Friday, May 7, 2010
No formal opening work day
Due to the rainy, cool weather, the formal work day scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, May 8 has been canceled. The compost has been delivered and there will be wheelbarrows and shovels available starting tomorrow for those garden members who would like to work on their plots. The tools will remain at the garden for several days for people to use to move compost to their plots. The compost is located under the blue tarp in the parking lot. There is no plan to reschedule the formal work day.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Getting into the Garden Early
With beautiful weather like this, who wouldn't want to get into the garden early? Community garden members can certainly do this, but just remember a few things:
1) Some of the plots still have their borders marked, but they all may not. If you do work in your plot before we can run the twine borders, please try to stay within your plot.
2) The water hasn't been turned on yet, but it will be shortly.
3) The compost has not been delivered yet, and we won't know when until it shows up at the park (it gets delivered by Ramsey County public works when their schedule allows).
We will still be having the annual meeting at 7PM on April 15th at Falcon Heights City Hall. The opening work day is scheduled for May 8, beginning at 9AM. Please plan on being in the garden that day to help with some general maintenance tasks.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Spring is Here and the Community Garden will be Blooming Again Soon!
Opening day for the Falcon Heights Community Garden is fast approaching. The annual organizational meeting will be held on April 15 at 7:00PM at the Falcon Heights City Hall (2077 West Larpenteur Avenue). Be sure to bring the $25 rental fee to the meeting. Returning members should have already requested to retain their space (if interested), in response to the email sent in early February. Anyone interested in becoming a new member should contact Justin Miller to find out if space is still available (justin.miller@falconheights.org). The tentative opening and work day will be May 8, 2010. Hopefully this will be the start of another fun and rewarding gardening season!
Monday, October 12, 2009
No Garden Meeting Today
There will not be a garden meeting today, for the month of October, since most of the issues were addressed at the potluck on Oct 1.
Please remember that all compostable materials must be removed from plots and placed outside the fence for pick-up by MONDAY, OCTOBER 19. There is no official closing date for the garden, but plots must be cleaned out prior to the onset of winter.
Please remember that all compostable materials must be removed from plots and placed outside the fence for pick-up by MONDAY, OCTOBER 19. There is no official closing date for the garden, but plots must be cleaned out prior to the onset of winter.
Friday, October 2, 2009
End of Season Plans
There are some things that need to be addressed to close up the garden for this year. Details are listed below. Also be sure to fill out the e-survey sent by Wendy. You should have received the email earlier today.
End of Garden Business:
1. Clean Up Date
2. Compost pick up/Water shut off
3. Presentation to City - volunteers!
4. Garden Survey
5. Theft/Sign
6. Winter Events
7. Returning Next Year
8. Recipe Submissions!
1) End of Season Clean Up
We will NOT have a formal clean-up date this year, which will allow people to have cold season crops going as long as the weather cooperates. However,
**all plots are expected to be cleared of debris and any decorations/support/objects by the onset of winter!**
Once your garden is no longer producing, you are expected to clear it out. Failure to do so could result in ineligibility to garden next year.
2) Composting/Water
The city will pick up a load of our compostables to haul away later this month (October). I'm checking on the date, but expect it to be around 10/15-10/20. More details will follow, but this is your chance to get rid of all your dead plant material without having to drive it to the compost center yourself! Anything left after the pickup will need to be removed by you. Expect WATER to be shut down around mid-October as well.
3) End of Year Presentation
The garden makes an end-of-season report to the city of Falcon Heights in October or November. We need volunteer(s) to do this quick (5-10min) presentation. The past two years we've had simple PowerPoint presentations to guide us, and I have copies of those if anyone would like to modify them to reflect this year's achievements.
4) Garden Survey
We had paper copies of the garden end-of-year survey at the potluck, and thanks to all who filled those out! Wendy sent a follow-up e-mail with an electronic copy of the survey. Everyone is encouraged to fill one out and give us feedback! This year's survey also includes questions on allowing perennials in the future, and the community service requirement.
5) Theft and Sign
There was significantly more theft reported at the garden this year. The city has alerted their patrol to watch out for us (thanks!), but we had also discussed creating a sign to notify visitors that the garden and its produce are for members only. I'm sure the city will be happy to have a sign created for us, but we need a gardener to design and okay the language so we can get it implemented for next year. Please let Wendy know if you're interested in spearheading this project!
6) Winter Events
Although the gardening is winding down, there's been some interest in having more presentations by master gardeners or other folks in the off season. One idea brought up at the potluck was a canning and preserving class! If you have ideas or want to set up a fun or informative meeting for the garden, you're welcome to dive right in, or contact me or Jean with any ideas! Also, we can plan to have a booth at the Falcon Heights winter get-together (usually late January) if anyone is interested in representing the garden there.
7) Next Year
Assuming you've complied with rules and regulations throughout this season, you will automatically be notified when garden registration opens up for next year. This is managed by the city/Justin Miller, and usually occurs in February/March. As it currently stands, existing gardeners will be given priority to return if they so desire.
8) Recipes!!
We had some FABULOUS dishes at the potluck this year, and most of us are always looking for new and delicious ways to use our harvest. If you were at the potluck, or just have a great dish to share, send the recipes to Wendy (wendy.illick@gmail.com) and we will try to compile them and post them here!
End of Garden Business:
1. Clean Up Date
2. Compost pick up/Water shut off
3. Presentation to City - volunteers!
4. Garden Survey
5. Theft/Sign
6. Winter Events
7. Returning Next Year
8. Recipe Submissions!
1) End of Season Clean Up
We will NOT have a formal clean-up date this year, which will allow people to have cold season crops going as long as the weather cooperates. However,
**all plots are expected to be cleared of debris and any decorations/support/objects by the onset of winter!**
Once your garden is no longer producing, you are expected to clear it out. Failure to do so could result in ineligibility to garden next year.
2) Composting/Water
The city will pick up a load of our compostables to haul away later this month (October). I'm checking on the date, but expect it to be around 10/15-10/20. More details will follow, but this is your chance to get rid of all your dead plant material without having to drive it to the compost center yourself! Anything left after the pickup will need to be removed by you. Expect WATER to be shut down around mid-October as well.
3) End of Year Presentation
The garden makes an end-of-season report to the city of Falcon Heights in October or November. We need volunteer(s) to do this quick (5-10min) presentation. The past two years we've had simple PowerPoint presentations to guide us, and I have copies of those if anyone would like to modify them to reflect this year's achievements.
4) Garden Survey
We had paper copies of the garden end-of-year survey at the potluck, and thanks to all who filled those out! Wendy sent a follow-up e-mail with an electronic copy of the survey. Everyone is encouraged to fill one out and give us feedback! This year's survey also includes questions on allowing perennials in the future, and the community service requirement.
5) Theft and Sign
There was significantly more theft reported at the garden this year. The city has alerted their patrol to watch out for us (thanks!), but we had also discussed creating a sign to notify visitors that the garden and its produce are for members only. I'm sure the city will be happy to have a sign created for us, but we need a gardener to design and okay the language so we can get it implemented for next year. Please let Wendy know if you're interested in spearheading this project!
6) Winter Events
Although the gardening is winding down, there's been some interest in having more presentations by master gardeners or other folks in the off season. One idea brought up at the potluck was a canning and preserving class! If you have ideas or want to set up a fun or informative meeting for the garden, you're welcome to dive right in, or contact me or Jean with any ideas! Also, we can plan to have a booth at the Falcon Heights winter get-together (usually late January) if anyone is interested in representing the garden there.
7) Next Year
Assuming you've complied with rules and regulations throughout this season, you will automatically be notified when garden registration opens up for next year. This is managed by the city/Justin Miller, and usually occurs in February/March. As it currently stands, existing gardeners will be given priority to return if they so desire.
8) Recipes!!
We had some FABULOUS dishes at the potluck this year, and most of us are always looking for new and delicious ways to use our harvest. If you were at the potluck, or just have a great dish to share, send the recipes to Wendy (wendy.illick@gmail.com) and we will try to compile them and post them here!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Recipe Request!
Hi gardeners! The end-of-season potluck was a great hit again, as always. (Thanks Amy, Pat, Linda, and Brian!) There were SO many delicious dishes to sample that we discussed compiling and exchanging recipes!
If you have any recipes using your garden harvest that you think others might enjoy, please send them to me (Wendy) and I'll either post them here or send them out by e-mail!
An e-mail was also sent with end-of-season business matters, so be sure to check that if you have any questions about garden clean-up and winter events!
If you have any recipes using your garden harvest that you think others might enjoy, please send them to me (Wendy) and I'll either post them here or send them out by e-mail!
An e-mail was also sent with end-of-season business matters, so be sure to check that if you have any questions about garden clean-up and winter events!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Weed Photos
Libby (plot 5) provided pictures of some common weeds which can be eaten or have medicinal value:
The picture above shows lamb's quarters. This plant is edible and nutritious. Libby recommends eating plants that are shorter and younger than the one pictures. Be sure to pull older plants before they spread!
The picture above shows purslane. This weed is also edible.
This is a picture of ground ivy (a.k.a. creeping charlie). This plant isn't edible, but can be used to make tea. It is a member of the mint family.
Thanks Libby for providing these pictures and for the useful information about these weeds!
The picture above shows lamb's quarters. This plant is edible and nutritious. Libby recommends eating plants that are shorter and younger than the one pictures. Be sure to pull older plants before they spread!
The picture above shows purslane. This weed is also edible.
This is a picture of ground ivy (a.k.a. creeping charlie). This plant isn't edible, but can be used to make tea. It is a member of the mint family.Thanks Libby for providing these pictures and for the useful information about these weeds!
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