Marco Zolow

I have two 55 gallon food grade barrels that I can divert the downspout on the back of the house to. The barrels are tied together so as one fills up, the overflow fills that second one. One good storm filled both barrels. Wish I had several IBCs, yet in my suburban context, I don't have the space or ability to transport. Still, having over 100 gallons of rainwater to use in the garden feels better than using the hose from the tap all the time. Progress, not perfection...

Hello Erika,
I have returned from my trip and am available to discuss how I have approached the property where I live. If you are still interested, let me know how you would like to engage in the discussion. There isn't a lot happening outside at the moment, though I did see some green happening under the fleece row cover in the hoop house. I got home with a head cold, so doing too much out in the cold will need to wait for a full recovery. Still, at some point not too far off, I will be beginning seedlings indoors for annuals and might start some late winter pruning on a few fruit trees.

I live on a long narrow suburban lot, so a lot of what I am able to do is limited by this aspect. Still, I have a nice wooded space that is not developed off the back of the property, and the lot next door is empty for some reason. The deer love it. I am attaching a view from my kitchen out the back.

If you look through this thread, you can see the suggestions made by William Bronson regarding local resources and connections. His thoughts are valuable.

Let me know what you are thinking going forward. Take care and talk soon.
Marco

Well hello. I am currently traveling out of the country, so my clock is 12 hours ahead of Ohio. I would gladly connect and share thoughts about my approach to transforming the property where I  live. Also would gladly share seeds and cuttings of anything I have in excess. I return to Ohio in early February. I will reach out again when I get back. Be well.
Marco

Depends on the size of your patio and how many containers you can establish. If you can handle a few 3 gallon containers, you should be able to get peppers, eggplants, bush beans or peas (if you have the space you could trellis pole beans or peas as well). I have even had some luck with bush squash in containers. Also depends on the exposure. Certain plants need more sunlight. You definitely can get a good herb garden going, and dwarf marigolds are wonderful on a patio/balcony. Just a few thoughts.

In a similar fashion, I had a 20 x 4 foot pile of wood chips stored over winter along the path to my compost bays. I just finished spreading the chips around the perimeter of my garden fence and have a nice area that has been cleared of the grass and other perennial wildflowers that compose the lawn on my property. I laid down brown construction paper and a nice layer of compost, and am going to plant alliums (onions and garlic) and stick black currant, jostaberry, and haskap cuttings down the middle. Maybe put in winter squash after the garlic comes out next year. Will need to cover with netting to keep the deer from getting any ideas.

Not only do they love the sunflowers, they have a good time tearing the petals off of my zinnias. They also enjoy the echinacea seeds. Sunflowers definitely are the most attractive of all in my backyard. Out in the parks in our area, they are crazy for Prairie Dock seeds. I have been trying to grow Prairie Dock in my meadow. The deer love them. I protected with netting and got one flower stalk last year. This year they are protected and did not flower. Fingers crossed for next year. Not only do I like the flowers very much, I hope to see the goldfinches go crazy on them like they do at the park.

I had two plants per hole and two rows of six. So 24 plants. I got my best ears in three years growing this garden. Probably the no dig catching up, finally. Also had a good load of compost last fall dropped and could layer up a good dose. Same planting goes for the long beans and squash plants. I discovered that certain areas didn't have as much success than others. The area was only around 6 by 6 feet, so it was a very dense crop. I have had better ears of corn in other gardens in the past and that was with much larger beds. For those of us who have a very small footprint to grow in (mine is a fenced area that is 25 by 50 feet), I am finding that growing polycultures and high density is the only way to get a good diversity of crops. I have a strip of sweet potatoes and tomatoes growing on the side of the sisters patch. Another polyculture that I had never thought to consider. I will see how the production on the sweets turns out. Every year I debate whether to try corn again in my garden. So far, I have planted three consecutive seasons. Even though the results aren't always what I would wish for, there is still nothing like pulling an ear of corn off of the stalk and eating it raw in the garden. No matter how small it is. Just one of those gardening experiences that I want to enjoy every year.

Seems like we had an early start to summer and now an early start to fall out here in SW Ohio. My driveway is already starting to collect leaves from my neighbors tree. On top of the timing being odd, the cloud cover throughout summer made for a different growing season. I had collards and kales going gang busters until around two weeks ago. My peppers are just starting to come in. Strange timing all around. Fall in August? Maybe the seasons are shifting along with the USDA Hardiness Zones. All I know is it is always helpful to be flexible and adaptable, in any situation.

I discovered zinnias years ago and have tried to grow them wherever I have had a garden. After moving to Ohio and getting my garden up and running, I discovered one of the most amazing things about zinnias. The hummingbirds love to sip from the little yellow flowers when they come in. Truly a sight to see. Of course, no pics of that wonderful phenomenon. I am able to grow them outside of the protected garden space, and the deer will leave them alone, for the most part. I start most everything I grow indoors to get a head start on outdoor temps. And I agree that they are incredibly easy seeds to save. That is when the goldfinches decide to leave them alone. I do get a few seeds each year, though the finches end up with the better end of the deal. Same can be said for almost every seed head in the landscape. Those goldfinches are lovely and hungry.

I have a suburban lot that backs up onto a wooded green space. Wildlife galore. When I moved in, the first thing I did is decide on the size of my "protected" garden space. I installed 2x4 wire fencing at 6 feet tall, with 2 feet of 1/2 inch hardware cloth buried 1 foot deep around the base. My 50 by 25 garden is maxed out after 3 years, and I often wish for more beds. This year I am expanding a garlic and onion bed to a space outside of the fenced garden. I had a load of wood chip sitting since late winter, and now that I have dispersed the chip, I have a nice area prepped for compost mulch and planting in the fall.

I stopped mowing the rest of the yard from the back of the fenced garden to the wood's edge, and the habitat that has evolved is phenomenal. I also seeded a bunch of local wildflowers and have reintroduced a variety of natives. I have learned which of them the deer and rabbits love to eat and which they leave alone. Of course, deer are fickle creatures and their appetites change with the years. This year I have so many tree seedlings all across the meadow. Oak and maple for the most part. Not on the menu this round. And then there was the maple sapling that I had protected with a fence ring until it was well over deer browse height. At least that is what I thought. Someone came along and bent the sapling at browse height and stripped the whole thing bare. One morning it was there and in the evening it was gone. It will come back next season. Maybe I will put up a ring and protect it until it is tall again. I have a cottonwood sapling that had a similar experience the year before, though that one was taller than deer browse height until someone decide to strip the bark and break the sapling. It came back and is taller this year than it was last year. I am going to try tree wrap to see if I can prevent the bark stripping and keep the tree going.

The thing that I have come to accept here with all the exposure to nature, is that if I do not put up protection of one form or another, I have to allow that the tree or plant is fair game. It is more work to protect trees and plants, yet I wouldn't give up the wonderful experience of walking out into the backyard and hanging out with the new fawns each season. Or seeing the families of rabbits that enjoy the clover and plantain growing all around. As long as I keep the gate closed on the garden, we are all enjoying sharing the space.