Nathan Ballentine entertained and inspired Home & Garden Club members by telling the story of his journey from backyard gardener to urban garden guru, the Man in Overalls. Planting his first veggies at age 8, Nathan became an expert on urban gardening by growing vegetables for his family. Living in the Springfield section of Jacksonville and having more vegetables than his family could eat, he offered them to neighbors. Many neighbors wanted to buy the vegetables from him; however, he offered them memberships in his garden so that for a monthly fee, they could pick as much produce that they needed. This approach led to three garden plots in his neighborhood to serve residents.
Over the years in Jacksonville, urban gardening has become a fulltime career for Nathan, and a great asset for Jacksonville. Deercreek HGC members asked many questions about starting their own garden plots and dealing with pests such as deer. Nathan gave attendees three requisites for starting a home garden:
- Sunshine, water and visibility – It’s essential to find a spot in your yard (could be a very small area) that gets four to five hours of sunshine, and of course, access to a water supply that’s convenient to your selected area. After those two musts, ‘visibility’ is a key, meaning the spot should be in an area that you walk by daily, so that little problems, such as weeds and pests, can be taken care of while still a small problem.
- Great soil – To thrive, plants need nutrients. Nathan has developed a ‘magic mix’ that he uses (and sells) that helps vegetables flourish.
- Timing – Know ‘when to plant what’. Basically, there are three growing seasons: Cool season (plant Sept-Feb, most greens), Warm Spring (plant early March-mid April, tomatoes, squash and most blooming vegetables) and Hot Summer (plant May-July, pole beans, sweet potatoes, etc.). If you plant a vegetable in the wrong season, you will be fighting against Mother Nature.
In closing, one attendee had this to say about the presentation: “Thank you so much for spearheading yesterday’s excellent event. Nathan is such an engaging and inspiring presenter and advocate. I learned so much. Feeling inspired.”