Our Future

Did you ever walk in a forest and wonder how the trees grew so large without fertilizer and irrigation?  This is a task I urge you to do.  The future of our existence and our children and grandchildren depend upon it.   The world and its plants will somehow continue without us.  They have the ability to adapt and believe it or not to feed themselves and store water, but do we have the ability to feed ourselves, protect the atmosphere, and conserve the water we need for ourselves and our children?
We do, if we learn from the plants.
A tree grows and pulls up nutrients from deep in the ground.  In the winter the leaves drop, the cold kills the green vegetation growing in the shade of the tree, their roots covered with fungus.  The micro organisms in the earth turn the waste on the ground into humus, a powerful fertilizer with the capacity to store great quantities of water.  The mighty tree shades the soil and conserves water, it absorbs CO2 and turns it into leaves.  The leaves drop the carbon to the soil where microbes and fungi turn it into humus.  A powerful way to sequester carbon.
Can we grow beautiful plants with organic fertilizer?  Yes, and it is very much a better alternative to commercial fertilizer, but it still has a carbon footprint.  By using leaves and paper and cardboard we can build humus and reduce our carbon footprint.  By mulching with green plant material we can add the nitrogen needed to improve the soil and by mulching with old wood chips or straw we can retain moisture in the soil as well as protect the microbes and fungi necessary to complete the cycle.
Tilling the soil will provide the plants with an immediate release of nutrients, similar to turning a compost pile and adding air.  The process of breaking down the soil structure increases decomposition and releases nutrients, but it inhibits the formation of humus, and the growth of fungi.  Scientists are only just beginning to learn the role and importance of fungi in the soil.
There are projects all over the world where people are greening the deserts using the principles of regenerative gardening gleaned from watching the trees and learning from nature so we can use these principles to save our future and the future of our children.

Highlights of 2019

The Greenhouse has had a bountiful year.  The Spring Sale was hugely successful and we have about 130 members.  Many of these are new members.  

The membership program is at the core of our success. Every year we teach gardeners how to be successful at growing their own gardens though hands on activities inside the greenhouse and in our own outside garden. 


There were two focuses this year.  We grew most of our plants from seeds this year.  We learned about the individual needs of each seedling in order to germinate.  We kept logs of how many seeds were started, how long the average germination period was, what the temperature  needs were, whether they needed light or darkness,  and any other specific needs such as stratification.  Members were responsible for making decisions about planting depth and the best location in the greenhouse for germination.




Another focus this year was broadening our understanding of regenerative gardening.  We have been trying methods of natural pest control, no till gardening, worm towers and soil building.  We hatched three praying mantis ootheca (egg sacs).  It was astounding to watch the nymphs cascade down from the casing and scurry around the greenhouse.

 

We had a lot of community involvement this year. Students from the high school helped us prep our garden beds. Another student created a worm tower presentation for the Science Fair.  We had an Open House for Earth Day Open to the public and we taught a lesson on growing micro greens at home at the Oak Bluffs Council on Aging.

Yearly Fund Raiser

Our volunteers have madly been planting, flowers and vegetables to delight your senses and fill your tummies.  Please stop and help us have another successful year of growing.

You are invited to an Open House at The Greenhouse,

114 New York Avenue

on Sunday, April 14, to celebrate Spring.

From 12:30-3:30

Spring flowers are blooming and that means the greenhouse is warm and green.  We have plenty of greens to pick and flowers to take home.  Our alyssum and pansies are outside hardening off and waiting to find a home.  We also have some perennial flowers and butterfly bush for those of us who can't wait to start planting.
Have you been learning about permaculture?  Come see our worm tower and the amazing plants that it has produced.  It is an old plastic tub and uses waste PVC for the tower. It makes an easy way to compost food waste like melon rinds and also composts paper and leaves.  The happy worms travel from the tower to the soil and fertilize the plants.

Come Celebrate

 

After a successful spring and summer season the greenhouse is greeting the fall with a pig roast fund raiser. We are inviting the community to join us. There will be good food and a silent auction. The greenhouse has much to celebrate.  We have a new poly roof, one new fan and 140 members. 



Annual Spring Plant Sale

This past winter, the greenhouse crew was working hard to put together a bonanza of flowers and vegetables for our Vineyard Gardens.  Membership has been actively starting cuttings and seedlings and the greenhouse is bursting with color.  There are hanging baskets of every color, and  pots of flowers and greenery for window boxes.  Kale, lettuce, and tatsoi are hardened off and ready to plant and of course there are tomatoes.  There are 40 varieties of tomatoes this year.  We have heirloom and hybrid, determinate and indeterminate.  We have red, yellow, orange, and purple and of course everybody's favorite cherry tomato, Sungold.



Geraniums a greenhouse favorite are selling fast.

Fall Festivities

The Greenhouse is celebrating fall with a Pig Roast Dinner.

The pig was donated by Scapegoats Goatscaping and being prepared by Chef Deon.  This is truly a cooperative event that help us fundraise for a new roof.  The greenhouse is growing plenty of lettuce and other greens for a sample of our bountiful Greenhouse salads. 

We are also asking local community members to provide music and items for a silent auction.

Members are setting up and waiting tables.  Interested?  email: diane_sylvia2000@yahoo.com

Spring Plant Sale

It has been another amazing year of friendship and growing at the greenhouse.  And the members have been busier than ever.  We still have all the awesome tomatoes but we have new friendships blooming.  There are many new members and many new flowers, lantana and blue fan flower, cosmos and zinnia of various colors and heights, marigolds in yellow, orange and gold.
Members have been picking greens all winter; kale, swiss chard, frisee, lettuce and radishes have made many a delicious salad for working members to enjoy.  We have been meeting on Wednesdays and Saturdays at about 10:00.

Spring Plant Sale

Hillbilly Tomatoes waiting for a home !  Beautiful red, pink beefsteak streaked with yellow and orange.  This is just one of the many choices of heirloom tomatoes available.  Also there are hot and sweet peppers.  Jimmy Nardello, Yummy, and Alma Paprika are some of my favorites. 
The Spring Sale begins May 9th and lasts for the month. 
Everybody expects tomatoes, eggplants and peppers from the Greenhouse but this year we also have a great assortment of flowers and hanging baskets.  The members have been busy starting the tiny seeds and transplanting them into their pots where they wait for their final home.  On Wednesdays, the volunteers make soup and salad for lunch and share their plant knowledge.

Fall Festival

The Greenhouse is gearing up for its Fall Festival.  We will be working on Wednesday to spruce up the house and plant the rest of the lettuce.  We need volunteers for baking, and manning the booths.

Springtime in the Greenhouse

 The Ladies Have Arrived

This has been a tough year for aphids on the diplodenia.  We used several methods to control them.  Pruning, a hard spray of water and safer soap.  Now, it is all up to the lady bugs.  did you know that there are at least 200 kinds of aphids.  The ones on the diplodenia plants are orange.  Aphids reproduce sexually and asexually.  One female hatched in spring can produce thousands of decendants.  When a male is need they can change sex and produce eggs that can withstand winters harsh weather and if food gets scarce they grow wings and fly to a new plant. 

 

The greenhouse has been busy with volunteers starting pepper, tomato and eggplant seedlings.  the spring sale will begin the Saturday before Mother's Day May, 10th. 

 

 

We are also going to celebrate Earth Day with a festival on April 12th.  Come help us start squash and cukes or just peruse the plants and start planning your garden.  We will have paperwhites, violas and other flowers to buy and beans for the kiddies to start.



 

 

Herbed Vinegar

Add clean herbs to the bottle.  Wine bottles work well.

Some herb combinations:
Chive, tarragon, basil
Sage, rosemary, thyme
Basil, thyme, oregano
Basil, garlic chives
Tarragon, garlic chives

Fill the bottle with vinegar to within an inch of the top.  Make sure that the herbs are covered.  Let the vinegar steep for at least 2 weeks.  You can use any type of vinegar, but white vinegar is the best to preserve the flavor of the herbs.
Use within 6 months.

New Seedlings at the Greenhouse

What a crew we had today.  We have started the seeds for the hot peppers and most of the eggplants. We also planted a new lettuce bed.  We enjoyed a freshly made greenhouse salad with French bread and finished with cupcakes.  It was sunny and warm.  A little island of summer locked in a sea of ice! 
Here are some suggestions for starting seeds.

Guidelines for Starting Seedlings

1. The general rule is that seeds should have a sterile pot and potting mix with no fertilizer. Potting mixes prevent soil compaction and are free of insects, disease and weed seeds. A soil that is fine outside where nature can keep these pests at bay, would put your seedlings at risk of problems like damping off and cut worms, and compact soil makes it difficult for tender new roots to develop.

At the greenhouse, we use Promix which is a mixture of sphagnum moss, perlite, vermiculite, dolomite lime (to stabilize the pH) and a wetting agent for even water absorption.

Spagnum moss is well draining yet water retentive.

Perlite looks like styrofoam but is a volcanic mineral. It aids in air and water retention.
Vermiculite is a mica-type material that is heated and expanded. It holds water and nutrients until the plants are ready to use them.
Dolomite lime sweetens the mix which is naturally acidic.
The wetting agent makes it easier to wet the mix.

2. The potting mix should thoroughly damp but not soggy before using. If the soil is not wet place the tray on a soaker tray until the surface just begins to show the wetness. Don't let the mix get too wet or the seeds could rot.

3. Fill 6 packs with mix and gently tamp it down. About ¼ inch from top is good.  Put one seed in each compartment. Read the package for the seed depth. 1/8 to ¼ inch is typical depending on the size of the seed. Larger seeds are planted deeper, for example, beans are planted 2” deep. Some seeds need light to germinate and should be placed on the soil, others need darkness to germinate and are planted deeper.

4. Label each 6 pack with specific name, and date planted. Flower seeds should be marked with height. Zinnias and marigolds, for example, come in cut flower and border heights.

5.  Place seedling in a germination bed or on a heat mat or other warm place. It is important to read germination temperature. Some seeds germinate at cooler temperatures. Most vegetable like to germinate at about 75, but some flowers need lower temperatures.

6. Most seeds need to be kept moist to germinate. Check seeds in the germination bed to make sure the soil is damp and sand under the flat is also damp. Soggy soil can rot the seeds so it is important not to over-water.

6. Seeds in the germination bed have a humid environment because of the plastic cover. You can also do this with a plastic dome. It is a good idea to remove the plastic for a short time everyday to give the plants fresh air.

Betsy brought us a recipe to try with all the kale at the greenhouse.

 Kale Salad

This was one of the winning recipes from the Slow Food sponsored kale cook off & festival in 2011 at Mermaid Farm & dairy.

1 large bunch of kale (about 12 leaves) removed from the stalk
1 tsp coarse salt
11/2 tbls apple cider vinegar
1 tbls extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup toasted sunflower kernels
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1crisp apple, diced small


Tear or slice kale in thin strips.  In a large bowl, mix kale with salt & message vigorously for 3 minutes!!  This breaks down the fibers & releases some of the bitter flavor.  (This causes the kale to shrivel up & you have way less kale than you thought!!)  Toss with vinegar & evoo!  Add remaining ingredients & serve!!!

(If doubling recipe, do not double the amount of salt.....then it becomes too salty!!)

A popular cuke at the Greenhouse is the  heirloom lemon cucumber.  When fully ripe, it is a bright lemony color.  It’s small size makes it a great snack or perfect single serving in a salad.  It is never bitter but has a sweet crisp flavor.  When slightly under ripe, it is great for pickling.  I tried it in a recipe for freezer bread and butter pickles and they were terrific.  I shared they pickles with the greenhouse crew at our last Wednesday  worker’s lunch.  We also had Betsy’s dip and Ken’s famous hotdogs.

Here are the directions for the pickles:
Mix 4 cups of thinly sliced cucumbers with 1 very thinly sliced onion and 2 tsp salt. 
Let this sit in a colander for 2 hours.
Meanwhile combine 1-¼ cups of vinegar (apple or distilled) with ½ cup of honey in a sauce pan and heat until the honey is dissolved.
Add ½ tsp ground turmeric and ¼ tsp each of celery seeds, black pepper and ground mustard.  Let this cool.
Pack the cucumber mixture into glass jars leaving an inch at the top.  Pour in the brine to just barely cover the pickles.  Freeze.

Betsy Cabana brought a tomatillo and avocado dip.
Cut up 8 tomatillos and puree them with the juice of 1 lime, pepper and salt to taste, and one avocado. 
Dice another avocado and  a red onion and add to the pureed mixture to add some texture.

Drying Flowers
The greenhouse has cockscomb celosia, globe amaranth, strawflowers, statice and amaranth for drying.

Harvest your flowers after the dew has dried. 
Remove the leaves form the lower stem.
Tie 5 to 10 stems together with a rubber band.
Choose a place to dry the flowers that is dark and dry.  Air flow or a dehumidifier will speed the process.
Hang the bouquet upside down.
It should take between 24 hours and 2 weeks to dry your flowers.

OK Okra!

Have you seen the okra at the Greenhouse?  It is beautiful in the sun.  We sold a lot of it at the Oak Bluffs Open Market, but we are finished for the season.  Come pick some it is very prolific and needs to be picked every 2 or 3 days.   Ellen Desheneux shared a recipe with us.

Sauté garlic to taste in olive oil, add sliced okra (8-12 depending on size, cubed tomatillo (6-8 depending on size) and stir fry until tender. Add one can organic diced herb tomatoes (Muir Glen) for stir fry and two cans for a more stew like recipe. Serve with shredded fresh basil.

If you like a little meat you can add some chicken and stir fry it with the garlic or try Paula Dean's recipe with bacon.  I saw a recipe with great reviews for roasted okra.  Worth a try on the cooler days.

If you are still enjoying your grill, you could try Phylis Jampol's favorite.  Just throw it on the grill!

Check out the Greenhouse Blog for more recipes using vegetables available at the Greenhouse.

The Fall Festival is fast approaching and there is a lot of work to do.  Max King started seedlings that will be good to put in a cold frame.  We will also be having a perennial swap at the festival so start planning and divide your plants to share.
 Meanwhile we need to clean up the greenhouse and gardens.

See you on Wednesday. 

Gazpacho Fever

The Wednesday Crew is gearing up for the Fall Festival.  Cuttings have been started as well as seedlings.  There will be lots of activities including a perennial swap and honey extraction!
Meanwhile, the open markets continue in Oak Bluffs.  Tomatoes, eggplant, okra and flowers have been good sellers.
I have been making a lot of gazpacho.  Most of the ingredients are available at the Greenhouse.
Have you noticed the new sign yet?  We are now "the Greenhouse of Martha's Vineyard."

Here is my favorite recipe for Gazpacho.  Enjoy!

Gazpacho

6 large ripe juicy tomatoes

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1 fresh chopped jalapeno or half a garden salsa pepper

1 cut up red onion

            Process tomatoes and garlic until pureed.  Depending on audience I also puree the onion and hot pepper.  If you prefer you can chunk them and add them with the following vegetables.

1 chopped green pepper

1/3 cup of mixture of basil and Italian parsley chopped

1 chopped large cucumber

2 tsp salt

Fresh black pepper

Pulse in the food processor until vegetables are chopped but not pureed.

Comsog is a Hit at the Open Market in Oak Bluffs

Every Sunday at 8:00 AM we meet up at the Greenhouse to pick tomatoes, flowers, cucumber, okra and eggplant to sell at the open market.  The market is from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  We are also selling plants, herbs and hanging baskets.  Come join us!

Plant and Seedling Sale

Members have been busy this spring.  The greenhouse is bursting with vegetable seedlings.  Heirloom tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplants are looking happy and so are the volunteers.  All winter we have been meeting on Wednesdays at the greenhouse enjoying soups and salads.  There has been plenty of lettuce and kale as well as kohlrabi and swiss chard.  (Click here for a recipe for a swiss chard tart.)
There are lots of flowers this year as well.  We have the usual 6  packs of gazania and portulaca.  We have added cutting flowers and will have a cutting garden at the greenhouse this summer.  We have hanging baskets ready to go but we also have a special sale on wave petunnias and fuchsia for you to create your own baskets.
Our Earthday celebration was a great success.  We had many community members come and donate time.  Lots of winter squash was started for the sale.  Hot dogs, greens, tea and cookies were enjoyed by all ages.  Children had fun seeding sunflowers in egg carton pots.
This year we have some new items for sale.  New tomatoes include Legend and Red Robin.  Legend is an early blight resistant tomato.  Red Robin is a cherry tomato that can be grown in a hanging basket.  Sheepnose Pimento and Tequila Sunrise are new sweet peppers. 

Hot peppers range from the ever popular mildly hot Ancho to the fiery Red Habanero. 

Let's Celebrate Together!



Read about the Thanksgiving Cactus.



COMSOG’S HAPPY HOLIDAY PARTY IS SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13TH!

Time: 6pm to 9ish – Location: Thalia Scanlan’s house at 444 Lambert’s Cove Rd. Bring your favorite finger foods, appetizers, desserts – whatever tasty treats you’d like to share! We’ll provide plentY of libations – hard and soft... hot and cold!!! Also – to add to the fun — bring a small wrapped gift $10 or under – for our “Chinese Auction” - or Grab-Bag. It’s always a great time to share the joys of the season while we take a small time-out from the greenhouse for family and fun!

Need help? Thalia’s home phone is 508-696-0305 or (M) 508-221-0414.

LET’S CELEBRATE TOGETHER!!!

Wednesday December 12th we will meet at Ken and Alba's house to send out membership information and renewal forms.

Our January meeting at the greenhouse will be a planning meeting.  Bring fund raising and planting ideas.

Lots of greens are growing in the greenhouse.  Do you have a favorite kale recipe?