2011 Garden Wars: Week 1
Garden Wars! It is back! Our yearly gardening competition returns with fresh new faces ready to crush their opponents into compost. Voting begins now!
Garden Wars! It is back!
Nearly a year has passed since over one hundred people weighed in to elect Richmond’s ultimate gardener. And, sadly, like a kids’ soccer league, we decided that everyone’s a winner, and ended up with a three-way tie. Which, let’s be honest, is kind of disappointing.
This year we’ve designed an impenetrable system of rules and regulations to prevent such a filthy tie from ever occurring again. Allow me to explain:
- Each week the combatants will put forth two pictures and accompanying text.
- Each week you, dear readers, will vote in the comments on who’s greens reign supreme. Voting will run until Sunday night. The winner will receive 5 points, second place will receive 4 points, and so on.
- Every other week the combatant with the lowest point total from the previous two weeks will be eliminated. If there’s a tie we’ll go to straight number of votes. Got it?
So: vote every week, elimination every other week. Now! On with the show, and leave your votes below!
— ∮∮∮ —
Ryan Smartt
This year I planted a plethora of goodness: lettuce, green beans, beets, carrots, peas, tomatoes, and hot peppers. But here’s the deal: I PLANTED SEEDS ONLY. That’s right…none of those pre-grown, store-bought plants. We’ve already enjoyed some of the beans and peas, as my wife demonstrates here. By the way, did you know she is a famous author?
This is a squash blossom from my garden. You’re probably thinking, “Wait a second, he didn’t plant any squash.” Technically, that’s correct. However, last year, we had a compost pile that consisted primarily of vegetable scraps. After letting this compost “marinate” for several months, it became the perfect topsoil for my garden. And apparently, it included seeds from last year’s vegetables that are now growing in my garden. IT’S A GARDENING MIRACLE! I have approximately 10-12 of these magical squash plants.
— ∮∮∮ —
Jason Guard
This is my Byrd Park back porch, as seen from my garden (notice Karen hollering out the back door for me to come in). Usually, I’m unconcerned with ornamental plants, because I only value edible flora–“food not lawns” is a motto of mine. But, these two wisteria vines have literally become a part of our household. They may actually be supporting the weight of the back bedroom at this point. Plant some wisteria and it will sleep, creep, and leap–in that order–in exactly three years. And then, you’ll have a shady spot to drink your morning coffee behind a canopy of gorgeous grape-like clusters of purple flowers.
At the foot of the back porch sits my herb garden and, jumping up to greet you, this bay bush. Although only a few years old, it’s teaching me a valuable lesson: prune!. It got to be as tall as I am with no branches to speak of. Just this spring, I begrudgingly lopped a couple feet off the top to be dried and used later. Now, new growth is coming in. Eventually, it will become a bushy tree, requiring a bonsai sculptor’s touch. Fresh bay leaves, added fresh to stock or a pot of rice, give a HUGE floral zestiness–to be applied carefully.
— ∮∮∮ —
Scott Pharr
The spring crops are now dying off to make room for the delicious summer crops! Here’s the last of our romain lettuce which will DEFINITELY be returning in the fall!
Here is one set of tomatos from our FIFTEEN plants. This photo nicely shows the newly formed tomatoes, fruitless flowers, AND a little itty bitty spider protecting our garden.
— ∮∮∮ —
Jorge Salgado
Berries! Guys, berries!! AND we grew them. The fact that this actually grew from dirt in our backyard still amazes me.
Once the plums started coming in, and actually turning into ripe, delicious, edible fruit we about lost it. We probably lost way more plums than we actually ate, but these guys were absolutely delicious. Fruit this week, veggies next!
— ∮∮∮ —
Sarah Milston
We pulled our first carrots on Sunday and this was a revolutionary moment of enlightenment: Lily Jaymes exclaimed, “You mean they were in the ground this whole time?!”
We only plant what we like and we only harvest what we eat – the evening’s take – rhubarb, lettuce leaf basil, russian kale, broccoli rabe, carrots, and the only green beans I could wrestle away from my daughter–also the only ones that have made it inside so far this season.
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Notice: Comments that are not conducive to an interesting and thoughtful conversation may be removed at the editor’s discretion.
The Salgado’s Secret Garden has my vote!
I vote for Jorge Salgado….his secret garden is one infused with immense love…the children flock to its magic, the vegetables grow under the sweet care of admirable hands and the family is one that consistently shows compassion and dedication to the community as a whole.
Casting my vote for the Salgado’s Secret garden.
SO impressed with your photography Pharr!
That Wisteria is magical Guard!
Not even trying veggies Smartt?! Show off and my compost hero!
Milston, oh Milston, forget the veggies, could she be any cuter?!!!
(this is not a vote, just still shocked our black thumbs are even mixing w/ the RVA gardening big time)
Jorge Salgado gets my vote! That fruit is gorgeous– can’t wait to see what veggies are up your sleeve.
Jorge Salgado!!!! BERRIES people! BERRIES! :)
Sorry for the long response, but since it’s the first week, I feel compelled to comment on each…
Guard – That wisteria is inspiring! Now, if I could just convince my husband that our screened porch needs more privacy…
Pharr – Great pics! It took me forever to find your little spider-friend! Love it!
Salgado – Your berries look fabulous. I’m envious because the birds seem to be enjoying ours more than we are!
Milston – I’m not sure which is more precious – the chubby little carrots or those chubby little cheeks! So cute!
Smartt – You get my vote this week for three reasons:
1) Great photos!
2) You planted from seeds only?!? What?!
3) I can totally relate to having “volunteers” in the compost. A gardening miracle indeed!
Going with Pharr this week for two reasons:
1. That lettuce looks awesome.
2. I’m hoping this vote will encourage him to share some of those tomatoes with me.
Also: I’m going to steal Lily Jaymes.
Voting for Smartt here. Mainly because I want to see what else shows up in his compost surprise.
Salgado: 2 of my favorite berries….and I’m hoping my raspberries will produce as well.
Smartt, for two reasons:
1. I’m a composter and can attest to the magical nature of your squash.
2. Those peas look delicious. My son and I pick 1-2 snap peas to snack on every morning so there are never any left for dinner.
Smartt gets my vote
I may shoot myself in the foot on this one… but Sarah, you get my vote. Yea, cuteness overload.
Milston!
Jorge all the way!
I’ve got to go with Guard here. “Food not lawns” is a great motto, one that I’m planning on using when next year our front lawn hopefully becomes another vegetable garden!
Salgado, Nice Berries!!!
smartt! i love the seeds only thing, it sounds totally crazy to me, but those peas look remarkable! and surprise squash is the best kind of surprise in my book.
Welcome back and welcome newbies! I love Scott’s spidey but my vote this week goes to Smartt, having just lately planted some zucchini seeds myself.
I’m voting for Salgado because he has a real peach of a garden, and I’d be plum surprised if he didn’t win..
Hey. See what I did right there? No?
Berry well then, I’m just going to stop typing now.
I vote Sarah for the cute girl and the cute carrots.
I vote for Smartt, because he is made of magic miracles! And I like his food that he cooks. He cooks the good food.
As usual, I want to vote for everybody. This is the dark side of GardenWars, being forced to choose.
I’m voting for Jorge this week because I’m impressed by that bounty of fruit so early in the season. But I’m keeping an eye on Sarah — excellent presentation on that platter of green goodness.
Well played everyone!
While Sarah tugged at my heartstrings by including the token cute kid, my vote goes to Smartt. Not only for taking the time to grow the plants from seeds, but for hiring one of the best hand models in the state of Virginia for his pictures. Thats dedication!
As a fellow Byrd Parker, I’m voting for the Guard-en, not only because they’re my friends and neighbors, but also because…wisteria and bay: you don’t see those in every victory garden! Now, if only Jason could come up with a recipe for wisteria. Wine…jelly…balsamic infusion drizzled on panna cotta?
Smartt – Seeds AND volunteers!!! I’m impressed.
Milston. Cute kids win. And she had a lot of growing going on!
Jorge Salgado!
Jorge tried to buy my vote yesterday by promising a deliver of surplus fruit. Ok, that didn’t happen, but I’m open to it.
Salgado!
My vote: Sarah
Milston for the win!
Milston gets my vote, if nothing else than that terrific teachable moment!
Milston… The carrots are too cute. ;-)
salgado this week by a hair…
Thanks Leslie (one of my favorite gardening mentors in the neighborhood).
The wisteria-created ambiance of our back porch is a part of every recipe when we eat in our homegrown breakfast nook. Though the idea of wisteria wine sounds more than fine.
I’m gonna keep it unconventional until the wheels fall off of this garden party, which may come pretty soon for me. No vote. Just doing PR at this point.
I gotta go with Jorge. I’m curious how you keep all the critters away from all that fruit.
Voting for Jorge Salgado!
send me some berry jam. :)
I vote for Jorge Salgado. Great pictures and who doesn’t love Berries!
I vote for the Jorge Salgado garden of awesome fruitiness!
I vote for the Milston’s garden and that cutie Lily Jaymes!
I vote for Sarah Milston!
I vote for Ryan Smartt’s garden.
Cute kid! I mean Milston!
It’s a Yes!!! Jason Guard for me. A garden doesn’t have to be just fruits and vegetables – the wisteria is romantic and I’ve tasted his delicious veggies too. A good chef starts with a good garden.
Ryan Smartt!
I LOVE a secret garden….. I vote for the green thumbs of Jorge Salgado!!
I love my garden, so that gets my vote. Also, everyone will be happy to know that my almost ripe tomato was picked by the kiddo tonight…. so no tomatoes next week…
Fruit with Jorge. Just picked our peaches this week and had a bad fall out of the tree. Fruit is not for the faint of heart . . .
I vote for Sarah Milston :D
milston!!!
My vote is for Sarah, because of that awesome variety!
As delicious as those peas were, and as much as I love my husband, I have to vote for Jorge. How the heck did you grow such luscious berries and plums? Inspiring.
Milston gets my vote. Gardening with a two year old should earn extra credit points!
The Milston garden gets my vote
Ok…so I was leaning towards Smart and his mystical squash and man, the beans are robust!!! but…..Guard’s mysterious wisteria has swept me off my feet and the bay…what can I say, a man who grows his own elemental herb as bay…sorry Ryan!! It is my turn to cook for you so I will make it up to you!!!
As one of last year’s Garden Warrior who beat his plowshare into… well, whatever. I’ll have ample time to explain this to Sarah at work, but I have to throw in with Ryan Smartt this week — really, he put his persuasive communication talents on the table with his opening post, and possibly made this more than a beauty contest!
The Smartt’s get my vote on week “won”:):)::):):)
Tough call, but my vote is for Smartt
I have to vote for Smartt, hands down. Peas from seeds and squash from compost? amazing!
Ryan Smartt is a wnner !
Yeah! I vote for Sarah Milston and the carrots!
Magic compost and miracle plants! The Smartt garden wins my vote.
My vote this week goes for the Salgado secret garden…i plucked one of those plums off of the tree myself and tasted that juicy goodness…
*But PS.* I love what each and every one of you are doing in your gardens. Grow on.
Can’t help but vote for Ryan! Great garden and great son-in-law! Hoping my vote will get us invited to eat some of his home grown goodies!
I vote for the Milston’s! What a gorgeous variety and I have sampled from this garden it is amazing!!!!!
Ryan Smartt because 1) he voted for Jorge and 2) his wife did, too… so the man deserves a vote from somewhere. Plus, the “seeds and volunteers” story is pretty impressive!
Oh that Lily Jaymes and those yummy carrots! Go Milstons!
I vote for Sarah Milston, and not just because I’m jealous of Ryan Smartt’s magic squash.
Smartt by a hair–because of seeds and compost. But here is my warning–if I don’t see Lyla by Week 2, it’s either Salgado or Milston.
Sarah, Lily and the carrots get my vote”
Despite the fact that he voted against himself, my vote goes to Smartt .. I believe in miracles!
Sarah Milston gets my vote!!
I vote for the Milston’s!
Sarah and Lily Milston get my vote!
My vote goes to that beautiful Milston garden! I love your green thumb Sarah!
I vote for Team Milston!
Lily Jaymes gets my vote. Is she in the running? ;) If not, go ahead and count my vote for Sarah. Kids in the garden=pure bliss!
Oh this is so hard, even more so when I know everyone participating!
While I do love a wild berry, Jorge, I am voting Milston because of the spread of garden veggies on the plate and the wonderment of the child at the carrots from the ground.
My vote for the Milston garden. Everything looked delicious and fresh!
My vote goes to Jason Guard. Love the romance of the wisteria without losing too much ground to ornamentals. Going to try growing bay myself.
Can’t vote against miracle squash. SMARTTT!
(The extra T is for “Terrific.” Not sure what the other extra T is for, only the Smartt family can know.)
my vote goes to Jason Guard – I love wisterias
Milston gets my vote. Gardening is a chore and so is a two year old. What a great way to educate our young about proper foods to eat.
Have to go with Milston. Amazed she has the energy, time, or anything even growing with a little one helping.
Great pictures! Obvious hard work in urban gardens, HOWEVER, as a newbe Gardner of a 100’ by 25’ garden, I very much appreciate the challenge of having a two year old as an assistant! Also, she’s so darn cute sooooo the Milstons have my vote.
Smartt! I have it on good authority that there might be some pug-powered gardening going on here, which apparently makes all the difference.
Voto por Ryan Smartt. Los chícharos son increíbles…tan verdes y suculentos.
My vote’s for Ryan. Go Ry! Impressive photos!
I am voting for Sarah Milston. Beautiful veggies, beautiful child.
Definitely Sarah milston. Starting a new generation on gerdening. Priceless.
Go Ryan–very impressive–especially from seeds
The wisteria is lovely and the plums look luscious , but I vote for Smartt and his delicious looking peas!
It all looks DELICIOUS! +1 for home grown.
Smartt
Hey, what’s with the double letter last names guys?
Jorge Salgado gets my vote this week. His fruit looks fabulous!
My vote is for Team Jorge Salgado. Great job on an awesome garden!
Smartt for the compost squash.
My vote’s for Sarah!
Sarah & Lily Jaymes Milston get my vote!!!!!!
I vote fro Sarah Milston!
Gotta vote for Guard. It was a tough decision though. Carrots and cuteness? Berries? Secret squash? You guys make this one fierce competition. In the end, it came down to neighborly loyalty and a sucker for wisteria.
Keep up the great work!
Down here close to the Texas coast we are enjoying our newly planted citrus–lemons and Rio Red grapefruit, but Wow! all those Richmond gardens don’t seem to be suffering from the drought we are contending with. The real winner seems to be Richmond for sponsoring this great contest! However, I’ll have to go with my nephew, Ryan Smartt this week!
Wow! all those Richmond gardens don’t seem to be suffering from the drought we are contending with. The real winner seems to be Richmond for sponsoring this great contest! However, I’ll have to go with my nephew, Ryan Smartt this week!
The real winner seems to be Richmond for sponsoring this great contest! However, I’ll have to go with my nephew, Ryan Smartt this week!
I vote Jason. Food Not Lawns, haha!
Milston garden for sure.
Love the Milston garden.
After much deliberation, I’m voting with the gardener who grew his own breakfast nook (in other words, me).
BONSAI!
Love the wisteria. Voting for my husband, Jason.
I love the Milston teaching healthy garden!
GuGu says his vote goes to the Milston Garden!
I’m going to have to go with Ryan this week… Did anyone catch his Seinfeld reference?
My vote will always fo to the gardener that grows from seeds. Way to go Ryan Smartt. But I don’t subscribe to the “miracle” part of the squash because I have “miracles” happen each year in my yard…those pesky weeds that I think I got rid of the year before!
I’m voting for Ryan Smartt’s miracle squash! Also hoping to get some of those tasty hot peppers.
My vote goes to the Milston garden this week. How can you not vote for that precious child? (who by, the way, is being encouraged to eat her veggies!)
oh, Aunty Betty is awesome! makes me miss mine! :)
sarah milston! her sweet garden + sweet family are the best!
Love the Milston garden. THey get my vote
Milston garden is a winner for sure.
The Milston veggies are the best
Milston by a long shot!
Voting for Ryan, the Hot Pepper King.
Voting for Ryan as well!
my vote is for the Milston garden….sweet child and great veggies
Forgot to post reasons for casting my vote to the Smartts, so here they are:
Planting from seeds alone is admirable and impressive, especially considering the variety of healthy eats they’ve produced. The pictures of those greens are fantastic, and do a great job of capturing the magic of that garden. I’ve eaten some of those veggies as well, prepared in-house by the master chef himself. Plus, a whole lot of love goes into that growing! I would vote twice if I could! :)
i vote for jason guard’s as i live in an apartment and looking at his garden has my green with envy!
that’s just an expression though, i’m not literally green, more of a sickly pale…just sayin.