Friday
Every summer the Sonoma County Fair has a huge flower show. it's actually the largest theme flower show in the U.S. I’ve been working hard on preparing an entry for the Adult Amateur Division. The theme for the fair this year is Star Spangled Celebration and the Flower Show theme is Red White and Blooms. It is a nod to New England with individual entry themes like “Down by the Old Mill Stream” and “Take Me Back to Old Cape Cod.” Unfortunately, I was second to last in the drawing to pick my theme and got stuck with “Minuteman’s Meadow.”
Picture a hilly backdrop with a little house and picket fence. There will be a small pond and a water fountain made to look like a miniature cannon. The flowers will be red white and blue with pink, green and purple accents. The space is 11 feet by 15 feet and it has to be 80% covered in live plants.
This is going to be a fundraiser for my Roller Derby team and so the girls will be coming down to the fairgrounds on Friday to help me. The deadline to complete installation is midnight. I should have some good photos to post on Saturday.
Saturday
Mulch Garden I’m going to get started right away on Ruth Stouts "No Work Garden" plan. I will be headed off to pick up 5 or 6 bales of rice straw and completely cover the garden with it. I am also going to clean out the chicken coop, turn the compost and start some Kale, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower and Leeks in trays for the winter veggie garden patch. I will be using my new soil blocker for the first time. I plan to sow some carrots seeds and plant more beans (dry).
Saturday Night
Skate against the Central Coast Roller Girls
Sunday
Sunday
Clean House (It needs it badly)
Photograph the yard
Flower Show Awards Gala
Recover with a glass of wine
Flower Show Awards Gala
Recover with a glass of wine
I hope I can get everything done!
4 comments:
Hey, that's great that you are going to be in the fair! I hope we make it up there this year. You will have to let us know how the No Work Gardening thing goes. I'm intruiged!
What an undertaking! Good luck with your entry. I love the Sonoma County Fair and I miss it because the Yamhill County fair sucks by comparison.
found your blog by looking for stuff on Ruth Stout in the Central Coast. We just bought some property in Watsonville and finally have room to set up a proper garden. I can't wait to mulch, especially since we have tons of leaves/needles from pine trees, oak trees, and one enormous willow. Oh yeah and not having to tend a compost bin? priceless. Anyways, I was wondering if you've noticed any benefits yet, I'm going to throw mulch around in preparation for winter. Increase in slugs, etc? Also, do you have gophers/moles in your area, and if so what do you do to keep your garden safe from them? TIA!
Hi Gina,
The no work gardening has been fantastic so far. I have noticed a marked reduction in weeds and have not seen any increase in slugs. I will say, that my chickens may be partially responsible for keeping down the slug population. I do have gophers, but last year they were not much of a bother. In the past I have used chicken wire cages to protect plants, but now I just plant extra, knowing that they are not all going to make it.
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