Leaves Make Great Compost!

Fall is a good time to take stock of compost materials for next year's garden.  Leaves from deciduous trees are a great addition to any compost pile, providing the 'brown' or carbon portion needed to break down and stabilize the 'green' or nitrogen portion. 
It can also be problematic for some to dispose conscientiously of excess fall leaves.  So... our garden is going to help you out.  Please see below:

 Leaf Collection Event

Yreka Community Gardens, on Knapp Street next to the high school gym, will be holding a one-day only leaf collection event on Saturday, November 19th from 10am-1pm. This event aims to reduce leaf burning and offers an alternative to taking leaves to the transfer station. The garden will be composting all donated leaves for use on-site.

Clean loads only please. No walnut leaves, pine needles, brush, garbage or other yard debris will be accepted. All donations will be inspected and any mixed bags or loads will be turned away. Email any questions or comments to yrekacommunitygardens@gmail.com or post  them to our Facebook page.

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!

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

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.

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/

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.

Gardening Workshops for July

Yreka Community Gardens

431 Knapp Street

All Classes Tuesdays at 6:00 PM

July 12^th ·  Water Conservation Basics · Don Rolph  City of Yreka

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.