Siberian” or “Red Russian” are popular with Georgia gardeners. If you don’t have room in your early spring garden for growing kale, consider putting it in your fall garden.

Next week we will have a kale recipe from a famous Georgia chef. It is a good one!

Happy Gardening!

Compost in 2015-A Guest Post by Mary Carol Sheffield

November 30, 2015February 25, 2015 by Becky Griffin

Resolve to live more sustainably in 2015 by creating a compost pile or bin to help reduce waste.

Worms in Compost - photo by Sharon Dowdy — Worms in Compost – photo by Sharon Dowdy

Many items thrown into the trash can be sorted out and composted and benefits go well beyond waste reduction. Compost can be used to improve garden soil and make landscapes and vegetable gardens more productive. With a little organization and a designated space, gardeners can amend their own soil through composting.

Start by finding a space where the compost can “cook.” The location should be in full sun, at least 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet, out of the way and with good drainage.

A compost container can be bought or built with materials like welded wire, fencing, pallets or blocks. Open spaces should be left on the container’s sides to allow good air circulation through the pile, and the bottom should be open to the ground.

Just like cooking a meal, cooking compost involves following a recipe. Almost any organic plant material

Compost bins at the North Fulton Annex Community Garden

can be used for composting, including grass clippings, leaves, flowers, annual weeds, twigs, chopped brush, old vegetable plants, straw and sawdust.

Avoid composting diseased plants, weeds and seeds or invasive weeds, like morning glory. Vegetable peelings and coffee grounds can also be composted, but avoid adding meats, bones and fats that may attract animals.

For best decomposition, mix a variety of materials. Most compost piles are layered with whatever organic material is available at a given time. The smaller the pieces of organic matter, the faster they will decompose. Once a layer of organic matter is added, add a little garden soil or animal manure. This adds fungi, bacteria, insects and worms to the pile and helps speed up the decomposition process.

Keep the pile moist, but not too wet. To speed up the decomposition process and prevent odors, use a shovel to mix the pile once a month. Compost is completely “cooked” and ready when it looks like rich, crumbly earth and the original organic material is no longer recognizable.

With every mix of the pile, some ready-to-use compost should be available. This compost can be added to the soil before planting vegetables or trees, shrubs or flowers. It can also be used as mulch on the soil surface, or as a potting soil for container plants.

Completely cooked compost will slowly release nutrients into the soil, but don’t rely on it for fertilization. Your plants will still need to be fertilized appropriately.

For more on how to begin composting see University of Georgia Extension publication “Composting: Recycling Landscape Trimmings.”

Mary Carol Sheffield is the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agricultural and natural resources agent in Paulding County. Mary Carol’s vegetable garden is small to match her children! They love to help her there and have their own kid size tools and gloves.

Happy gardening!

What I Love about my Georgia Community Garden

November 30, 2015February 11, 2015 by Becky Griffin

A Valentine's Day Tribute to Vegetables by Georgia Gardeners

Just in time for Valentine’s Day we asked community gardeners across the state of Georgia what they love about their community gardens. We got some wonderful answers.

From a gardener in Kennesaw: “The biggest event of the year for ‘Plant a Row for the Hungry’ is sweet potato dig day. We all enjoy guessing the weight of our harvest.”

From a gardener in Marietta: “Hearing the kids talk about how much they love eating fresh vegetables – ‘kookombers!'” Someone from Sawyer Road Elementary says that she also loves the students’ enthusiasm.

From a gardener in Athens: “I love all the friends I have made at the garden.” Fellowship and friendship were common themes in replies to our question. Vicki from Green Meadows Community Garden wrote, “Meeting and gardening with so many different people I wouldn’t have met. I especially enjoy sharing laughs and knowledge with my fellow gardeners.” Patty Beckham from Spalding County says, “What I love about The Healthy Life Community Garden is the laughter and conversation among the gardeners as they harvest their beds, or plant new things. It is a joy to see people having fun as they work side by side in such a beautiful setting.”

From a gardener in Atlanta: “I love trying new foods. Our garden has gardeners from many different cultural backgrounds. We all grow different types of food. It is fun to try new things.” Gardeners in Stone Mountain also like the diversity of cultures and backgrounds represented in their garden.

Cherokee County gardeners like having a garden spot while not having to deal with the care of a lawn and other outdoor maintenance required when owning a yard. One gardener in Cobb County wrote, “It allows people a place to garden who may not have their own property where they could garden. It shows that gardening is possible for everyone to do.”

Other people enjoy the restorative aspects of gardening. Terri Carter of the Historic Mableton Community Garden wrote “I love Historic Mableton Garden because it is therapeutic. When I find myself sad and frazzled I can go to the garden and listen to the birds singing and all the bees buzzing around. I always feel better when I visit the garden. I leave with a feeling of peace and well being.” Debbie Ponder from the Reconnecting our Roots Community Garden also thinks along those lines. She said, It will give our families a place to spend time together – give back and enjoy being a family.”

If you have spent any time at all in a community garden you know it is about more than growing food. It is about learning, sharing, teaching, meeting other gardeners, and helping people. It is clear from the answers we got that gardens are loved for all of these reasons. Why do YOU love your community garden?

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Grow UP with Trellises

November 30, 2015January 21, 2015 by Becky Griffin

With the limited space of a community garden plot growing UP is a great option. Not only will you produce more food crops per area, but you help keep the food out of the reach of rodents. For many crops keeping them off the ground increases air circulation and lessens the chance of diseases and rots. Cucumbers, runner beans, peas, and pumpkins are examples of crops that can grow up. Going vertical means you will need support in the way of a trellis.

These two trellises are simple – posts with wire or string between. Adding a beam across the top will help stabilize the structure. This is helpful for lightweight crops such as beans or peas. Make sure the posts are deeply placed in the plot so they will be secure and not easily blown over. Also, make sure your wire or string is strong enough to hold the weight of the food crop.

This teepee shape is popular for trellising runner beans. In most cases string or wire is woven between the posts. If the tee-pee is large enough it can even be a nice hideout area for a young child. Just trellis the beans on two of the three sides leaving one open.

The trellises in this picture are a bit more complicated. They are engineered for the posts to lean on each other for partial support. Posts across the top help with stablization.

Here the chain link fence around the community garden is used to support pumpkins which appreciate the air circulation of growing UP.

Notice how this larger pumpkin has the support of a mesh sling. Heavier food crops will need support so gravity doesn’t separate them from the vines.

Gardening in a small space often requires creativity. Growing UP is one way to be creative! Visit other gardens of your local UGA Extension office for more ideas. After all, these aren’t your grandfather’s row crops.

Happy Gardening!

Georgia Peas, Please

November 30, 2015January 14, 2015 by Becky Griffin

Even though we are all in frozen shock with frigid winter temperatures, we are happy to report that there is garden work to do. Peas are a cool-season crop and it is almost time to plant them. Garden peas, snap peas, and snow peas all go in to the ground about the same time. Garden peas are also called English peas and require shelling as only the pea seeds are eaten. Snap peas are relatively new to the vegetable garden and the entire pea pod with seeds is eaten. Snow peas do not develop large pea seeds and the pods are often used in stir-fry dishes.

Photo courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg - Twig Trellis — Photo courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg – Twig Trellis

Peas require full sun and most of them require some type of trellis. The trellis is helpful to support the pea vines and to keep the pods off the ground to help prevent rot. Some pea varieties are short, only 2-3 feet tall, while others can have vines as long as six feet. Read your seed package well to know what to expect. For a community garden plot, the easiest way to manage this crop is to put the trellis at one plot end and use the other space for additional cool-season vegetables. (See UGA’s Vegetable Planting Chart for some ideas.) Some gardeners use tomato cages they already have on hand. In colonial times, tree branches were put in the ground as small twig trellises. Some people prefer to just have a pea patch.

Start with well drained soil having a pH of 6.0-6.8. Forward thinking gardeners get their pea beds ready in the Fall so that all that is needed is the planting. The seeds should be planted 1 inch deep and 1-2 inches apart. Peas work with bacteria in the soil to “fix” nitrogen. This process take a while and it could be advantageous to use nitrogen-fixing soil inoculant just before planting. You may want to split this purchase with other gardeners as the inoculants usually have an annual expiration date. The inoculants are available through many seed companies; check your seed catalogs.

Literature says to plant peas as soon as the soil can be worked. For the Southern gardener this is misleading as our soil can often be worked all year long. The trick is to plant the seeds when the soil is warm enough for germination and the plant will grow and produce the vegetable before the weather gets too warm. If seeds sit in very cold, wet soil for long they may rot. Pea vines are more resistant to freezing than the pods. This is helpful as the vines will develop first. Timing is everything!

Soil temperatures need to be at least 45 degrees F. (Check out www.georgiaweather.net.) The warmer the soil temperatures the faster the peas germinate. You can use dark plastic mulch around the seeds to warm the soil a bit. Pay attention to the days to maturity number on your seed package as this can help guide you in a planting date. For Northern Georgia start checking the soil temperatures the last week of January. Have them planted before March 1st.

Peas are best eaten as soon as possible after they are picked so harvest often. All types are delicious to snack on as you work in the garden! Some recommended varieties of garden peas are Wando (which is somewhat heat tolerant) and Little Marvel, and Improved Maestro. Wando and Little Marvel are favorites of many Master Gardeners. Some gardeners choose not to trellis these types and just to have a pea patch. If you are growing snap peas consider Sugar Snap or Sugar Daddy. Snow pea gardeners enjoy growing the Norli variety. Your UGA Extension Agent and Master Gardeners can give you information on other varieties of peas to try growing.

We close with a gardening wives’ tale – ” If a girl finds nine peas in a pod, the next bachelor she meets will become her husband.”

Happy Gardening!

Using IPM in the Georgia Community Garden

November 30, 2015January 7, 2015 by Becky Griffin

You may have heard about integrated pest management (IPM) and wondered if it is something only farmers use. Actually IPM has a real place in any type of gardening, including your community garden plot. According to the UGA Integrated Pest Management website this is the definition of IPM:

It is a science-based decision making process that employs biological, mechanical, cultural, and chemical control methods in such a way as to minimize economic, environmental, and public health risks associated with pests and pest management practices.

Notice it is science-based decision making. This is important.

In practice, the gardener employs many different strategies to combat an insect pest or disease instead of just reaching for the chemical spray. For a very basic example a gardener wants to grow tomatoes knowing that Fusarium wilt can be a problem. (Fusarium wilt is a fungus that lives in the soil and infects plants through their root systems.) This gardener will employ IPM by:

Fusarium wilt on tomatoes. Photo from bugwood by William M. Brown, Jr.

making sure his/her soil is healthy
growing healthy plants using recommended fertilization and watering practices
learning about the Fusarium wilt fungus and its biology
choosing tomato cultivars that show resistance to Fusarium wilt – these will have the letter “F” after the cultivar name
caring for garden equipment by proper disinfection and not using equipment from another gardener that has not been disinfected
being aware of the hot, dry weather that favors Fusarium wilt and looking for wilting especially during these conditions
destroying any infected plants
practicing crop rotation

With IPM, actions are taken to prevent diseases and pests from becoming a problem. Rather than simply eliminating the pests that are found right now, using IPM means the gardener will look at environmental factors that affect the pest and its ability to do damage. Armed with this information, the gardener can create conditions that are unfavorable for the pest. Know your enemy!

Your local UGA Extension agent can help you make a positive disease or insect identification so that you can make a plan to deter the problem.

Aphids on tomatoes from bug wood. Photo by Brian Kunkel

Learning when and where an insect pest lays her eggs can help you find those eggs and remove them. Determining what weather conditions favor a disease can help you adjust your planting date to avoid the peak of the disease. Finding out how a disease is spread can also help you combat it. Is it soil-borne or are fungal spores spread with wind? Also, what beneficial insects prey on your insect pest and how can you attract those helpful insects?

Subscribing to this blog and other researched based information sources can help you know what diseases or pests are problematic in your area and what you can do about them.

If you haven’t visited the Upcoming Classes page of this blog, please do so. There are many classes and workshops coming up. Many are free and some are offered online.

Happy Gardening!

New Year’s Resolutions in the Georgia Garden

November 30, 2015December 31, 2014 by Becky Griffin

At this time of the year it is customary to reflect on the old and think about making the new better. In the context of your community garden, what is your New Year’s Resolution? Would you like to see more community involvement? How about improving the common areas of the garden? Or, maybe you want to try and grow something you have never tried before.

Whatever your thoughts, take action to make them happen. The resources are out there to help you. Make effort to attend a class given by your local UGA Extension office. (Periodically visit the Events Page of this blog for ideas). Or, visit your local Extension office to get some ideas on what to plant and how to preserve it. Comment on this blog to exchange tips with us, and other gardeners. Visit some other gardens for inspiration. The possibilities for a plentiful harvest in 2015 are endless!

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to Gardeners

November 30, 2015December 24, 2014 by Becky Griffin

Merry Christmas to Gardeners

From the Atlanta Botanical Garden's Christmas Light Show — From the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Christmas Light Show

T’was the weekend before Christmas, and all through the yard,
Not a gift was being given, not even a card.
The tools were all hung, in the garage with care,
With hopes that St. Nicholas soon would repair.
The shovel with blade all rusty and cracked,
The pitchfork still shiny, but handle it lacked.
When out on my lawn, (it’s brown and abused)
I could see poor old Santa, looking confused.
No list had been left for Santa to see,
No gardening gifts were under the tree.
But wait there’s still time, it’s not Christmas yet,
And gardening gifts are the quickest to get.
You can forget the silk tie, the fluffy new sweater,
Give something to make the garden grow better.

If she wants a gift shiny, then don’t be a fool,
It’s not a dumb diamond, but a sparkling new tool.
If fragrance is listed you can forget French perfume,
t’s a pile of manure that’ll make gardeners swoon.
Give night crawlers, not nightgowns, a hose that sprays water.
(Anything for the kitchen is not worth the bother.)
Give a great gift that can dig in the dirt,
It’s better than any designer-brand shirt.
Now look quick at Santa, this guy’s not so dumb,
Under his glove, he hides a green thumb.
His knees are so dirty, his back how it aches,

His boots stomp on slugs, (he gives them no breaks).
The guy works only winter, you can surely see why,
For the rest of the year it’s as easy as pie.
He has elves plant through spring, pull weeds in the summer,
In fall they all harvest, but winter’s a bummer
And so Christmas gives Santa a part-time employment,
‘Till spring when the blooms are his real enjoyment.
So ask the big guy for garden gifts this year,
Seeds, plants and tools, Santa holds them all dear.
You see, malls may be crowded, vendors hawking their wares,
But visit a nursery, stress-free shopping is there.
Now Santa’s flown off, to the nursery he goes,
And his voice fills the night with loud Hoe! Hoe! Hoe!

I am not sure who to credit for this witty bit of poetry but I hope you enjoyed it! We look forward to exchanging more useful gardening information with you during 2015.

Merry Christmas!

Victorian Neighborhood Association Community Garden

November 30, 2015December 17, 2014 by Becky Griffin

The Victorian Neighborhood Association Community Garden is a beautiful space framed by a decorative wooden fence and entrance arch. It is lined up with the surrounding homes on an historic Savannah street. There are a dozen or so raised bed plots. A plot of flowers to attract pollinators is at the entrance. In October there is eggplant, tomatoes, okra, carrots and herbs. Carol Moon, of the City of Savannah, indicated that the plots are worked by a diverse group. Some are maintained by families, other plots are worked by individuals, and one plot is maintained by someone from a local church who uses her plot to teach the joy of growing food to young, future gardeners.

This garden is one of seven managed through a partnership with the City of Savannah through the 2012 Community Garden Initiative. Savannah was having trouble with vacant city lots. The lots were

an eyesore for the residents and a maintenance challenge for the city. What a perfect situation for community gardens. The neighborhood approaches the city if they want to turn a city-owned vacant lot into a garden. The application is extensive. The city needs to know the residents are serious about wanting the garden and have a clear plan for running the space. Garden leadership is especially important from the beginning. There are currently seven such gardens and three more in the works. Ms. Moon oversees the community gardening project. She says that each garden is very different; reflective of their individual neighborhood personalities. The City of Savannah is justifiable proud of this program. They are a state leader in this area. For more information on this project visit their website.

Once a quarter the city hosts a get together for the garden leaders. They

Neighborhood President Maurice Norman cuts the ribbon when the garden was new. Also pictured is Savannah mayor Edna B. Jackson.

can socialize and share ideas. The city can share any change in guidelines. Local businesses support the gardens by donations. Some of the gardens have fund raisers. What an incredible use of run-down, vacant lots! Chatham County Extension Agent, David Linville, is a great resource for community gardeners.

Happy Gardening!

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