[Garden] Community Garden Update August 2009

Mon Aug 24 10:48:35 EDT 2009

Garden Update - August 2009 (please circulate) 

FREE Signage!

-          As was previously announced there is an opportunity for not just
a sign for your garden but a communication board (thanks to our generous
sponsor Together 4 Health)!  The exact design for these signs is still being
determined but there will be two styles (one mounted in the ground and one
for a fence or shed).  Not only will there be information for those possibly
interested in a plot but also space for communication between gardeners.  I
want to thank all those that took some time to fill out the survey that was
passed along.  Even if you did not participate in the survey but are still
interested in a sign for your garden there is still an opportunity.  Due to
the limitations of the survey design I was not able to access who expressed
interest in a sign.  If you want a sign for your garden, please contact me
(519-883-2353 ext. 5984 or  <mailto:candace at owr.ca> candace at owr.ca) by
August 31st to ensure you are included! 

Events

-          SAVE THE DATE!!  "Community Gardeners Make Your Garden Work
Better: Get the Supports You Need" workshop.  If your garden needs access to
resources such as readily available water, tools, or funds?  Join us for a
FREE workshop.  This workshop will provide you with expert, practical advice
on how to:

*         Get the tools you need to garden

*         Keep your right to garden

*         Organize to influence power

*         Join forces with others

Facilitator John Jackson a local activist, writer, and lecturer will be
complimented with success stories from fellow community gardeners.  Join us
as we continue to work toward building the Vision we created last year
Saturday, September 19, 2009,10am-2:30pm; light lunch provided.  Located at
the Cambridge Centre for the Arts - Toyota Room; 60 Dickson St., Cambridge.
Please RSVP by September 14th to Candace at 519-883-2353 ext. 5984 or
candace at owr.ca.  (Very exciting!  More details to come!)

-          Seed Saving Garden Tour. Saturday August 29, 10:00 am & 1:00 pm.
Bring a bundle of envelopes and join us on a seed saving walk through our
heritage flower and vegetable gardens. Learn about pollination and how to
save seeds for a wide variety of ornamentals and vegetables.  Take seed home
with you.  Located at Diversity Gardens, 1528 Notre Dame Drive, St. Agatha

Sponsorship

-          For Gardens in Kitchener only...

o        Festival of Neighbourhoods.  Kitchener residents are encouraged to
hold a community event in their neighbourhood; this event can then be
entered into a draw for several prizes (including a grand prize of a $10,000
capital improvement grant!) at the Festival of Neighbourhoods Finale on
Sunday, October 25, 2009.  Activities must be held between March 29 and
October 5, 2009. For more information visit:
http://www.kitchener.ca/award_prog/festival_neighbourhoods.html

Media

- A new twist to delivering fresh veggies: A Truck Farm -
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/30/the-truck-farm-the-cooles_n_247818.
html

- Gardens Given a Boost by the U.S. Federal Government.
<http://tefapalliance.org/blog/archives/489>
http://tefapalliance.org/blog/archives/489

Photo Contest

- Enter our "I Dig Your Photo!" contest and win!  How to enter: Log onto
Facebook and upload your photo to the group "Waterloo Region Community
Gardeners". Please name the photo "I Dig Your Photo Contest Entry", and
you're set! Or, send your photo entries to Candace at owr.ca. (But Facebook is
easier if you have it!).  What you can win:  1st Prize: A family 4-pack of
passes to the Waterloo Region's Children's Museum,

and your photo showcased in our next newsletter.  Runner-Up Prize: A $20
gift certificate to Zehrs Grocery. Closing Date for Entry: September 30,
2009.

Idea for InSpiratioN..

- The Ballard Community Garden in Seattle recently hosted an "Art in the
Garden" event.  The community enjoyed a wonderful walk through the garden
while listening to some awesome musicians and viewing amazing artworks all
for sale by local artists.  People could have a beer and brat on the patio
and dessert at their infamous bake sale which included a silent auction and
a "Bacchus Crown" tent, where you could make your own crown from flowers,
herbs and ribbons. There were also lots of activities for kids.  For more
information you can visit their website at
<http://www.ballardgardenparty.com/> www.ballardgardenparty.com. Here you
will find the artists and the musician line-up, pictures of last years event
and more! 

Garden Tips

-          Blossom End Rot of Tomatoes.  Blossom end rot is a common problem
on tomatoes. It causes dark, leathery, sunken blotches on the bottoms of
your beautiful, ripening tomato fruit. Blossom end rot is considered a
nutritional disorder, since it results from a lack of calcium in growing
fruits. Practically speaking, however, the cause is usually inadequate
irrigation. Soil moisture is essential for roots to absorb calcium. To avoid
blossom end rot:

o        Keep your tomato bed soil well limed so calcium will be present. 

o        Keep the plants well watered so calcium will be available. Also
avoid great fluctuations in soil moisture which seem to aggravate the
problem. 

o        Use an organic mulch around plants to help keep the soil evenly
moist. 

o        Avoid heavy pruning or overfertilizing with nitrogen; these
practices seem to make tomatoes more susceptible to blossom end rot. 

o        If you use black plastic mulch, make sure it has enough holes for
water to penetrate. Shape your beds with concave tops before covering with
plastic to avoid shedding all the water away from the plants 

-          Tips on Garden Theft & Vandalism..

o        Make friends with neighbours whose property borders the garden.
Give them vegetables for keeping an eye on the property

o        Harvest vegetables daily, plant less popular vegetables along the
perimeter to deter 'walk-by picking'.

o        Plant a little garden at the entrance and post a sign which reads
'If you need to take food, please take it from here'

o        For more tips go to our website at: www.community-gardens.ca
<http://www.community-gardens.ca/>  under "Starting and Managing a Community
Garden"

Happy Harvesting, Preserving, & Eating:-)

Candace

*Please forward any events, tips, articles, or announcements for future
Updates from the Garden.

______________________

Candace Wormsbecker

Community Garden Capacity Builder

Opportunities Waterloo Region

235  King St. E., Main Floor

Kitchener, ON

N2G 4N5

Tel: 519-883-2353 ext. 5984

Fax: 519-568-8587

"Life is too serious to be taken seriously. Give life the light touch and
smile as often as you can."

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