Programs at SS Regional Library

From Hillsborough County News:
January Programs at SouthShore Regional Library
SouthShore Regional Library, 15816 Beth Shields Way in Ruskin
For more information about these and other FREE programs @ your library®, visit the information desk at the library or call (813) 273-3652 or visit www.hcplc.org.



Opening Art Reception
Thursday, Jan. 6 at 6:30 p.m.
FREE- The SouthShore Regional Library welcomes artists Diane Simon and Cynthia Wortmann for this interesting show of watercolors and pastels. Diane and Cynthia are accomplished artists and very well known in the SouthShore arts community. Light refreshments and music will be provided. Funding provided by the Friends of SouthShore Regional Library and co-sponsored by the SouthShore Arts Council.

Adult Watercolor Pencil Class
Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 6:30 p.m.
FREE - – Registration required. Limited to 20 attendees;
Join art instructor Melissa Miller-Nece for this popular and informative class. Students will learn different techniques by exploring the many possibilities of this medium. Class is limited to 20 and registration is required. Funded by the Friends of SouthShore Regional Library.

Master Gardener: Vegetable Gardening 101
Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m.
FREE- Master Gardener Phil Channell will discuss the basics of vegetable gardening. Co-sponsored by the Master Gardeners of Hillsborough County Extension and the University of Florida.

Heritage Hunting
Saturday, Jan. 15 at 11 a.m.
FREE - Genealogist Sharon Tate-Moody outlines the steps to take in order to find your long lost ancestors. Funded by the Friends of SouthShore Regional Library.

Irish Folk Dance
Sunday, Jan. 23 at 3 p.m.
FREE- Traditional Irish Folk Dancer Jessica Glover performs dance routines and provides a lively discussion about the history behind the dances. Funding provided by Friends of SouthShore Regional Library.

Finding Your Zen Through Painting
Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m.
FREE – Registration required. Limited to 20 participants;
This four week adult course will explore the Zen of creativity and painting. Join art instructor Anne Walker for this creative painting series of classes, and let your spirit out by expressing yourself through a mandala and paintings of landscape, still life and figures. Funded by the Friends of SouthShore Regional Library.

All About Stars and Planets
Saturday, Jan. 29 at 11 a.m.
FREE; A multi-media astronomy presentation about our near neighbors in space.
Magic for Everyone
Monday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m.
FREE; Join us for this special magic show featuring magician, Cesar Domico. Enjoy this energized interactive show full of illusions.

Backyard Gardening Workshop 10/10/10

This just in...

On 10/10/10, as part of the 350 Global Workday, people around the world are getting together to participate in activities that promote the reduction of CO2.


In Ruskin, people can be part of this event by coming to the Backyard Gardening Workshop on Shell Point Rd. at First St. SW (one block west of Hwy 41) and learning how to transform their lawns into sustainable vegetable gardens – composting & soil preparation, beneficial bugs, growing in different mediums, Florida-friendly and organic plant sales. Sunday, October 10 from 9am to 1pm. For further information contact anitajimenez@ymail.com.


350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide - measured in "parts per million" - in our atmosphere. 350ppm is the number humanity needs to get back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change. We are currently above 390ppm, and we are witnessing the results of higher CO2 levels manifested in record high temperatures around the globe, melting glaciers, rising sea levels and extreme weather.

350 is also a global grassroots movement that focuses on the barriers to climate solutions, working to implement real climate solutions in our communities and demonstrating the benefits of moving to a cleaner energy economy.

To learn more about the 10/10/10 Global Workday, go to www.350.org.

Snake Sentry

This black racer was kind enough to pose for at least 5 minutes while I got just the right shot. He was laying across a branch above my head in a bougainvillea bush that I was trying my best to cut out of existence. I made sure that it moved along before I left the area otherwise it may have been lunch for a passing raptor.

Projects, projects...

So I had a wonderful Mother's Day, puttering around with all my current projects:
The pond, which is ground-zero for the hydroponics attempts, was emptied and the hydropipe repositioned so it flows but sits entirely out of the water and has an adequate slope to keep the water moving without rising more than an inch or so. The plants that had survived in there for the past few months had shown serious signs of too much water- pale, stunted and barely holding their own. So now I'm ready to try the next run of plants- this time I'll focus on herbs since they require less fertilizer and grow smaller so I'll have less of a tipping issue. I will also think about different ways to set the pot on top and hold the growing media in, since that was part of the tipping issue as well (lost a lot of perlite that way).
One interesting outcome of my time emptying the pond is that I found out that chickens like fish as much as cockroaches! There were hundreds of small fish in the pond, mostly volunteers from who-knows-where: mosquitofish, killifish and varigated mollies. Invariably, some fish got caught in the bucket I was baling with and ending up flopping on the ground as the water drained away. The chickens saw them flopping around and had a seafood feast. I still saved plenty of fish to put back in the pond but the girls had a great time dispensing with the overflow.
Last, but not least, the garden's soaker hose was repaired so now I can be sure that my tiny garden will get watered- at least until the rainy seasons starts. I planted this garden very haphazardly over the course of a week and it shows in the growth of the plants. I don't mind the lack of organization but I wish I hadn't planted the beans so close to the fence. The girls have quite long necks when they are reaching for a tasty treat and all the leaves nearest the fence have been picked and poked. Ah, well... It'll be good for the eggs.
Next possibility on the research horizon- rabbits!

Chicken update

Nearly a month at home in the backyard coop and the girls are getting big. I got in touch with the farm who sold them to me because I forgot to ask the exact day they were hatched. The three older chicks hatched 2/21/10 and the younger one 3/8/10.

Today was the second day that they walked themselves into the coop in the evening, with just a little encouragement from me. I'm trying to train them to learn that it's time for bed when I start singing 'Goodnight Ladies'.

This is also week 2 for a small, somewhat conventional garden (I say 'somewhat' because I do not plan to use pesticides and hope to fertilize with compost enhanced with chicken manure) I created using some of the great pile of soil left over from when they installed the sewer system next door. Under all the fill dirt below the first couple feet of digging was the compressed, rich black remains of the wetland area that existed under this housing development back in the 50s when it was considered an improvement to convert all those useless, mosquito infested acres for the good of the economy. At least I'm trying to also plant native plants for the benefit of some of the descendants of the critters that were displaced half a century ago.

Locally grown...

Neat idea!
http://mymothersgarden.locallygrown.net

It works like this…..

This online market is meant to emulate many aspects of a traditional “booths and tables” farmers’ market. The customers are buying directly from the grower, at prices set by the grower. The grower describes what is available, supplies photos of the items, and sets the purchase price.

Program Announcement

From Hillsborough County Cooperative Extension:

An Introduction to Landscaping for Florida's Wildlife

Wednesday, September 16th .... 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Hillsborough Co Extension office, 5229 CR 579, Seffner FL 33584

This will be the second in a series of three classes concerning wildlife around homes and communities.

(If you missed the first class don't worry, these classes are designed to build on each other or stand alone)

We will address the 'Ten Specific Steps to Creating a Wildlife-Friendly Landscape' Using a typical home site in Hillsborough County as an example we will design, step by step, a Florida native landscape plan that mimics one of our natural plant communities and has the potential to provide wildlife and plant habitat appropriate for our region.


While there is no charge for this program we ask you to contact Carol Carson, 813-744-5519 x104 to register.

Compost Happens & Water- Wise Workshop at HC Ext

Hillsborough County News Release, August 13, 2009
For Immediate Release

Compost Happens & Water-Wise Workshop

 Hillsborough County Extension Office, 5339 County Road 579 in Seffner

 Wednesday, Aug. 19, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

The Hillsborough County Extension Office is inviting residents to register for the Compost Happens & Water-Wise Workshop on Aug. 19:

 Compost Happens, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.: Learn how to reuse and recycle garden trimmings and kitchen scraps to create a rich and organic soil that can be added to your garden.

 Water-Wise, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.: Learn how efficient water use results in a healthier, more beautiful landscape. Also, find out about micro-irrigation technology and techniques.

Hillsborough County residents will receive a free compost bin and thermometer for attending the Compost Happens session, and a free micro-irrigation kit for attending the Water-Wise session. Attendees who do not reside in Hillsborough County must pay $20.

Seating is limited. To register, residents should call 813-744-5519x146.

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http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/communications/news/releaseoutput.cfm?r_id=8336

Slight glitch in the system...

The second tank developed a leak, which emptied out the pond rather quickly. With our lack of consistent rain, I had to fill the pond at least to the level where the pump wouldn't run dry and burn out the motor. I disconnected the second tank and will continue this experiment with just the one tank.
I received my seeds in the mail and, while I know it is not the best time of year here to expect great results (the temperatures have been in the 90s with a heat index over a 100), I just had to give it a shot. I added about a cup of perlite to each unit, then added the seeds and covered with a half inch or so of perlite for added moisture retention and to help slow evaporation from the wick/drain socks. I added a shade cloth to help block some of the intense sun. On June 13, I planted these vegetable seeds in the following order:

tomato tomato pepper squash
cucumber- basil- cilantro- redbasil- pumpkin

10 days later and still no seedlings. I just may have to wait until fall whether I like it or not :o)

Hydroponics log 06.05.09

So I looked around in the local discount stores to see if I could find some inexpensive seeds to further testing on the hydroponics system, but alas, it is past the cheap seeds season. Rather than take what is left at Home Depot (the only local store that still carries a variety of seeds), I decided to go for the good stuff and placed an online order with Parks Seed (I chose this company strictly because they are located in South Carolina and specify in their descriptions whether the variety is good for southern gardens- and because they have a long history of quality service). Here's my order:
Order Shipping To: Dolly
Item Description
Tomato Terrific Vfn Hybrid
Bean Mon Petite Cheri
Pumpkin Jack Be Little
Squash Sunglo Hybrid
Basil Dark Opal
Cucumber Muncher
Lettuce Merlot
Pepper North Star Hybrid
Cilantro Delfino
They should arrive within a week. We will see how these do in my system.
By the way, the tomato cutting I put in as a test is still alive although that's about the most I can say about it. I am concerned that the temperature within that open cup is higher than the plant should be exposed to during the hot afternoon hours. I will test it today if it doesn't rain.

Hydroponics experiment

So one of my problems with growing a garden here in Florida is that after just one season, those nasty root-knot nematodes find my beautiful garden and reduce it to a wilting mass of frustration. I've tried solarizing the soil and that lasts for a couple months, then those critters are back to destroy all my efforts. Even if I was pro-pesticides, I would still have the problem that the only tried and true method for ridding the soil of nematodes is by fumigation with a chemical is that is dangerous enough to be on the list of items that are being phased out world-wide and currently available only to commercial growers (just Google methyl bromide).

My solution, which is years in planning and revision, is a hydroponics system that takes advantage of the fish waste generated by my ponds. Time will tell if the idea will work but this past weekend I've installed my first experimental plant- a tomato cutting.

One of the things I will record on this blog is the progress (or setbacks) of this very makeshift system. Stay tuned...