Patient garden photo contest:

Sometimes when someone is in too much pain to bear, a small breath of cannabis makes life tolerable. Sometimes it takes a lot more, as for our currently featured patient. And sometimes it’s healthy simply sharing space with the plants as they grow and show their personalities.

Many patients who submit photos to Oaksterdam News* say that cannabis gardening is —in itself — therapeutic.

Our winning contributor for this issue likes to fill up his patio with plants and watch them grow. Something about sitting there in his Garden of Eden makes life seem better and more positive, so he keeps a chair parked where he can go out and sit anytime to enjoy the view. See page 18 for how you can get photos published. By The Chairman of the Yard*

Here are some photos of my outdoor medical garden grow in Sonoma County, for your consideration,” he wrote.

This is my third year with a full garden. I changed a few things this year and the results were amazing.

I waited until late May before placing clone starters outdoors.Seeds were started May 1. I typically start earlier but due to break needed from my winter crop it was a little later this year.

I fed all plants heavy doses of seabird guano for veg period and bat guano for flowering.

I also pumped about two pounds of turbanado (granulated cane sugar) through the garden during the course of the whole growing season. Something about the sugar would cause the plants to burst with aroma the day after watering.

I also went to bigger pots. I’ve never used anything larger than threegallon pots, but this year I went as large as eight-gallon. Bigger pots means less frequent waterings.

I had a few problems with bugs but I went on the offensive and had a lot of fun counter-attacking with predator bugs.

All-in-all, other then my neighbors giving tours to their friends over my fence, it was a good year. Time to enjoy what I've reaped.

Keep it easy and enjoy.