DCG Bulletin Board

WOW! The Duxbury Community Gardeners have been VERY busy during the month of June! I am SO impressed with how wonderful all of the garden plots look!!!  Some of the tomato plants are making tomatoes! And we saw some broccoli making heads! Nice gardening!!!  Take a look at the slide show below!!

As some of you know, I (Jeanne) just got back from a volunteer stint with an organization that I was Program Director with. We had done a bunch of grant writing and fund raising and had raised enough money to go to Guatemala to work with a group of Mayan children. We brought a cultural exchange program to them, and over the course of 5 weeks we shared Vermont with these amazing children, and tried to learn as much as we could about their culture so that we can share it with Vermont kids. If you’d like to read more about what we did please visit http://kidsshareworkshops.wordpress.com/. You can also find out more about the children that we worked with at http://panakids.org/blog/. A number of these children are desperately seeking sponsorship for their education.  Maybe you’ve been looking for a child to get to know and help. It can’t hurt to check it out.

Back to the topic at hand! Before leaving for Guatemala, Judith and I tried very hard to get our garden all set for the 5 weeks that I would be away, and the several weeks she would be gone on a graduation trip with one of her daughters. We scrambled over a weekend in May to get as much planted as possible, and we left hoping against all odds that when we returned our garden would already be producing SOMEthing. Less than a week later Vermont flooded, and as you are well aware it continued to rain week after soggy week. Judith replaced some of the seedlings part way through June, but to little avail.

Along came the Fourth of July weekend, and we both headed down to the garden to find that the family of woodchucks have been visiting, and they had feasted on our broccoli, lettuce, kale, chard and probably a few other tender seedlings. We’ve seen the holes that they’ve dug into the hill slope on the north side of the garden leading into their tunnels. Rick tells me that they dug a hole right up into someone’s plot! It looks like they’re living under our precious Community Garden.

So once again, Judith and I find ourselves fencing in our plots. We apologize for the looks of the fencing, but we just can’t afford to include these critters in our circle of friends with whom we share our food. Obviously we all have to choose how best to protect our own plots organically, and I didn’t notice much woodchuck damage last year. But we’ve decided that it’s beer for the slugs and snails, and fencing for the woodchucks!

The Food Shelf has taken a shade plot! Anyone with extra seeds or starts please respond below or leave them on the concrete block by the children’s play area.  And maybe if you have any extra space in your sunny spot you might consider either planting an extra row or offering some of your plot to the Food Shelf by replying below. ALSO, if you have a few moments after tending to your own plot, stopping by to pull a few weeds would be an amazing way to help.

Thank you all for keeping your rocks and string inside your plots. I mowed the walkways and common area on Monday, though I couldn’t mow where there is burlap (sorry, it pulled up into the mower). That’s ok, though, because the burlap is doing a terrific job of keeping the walkway clear there.

Know that the picnic table and play area is for everyone’s use, and picking up after yourself will make this common space inviting for all. Has anyone got any sand for the sand box? We could use a collection of used sand/dirt toys as well. Kids seem to really enjoy being at the garden with their parents, but can get a bit bored pulling weeds . If you’ve got something they can play with laying around and can bring it down, I can assure you that it will get played with!!

There is a water collecting barrel off to the side of the garden – it’s designed to collect water running off a roof through a gutter system, so it doesn’t collect a whole heck of a lot without a roof! but please, help yourself to whatever water it does collect.

O’kay, that’s about it for now. If you have anything you’d like posted here, please send it on to me, Jeanne, at jjjjvt@gmail.com, and I’ll get it up for you. Also, please respond to any posting to get a conversation going. The more the merrier!

Now, where is YOUR garden plot here?:

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May 15, 2011

Hello All Gardeners ♣

Don’t you drive by the Garden feeling excited and proud? Duxbury Community Garden is a great place to grow some of the fresh food your family deserves.

And, you may be proud to know that every one of our garden plots has been reserved for this growing season! Let’s see if any people change their minds. We have a few new folks in the garden this year, so please take a moment to look at the garden plot map and see who your neighbors are!  Judith made some name signs for us so that we can learn who we all are as well. Thanks Judith!!!

Have you got plants that will do well in the shade? As you may remember, last summer the shady plots didn’t work out well for sun-loving plants so if you have some shade lovers that you’d like space for this year please contact Bern Dawes at pilgrim131@myfairpoint.net. She’ll let you know where you can put them. Rick and Nate tilled the shady plots, and it would be best to plan and prep them sooner rather than after the weeds have taken back over.

Who’s got a list of shade loving plants? Please send it to me!

The sense of community was in force Saturday, May 7 when many of us spent the afternoon at the garden getting it ready for growing. Some hand tilled their plots. I think I’ve read somewhere that tilling too deep may not be as beneficial as once thought. Anyone out there know the answer to that?

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Well, I can wrestle a tiller better than I can hand till, so mine along with one that Nate rented,  were at work most of the afternoon.  Boundary strings went up and name signs went up with them. Some gardeners began their paths and mounds, or covered to prevent weeds and to warm the earth. We chatted among ourselves and felt the sense of community that a garden like this can provide.

There is a pile of manure at the corner of the garden – please feel free to take your share.

The garden cart has seen better days, so we’re looking for a replacement.  Kindly keep your eyes open at yard sales for any garden tools – maybe they’ll even donate to the Garden.

Please remember that we’ve agreed to be an organic garden, so you’ll want to keep this in mind as you set up your gardens. Old rotted burlap bags can be put into the compost, along with other garden waste. Any ideas as to how we’re going to turn that big pile???

Hey, please “comment” below or email me: jjjjvt@gmail.com or JRABeekeeperVT@gmail.com.

See you at the Garden ♣

~ Jeanne

April 30, 2011

Note from Bern via email:

All,

I hope everyone has been inspired by today’s beautiful weather and that you are all eager to get out there and start working that soil! To make this more of a reality for you, I’ve attached a pdf of the garden plot assignments for this season.

Notice that the shaded plots closest to River Road have not been assigned to anyone (except Jeanne, who is keeping her space from last year). We would like to make this area available at no cost to anyone who wishes to plant shade-tolerant plants. Shade tolerant leafy vegetables include lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, arugula, endive and radiccio. Broccoli and its relatives–kale, kohlrabi, turnips, mustard, and cabbage–also grow in partial shade. If you are interested in this, please let me know by next Saturday, May 7th. We will then divide the area into respective plots.

A couple of garden-related events are scheduled for next Saturday: 1) it is Green-up day in Vermont, and 2) there will be a grand opening event at Grow Compost (on Rt. 2 from Waterbury toward Middlesex) from 8 am to 4 pm, with live music and plenty of gardening information. They will also be selling compost at a discount.

So, in collaboration with these green events, we would like to make next Saturday our workday at the garden–Please plan to be there at 1:00 pm to kick off the gardening season by helping to mark off the plots and to spread manure! Also, one of our new members, Nate Thomas, will be renting a rototiller for 4 hours on Saturday morning, and he has graciously offered to share the tiller with anyone who wishes to use it. So Saturday morning would be a great opportunity to get a start on turning the soil as well.

We would also like to complete work on the fence. If anyone has a truck and is interested in using it to pick up some fencing boards, let Rick Scharf know. He will contact Martin Berno to see if the offer to donate wood to the community garden still stands.

So, happy gardening!
Hope to see you soon!!
Bern

Hello all!

We’d like to say hello to everyone and let you know how excited we are to join the group. We LOVE walking around the gardens and seeing what everyone is doing!  Each and every plot has it’s beauty budding, and soon they’ll be just bursting!  Having traveled overseas and seen many community gardens we couldn’t resist putting a little sitting area in ours, along with some flowers to go along with the veggies.

We also wanted to let you all know that with the groundhogs/woodchucks, rabbits and deer that wander through on their way to the river we have decided to put some fencing around our plot.  We hate the look of it, but are determined to make it through this season with a harvest that pays for the investment and more, so we bit the bullet and put it in last night.  We are sorry.

A few more things:

1.  A wonderfully nice woman dropped off a rain barrel to loan us, which I placed on the concrete block because it drains by gravity. She said that she would try to drop off another one soon. THANK YOU!!!
2.  I brought one of those silly plastic turtle sand boxes with a cover and a bag of sand for the play area – if anyone has a bag of sand left over from the winter, I’m sure the collection of younguns would truly appreciate it!  I’ll look around for sand toys and bring them in the next couple of days. I also have a “water table”  to encourage creativity, which I’ll bring down and see if any of the kids put it to use even using sand or dirt.  Someone should probably take the compost/manure out of the play area and use it in their space.
3.  I hope that it’s ok that I tossed a handful of wildflower seeds (hummer/bfly) in the triangle by the compost.

Happy gardening!

Jeanne and Judith – sisters

Hello Gardeners:

So when is the last frost date?  June? July? August? 2018?

Those of you who have been in working your plots- they are looking great! 
The weeds are starting to take over the plots that have not yet seen activity.  (Don’t feel bad- mine is one of them!)  The Garden Contract says that all plots should be worked by June 14^th (which is still a ways off) but I recommend that we all get on top of the weed situation before it gets much worse!  (Think Little Shop of Horrors!)

I know some people don’t have garden tools which has been prohibitive.  I had hoped to have a completed compost area and a place to store some tools we have that are available.  I’ll get down there soon to leave a garden claw (great for breaking up our already tilled soil), a rake, a shovel and a wheelbarrow.  I’m going to try to rig up something in the compost area with a piece of old roofing so they are less visible from the road and protected a bit from the weather.  If people can use them, please just return them when finished. 

There is some more manure to use (located just outside the garden fence in the corner near the driveway but far from River road).  This is to share- probably enough for each to get a wheelbarrow full.  Help yourself to your portion.  This is all the compost or manure that we plan to get.  Feel free to purchase any other amendments (see the Organic guidelines) that are helpful- people could coordinate on a bulk purchase through the blog if that is of interest.

.

Still a few plots remaining, so if you have friends interested, have them get in touch.  At some point soon, we may have to figure out what to do with open plots.  I think some of you expressed interest in additional space if it were available.  Remind me again if you would be interested in maybe taking on another half plot or so.

Happy planting!

Rick

I am assuming we are bringing compostable items from home for the compost bin at the community garden.  Yes?  Weeds can’t go in there, so until we have harvested, there won’t be much going in from the garden itself.  Can someone post a list of what is compostable?  Thanks!

Does anyone have a weed whacker that I could borrow for a half day for my home garden plot?  I can offer you some organic tomato starts in return if you’re interested.  Or the use of our tiller if you have a truck.

Let me know! 

Amy H – ashoskins@gmavt.net, 244-7897