Compost, and Grow Lights and Planning, Oh my!

Today I went out to my families compost pile to take a look at what kind of shape it is in. Due to the snow it is kind of hard to assess the state in which it currently is but I know that it need to be turned. Turning compost allows for new food to reach the microorganisms that are break the yard and food waste down. By turning you increase the rate at which your waste turns into fully developed compost. It is supposed to be a little warmer this week so hopefully I might lose enough snow to successfully turn the compost sometime this week.
I got a magazine in the mail yesterday from a gardening supply store. This was by pure chance that I received it but it might turn out to be helpful. It focuses mostly on raised box garden (which I am not doing) but has a bunch of product that I might be able to copy that assist in growing, such as structures that allow something on which plants can grow.
I also began talking with my parents about where I will be able to set up my seedlings. We talked about using egg cartons as little grow pots so that I don't have to go out and buy special for my plants. We have also decided on a west facing window in which I can place my plants to try and grow them on natural light. If I find that isn't working due to the lack of sunlight I might set up some grow lights in our laundry room so that they can live there until it is spring!

Class notes 2/15

Tabea did her mini research presentation on tobias wolff. Her creative piece was based on a young Tobias, who has been beaten up. She asked us to compare the picture she drew and the picture of him as an older man. As he became older he seems more solemn. I think that the things that he has gone through have helped him to grow more mature and grew out of that immature childish angst. I think Tabea made a great choice using the class as a way to enrich her presentation. The presentation as a whole was well put together.
We also spoke today about some of the aspects of our projects that we have encountered so far. Everyone seems to be really excited and involved in their projects. I am very excited to see how things start to grow exponentially in the next few weeks once people get even more settled in their projects.

Seeds

Today I went to Agway and I picked out some seeds that I wanted to put in the garden. I am going to start looking at the average date when the last frost is in Ithaca so that I can plant the seeds indoors in a proper amount of them to germinate and be ready to go into the ground after the last frost. I bought French Rosemary, Bloomsdale Spinach, Zucchini, Brandywine Pink Tomatoes, Muncher Cucumbers, Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce, and Rainbow Bell peppers. All of the seeds are organic. I also want to try drying and saving some of my own seeds from some sweet peppers that my family enjoys. Depending on each individual seeds duration of growing it needs indoors I will have to start looking into grow lights and some boxes in which to plant soon.

Planning

Today, I went through The Encyclopedia of Vegetable Gardening and marked down many varieties and types of vegetables and herbs that I want to put in my garden. I know that I want to put lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, and beans in the garden. I also want to plant rosemary, thyme, oregano, and garlic. However I might add plants later as I find more. I also want to plant some flowers around the garden.
I found a new community member/ teacher that I want to look into talking to. Her name is Mrs. Sherman and her husband is in charge of a local organic CSA. He will be very helpful in tips for helping to keep my garden healthy and sticking to organics.

Two Week Plan

In this first week I want to start finding more books and researching different varieties of plants that I want to grow. I have many choices to choose from that i will be able to integrate into my garden. This will help make a large variety for my family to benefit from as well as helping to increase the fertility of the soil. The area where I am planning my garden has the possibility of being hard to grow in so integrating many different plants while adding compost to the garden will help to make sure that the plants grow efficiently.
In the second week I want to look into how long some of the seedlings I am planning to grow will need before they are ready for planting. This will allow me to start planting certain plants to ensure that they will be healthy enough to go right into the ground as soon as the snow melts. I have to look into getting some grow lights, either borrowing or buying, and setting them up in my basement.

Dear Reader,

After a last minute change in project ideas I settled on designing and growing my own organic garden in my backyard. I have recently become very interested in organic eating and vegetarianism. So for me, it seemed totally natural to start something that would benefit my family, and consequently, the Earth.
Over the course of the next 16 weeks I plan to design a garden, plant seedlings and when the snow has melted, I will grow and maintain the garden. Hopefully gaining a harvest that will help to reduce the amount of food that my buys from a super market. My hopes are that during this project I will increase the amount of organically grown, local food my family consumes. Because not only is it healthy for the environment but for everyone that benefits from the harvest of the garden. This has always been a goal of mine, and now that I have become a vegetarian, it seems very obvious to me to grow my own garden. I also hope to have a successful harvest. I have never done too much gardening so I don't know how hard this will all be but I am excited to learn.
My fears are that it will be extremely hard to grow these plants organically and that I will in turn end up with either no harvest or being forced to add some inorganic aspects to my garden in order to ensure that something is produced. I want to do everything I can to make sure that I don't use inorganic substances that will harm the environment around my house. I also fear that the invasive species that live near my planned gardening site may take over. This might have to be taken care of through extensive weeding.
After having sat down and had an interview with our family's gardener, I have a bunch of new projects to start that she has recommended will be very helpful in beginning and continuing my garden. I am truly excited to embark on this journey and can't wait to see what challenges and rewards lie ahead!

First Post

This is my blog that will chronicle the next 16 weeks of my life as I work through my WISE project. WISE is an english class that allows students to spend the second semester of their year doing an independent project. It focuses on giving students the ability to thrive through self learning, but also challenging their ability to time manage and work on a project.

My project consists of building a garden in my backyard and taking care of it in hopes that by the end of the school year I will have some yield for me and my family to enjoy.

I hope all of you follow my along this journey which I am extremely excited to begin!