Lasagna garden magic

Mitzi Carter sent in these 2 photos. They each show a zucchini plant, and they were planted in the ground at exactly the same time. The one on top was planted in their lasagna garden, the one below into the regular garden bed. Quite a difference!

A new way to get to work

This summer Tom has been working at the Green Garage Monday through Friday, 9-5. Ah, the retirement life! Anyway, he has developed a new way to get there that doesn't require a car. He heads out shortly after 7 AM and bikes down to Royal Oak, where he catches a bus to Detroit. He puts the bike on the front of the bus, and once down there, gets back on the bike for a short ride to the Green Garage. It takes about 45 minutes to get to Royal Oak, so the commute is a little longer than it would have been in a car. Also, because he has an extended work day and has to miss his usual exercise, this provides a good substitute. Some days he repeats the process coming home, but most of the time I'm down there so I bring him and his bike home (yes, you can fit a bike in a Prius). An added benefit: some quality time outdoors. I also bike every day to exercise, and can attest to the great benefits of biking in the cool summer morning air.

North Cass Community Garden

This is a new garden in downtown Detroit. It's called the North Cass Community Garden, located at Willis and Second. There are 60 plots altogether, each about 4x8. They rent for $25 a year, and this original group sold out immediately. The gardens are the work of Sue Mosey of the University Center Cultural Association in Detroit's midtown area. The lot used to be filled with weeds and other invasive plants, not to mention garbage and other assorted items. Now it's a beautiful spot for people to meet and tend their plots. Some members of the Green Garage are taking care of 2 of the plots, but we are not nearly as creative as the people who came up with this Eiffel Tower trellis for their tomato plants!