Thursday, May 31, 2012

DCG Harvest on Sat./ Vigilance Needed


Hello Dundee Community Garden Members and Friends,  


Thanks to everyone who helped plant the sweet potatoes last Saturday.  Not sure how many of them are going to make it... but they're planted!   Also thanks to the people who have been bring grass clippings-- mulching is coming along nicely.  Remember to mulch your own beds so that you'll need to water less!


Saturday Work Day/ Harvest Time Regular weekly Saturday morning work days have started-- come when you can between 9-12.  We've been harvesting quite a bit of greens for the Underwood Tower, and our flower beds need a lot of weeding!  Gift certificate drawings will be held weekly--you must be present win! 


Garden Thieves on the prowl: please be vigilant  As you may have read in the World-Herald, two gardens have had plants stolen in the past week. http://www.omaha.com/article/20120531/NEWS97/120539940#garden-thieves-strike-again   http://www.omaha.com/article/20120529/NEWS97/705299921   From the paper it sounds as if donations have come flooding in to the Sherman Community Garden, and the same will probably happen with City Sprouts, but please feel free to donate to those two gardens if you have extras!  It may be beneficial that our location at the Dundee Community Garden is so public, making us less of an easy target, but please keep an eye out when you're in the neighborhood and be vigilant-- these vegetable thefts could happen to any garden, including ours!


Extra Vegetable Starts needed for Refugee Garden:   Additionally, the Yates Community Center for Refugees is looking for seeds and starter plants for vegetables for their new community garden, which they will be planting next week on June 6.  If you've got extras to pass along, please bring to our work day this Saturday, or contact Mary at megreen4@cox.net


AND SOME REMINDERS:
Ice Cream Social Sat. June 16, 3-5 p.m.  Mark your calendars now-- more information coming!

Grass Clippings Still Needed:  as always, we can use grass clippings throughout the season to mulch our flower and vegetable beds.  

Reminder Note about Squash and Cucumbers:  Last year our squash crop throughout the garden was DECIMATED by the squash bug, and we also had terrible problems with the cucumber beetle.  We're going try to control these pests by restricting the plants they love, so we are recommending that no squash or cucumbers get planted at DCG this year.  If you do choose to plant these crops, please keep a close eye on them and remove right away if the bugs take over-- and if we find infested plants, we'll have to pull them out. 

COMMUNITY EVENTS:
Subject: Beehive Presentation @ Hands To Harvest!
 
Hi! I'm with the Hands to Harvest community garden.
 
As you may not be aware, we have recently begun hosting a beehive in our garden. This is working out really well and has some fantastic benefits.
 
First, according to The Omaha Bee Club, there are beekeepers all over the city who need a location for their hives and what better place for them than a community garden? You get your plots pollinated, you get to help out a local beekeeper, and best of all, you get to purchase local, organic honey that you actually helped create. How often does anybody get to do that?
 
We would like to share this experience with other community gardens, so we are hosting a presentation. Tony Sandoval, President of the Omaha Bee Club, will be talking to us about the benefits of hosting a beehive and answering questions. We are inviting community garden members hoping they will attend this presentation and decide to host a beehive as well.
 
 
Location: Hands to Harvest Community Garden
            1113 S. 31st St, Omaha
 
Date: Monday, June 11 starting at 5:30 PM
 
Would you please distribute this invitation to the garden networks? No RSVP is necessary.


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Friday, May 25, 2012

DCG Sweet Potatoes, Grass Clippings, and Beehives



Hello Dundee Community Garden Members and Friends,

Sweet Potato Planting and Greens Harvest Sat. May 26:  It's time to get those sweet potatoes in the ground!  Last year we grew over 700#s of sweet potatoes.  This is your chance to learn how it's done!  We also have lots of greens, and some giant radishes, to harvest from our food pantry plots to donate to the Underwood Tower across the street.  We'll be there from 9-12-- come when you can.  

Work Days/ Harvest Times are every Saturday morning, 9-12... come when you can.  Our Dundee Merchants have very generously donated gift certificates to our working volunteers-- must be present to be entered in drawings held each work day!

Grass Clippings Still Needed:  and as always, we can use grass clippings throughout the season to mulch our flower and vegetable beds.  Thanks to whoever has mulched the flower beds along Underwood!

Have extra vegetable starts, or seeds?  The Yates Community Center for Refugees is looking for seeds and starter plants for vegetables for their new community garden.  If you've got extras to pass along, please bring to our work day Saturday, or contact Mary at megreen4@cox.net

Reminder Note about Squash and Cucumbers:  Last year our squash crop throughout the garden was DECIMATED by the squash bug, and we also had terrible problems with the cucumber beetle.  We're going try to control these pests by restricting the plants they love, so we are recommending that no squash or cucumbers get planted at DCG this year.  If you do choose to plant these crops, please keep a close eye on them and remove right away if the bugs take over-- and if we find infested plants, we'll have to pull them out.  

Ice Cream Social Sat. June 16, 3-5 p.m.  Mark your calendars now-- more information coming!


COMMUNITY EVENTS:
Subject: Beehive Presentation @ Hands To Harvest!
Hi! I'm with the Hands to Harvest community garden.
As you may not be aware, we have recently begun hosting a beehive in our garden. This is working out really well and has some fantastic benefits.
First, according to The Omaha Bee Club, there are beekeepers all over the city who need a location for their hives and what better place for them than a community garden? You get your plots pollinated, you get to help out a local beekeeper, and best of all, you get to purchase local, organic honey that you actually helped create. How often does anybody get to do that?
We would like to share this experience with other community gardens, so we are hosting a presentation. Tony Sandoval, President of the Omaha Bee Club, will be talking to us about the benefits of hosting a beehive and answering questions. We are inviting community garden members hoping they will attend this presentation and decide to host a beehive as well.
Location: Hands to Harvest Community Garden
            1113 S. 31st St, Omaha
Date: Monday, June 11 starting at 5:30 PM
Would you please distribute this invitation to the garden networks? No RSVP is necessary.



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Sunday, May 6, 2012

DCG May Work Days/ Spring Fling

Hello Dundee Community Garden Members and Friends,  

Thanks to everyone who helped out at our work day last Sat.  Check out the new stone "retaining edging" along the 49th St. sidewalk.  The flower beds are looking great!

Work Days May 12 and 26:  Our next DCG Work Days will be Sat. May 12 and May 26, 9-12 both days (come when you can).  We'll be planting the remaining two community beds, the bean teepee, and some flowers and perennials along the north (alley) side of the garden.  We'll also be planting the sweet potatoes!  Please mark your calendars and come when you can.  Must be present to be entered in gift certificate drawings held at each work day!

A Note about Squash and Cucumbers:  Last year our squash crop throughout the garden was DECIMATED by the squash bug, and we also had terrible problems with the cucumber beetle.  We're going try to control these pests by restricting the plants they love, so we are recommending that no squash or cucumbers get planted at DCG this year.  If you do choose to plant these crops, please keep a close eye on them and remove right away if the bugs take over-- and if we find infested plants, we'll have to pull them out.

and Aphids:  Our hollyhocks have been attacked by aphids this spring.  We're trying to keep them under control with this organic mixture:
If aphids are observed on plants a natural spray to kill them can be made from 1 cup of vegetable oil, 1 1/2 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of dish soap. Sprayed on the aphids, the insects suffocate and die. Two or three applications may be necessary over the course of a few days and the plants should be shaded from direct sunlight while they are still wet.Read more at  
So far, it seems to be pretty effective, but if you see aphids making a come-back, try it out!

Tomato Cages and Mesh Produce Bags for Sale at Spring Fling on Sat. May 19:   The Dundee Merchants Assoc. is cutting way back on Spring Fling, but there will be sidewalk sales and smaller events for Spring Fling on Sat. May 19.  Dundee Community Garden will be selling our wonderful tomato cages ($15 for one, or $25 for two) as well as re-usable mesh produce bags ($5 for a set of three-- these are great-- I already own a dozen of them-- you won't have to use plastic produce bags ever again!)  Please stop by our table on May 19th-- we'll be set up on the sidewalk in front of the Denim Saloon/ Dundee Gallery area.
(If you can't make it on May 19, we'll also be selling these items at our Ice Cream Social on June 16.)

Weeds and Planting Your Plot:  All members are responsible for keeping weeds out of their plots.  Some plots are full of weeds, which then spread to others in the garden.  Plots must be weeded by May 15.  All plots must be planted by June 1.  If you are having a situation that makes it difficult for you to care for your plot, please let us know and we'll try to help you out.  If you are no longer interested in caring for a plot, let us know and we can re-assign your plot-- we've got a long waiting list!  

Bring Perennials:  As always, we can use more perennials for flower beds, and along the alley.

And Bring Grass Clippings:  and as always, we can use grass clippings throughout the season to mulch our flower and vegetable beds.

Have extra vegetable starts, or seeds?  The Yates Community Center for Refugees is looking for seeds and starter plants for vegetables for their new community garden.  If you've got extras to pass along, contact Mary at megreen4@cox.net

Help Mulch New Dundee Berry Patch on Sunday:  Some of you are familiar with the "Food Community in Dundee" concept.  As part of this, avid gardener Sarah Newman was able to get a mayor's grant last year to start a Community Berry Patch.  The berry patch is located along Happy Hollow Blvd. by the entrance to Brownell-Talbot School (just south of Underwood.)   Please see Sarah's call for help below:

"Mulching of the newly planted Dundee Berry Patch will begin at 10 am this Sunday, May 6, weather permitting.  Please bring equipment if you have it.  Wheelbarrows and shovels are needed."

No need to RSVP, but if you'd like more information, contact Sarah at  sarahnewman@cox.net 


COMMUNITY EVENTS:

Men's Garden Club Plant Sale  
TODAY-- Fri. May 4, 5:30-8 p.m.
Sat May 5, 9-2
Extension Bldg. 8015 W. Center Road, Omaha
This is a great opportunity to get all kinds of heirloom tomatoes and other vegetables and flowers!  Go early for best selection.
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Urban Farming – A Panel Presentation
Sponsored by the Green Neighborhood Council
Thursday, May 10th from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Neighborhood Center, 115 S 49th Avenue
All GNC workshops are free and open to the public.

As everyone involved in the local urban farming movement knows, the number of backyard and community gardens in the Omaha area continues to increase each year. People of all ages are finding they can grow food for themselves, either learning on their own or from the many teachers and mentors who don’t just tell but show them how to garden, digging in the dirt along with them. Four of those teachers will discuss their work and suggest ways audience members can get involved. Please plan to join us for this informal roundtable presentation and discussion.

Ali Clark works with the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society as the organization’s Urban Agriculture Specialist.  With other community gardening enthusiasts, she recently helped launch a new Community Supported Agriculture farm, the Big Muddy Urban Farm:www.bigmuddyfarm.blogspot.com/ 

Chris Foster is the Director of Gifford Park’s Youth Garden Program. He’ll present a short power point slideshow, highlighting the variety of available activities in Gifford Park’s Youth Garden Program and Community Garden:
www.giffordparkomaha.org/Community_Garden.html 

Dana Freeman has been the School Garden Coordinator with Douglas County Health Department for the CPPW grant and was the Gifford Park Youth Garden Director for 5 years. By May 10th, she will no longer be with the Douglas County Health Department, but she remains a school and community garden advocate and has recently started her own small business called Growing Gardeners, Inc.

Dan Susman travelled across the country last summer with his friend, Andrew Monbouquette to film a documentary about urban farming, called Growing Cities: www.growingcitiesmovie.com. His latest endeavor, the Truck Farm is an edible education project that will provide farm experiences to Omaha area youth.

A free book on gardening or another green topic will be given to each attendee, or while quantities last. 

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Check out this Great Article on Rain Gardens by former DCG member Helen Deffenbacher:
This article is written for kids and families, but is full of good information and lists local resources.
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