Well what a nice wrap up to the year. Just about one year ago today I talked to Dale on the phone and he said it was okay to plant a garden in the empty lot. Shortly after, Tish and I met to begin to hatch a plan. And last night the city recognized us with a civic award from the beautification committee. It was a fun night and we received a nice plaque. Maybe when we build our little shed we can put the plaque inside it! In the meantime I'll pass it around.
Wednesday night was a fun potluck night hosted by Rob and Jan. Next month it will be at Mark and Diana's house Wednesday December 2nd. Mark you calendar now - you may not get another reminder. In fact , if you haven't already, just mark every first Wednesday of the month for our potluck. (Everyone still wants to have our traditional holiday party or cookie exchange or whatever it is we do for Christmas, so whoever was thinking of doing that - it is still a go! - I guess we like each other! )
Clem and I picked up a couple of bails of hay from the park last night after the beautification event. There are a few more down there (in the parking lot where the leaves and stuff are). If someone can grab them that would be great. Also once again this is the time of year people put them out in the trash and we should pick them up! It will save us hours of weeding in the spring if we have lots of hay to use as mulch so please be on the look out for these and store them in the garden! Right now is our little window of opportunity for these.
And I have noticed the leaves on the beds in the garden look very packed down already. When you rake your leaves if you could please take them down to the garden and dump them on the beds it will help them have a nice warm winter with a heavy blanket.
Betsy Breckels
P.S. If you want a copy of the Pointes of Horticulture that was done about our garden, drop a blank DVD off to Rob and Jan and they will make you a copy.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
November 2nd update
Pick brussel sprout whenever you want them.
If you see haystacks put out for garbage - please grab them --- we can definitely use them for mulch for next year!!! We won't have to water or weed as much if we mulch --- and now is the time we will see those haystacks put out in the trash.
This Wednesday is our potluck, 6:00 at Jan and Rob's. See you there! ( no pesky meetings to get in the way of our enjoyment!!!! )
We covered the beds with leaves on Sunday. We can still add more if anyone wants to drag them over there when you are out raking ---- just pile 'em on - the more the better.
Betsy Breckels
If you see haystacks put out for garbage - please grab them --- we can definitely use them for mulch for next year!!! We won't have to water or weed as much if we mulch --- and now is the time we will see those haystacks put out in the trash.
This Wednesday is our potluck, 6:00 at Jan and Rob's. See you there! ( no pesky meetings to get in the way of our enjoyment!!!! )
We covered the beds with leaves on Sunday. We can still add more if anyone wants to drag them over there when you are out raking ---- just pile 'em on - the more the better.
Betsy Breckels
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Kudos everyone!
Hi All
I am very pleased to announce that we will be receiving a beautification award from the city of Grosse Pointe Park, it is a civic award.
"Your award is in recognition of the Grayton Garden Project. Hopefully, your project will become a prototype for similar area gardens."
Apparently the city has gotten a lot of questions about starting a community garden in the Park and they haven't been able to give them much direction. I agreed to help them with a seminar for others who want to start similar gardens.
There is an "Awards Night" that a limited number of us will be able to attend. While I would love it if every person involved in the garden could come, we had to go with those who put in some serious Sunday time. But it truly has been a project of the whole block and I am really pleased how everyone jumped right on board. I have really enjoyed getting to know all of my neighbors!
Speaking of the garden, there is STILL Arugula, lettuce, peas, lima beans, green beans, and beets in the garden............please help yourself!!!!!
Remember November 1st is the last day in the garden and no Sundays before then. November 4th is the first INDOOR potluck. 6:00 still okay with everyone? It will be at Jan and Rob's house. Kids, as always, are welcome.
Betsy Breckels
I am very pleased to announce that we will be receiving a beautification award from the city of Grosse Pointe Park, it is a civic award.
"Your award is in recognition of the Grayton Garden Project. Hopefully, your project will become a prototype for similar area gardens."
Apparently the city has gotten a lot of questions about starting a community garden in the Park and they haven't been able to give them much direction. I agreed to help them with a seminar for others who want to start similar gardens.
There is an "Awards Night" that a limited number of us will be able to attend. While I would love it if every person involved in the garden could come, we had to go with those who put in some serious Sunday time. But it truly has been a project of the whole block and I am really pleased how everyone jumped right on board. I have really enjoyed getting to know all of my neighbors!
Speaking of the garden, there is STILL Arugula, lettuce, peas, lima beans, green beans, and beets in the garden............please help yourself!!!!!
Remember November 1st is the last day in the garden and no Sundays before then. November 4th is the first INDOOR potluck. 6:00 still okay with everyone? It will be at Jan and Rob's house. Kids, as always, are welcome.
Betsy Breckels
Monday, October 12, 2009
Letitia's Update
We harvested what we could today and removed a lot of the plants. Please continue to pick stuff as it is ready - kale, lettuce, green beans, Brussels sprouts, beets, radishes, chard, lima beans, and parsley. There is not much to do for the next few weeks so we will NOT work the next two Sundays.
Our next work day will be November 1. We will put the garden to bed for the winter that day - harvest and remove plants, amend the soil with a cover crop or compost, and put leaves on top of the beds.
Please save your leaves!! You can bring them to the garden between now and November 1 or save them in your yard.
Our next work day will be November 1. We will put the garden to bed for the winter that day - harvest and remove plants, amend the soil with a cover crop or compost, and put leaves on top of the beds.
Please save your leaves!! You can bring them to the garden between now and November 1 or save them in your yard.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Potluck re-cap
Hi all,
It was an especially delicious potluck last night!!!! Next month , (the first Wednesday of November, always the first Wednesday of the month - put it on your recurring dates) the potluck will move indoors to Jan and Rob's house. As always kids are welcome, and she has plenty of toys!
There will be no more meetings at potlucks!!!! Yay!!!!! Do we want food related educational food movies? (King Corn, Food Inc., Future of Food come to mind) Or do we just want to hang out?
We have a steering committe: Beth, Mark, Vikte, Jan, Tish, Meg, and myself. We will begin meeting in November. We will be the deciders! Of course we will take everyone's (who is truly involved in the garden) opinion into account and come up with what we think is feasable and what pleases most people.
We generally decided that jobs would be more spread out this year, and it would be a tighter group. I would like to include any family (on any block!) that wants to be involved and can commit to the work , limiting the number to 10 families. But I guess we didn't really decide this yet.
We all feel that any neighbor who wants to be involved, but cannot be involved in a regular way should feel free to stop by whenever they feel like it, help pull weeds, plant or water, take a cucumber or two, come to the potlucks, in general feel welcomed! This is what a community garden is all about!
So we won't bore you with details anymore. If you feel strongly about bed expansion/no bed expansion, what should be planted/not planted, what the membership requirements should be and who should be welcomed, talk to one of the committee members and we will take your view into account.
See you Sunday!
Betsy
PS Jennifer Meldrum from the city might buy the corn stalks from us. If she doesn't but them, she offered us a free booth at the market. Anida expressed an interest in manning the booth. I would be interested too. It could be good "retail experience" for the kids. Even if we don't do it this month, we might do it next year - we could make our garden self sufficient - which really appeals to m
It was an especially delicious potluck last night!!!! Next month , (the first Wednesday of November, always the first Wednesday of the month - put it on your recurring dates) the potluck will move indoors to Jan and Rob's house. As always kids are welcome, and she has plenty of toys!
There will be no more meetings at potlucks!!!! Yay!!!!! Do we want food related educational food movies? (King Corn, Food Inc., Future of Food come to mind) Or do we just want to hang out?
We have a steering committe: Beth, Mark, Vikte, Jan, Tish, Meg, and myself. We will begin meeting in November. We will be the deciders! Of course we will take everyone's (who is truly involved in the garden) opinion into account and come up with what we think is feasable and what pleases most people.
We generally decided that jobs would be more spread out this year, and it would be a tighter group. I would like to include any family (on any block!) that wants to be involved and can commit to the work , limiting the number to 10 families. But I guess we didn't really decide this yet.
We all feel that any neighbor who wants to be involved, but cannot be involved in a regular way should feel free to stop by whenever they feel like it, help pull weeds, plant or water, take a cucumber or two, come to the potlucks, in general feel welcomed! This is what a community garden is all about!
So we won't bore you with details anymore. If you feel strongly about bed expansion/no bed expansion, what should be planted/not planted, what the membership requirements should be and who should be welcomed, talk to one of the committee members and we will take your view into account.
See you Sunday!
Betsy
PS Jennifer Meldrum from the city might buy the corn stalks from us. If she doesn't but them, she offered us a free booth at the market. Anida expressed an interest in manning the booth. I would be interested too. It could be good "retail experience" for the kids. Even if we don't do it this month, we might do it next year - we could make our garden self sufficient - which really appeals to m
Monday, October 5, 2009
Garden Update/Potluck Reminder
Hi guys
We had a pretty easy day in the garden today. Lots of harvesting: basil, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, lettuce, arugula, beets, cabbage, kale, ...... yum.
We put leaves over the garlic beds.
We pulled some of the plants that we deemed done.
*****As you have leaves please bring them right over and pile them on any empty bed!!!!******* we can pile them very high.
We emptied the rain barrels so they wouldn't freeze.
We had a lot of chit chat.
We trimmed off the tops of the brussel sprout plants in hopes that they would actually produce some brussel sprouts.
We tasted a paw paw that Clem and I foraged.
Remember Potluck is Wednesday! At the Garden . 6:00 pm. If you've brought a table in the past please bring one again. Bring your own chair, a dish to pass, and whatever beverage you desire. I will bring forks, Tish can you bring plates? I will bring napkins.
Bring your ideas for the garden layout for next year, and how you think the group should be organized for next year. We will talk about that and hopefully form a "steering committee" (I guess that 's what it's called) to make decisions.
If you want to be on the committee you need to show up for this meeting and you need to have been fairly involved in the garden this year (have showed up Most Sundays).
Betsy Breckels
We had a pretty easy day in the garden today. Lots of harvesting: basil, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, lettuce, arugula, beets, cabbage, kale, ...... yum.
We put leaves over the garlic beds.
We pulled some of the plants that we deemed done.
*****As you have leaves please bring them right over and pile them on any empty bed!!!!******* we can pile them very high.
We emptied the rain barrels so they wouldn't freeze.
We had a lot of chit chat.
We trimmed off the tops of the brussel sprout plants in hopes that they would actually produce some brussel sprouts.
We tasted a paw paw that Clem and I foraged.
Remember Potluck is Wednesday! At the Garden . 6:00 pm. If you've brought a table in the past please bring one again. Bring your own chair, a dish to pass, and whatever beverage you desire. I will bring forks, Tish can you bring plates? I will bring napkins.
Bring your ideas for the garden layout for next year, and how you think the group should be organized for next year. We will talk about that and hopefully form a "steering committee" (I guess that 's what it's called) to make decisions.
If you want to be on the committee you need to show up for this meeting and you need to have been fairly involved in the garden this year (have showed up Most Sundays).
Betsy Breckels
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Words of Wisdom From Betsy
Hi all
At our potluck this Wednesday we will have a meeting. Really, this time we will. Jan is going to bring a long table and we will talk and eat at the same time.
We need to make some decisions about how we want to lay out the garden next year (if we even want to change it at all) so that we can plant garlic - which needs to be planted now.
So here are some proposed topics:
Reflections on this year
layout for next year
Requirements for Membership for next year
Treasury Report
Scavenge List
(Other than the garlic - I think we can hold off on deciding what to plant next year - though we can definitely throw around thoughts and ideas)
If you can't be there and have ideas you want heard, feel free to email me
Betsy
ps don't forget to come out in the morning Sept. 2nd for our 15 minutes of fame - 9 am
At our potluck this Wednesday we will have a meeting. Really, this time we will. Jan is going to bring a long table and we will talk and eat at the same time.
We need to make some decisions about how we want to lay out the garden next year (if we even want to change it at all) so that we can plant garlic - which needs to be planted now.
So here are some proposed topics:
Reflections on this year
layout for next year
Requirements for Membership for next year
Treasury Report
Scavenge List
(Other than the garlic - I think we can hold off on deciding what to plant next year - though we can definitely throw around thoughts and ideas)
If you can't be there and have ideas you want heard, feel free to email me
Betsy
ps don't forget to come out in the morning Sept. 2nd for our 15 minutes of fame - 9 am
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