March 2019

March 2019 E-Newsletter

It was such a pleasure to sink one’s hands into the warm earth, to feel at one’s fingertips the possibilities of the new season.
Kate Morton

a giant head of purple cauliflower

 

Featured Instagram Photo of the Month: A giant head of purple cauliflower.

Upcoming Garden Events:

Mar. 9 - Saturday Workday - 9:00 AM – Noon
Mar. 10 – Seed Starting Workshop - 10:00 AM – Noon (rescheduled from Mar. 2)
Mar. 16 - Board Meeting - 9:30 AM
Mar. 23 - Tomato-bration - 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM 
Mar. 24 - Tomato-bration - 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM 
Mar. 31 - Sunday Workday - 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

 

Useful info:

  • Boy did Punxsutawney Phil get it wrong!  Instead of an early spring, we had the first February on record in which temperatures never reached 70 degrees.  While you might be totally over the cold and the wet (did it really snow in Malibu last month?), your plants are probably loving it.  The garden is looking lush and green, the fruit trees are covered in blooms and the air is finally clean and clear of all post-fire smoke and haze.  Even if it feels like winter is going to drag on forever, it really is time to get ready for spring. A sure sign that spring is fast approaching is the fact that the banners have gone up for Tomato-bration!  You can plant some spring crops now like purple beans, lettuce, radishes beets and spinach but make sure you leave some space for you summer garden which can start to go in the soil as soon as the temperatures start to heats up.  Here is the regular link of things to do in the garden this month.
  • Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes…. Seriously, what could be better? Very few crops reward you the way a tomato plant does.  Grocery store tomatoes are not only expensive but often bland and mealy.  On the flip side, a garden tomato is sweet, juicy and is one of the few plants to offer a decent return on investment.  A productive tomato plant can yield 25 pounds of delicious fruit!  Since the weather has been cool and damp, hold off planting until at least Tomato-bration and consider starting with a blight-resistant varietal such as “defiant” or “Mr. Stripey.”  The Ocean View Farms website has some great resources on planting tomatoes, favorite tasting varieties from 2018 and tomato blight. 
  • Spring event calendars are full of garden-related events.  Check out this fairly-comprehensive list and see if there’s anything around town that strikes your fancy.
  • If you pay attention to the news, you know that things have not been looking good for one of our most important pollinators, the bees.  Check out this article for some tips on how you can help make your plot a bee safe haven. 

 

 

OVF Announcements: 

Seed Starting Workshop Rescheduled to Sunday 3/10!

Spring forward with a special seed starting workshop on Sunday, March 10th from 10:00 A.M. - noon. Gardeners and their associates will learn about soil selection and container size, when and how to sow seeds or plant, proper watering for both container and in-ground sowing, and seed catalog recommendations. Seating is limited. Please visit the OVF website to reserve your spot. 

 

Tomato-bration is 3/23 & 3/24

Its one of our favorite events of the year: Tomato-bration!  March 23rd and 24th join Barbara Spencer from Windrose Farms as she brings dozens of varieties of organic tomato, vegetable and herbs for sale.  As usual, Barbara will provide a workshop and Q & A both days at 10:00 AM.  The plant sale will go from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (or until sold out).  Free lunch will be provided on Saturday from noon-1:00 PM. Volunteers are needed to help with the sale.  Please contact Andy Morris if you are interested in earning some community service hours.

Tomato-bration

OVF Elections

Once again, one half of the Ocean View Farms Board of Director positions will be up for election on April 13, 2019 during the April General Meeting.The positions that are available this year are:

Vice-President
Garden Master
Membership Secretary
Independent Project Coordinator
Upper Phase One Phase Representative
Upper Phase Two Phase Representative
Upper Phase Three Phase Representative
Upper Phase Four Phase Representative

 

As some of you in Upper Phase One already know, longtime phase rep Andrew Sacks will be stepping down from his position in April to devote more time to his young family. So if you think you’re up for the job (you do not have to have a plot in upper phase one), or any of the others listed, please contact OVF Election Coordinator Nora Dvosin.

As always: we want to hear from you!  Send us an email, reach out on Facebook, or tag us on Instagram @oceanviewfarms. 

That’s all for now.  Happy gardening!