Ogden Valley News | 2008-05-01 | Page 12

The Ogden Valley news Page 12 Volume XV Issue X May 1, 2008 Cool Weather Gardening—Get ready, get set, plant . . . By Karen Bastow Nearly coinciding with the ice melting off Pineview and after what has seemed like an endless winter, Valley gardeners are ready to get out of doors and into the garden. Rototillers are replacing snowblowers as the snow recedes to reveal waiting garden soil. Gardeners who practice raised-bed gardening find that rototilling is not needed and planting can be done earlier in the season. One Valley gardener (who prefers to remain anonymous) mounds his soil up in the fall so it will dry out quicker in the spring enabling him to rototill soon after the snow melts. For those who need to rototill, caution should be taken to let the soil first dry out adequately. Rototilling in wet soil can ruin the soil structure causing hard clods to form as the soil dries. The soil can become more compacted, which will eliminate the air spaces necessary for healthy root growth, and will make future watering more difficult. If there is even a moderate amount of clay in the soil, test it first before rototilling by taking a handful of soil and squeezing it into a ball. If the ball crumbles easily, the soil is dry enough to work. The addition of good, organic matter can boost the quality of the soil and provide the necessary nutrients for healthy plant growth. This can be added to the soil either in the spring or fall and eliminates the need for fertilizer. Homemade compost can be used or bags purchased from a nursery or a garden center. Read the labels and add a good combination of as many types of organic matter as possible. Compost can even be obtained by the truck full from landscape companies or county facil- FARM ANIMALS cont. from page 11 ments up to the barn and practice there. So they did. They took their instruments up and started that loud music in the barn. We had over a hundred head of big Holstein cows in that barn. They broke down the doors and escaped. They ran from one end of our farm to the other because of that loud noise. It scared them to death. We spent the rest of the night herding up the cows. Richard has not taken the guitar out of the case since. I want to tell you a sad little story about our dog. My husband [Keith Jensen] died last September and he had this dog. Well, he always had a dog. He was never without a dog. He loved the dog. He said they were always kinder to him than people. This Shop theme or motif. BLACKSMITH cont. from page 1 7. The Blacksmith Shop, once restored, will be preserved. offer an educational element such as a walkThe Blacksmith Shop has been specifically ing tours, brochure, or signage explaining its identified by the General Plan as a historical history and historical importance. resource/landmark that contributes to Ogden 8. All new commercial buildings will project Valley’s charm, character, and rich cultural similar architectural styles and use similar heritage. The Blacksmith Shop has also been materials as the Blacksmith Shop and existing residence on site. specifically identified in the recently adopted Ogden Valley Sensitive Lands Ordinance, 9. The property owner or developer will provide for the cost of additional traffic safety which states that development taking place signs and cross-walk, as necessary for the on a historical or cultural resource site shall Blacksmith Village development, if deemed identify, preserve, and promote that site. appropriate by the County Engineer and/or The Eden Park area, in which the proposed County Commission. ities. If adding straight manure, make sure it has gone through the composting process first so it won’t burn the plants or introduce weed seeds into the garden. The air may be warming, but the ground is still cold and needs to warm up before planting. Crops that prefer cooler weather need soil temperatures of at least 65 degrees before germination will take place. If planted too early in cold soil, seeds may rot before the soil warms. Spreading out plastic—either clear or black—over the garden soil will work with the sun to speed up the warming process. After just a few days of sunshine, the soil will have warmed up enough for planting. The plastic is removed and cool-weather, frosttolerant crops can be planted without further protection. These include such vegetables as peas, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, radishes, and beets. The anonymous gardener enjoys taking the risk of planting corn early to get a jump on the season. His theory is, if the weather cooperates, he will have corn that much earlier in the summer and that if it freezes, he can simply replant and start again. In the next issue of The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS, our anonymous gardener returns with Rendering of proposed Blacksmith Village. some unusual and effective techniques for getting an early start growing everyone’s sum- re-zone has been requested, has not been identi10.Northeast corner of Blacksmith Village mertime favorite—tomatoes! fied by the General Plan as a future commercial Concept Plan is updated to show landscaping. growth area; however, the Blacksmith Shop has 11.Year round landscape or other permanent Note: If you have ideas to share, or been specifically identified by the General Plan screening to be used along all project boundarknow a neighbor who does, please con- as a historical resource/landmark that contributes ies that are adjacent to parcels with existing tact Karen Bastow at 745-4127, or e-mail to Ogden Valley’s charm, character, and rich homes. <[e-mail]> and those cultural heritage. By approving the proposed 12.Developer acknowledges that prior to rezoning, a majority of the Blacksmith Village and gardeners, ideas, and suggestions will be commercial zoning and using proposed comall of adjacent properties are zoned Agricultural featured in future articles. mercial development as a historic preservation Valley - 3 (AV-3) which lists “agriculture” strategy, the Blacksmith Shop can be preserved. as the preferred use in agricultural zones. dog’s name was Red. We still have him. The preservation of the Blacksmith Shop does The developer also acknowledges that agriWe have a sliding glass door that comes conform to the General Plan because it states cultural operations, as specified in the Zoning into our dining room. Every morning that that preserving historical and cultural resources Ordinance for a particular zone, are permitted dog would come up onto the porch and is an important County objective. at any time including the operation of farm stand there with his nose against the winOn March 25, planning staff recommendmachinery and no allowed agricultural use dow looking in to see when my husband ed that approval of the petition to re-zone shall be subject to restriction on the basis was going to go out to the barn. All the the property to CV-2 be granted with the that it interferes with activities of the future Blacksmith Village commercial development. time my husband was sick, he was sick following conditions, limitations, and uses about five months, every day that dog as part of an approved Zoning Development Limitations came. If Keith was too sick to get out of Agreement: 1. All new structures are to be limited to one/ bed and go to see the dog, I would go out single story. and pet him to let him know that everything Conditions 2. All structures are to be limited to the square footage footprint as indicated on the approved was all right. For weeks and weeks after 1. The Blacksmith Shop to be placed and mainsite plan. tained on the National Register of Historic my husband died, Red still came to the win3. No drive-thru services allowed. Places once the restoration of the Blacksmith dow and looked in. It was a very touching, 4. Any bed & breakfast inn or bed & breakfast Shop is complete. tender thing. It almost made me like dogs. hotel to be limited to 4 guest rooms. I thought he was almost human, he seemed 2. Project to be developed according to the approved site plan. so caring and so able to understand that 3. The Blacksmith Shop’s interior and exterior The Planning Commission adopted all something had gone wrong at our house. of the recommended conditions, uses, and to be restored according to National Register limitations proposed by the planning staff Standards. 4. The Blacksmith Shop to be structurally pro- in their vote to recommend approval to the tected simultaneously with any initial improve- County Commission. ments to the property. The petition will now go before the 5. The Blacksmith Shop to be completely restored Weber County Commission for a public within five years of the rezone approval. Progress hearing on May 6, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. in the for the restoration of the Blacksmith Shop shall Commission Chambers in Ogden. be reported with each Commercial Site Plan or For more information, contact the Conditional Use Permit application. Commission office at 399-8401. 6. The Blacksmith Shop shall retain a Blacksmith Green Living in Eden Located in The Old Cannery Energy Conscientious Living on the North Fork River Encouraging Wind & Solar Energy Solutions 3/4 Acre River Front Home Sites Lots from $219,000 in North Ogden, Just “over the pass.” 2005 No Washington Blvd. Custom built one at a time. One table the whole family will gather around. 4-6 weeks from start to finish. Priced from $3,500 Call 801-745-8400 | www.riversedgeut.com PH:801-745-8400 | FAX:[phone] | P.O. BOX 985 EDEN, UTAH 84310 | www.mOUNTAiNlUXUry.cOm [phone] or [phone]