Microfarm at Blackhawk Garden Center

There’s something to be said for a shopping that’s fast and cheap. Endless parking, lots of product choices and low prices are great , but only as long as you know precisely what you want. A box of stainless steel wood screws. A bag of high strength concrete. A pair of  work gloves.

It gets tricky when you you’re not sure exactly what you need for a project or have a question about how to use it. We’ve all experienced the lonely frustration of finding assistance at a home improvement center…first the eager anticipation of getting your project underway….then the waiting….some more waiting…even more waiting until the empty aisles conjure a fluorescent lighted post apocalypse scene where tumble weeds roll by and an eagle screams high overhead.

Eventually, the time wasted waiting for help cancels out the advantages mentioned above...that is if you even got the answers you were looking for.

Need a water feature and some tips on how to get it up and running, or a GFI outlet for your greenhouse, and a pointer or two on how to install it?

Try Blackhawk Hardware and Blackhawk Garden Center.  Experienced team members roam the aisles looking for customers to help like kids at an Easter egg hunt, and they know their stuff too.

And it isn’t just great service and seasoned expertise that exceeds expectations here either. You’ll pick up on the quality of their product line the moment you walk through the door. A stroll through the selection of landscape  plants, ceramic pots, fountains, and all manner of whimsical garden art suggest words like fun, unique, sturdy, creative, original, lively, and elegant.

We’re happy that Blackhawk Garden Center carries a selection of Microfarm hand crafted cedar garden items like our kids potting bench and tiered garden shelf, and we think that our products add something special to the mix. Next time you visit, we hope you find the same is true.  

And if you should decide to bring a handcrafted Microfarm item home, you certainly won’t have any trouble finding someone to help load it in the car.

Microfarm Cedar Cold Frames

The right equipment makes all the difference in the world. Something as simple as a wool sweater, for can mean the difference between a fun afternoon at the football game, versus a shivering eternity to get back to the car. With a power drill instead if a screwdriver,  you’ll have that that IKEA bed assembled and already be taking a nap before the cardboard has even settled.

Your organic garden is no different.  Having the right equipment – like a raised bed filled with premium organic soil, or sturdy fencing to keep out wildlife– will greatly improve your experience. Protecting edible plants with a high performance agricultural fabric is another smart use of technology that has a couple of major benefits.  Growers depend on this specially engineered floating row cover fabric to protect plants from insect pests and frost.

This reusable, ultra light, non-woven material allows light, water and air to pass through, while warming the grow environment around plants during the day, and protecting from frost at night. Row cover fabric allows growers to extend the fall growing  season by several weeks and also start late winter cool season crops a few weeks sooner.

Protecting plants with row cover fabric can be as simple as using sod staples to pin sections of fabric over hoops cut from steel wire. This classic low tunnel, Conestoga wagon look is a fast, economical option especially for large gardens and for farm applications.

The low tunnel style cold frame will certainly serve the backyard gardener in the same way, but it does get tedious to remove the staples to routinely harvest cut and come again leafy green varieties like kale and lettuces. And while functional, the low tunnel cold frame isn’t going to be making any design award speeches any time soon. The home gardener, who most likely uses cedar raised beds of some fashion and has invested in creating an attractive looking home and landscape, will benefit from a cold frame design with a more style and convenience, like the Microfarm Cedar Cold Frame.

It’s a smart gable design framed with untreated red cedar, and fitted with Agribon AG19 row cover fabric. AG 19 is on the lighter end of the spectrum, and has the right combination of frost protection for cold nights, but won’t overheat the grow environment on those brilliant winter days here in the Southeast.

Alicia Cole's Cedar Cold Frames from Microfarm Organic Gardens on Vimeo.

The Microfarm cedar cold frame is made to fit our Kitchen Garden and Cedar Timbers raised bed designs, but is also compatible with many other popular raised bed designs.

Want to extend the productive life of your cool season garden? A  Microfarm Cedar Cold Frame will do the job in style.  While the 4’x6’ and 4’x8’ sizes listed below are our most popular, this cedar cold frame design can be made to fit almost any sized bed. click here to get started.

4’x6’ Microfarm Cedar Cold Frame $295

4’x8’ Microfarm Cedar Cold Frame : $345

Buying Organic Soil in Bulk

So you finally have your raised beds in place. Perhaps you purchased one of our Kitchen Garden or Cedar Timbers raised beds, or created a style all your own, but  either way, the beds are leveled, staked down, and crumbly, rich soil is all that separates you from that very first planting . The beds don’t seem especially large, but after calculating the volume (LxWxH), you realize that filling your planters with bagged would be about as economical as buying French fries one at a time.

Purchasing a bulk soil blend, is the answer of course, but which mix is best for your raised beds, and if you live in the Charlotte area, where can you buy bulk soil?

When filling any container with a growing medium, which includes raised beds of any size, it’s important to choose a mix that will hold plant roots, and create the right balance of both water retention and drainage. It’s commonly held that soilless mediums comprised of inert ingredients like peat moss, pine fines, perlite and vermiculite are best for containers, and while topsoil alone is not the best choice for a raised bed application, mixes that include some percentage of native soil can be used in raised beds, they’ll just a little drain slower.

Some type of compost, whether it’s homemade or purchased, should always be included in your raised bed soil mix. Mushroom compost, which is comprised of grow medium that has been used to cultivate mushrooms, can be purchased in bulk and still retains many nutrients. Large, regulated composting facilities like Wallace Farm and Earth Farms Organics process food and other organic wastes into a finished compost that is even higher in plant nutrients.

Because the topsoil soil sold in the Charlotte area typically has high clay content, a soil blend that includes compost, and at least some percentage of a material that improves drainage like sand, pine fines, or PermaTill  is a better choice for any raised bed or container application.

So where do you buy and how do you bring it home? These Charlotte area companies sell mixes comprised of ingredients that are approved for organic growing by OMRI, and have both soilless grow mediums as well as options that include some native biomass. Trucks can deliver a dozen cubic yards or more in a single trip, and the delivery charge usually ranges from $50-$100. Note that each product description below is taken directly from the supplier’s website, and does not always reflect our suggestions for specific growing applications.

Earth Farms Organics Compost
Our compost is made from 100% recycled material sourced from the Charlotte area. This compost will give your soil the structure that encourages healthy roots, nutrients, and water retention plants love. The key to having great soil is having soil alive with microorganisms that help keep your plants healthy. Our compost will replenish your existing soil with organic matter allowing microorganisms to thrive, making healthy and strong plants.

Earth Farms Topsoil
Our topsoil is a 50/50 blend of compost and local soil, great for your gardens or as a top-dressing for your lawn. This will add the structure, nutrients, and water retention — just like compost does — while adding more mature soil to your garden or lawn. Topsoil is also a great planting medium. You can plant directly into it, without the need to work it into existing soil.

Earth Farms Garden Blend
This blend has a little more added to it than our topsoil. We combine our compost with rock dust to add more iron, sand to help it drain better, and some local soil. This unique blend works great in raised beds as it will help your bed drain while it retains the structure and nutrients

Earth Farms Premium Blend
Our premium blend is a mixture of our compost and two other ingredients. The first ingredient is worm castings or vermicompost. This is organic matter that is composted by worms that concentrate the nutrients, adding more nitrogen and lessening the need for fertilizers. We also add perlite, which is the white specks you see in potting soil. Perlite boosts water absorption while helping drainage by preventing soil compaction. This blend is great to use in containers or as a boost to your existing beds.

Earth Farms Organics
351 Colt Thornburg Rd
Dallas, NC 28034
704-922-1775
earthfarms.com

Premium Blended Top Soil is one of the most versatile and popular products we have to offer. Wallace Farm Premium Top Soil is a blend of native top soil and compost. This blend is mixed to promote optimal plant growth. Wallace Farm Premium Top Soil is ideal for filling in low areas in your existing lawn and garden, preparing new lawns, gardens, and flower beds, and for planting trees and shrubs. Available in bulk and 40 lb. bags.

Gardener's Delight Planting Soil is a truly "delightful" product for all gardening enthusiasts. This blend of compost and pine fines is ideal for amending native soil prior to planting grass, trees, shrubs, flowers, etc. In addition, Gardener's Delight is a great product to use for filling raised beds. Available in bulk and 1 cu. ft. bags.

Soil Conditioner is the solution for loosening hard clay soils. This product consists of 100% aged pine fines. For most soil amendment needs, we recommend using 50% soil conditioner mixed with 50% compost. For extremely hard and compacted soils, we recommend using a 75/25 mix of soil conditioner and compost. The Soil Conditioner is also a very attractive, finely ground material that can be used in mulching applications. Available in bulk and 2 cu. ft. bags.

Potting Soil is blended to promote optimal plant growth. This blend of compost, aged pine fines, and perlite works great for filling pots and raised planting areas prior to planting. Available in bulk and 20lb. and 1 cu.ft. bags.

Premium Potting Mix ranks among the best. This blend of compost, aged pine fines, peat moss, and perlite has a fine texture and is ideally suited for indoor and outdoor potting and for starting seeds. Available in 40 lb. bags. Available in bulk thru special ordering only

Wallace Farm
14410 Eastfield Road
Huntersville, NC 28078
704.875.2975
wallacefarmproducts.com

Garden Blend w/ Permatill ® 
Perfect for flowers, shrubs, etc.  ; a balanced blend of loam, compost and Permatill® with proper pH for almost any plant material. The preferred soil of professional and amateur growers.

Garden Blend w/ Mushroom Compost  Even better.
Customers have told us that it is “dirt on steroids”. It's all organic of course, and we often hear requests for more of that "mushroom dirt”. They say, "proof is in the pudding", or in this case the flowers and veggies.

Mushroom Compost
An organic concoction, the proverbial kitchen sink, straight from the mines that is used as the sterile growing media for mushrooms. The material is rotated out frequently for production purposes but is hardly nutritionally spent. It can be tilled into the soil or applied as a topdressing/mulch that will last all season. No fillers that you might find in bagged materials.

Permatill ®
Thermally expanded slate that is sterile and inert. Multiple uses but at the end of the day it aids with drainage, semi porous nature helps with moisture retention, ups the cation ratio of the soil and helps to break up our wonderful native clay soil. Also good at deterring voles. Please ask us for more information but trust that it is very beneficial for both beds and lawns.

Top Soil
Multipurpose blend of topsoil - organic biomass and sand with a clay base.

Soil Conditioner
Best thing known to gardens! Composted pine bark fines, ideal for amending our wonderful clay. Can be used as ground cover. Absolutely perfect for annual or perennial beds. Hostas love it straight.

Atlantic Landscape Supplies/Charlotte
6145 Brookshire Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28216
704.391.7645
atlanticlandscape.com

Atlantic Landscape Supplies/Mooresville
2880 Charlotte Highway
Mooresville, NC 28117
704.660.9838
atlanticlandscape.com

Edible Gardening Now at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Whether you’re looking for a memorable place to tie the knot with your soul mate, share a fun learning experience with the family, or simply reflect on life, inspiration can be found in every square inch of the 380 acres at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.  

Adults and kids alike can expect wonder and discovery around the corner of every meandering trail and pathway.  Like a story book fairy tale, elegant gardens, thoughtfully dotted with fountains and artwork refresh the spirit, and a glass conservatory filled with tropical plants and orchids can splash warmth and cheer on even the gloomiest winter days.

Until recently, edible gardening kept a low profile at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, reserved to a few perennial herbs worked into existing ornamental garden displays. But like an eager sweet potato vine in August, demand for a more substantial, interactive edible gardening presence grew until the folks at DSBG decided to create something new for guests.

Because the location of their organic garden display is likely to change as the display grows in scale, the first phase of their edible gardening component, which may one day grow to include a compost station, chicken coop and even a greenhouse, consists of a simple arrangement of two 4’x6’ Kitchen Garden raised beds, flanked by a cedar framed sign welcoming visitors to the garden.

The organic garden is located next to a large hedge, and receives direct sunlight from mid morning through early evening. Because of this exposure, ½” drip irrigation line was installed in the beds to ensure that the watering schedule can be adjusted based on the time of year.

Like all of our raised beds, these were made with untreated red cedar lumber and filled with a premium organic soil and amendment blend. While a tidy backyard garden is always easier to enjoy, because this exhibit is on display to the general public, a well maintained appearance is absolutely essential. To ensure that their edible garden display is always an enhancement to the other visual elements of the grounds, we partner with the maintenance team at DSBG to keep the beds looking magnificent, whatever the season.  

Edible Garden Display at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden from Microfarm Organic Gardens on Vimeo.

Park(ing) Day 2014

Created by forward thinking design firm Rebar in 2005, Park(ing) Day has grown to become a global event that embraces the idea of using short term lease urban space to foster awareness for the use of urban space.  

The ambition of the one day event is to increase awareness for the need for diversity in public space, open up debate about how public space is created and shared, and to improve the quality of life for city dwellers.

The original temporary park was set up in a concrete laden area of Down Town San Francisco that is underserved by public space. For two hours an ordinary metered parking space became a tiny park with lush sod, a shade tree and a cozy bench.  Park(ing) Day has since been promoted world wide as an open source project inviting creativity to address a variety of social issues urban communities around the world.

It has evolved  far beyond the simple mini-park motif with participants using the short term leased space to build  free health clinics, plant temporary urban farms, ecology demonstrations, political seminars, art installations, and free bike repair shops. A Park(ing) Day space has even been used as a wedding venue.

On Sept 19^th, over a dozen participating organizations transformed Uptown Charlotte parking spaces into small, but innovative urban realms where pedestrians could interact, perhaps stay and sit for a while, or even just appreciate the creativity and smile as they strolled past.

Microfarm teamed up with the Charlotte Center City Partners, Boxman Studios, Neighboring Concepts, and The Lawrence Group to create a svelte urban farm complete with an elegant modern gathering space built into a shipping container, mobile chicken coop, rain water storage tank, plants and other cedar garden structures.

While no one shared wedding vows in our temporary urban park, plenty of folks stopped by to have a look at the sliver laced Wyandotte hens or take a break in the ultra cool steel lounge space. And when the lease was up on our temporary park, perhaps some of them even went home with a new appreciation for the importance of public space.