Sunday, October 23, 2011
Tile Mosaic Workshop
Wow! That was a great workshop! We had two days of fun for the kids who attended the workshop. Check out the photos on the right, and stop by the garden to see what wonderful things the kids came up with. Keep in mind that kids as young as SIX YEARS OLD were producing this great looking art. Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Fall Clean-Up and Work Party
Our garden needs some fall clean-up and wrap up for winter. If you are going to garden this winter, that's great too. Either way, we need all gardeners to clean up their plots, compost and weed them and generally help tie down everything before the winds and snow come.
You are invited to join your fellow gardeners for an end of the year
POTLUCK and WORK PARTY on October 29th from 10-3.
If you can't make it on that day, please make time to do your chores before the end of this month.
Fall is a good time to do a little reflecting on what you grew this year too.
Did you like your tomatoes? Did you try that unusual cucumber variety your neighbor had? What would you like more of, less of, none of, for next year? (Even a few notes might be a good idea.) I know I was disgusted with the mini-peppers we grew this year because the effort did not seem to match the result. Did you like being part of the anarchy garden group? Did you wish you had helped harvest for the food bank? What would you change?
We will be having an all gardener meeting this winter to collect your ideas for...
2012.. Here we come!
Ayn
You are invited to join your fellow gardeners for an end of the year
POTLUCK and WORK PARTY on October 29th from 10-3.
If you can't make it on that day, please make time to do your chores before the end of this month.
Fall is a good time to do a little reflecting on what you grew this year too.
Did you like your tomatoes? Did you try that unusual cucumber variety your neighbor had? What would you like more of, less of, none of, for next year? (Even a few notes might be a good idea.) I know I was disgusted with the mini-peppers we grew this year because the effort did not seem to match the result. Did you like being part of the anarchy garden group? Did you wish you had helped harvest for the food bank? What would you change?
We will be having an all gardener meeting this winter to collect your ideas for...
2012.. Here we come!
Ayn
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Art Workshop for Kids at the Garden
Be a part of history! Learn about petroglyphs and create your own with tile. Workshop taught by local tile mosaic artist, Monica Zinda of Moonshine Mosaics.
Two Day Workshop
October 1 10-2 – Design and create your own tile mosaic petroglyph.
October 22 10-12 – Install your petroglyph on a boulder in the Children’s Garden.
This workshop is open to kids
from 7-18 years. $10 Fee
Space is limited, so call now!
To sign-up or get more information, email us at
yrekacommunitygardens@gmail.com
or call Rachel Jereb at 842-3408.
sponsored by the Siskiyou Gardens, Parks and Greenway and
the Shasta Regional Foundation.
Two Day Workshop
October 1 10-2 – Design and create your own tile mosaic petroglyph.
October 22 10-12 – Install your petroglyph on a boulder in the Children’s Garden.
This workshop is open to kids
from 7-18 years. $10 Fee
Space is limited, so call now!
To sign-up or get more information, email us at
yrekacommunitygardens@gmail.com
or call Rachel Jereb at 842-3408.
sponsored by the Siskiyou Gardens, Parks and Greenway and
the Shasta Regional Foundation.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Summer Recipe from Perennial Plate
Check out this very simple pasta recipe for that vegetarian in your life. http://www.theperennialplate.com/recipes/2011/08/sun-gold-tomato-pasta/
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Reducing Your Water Footprint
in case you missed it......
Notes from YCG Workshop presented by Don Rolph, City of Yreka 7/12/2011
Don handed out 2 new documents to assist with the City of Yreka’s Water Efficiency Program. One is Water Efficiency Plant Guide for Reducing Irrigation Water Use; the second is Landscaping and Irrigation Ideas. Both will assist citizens with reducing water bills through water efficient landscaping. For a copy of them contact the city, at 841-2386 or download them at the city’s website. There is also a pamphlet explaining the program and giving some basic water conservation tips. http://ci.yreka.ca.us/city/public/water-efficiency
Don explained that the main savings in water use are to be found in your outside watering practices in our climate. Don discussed some basic skills such as learning how to read your flow meter, how to fix simple hose and pipe leaks, and measuring your water pressure. All these skills and more will be discussed during a visit from Don to your home, if you live in Yreka.
Don also discussed several key water conservation concepts. One of the most effective water conservation is plant by “hydro zones” or areas of your landscaping or garden that have the same water needs. This allows for more efficient irrigation design and watering. Other steps that will reduce your water bill are to reduce the area of lawn that you water, and to switch to drip or rotary sprinklers.
The City of Yreka wants to improve water use efficiency for homeowners and businesses. Water surveys are available on a voluntary basis. Contact Don Rolph at the city at 841-2356 to schedule one or for more information.
The Yreka Community Gardens supports efforts to save water at our garden and yours. Please check out these informative pamphlets and pass the word to your neighbors that saving water is one way to reduce water bills. We hope to put on a drip irrigation design workshop in the spring 2012.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Gardening Workshops for July
Yreka Community Gardens
431 Knapp Street
All Classes Tuesdays at 6:00 PM
How to reduce your water footprint.
July 19th · Food Preservation · Susanna Black YCG Member
Learn ways to preserve and store your food after you’ve grown it.
July 26th · Increase Your Harvest · Ann Robinson Montague Farmers Market
How to maximize the production from your garden by harvesting at the right time and in the right way. Hands-on harvesting demonstration.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Bonus Garden Planted and other news!
Bonus Garden, you say? What's that? The Bonus Garden is what has kept Ayn and I (and others, thank you!) busy for the past month or so. Hence the lack of posts (but beware, this one is a long one!). If you follow the pathway to the left of the big greenhouse you will see a large cleared area with a lettuce patch right up at the front. That is the bonus garden!
Last year the bonus garden (aka auxiliary garden) was a place to grow left-over plants from our plant sales. We ended up a whole lot of tomatoes and a little bit of everything else. This year we tripled the size of the garden (Thanks Peter and Cade!) and we tried to plant at least one of everything. Since we had a bunch of tomatillos left, we planted a bunch of those, too! To date we have the following planted: lettuce, garlic, beans (for dry beans in the fall), cucumbers, melons, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, winter squash, summer squash, tomatillos, and three batches of corn.
At this point you are probably wondering why on earth we have such a huge garden with so many plants. Lots of reasons!
Primarily, the produce from the bonus garden will be harvested and donated to various free meal programs and the food pantry here in town. Unfortunately fresh produce is not something that is consistently and readily available to everyone in our community so it is really appreciated when it gets donated.
We also planted the bonus garden with you in mind! If you are a plot holder with us, you are welcome to harvest from the bonus garden. Last year we sent out emails when a particular item was ready for harvesting and that seemed to work well. We'll probably do that again but we might have some restrictions on which days produce may be harvested. That way on donation days we have enough ripe/ready produce to harvest. As stuff starts ripening we'll come up with a game plan and let you know what to do. Right now the lettuce is ready to go! Try harvesting from the thickest patches first, please.
Lastly, the bonus garden is used as a trials garden. We want to know what works well with our climate. Obviously having such a short warm season, we can't grow everything we want to. This year we are experimenting with luffa, which is a 100 day crop. If we actually manage to get anything out of it we'll be giving them away during the Yreka Night of Lights! Keep your fingers crossed for us, please.
In addition to figuring out what grows well here, we want to know what is good to eat. We get a lot of donated seed from various companies and individuals and sometimes there is a good reason they are giving it away. It is our job to figure out what we like and don't like. For example, I think it is safe to say we will NEVER grow Green Sausage Tomatoes ever again. Yuck! However, we did find that Chocolate Cherry and Black Sea Man Tomatoes are absolutely delicious. We grew and sold more of them this year for our plant sales. Apparently our customers agreed because they sold out really quickly!
Companion planting is something else we are trying out this year. Ayn has a little "three sisters" circle in the very back of the garden. Do a search for it online if you are interested in learning more about "three sisters."
Finally, we like to experiment with different irrigation methods. Last year we did a lot of furrow irrigation. This year our big thing is soaker hoses. Potable water is a precious resource, so using less of it is something we strive for. Hopefully the soaker hoses will help us out with that.
If your are interested in helping with harvesting, donations, or maintaining the bonus garden, please let us know. It is a lot of work and we would love to have your help. If you have a plot with us at the garden, one of the easiest things to do is harvest your excess produce, clean it and put it in the donation coolers on donation day. We'll keep you posted on which days are donation days.
Don't forget what else is behind the greenhouse! This year we have a wonderful butterfly garden (horseshoe shaped garden), which will be getting benches and shade trellises for your relaxing pleasure. The teepee will soon be planted with green beans, and the sunflower house will be grown in with the willows this year. The resource center kids will be planting it tomorrow, and word on the street is that it might be a maze instead of a house this year.
New in the back this year is an area for people who want to plant crops that might not fit in their regular garden bed; like cucumbers, melons, and squash. It is the "finger" of the bonus garden, near the rocks and blackberries. If you have a plot at the community garden, then you are eligible to claim a square. Just like your regular bed, you will be responsible for planting, watering, harvesting and otherwise maintaining it. There are six squares marked by bamboo corners with a pathway down the middle. Once you have planted your square, please take a stake (ask me if you can't find one), and write your name on it so we know who had "homesteaded" each square. There is a large permanent marker in the big greenhouse, or get creative and come up with something fun! The spaces are free this year and are available on a first-come basis, but there is a very limited number available. We might be able to squeeze in a few more squares if the original six get filled, so email me at yrekacommunitygardens@gmail.com if you want one but they are all taken.
Back up at the front of the garden, Ayn will be planting a perennial herb bed along the fence by Newton Park. If you have a perennial herb you'd like to donate to the cause, please let her know by emailing her at yrekacommunitygardens@gmail.com.
The circle garden, in the middle of the plots, has been adopted by the Methodist Church! They have made a lot of changes because they want it for flower production. Once stuff starts blooming, they will be harvest flowers to use during their services. However, there are still lots of strawberries up for grabs. If you see a ripe one, pick it and eat it before the birds and bugs beat you to it!
Speaking of strawberries, the strawberries along the fence by the parking lot are also free for the picking. Help yourself, and help your kids help themselves too!
Also new this year, the Yreka Garden Club has planted a little demonstration garden in front of the mural. If you run into Peggy or Mary Jo at the garden, have them tell you what all they planted.
To end my rather lengthy post, remember that we are a community garden. But within our community, we are individuals. Individuals who all garden a little bit (or a lot) differently than each other. If you are new (or even a seasoned regular) to gardening, you might have had a lot of different people giving you advice, trying to help you out. It is okay to politely smile and nod and then completely disregard what they told you. It is your plot, garden the way YOU want to. Specifically, water when you think your plants need water. Just because someone told you that watering your plot every single day, or only once a week, is the best way doesn't mean you have to listen to them. The other thing I've heard is being told is that tall crops, like sunflowers or corn, aren't allowed in your bed. Not true! You can have whatever tall crops you want... as long as they aren't shading your neighbor's plot. The caveat to this is that you do have to listen to your garden mentor (Rachel, Ayn, or Molly). If one of us tell you to weed, water, or get rid of a certain plant you actually do have to listen. Smiling, nodding and disregarding just won't work with us. :)
Have a great season, it looks like it will be a great one!
-Rachel
Last year the bonus garden (aka auxiliary garden) was a place to grow left-over plants from our plant sales. We ended up a whole lot of tomatoes and a little bit of everything else. This year we tripled the size of the garden (Thanks Peter and Cade!) and we tried to plant at least one of everything. Since we had a bunch of tomatillos left, we planted a bunch of those, too! To date we have the following planted: lettuce, garlic, beans (for dry beans in the fall), cucumbers, melons, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, winter squash, summer squash, tomatillos, and three batches of corn.
At this point you are probably wondering why on earth we have such a huge garden with so many plants. Lots of reasons!
Primarily, the produce from the bonus garden will be harvested and donated to various free meal programs and the food pantry here in town. Unfortunately fresh produce is not something that is consistently and readily available to everyone in our community so it is really appreciated when it gets donated.
We also planted the bonus garden with you in mind! If you are a plot holder with us, you are welcome to harvest from the bonus garden. Last year we sent out emails when a particular item was ready for harvesting and that seemed to work well. We'll probably do that again but we might have some restrictions on which days produce may be harvested. That way on donation days we have enough ripe/ready produce to harvest. As stuff starts ripening we'll come up with a game plan and let you know what to do. Right now the lettuce is ready to go! Try harvesting from the thickest patches first, please.
Lastly, the bonus garden is used as a trials garden. We want to know what works well with our climate. Obviously having such a short warm season, we can't grow everything we want to. This year we are experimenting with luffa, which is a 100 day crop. If we actually manage to get anything out of it we'll be giving them away during the Yreka Night of Lights! Keep your fingers crossed for us, please.
In addition to figuring out what grows well here, we want to know what is good to eat. We get a lot of donated seed from various companies and individuals and sometimes there is a good reason they are giving it away. It is our job to figure out what we like and don't like. For example, I think it is safe to say we will NEVER grow Green Sausage Tomatoes ever again. Yuck! However, we did find that Chocolate Cherry and Black Sea Man Tomatoes are absolutely delicious. We grew and sold more of them this year for our plant sales. Apparently our customers agreed because they sold out really quickly!
Companion planting is something else we are trying out this year. Ayn has a little "three sisters" circle in the very back of the garden. Do a search for it online if you are interested in learning more about "three sisters."
Finally, we like to experiment with different irrigation methods. Last year we did a lot of furrow irrigation. This year our big thing is soaker hoses. Potable water is a precious resource, so using less of it is something we strive for. Hopefully the soaker hoses will help us out with that.
If your are interested in helping with harvesting, donations, or maintaining the bonus garden, please let us know. It is a lot of work and we would love to have your help. If you have a plot with us at the garden, one of the easiest things to do is harvest your excess produce, clean it and put it in the donation coolers on donation day. We'll keep you posted on which days are donation days.
Don't forget what else is behind the greenhouse! This year we have a wonderful butterfly garden (horseshoe shaped garden), which will be getting benches and shade trellises for your relaxing pleasure. The teepee will soon be planted with green beans, and the sunflower house will be grown in with the willows this year. The resource center kids will be planting it tomorrow, and word on the street is that it might be a maze instead of a house this year.
New in the back this year is an area for people who want to plant crops that might not fit in their regular garden bed; like cucumbers, melons, and squash. It is the "finger" of the bonus garden, near the rocks and blackberries. If you have a plot at the community garden, then you are eligible to claim a square. Just like your regular bed, you will be responsible for planting, watering, harvesting and otherwise maintaining it. There are six squares marked by bamboo corners with a pathway down the middle. Once you have planted your square, please take a stake (ask me if you can't find one), and write your name on it so we know who had "homesteaded" each square. There is a large permanent marker in the big greenhouse, or get creative and come up with something fun! The spaces are free this year and are available on a first-come basis, but there is a very limited number available. We might be able to squeeze in a few more squares if the original six get filled, so email me at yrekacommunitygardens@gmail.com if you want one but they are all taken.
Back up at the front of the garden, Ayn will be planting a perennial herb bed along the fence by Newton Park. If you have a perennial herb you'd like to donate to the cause, please let her know by emailing her at yrekacommunitygardens@gmail.com.
The circle garden, in the middle of the plots, has been adopted by the Methodist Church! They have made a lot of changes because they want it for flower production. Once stuff starts blooming, they will be harvest flowers to use during their services. However, there are still lots of strawberries up for grabs. If you see a ripe one, pick it and eat it before the birds and bugs beat you to it!
Speaking of strawberries, the strawberries along the fence by the parking lot are also free for the picking. Help yourself, and help your kids help themselves too!
Also new this year, the Yreka Garden Club has planted a little demonstration garden in front of the mural. If you run into Peggy or Mary Jo at the garden, have them tell you what all they planted.
To end my rather lengthy post, remember that we are a community garden. But within our community, we are individuals. Individuals who all garden a little bit (or a lot) differently than each other. If you are new (or even a seasoned regular) to gardening, you might have had a lot of different people giving you advice, trying to help you out. It is okay to politely smile and nod and then completely disregard what they told you. It is your plot, garden the way YOU want to. Specifically, water when you think your plants need water. Just because someone told you that watering your plot every single day, or only once a week, is the best way doesn't mean you have to listen to them. The other thing I've heard is being told is that tall crops, like sunflowers or corn, aren't allowed in your bed. Not true! You can have whatever tall crops you want... as long as they aren't shading your neighbor's plot. The caveat to this is that you do have to listen to your garden mentor (Rachel, Ayn, or Molly). If one of us tell you to weed, water, or get rid of a certain plant you actually do have to listen. Smiling, nodding and disregarding just won't work with us. :)
Have a great season, it looks like it will be a great one!
-Rachel
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