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.

Great Gardening Books for Georgia Community Gardeners

November 30, 2015December 10, 2014 by Becky Griffin

When the weather is bleak and you can’t play in the garden, it is the perfect time for a good book. Just in time for holiday gift giving (or receiving) we have put together a reading list full of recommendations from serious Georgia vegetable gardeners.

Fred Conrad, Community Gardens Manager with the Atlanta Community Food Bank, likes Your Farm in the City by Seattle Tilth and Lisa Taylor as a general reference. It is a well-organized book covering the basics of growing food in urban environments and even raising farm animals. For people that are cheap (Fred’s word!) Fred recommends The Resourceful Gardener’s Guide by Christine Bucks and Fern Marshall Bradley. It is full of homemade gadgets and hints for gardeners.

Groundbreaking Food Gardens and The Year Round Vegetable Gardener by Niki Jabbour are two favorites of Ramoa Hemmings, Senior Horticulturist at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Groundbreaking Food Gardens is a collection of seventy-three interesting food gardens. It is a great book for inspiration. In The Year Round Vegetable Gardener the author gives readers tips and techniques for growing food all four seasons. Ramoa also recommends Starter Vegetable Gardens by Barbara Pleasant.

Liz Stultz, a serious gardener, cook, and food preservationist likes Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. This book has been around for awhile and explores growing food in small, organized spaces. Liz uses the spacing guides for her raised bed garden and says her copy is stained with dirt and water marks from being using IN the garden.

Suzanne Girdner, Atlanta Local Food Initiative (ALFI) director says that her book recommendation would be The Complete Garden Kitchen by Ellen Ecker Ogden. She bought this book three years ago and it travels between the garden and kitchen regularly. Ogden’s approach to designing and building a kitchen garden is not only inspiring but doable. It delivers simple, concisely written instruction, is beautifully illustrated and has many delicious recipes to celebrate the fruits of your labor!

For community gardens wanting to expand their fruit plants, ALFI is having their 6th Annual Fruit Tree Sale on Saturday, January 24, 2015 from 11am-2pm at Georgia Organics, 200-A Ottley Dr., Atlanta, GA 30324. Presale is open now through Jan. 9th.

Liz Porter of Buckeye Creek Farm likes Walter Reeves’ Guide to Georgia Vegetable Growing. Liz likes the easy to understand language of Walter’s books and she likes anything he writes.

Amy Whitney, who works in horticulture at Cobb Extension, recommends Carol Deppe’s The Resilient Gardener. This book emphasizes the use of new scientific information in gardening practices. Amy also likes Culinary and Salad Herbs by Eleanor Sinclair Rhode. This is an older book first published in 1940 given to Amy by a great uncle. Books definitely can have sentimental value, can’t they?

So, what are you reading? What are some of your favorite vegetable gardening books? Leave a comment and share your literary finds with other gardeners.

Happy Reading!

Healthy Georgia Soil 101

November 30, 2015December 3, 2014 by Becky Griffin

Soil From a Community Garden in Woodstock.

Healthy plants start with healthy soil. Period. No exceptions. You will be more happy with yields and vegetable quality if you start with good soil. You will deal with frustration and possibly more disease and pest problems if you ignore your soil.

Soil is NOT just dirt. It is alive and complex. It is a relationship of soil minerals, organic matter, organisms, water, air, and plants. The mineral component is made up of a mixture of sand, silt, and clay. Organic matter is important as it contributes to moisture and nutrient retention. Soil is a habitat for fungi, bacteria, actinomycetes, algae, protozoa, nematode, and earthworms and small mammals. All this is important to the health of your plants.

Sometimes cities and municipalities donate land for community gardens that may have been undesirable for other uses. Do you know what the land was used for before your garden was started? A site that was previously used for manufacturing could have lingering by-products in the soil that could be a problem.

Many times community gardeners use raised beds and import soil and compost. Know where that soil or compost comes from. One community garden got a large amount of horse manure donated. That manure contained herbicide residue that affected the tomatoes the gardeners tried to grow. Also, soil that has been sterilized is void of desirable microorganisms. Consider adding a compost pile to your garden (see June 25th post – Composting in the Community Garden).

If you have not been happy with the quality of your plants, the first step is to get your soil tested. You can get information on soil testing from your local UGA Extension Office. Instructions can be found in the publication Soil Testing. In general, take a few sub-samples of your soil at a six inch depth. Mix these sub-samples for an overall sample. When you submit this to your Extension office it goes to the University of Georgia soil testing laboratory and within a couple of weeks you will get a test result page with information on your soil fertility and pH. You will also get recommendations on how to improve your soil based on what you are growing. There is a small fee (approximately $6-8) involved but it is the best investment you will make! Also, depending on the size and layout of your garden, not everyone in your garden needs to soil test.

Just think of all the things at work in your soil. You will never call it “dirt” again!

Happy Gardening!

Making the Most of Your Georgia Grown Broccoli

November 30, 2015November 26, 2014 by Becky Griffin

On this eve of Thanksgiving, are you thankful for planting broccoli in your community garden plot? Are you planning broccoli casserole, broccoli cheese soup, or buttered broccoli for your Thanksgiving table? Did you know that broccoli is easily preserved in the freezer?

UGA’s book So Easy to Preserve gives clear cut instructions for freezing broccoli so that it stays tasty for later cooking. Start with firm young, tender stalks with compact heads. Remove all leaves and woody portions. Separate the broccoli heads into conveniently sized sections.

Mix 4 teaspoons of salt into one gallon of water. Soak the broccoli heads in the salt water for 30 minutes. This tip helps remove insects. You may be surprised at what is left behind in the brine.

Once soaking is complete, split the heads lengthwise so that flowerets are no more than1 1/2 inches across. Water blanch 3 minutes in boiling water or steam blanch for 5 minutes. Blanching is just exposing the vegetable to boiling water or steam for a very specific period of time. Blanching brightens the vegetable color, helps retain vitamins, and makes the vegetable easier to freeze. Make sure you follow the blanch time exactly. Overblanching can actually cook the broccoli and result in a loss of flavor, color, and nutrients.

Cool the broccoli in an ice water bath. Drain and package leaving no headspace, meaning no space between the broccoli and the container closure. Seal and freeze. Enjoy your harvest in the months ahead!

Your UGA Extension office is staffed with a family and consumer science agent. He/she has great information on preserving all the vegetables in your garden! Take advantage of this great resource.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cherokee County’s Senior Center Community Garden

November 30, 2015November 19, 2014 by Becky Griffin

Master Gardener Marcia Winchester with UGA Extension Agent Louise Estabrook.

The property around the Cherokee County Senior Center is home to two beautiful spaces: the Cherokee County Master Gardener’s Teaching Garden and their Community Garden. The teaching garden has been benefiting seniors since 1996 and the community garden was started in 2010. Being part of the senior center there is a requirement that at least 10% of the plots need to be used by gardeners over 62 years old. This is not a problem and Marcia Winchester, co-chair of the garden, says that they routinely have more than 10%. The garden is a great place for seniors, and all gardeners, to socialize.

The space is made up of 29 raised bed plots that rent for $20 a year. Water is provided until the weather gets cold when frozen pipes are a possibility. Approximately half of the gardeners do cool-season planting. Warm-season tomatoes are the most popular crop grown. The garden is managed by Master Gardeners Marcia Winchester and Gerald Phillips with direction from UGA Extension Agent, Louise Estabrook, and help from Nathan Brandon of the Senior Center.

One of the really unique part of this garden is the learning aspect. In one corner there is a experiment on growing tomatoes

in straw bales. Nearby is a group of potato towers. So far this year they have harvested 8 pounds of potatoes! This garden has a problem with rabbits. Creative ways to handle the rabbits are displayed throughout the garden. Placing open crates over plants, growing runner beans on trellises instead of bush beans, and using pine cones as mulch are a few things the gardeners are trying. These growers are always attempting new things and learning.

Several years ago one gardener got what she thought was rich, beneficial horse manure for her plots. Her vegetables came up misshapen and unhealthy. It turns out the manure was from horses who had been eating grass treated with pesticides. The lesson Marcia wants to share – make sure you know exactly where your compost comes from!

The garden contributes produce to a local food bank, Papa’s Pantry. There are dedicated plots for this and often gardeners share additional food from their own spaces. Another lesson the gardeners shared was related to growing eggplants for donation. They were growing a small variety of eggplant. After donating several pounds of these, the gardeners decided they should go back to the traditional larger eggplants that are a more convenient size to cook with.

Master Gardeners are at the property the first and third Thursdays of each month from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. You can see classes that they offer by visiting their webpage at Cherokee County Extension – Cherokee County Master Gardeners.

This is a wonderful garden and the gardeners know they are part of something special. Louise Estabrook says that each community garden is different and the gardeners can fit their space to meet their needs. The seniors at this garden are definitely blessed! For more information about this garden contact Louise at 770-721-7803 or uge1057@uga.edu.

Planting Blueberries in the Georgia Garden

November 30, 2015November 5, 2014 by Becky Griffin

Blueberries are a tasty addition to any community garden. The fruit is high in antioxidants, and the plants are easy to manage. Fall is a great time to get them in the garden.

Since blueberry bushes are perennials shrubs, it is advantageous to plant them in a community part of the garden. Along a fence that gets plenty of sun is a possible spot. This way no one is taking up permanent plot space with the bushes and everyone can enjoy the fruit. D. S. NeSmith, a research horticulturist from UGA, has a great publication on Home Garden Blueberries.

For community gardeners the best type of blueberries to plant is the rabbiteye type. The most important thing to know about growing rabbiteye blueberries is that you need to plant more than one variety for cross-pollination. If you choose your varieties from slightly different ripening times, you will have a longer harvest. For early season rabbiteyes look for Alapaha, Climax, Premier, Vernon, or Titan. For mid-season types try Brightwell, Powerblue, or Tifblue. Ochlockonee, Baldwin, and Centurion are all late season varieties. Titan was released in 2011 and it is the largest fruited rabbiteye variety available to date. Vernon also has large fruit.

Blueberries along a community garden fence.

Choose a planting site that gets at least a half-day of sun. Anything less and the plants may grow but you won’t get a large amount of fruit. Blueberries like our typical acidic soil and need a soil pH of 4.5 to 5.2. The standard spacing for rabbiteyes is 5 – 6 feet between plants as they can get large. Before planting till the soil deeply, 8 to 12 inches, and make sure your site doesn’t tend to stay wet. The best time to plant is in the fall through the very early spring. This gives time for the roots to develop before the heat of the summer. Mulch will be needed and it is important to keep weeds and grass away from the plants. Your local UGA Extension Agent can answer any questions you have about blueberry planting.

If you are interested in incorporating blueberry bushes into your community garden do some planning before you plant.

Is the entire community interested in blueberries? What is the best site? Who will care for them? How you will divide the fruit? Remember that deciding these things early prevents problems later on.

Happy Gardening!

Growing Halloween Pumpkins in Georgia

November 30, 2015October 29, 2014 by Becky Griffin

This week is Halloween and no doubt you have seen the beautiful pumpkins for sale at your local stores or even church yards. As a gardener you may want to grow your own pumpkins for next Halloween. Be aware that it is a challenge to grow pumpkins in the Atlanta area that mature at the end of October. The disease and insect pressure is high. It will take some planning and diligence on your part. Most of the pumpkins that are sold in stores and church yards are imported from the dry western states. If that information hasn’t “spooked you” or “rattled your bones” then plan for growing your own Halloween pumpkin for 2015.

Growing Pumpkins

Commercial Production and Management of Pumpkins and Gourds will give you some background and let you see what the commercial growers are up against. This publication also has a great list of pumpkin cultivars for Georgia.

Botanically, pumpkins are related to squash plants. And, they come in many sizes and colors from mini orange pumpkins to small white pumpkins to the giant, fair-winning pumpkins. When deciding what cultivar to grow, think about what size you want. The mini and small pumpkins, under about 5 pounds, make great decorations. Cultivars used for making pumpkin pies are usually 5-10 pounds. The typical jack-o-lantern size is about 10-25 pounds. In Georgia, we just don’t have great luck growing the super large pumpkins that win national prizes for size. The disease and insect pressure is just too great.

Pumpkin plants need rich soil with a pH of 6.5-6.8. Add compost to your bed before planting seeds. Don’t just take out your early spring crop and plant your pumpkin seeds. Direct sow your seeds about 1 inch deep. MULCH! Pumpkin seeds need to be in the ground between the middle of May and the end of July, depending on your cultivar choice, in order to be ready to harvest for Halloween. (See the “Determining Planting Dates” post from September 17th.) Some plants have more vines than others but you probably want to plan for space. Some growers use a trellis system for the mini or smaller pumpkins.

Pumpkin Problem Control

Pumpkins are plagued with disease and insect pressure in Georgia; trellising may help here. Vine borers can attack pumpkin plants (see July 30th post on vine borer control). Also, powdery mildew is a real problem for Georgia. Powdery mildew is a fungus that appears as a dusty white coating of the tops of leaves. This fungus thrives in warm, humid conditions – what we typically have when Halloween pumpkins are growing. There are cultivars such as Magic Lantern that show some powdery mildew resistance. And, there are some fungicides available to help as well. Be diligent in scouting your pumpkin patch to spot, and handle, diseases and insects early. Use your local UGA Extension agent as a resource. He/she can help identify any disease or insect problems.

To have a few really showy pumpkins on your vines, thin some of the very early forming fruits. The plant will put its energy towards those few pumpkins. Once the pumpkins have formed you may want to roll them occasionally to prevent soft spots where the fruit touches the ground. Be careful not to snap the pumpkin off the vine as you roll. Many growers put extra mulch, even newspaper under the pumpkins to prevent the fruit from direct contact with the ground.

Armed with this knowledge you will be ready to tackle pumpkin growing next spring. May your Halloween be filled with treats and no tricks!

Happy Halloween!

Keeping the “Community” in Your Georgia Community Garden

November 30, 2015October 22, 2014 by Becky Griffin

A shaded seating area at Green Meadows Community Garden in Cobb County.

Community Gardens are filled with gardeners. And, although it is fun to sweat together as you work along side each other, it is also fun to fellowship and socialize. You already have something important in common with these folks – you love the adventure of growing food. Gardeners can layout the overall space to encourage some socializing. Consider adding a simple table and chairs or just some chairs under a shade tree. An old picnic table also works. So, after the work is done you all can share some sweet tea and talk shop!

Seating for gardeners at the Carver Garden in Atlanta

Some community gardens like to reach out to the non-gardeners in the area. One garden in Atlanta hosts a First Fruits dinner each spring. They invite people outside the garden who have helped them throughout the year. The person who donated mulch and the volunteer who assisted the senior gardeners weed get an invitation to a feast. Most of the food prepared is grown in the garden and it is prepared mostly by older Southern women. Those ladies can cook!

Another idea is to invite public servants, police officers or firefighters, out to the garden for an “open garden”. You can show off your hard work while making people aware the garden is there. Your local elected officials may enjoy a garden tour as well. After all, your garden is an asset to the neighborhood. You may be able to send these visitors home with some garden fresh vegetables! Contact your local UGA Extension Agent for possible ideas here.

Watermelon cuttings, guest speakers, even book clubs in the garden are all ways to fellowship. However you decide to make sure you have “community” in your garden is a reflection of your unique neighborhood. Just make sure it is not all work and no play!

Happy Gardening!

Herbs in the Community Garden-A Guest Post by Linda Hlozansky

November 30, 2015October 8, 2014 by Becky Griffin

Basil in a plot with peppers and tomatoes

Some community gardens have a common area that is available for herb planting or individuals may decide to place them in their plots. Herbs in Southern Gardens by UGA’s Wayne McLaurin and Sylvia McLaurin is a good place to start when thinking about planting herbs. In the garden remember, if you want good flavor, pinch off the budding flowers. (Although, many types of herb flowers are great for pollinators).

You have grown herb plants and now you have a little (or big) herb garden. What do I do with all this stuff? An easy way to begin is to taste the herb and think about the flavor. What foods would be enhanced by that flavor? I like to throw a lot of herbs in tossed salads. Experiment with adding chives, parsley, lavender, thyme, oregano, or basil to tossed salads. Don’t put all of them in at first. Try one or two herbs initially to see what you think of the flavor addition. Later you may be loading up the salad bowl with three or more tasty herbs. Another way to start is to experiment with herbs in omelets. Eggs are a neutral flavor serving as a backdrop for the fresh vegetables and herbs you add. You may be able to add less salt as the eggs are flavored by the herbs.

A common hedge of rosemary allows all gardeners to take springs home for cooking.

Soup time is just around the corner, and soups are my favorite for adding herbs. This summer mature chives had to be removed from my garden to allow summer vegetables more space. Having a lot of chives at once was really not a problem. They were quickly washed, chopped, and frozen in small portions for addition into winter soups. Just like big onions these little onions with intense flavor are very good in soups like Beef and Barley, Chicken and Rice, or my favorite Vegetable. Again experimenting with flavors to find your favorite is fun. A guideline to help you begin is in tomato based soups try: basil, oregano, parsley and/or cilantro. For soups with chicken as the base try: thyme, parsley, sage, and or savory.

Like soups, casseroles can be flavored with herbs to your hearts (or taste buds) content. The guidelines for casseroles are similar to those outlined for soups in the paragraph above. These foods are the comfort foods that shout homemade, so make the flavor yours by adding your favorite herbs.

As we approach the winter several popular herbs won’t make it past the first frost. Basil is tender and if you want basil in the winter you will need to dry it. One easy way to dry the plants is to cut the stalks, tie them together and hang them upside down in a dry place. Alternately you can dry the leaves inside individually on wax paper, making sure the wax paper is dry. More sophisticated gardeners use a food dryer/dehydrator for drying herbs. Any way you choose you will be happy in December when you have that flavor.

Oregano, rosemary and thyme plants may survive the winter if weather conditions are favorable. For more information on incorporating herbs in your community garden contact your local UGA Extension Agent. He/she will be able to give you useful information to help you achieve success.

Linda Hlozansky has been a Cobb County Master Gardener since 2009. She is a talented gardener and she cooks as well as she gardens. Her family is very lucky!

Happy gardening!

Dealing with Fire Ants in the Community Garden

November 30, 2015October 1, 2014 by Becky Griffin

Fire Ants are a hazard in any vegetable garden. They can do some damage to food crops, maybe the occasional nibble in a potato or pea pod. The biggest problem is the damage they can do to gardeners! The ant stings are painful and can be a serious medical issue.

Dealing with Fire Ants in the Community Garden — Fire Ants from Stinging and Biting Pest by Elmer Gray

Entomologists agree that fire ants came in to this county through Mobile, Alabama in the early 1900s. Today, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), black imported fire ant (Solenopsis richteri), and their hybrids are what we have to deal with. See the UGA Publication Stinging and Biting Pests for more background information.

Fire ant stings are so painful because the ant’s mandibles allow the insect to grab on to the victim as the ant stings. The stinger can be used more than once and afterwards the insect is not impacted and goes on to live another day.

Ants do prey on some garden pests, like caterpillars. However, they also assist other damaging insects like aphids by keeping natural enemies away.

Controlling fire ants in the community garden can be a challenge. It takes an on-going approach and the use of several methods, real integrated pest management(IPM).

Fire ants like full sunshine, just like your vegetable plants. However, they don’t tend to stay in areas that are disturbed. Garden plots that are frequently worked or compost piles that are frequently turned aren’t the ants first choice of habitat.

Some publications recommend pouring boiling water over the mounds. A supply of boiling water would be hard to come by in a community gardening setting. Also, it could be a real danger to the gardener and the vegetable plants. Digging out the mounds is also sometimes recommended. This could create very angry ants that would be inclined to attack the digger.

Fall is a good time for chemical controls. Products containing carbaryl (Sevin), pyrethrins, and pyrethrins plus diatomaceous earth are approved for use in vegetable gardens and will kill fire ants. Be aware these products are not selective and will affect other insects as well. READ THE LABEL of any product you use and follow those directions.

Controlling Fire Ants in the Vegetable Garden, a Clemson University publication, discusses bait products approved for use in the home vegetable garden. Products containing spinosad or pyriproxyfen can be effective when used according to label instructions. Spinosad effects the ant’s nervous system and is considered fast acting. Pyriproxyfen prevents the development of worker ants. Products containing these ingredients include Conserve and Esteem. Be sure to place bait around the mound and not on top of the mound for the most effective use.

Using baits in the surrounding lawn or grass area can also be helpful. With any chemical product, read the label and make sure it is approved for the use you need. Do NOT use a product in the vegetable garden unless it is labeled for use in the vegetable garden. See the UGA Pest Management Handbook for more information on chemical control. UGA’s Dan Suiter is the leader of the Urban Pest Management Program and they do research on fire ant control.

The bottom line – fire ants are not easy to control. It takes diligence and a combination of approaches. Contact your local UGA Extension Agent for the latest information on dealing with fire ants.

Happy Gardening!

Stone Mountain Community Garden at VFW Park

November 30, 2015September 24, 2014 by Becky Griffin

Master Gardener Averil Bonsall and UGA Extension Agent Gary Pieffer show off a beautiful bed of watermelons.

The Stone Mountain Community Garden is a beautiful space located on an old ball field. It is a partnership between the city of Stone Mountain and UGA Extension Master Gardeners. When you first visit you will be impressed with the number of plots (50) and how well organized and maintained the raised bed plots are. One master gardener site coordinator, Averil Bonsall, indicated that they have public demand for more but they are trying to keep it a manageable size. You will also notice the wildlife! A bee hive ensures that bees are present and they are busily flying around collecting nectar and pollinating the gardens which are full of vegetables, fruits and flowers. Birds and pollinators are also attracted by the new meadow garden on the perimeter of the property and the sunflowers.

The garden has demonstration areas where gardeners can learn how to grow herbs and fruits. A demonstration compost bin system is on the property and is used by the gardeners. There is a 3,000 square foot pantry garden where everyone pitches in with the chores and the food is donated to the local food pantry in Stone Mountain.

To be part of the garden each grower pays a small annual fee and commits to provide two four-hour time periods of labor in the community areas of the garden. This can be mowing the grass,working in the pantry garden, or weeding the demonstration areas. As with all gardens, there is always a lot to be done.

The usual tomatoes, beans, and squash, are present as well as some unusual choices. There is a large asparagus bed and a plot of dwarf okra. Tomatoes are grown in hay bales here and there is an ornate trellis for growing pole beans. The growers really do try new things and learn from each other. For a brief walking tour of the garden visit A Walk Through the Stone Mountain Community Garden at VFW Park.

“The garden is a testament to the cultural richness and diversity of the nearby community. Everyone works together and learns from each other. They have put the ‘Community’ back into community gardening.” – Gary Peiffer, DeKalb UGA Extension Agent

Happy Gardening!

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