Barnum Farmer's Market!

Howdy neighbors,

Good news! It looks like Barnum might be getting a Farmer's Market next summer! That's right, we're making our own farmer's market, and it's going to be awesome. If you want to buy or sell homegrown produce, eggs, or cottage foods right here in Barnum, or if you're interested in contributing some skills or ideas to the endeavor, or if you're merely curious and/or want to meet some cool neighbors, stop by the Mean Bean next Saturday, September 6th, 10am for a introductory meeting. Remember, this can't happen without you, so don't be shy! Spread the word, invite your neighbors, and hopefully I'll see you there. Keep being awesome, Barnum!

Barnum Garden Tour: The Barnum Community Garden

Today's Barnum Garden Tour comes from the Barnum Community Garden, located on Lowell between 1st and 2nd Ave.

I met with my neighbors for a neighborhood plant and seed swap, enjoyed some delicious cider (thanks, Wendy!), and had an opportunity to meet Jack, one of the Community Garden's regular and long time gardeners.

Jack gave us all a tour of what's growing this year and filled me in on the garden's policies: the very generously sized garden plots are $40 for the entire season to cover watering expenses (this fee might be waived if you're unable to afford it). To reserve your plot for next year, send me an email for the number to contact, or get the number from Denver Urban Gardens. Otherwise, talk to Jack if you see him in the garden!

This was the perfect time of year to see the Community Garden in all its bounty. It was bursting at its seams with sunflowers, potatoes, tomatillos, squash, corn, cosmos, and a bagillion other sorts of lovely things to eat and admire. Be sure to wander through to see for yourself before the weather turns! For more information on seed/plant swaps and other meetups, join NextDoor Barnum -- an online neighborhood forum.

While there, I also heard a rumor that a Community Orchard is in the works for the adjoining vacant lot. I'm waiting with baited breath for more details. 

And, one final bit of news: The Barnum Neighborhood is in the early stages of planning for a Barnum Farmer's Market next summer! If you're interested in helping to make this a reality, please email welcometobarnum(at)gmail.com to get on the email list and/or come to our next planning meeting!

Barnum Garden Tour: "Barnum House" Front Yard Garden

Today's garden tour looks at the so-called Barnum House front yard garden. The Barnum House is named after the story that P.T. Barnum once lived here (he didn't). Currently enjoyed by only the second family to live there, the original family, the Failings, built the house in 1872 and moved it from 6th and Knox when the 6th Ave. freeway was built.

Our Names: Wendy Lu, Scout and Eva

Edible flowers and some veg - a salad garden!

Garden Style: Mish-mash, xeriscape cottage garden

How Long We've Been Gardening Here: 3 summers

What's New In The Garden This Year: This year, inspired by neighbor Kaye, I installed drip irrigation and what a difference in yield and time spent watering!

A passerby told Wendy Lu this vase was found by
P.T. Barnum in Africa, but the stamp inside reads "New York."

What We Love To Grow: Drought-tolerant perennials, especially flowers, and vegetables. There are also baby fruit trees (peach, green gable plum, service berry bushes) and raspberries. Just added blackberries from the Barnum plant swap, so looking forward to more berries next year!

What We Cannot Grow: Since adding in the irrigation, and because I favor plants with low watering needs, we've done pretty well. I do need to start growing melons earlier, because we often just barely harvest a tiny watermelon in early September.

Biggest Battle: We mulched the entire yard two years ago and since, weeds have been minimal. That said, the so-called "tree of heaven" is constantly trying to stage a hostile takeover.

More edible flowers & kale, tomatoes peaking out.

Our Advice To New Gardeners In The 'Hood: Use mulch, drip irrigation, amend the soil and plant ever square inch to grow food and flowers!

Mini-pumpkin patch.

Favorite Nursery/Supply Shop: I have to stay away from City Floral, but it is coming up on the annual 50% off perennials sale, so I'll be grabbing a few plants to put in before it gets cold.

Bees & other pollinators heart the hollyhocks.

Do you garden in Barnum or Barnum West? Send your pics into the blog! Selected gardens will be featured throughout the summer. Pics can be emailed to welcometobarnum (at) gmail.com. 

High five, Athmar!

Our neighbors to the southeast, Athmar Park, have opened a brand new shiny microbrewery, Chain Reaction. Located at Lipan and Mississippi, this is nowhere near close enough to walk to from home, but a victory for westside beer lovers nonetheless. Apparently, the corridor between Santa Fe and Federal is the place to be if you want to open a Denver microbrewery. Mmmmm...beer.

I had a Belgian Rye Stout. It was deliciously non-bitter, and about as sweet as you can get without being a milk or chocolate stout -- just the way I like it. Cheers, Athmar!

Coffee at The Mean Bean

Let me start with this: I'm a little shallow. I admit it. Aesthetics are unreasonably important to me, especially when it comes to coffee houses. I have a coffee pot. I like Folgers. When I visit coffee shops, it's normally for the atmosphere rather than the coffee in particular. Give me charming coffee or I'll just stay home. Or go to a bar.
 
The Mean Bean opened about a year and a half ago at Stuart and Alameda. This weekend was my first visit. I naturally avoid things that are salmon colored but are not fish. I purposely don't patron businesses that lay asphalt all the way up to the building (unless it's industrial on purpose). And, like many others in the world who care about typeface, I loathe Papyrus font. I'd never even thought of stopping into the one coffee shop actually within walking distance of my house, for no other reason than because it's ugly. Until now. They painted murals. It's a step in the right direction. So I stepped in for a cuppa.

And, it was really good coffee.

The inside of the building is pretty inoffensive. The coffee-lady was nice. They had real flowers on the tables and local art for sale on the walls. They've tried to jazz up the exterior a bit by adding a table and three potted plants. I appreciate their efforts and totally dig that Westwood and Barnum at last have a coffee shop. A coffee shop with some of the best drip coffee I've ever had at a coffee shop.

Still, I really hope that someday they take a jackhammer to all that asphalt and put in some trees and plants. And a real patio. And better paint colors. And a sidewalk so I don't get run over for having walked there. And a bike rack. And awnings. And did I already say trees and plants? Cause I really mean it. Plant some mother fucking trees, yo. Asphalt is not a landscaping material.

Whatever. It's ugly but it tastes good so go there. Because you're probably not as psycho/snobby/shallow as me. The end.