crowleystationgarden Social Events, Uncategorized, Workshops & Educational Events

Putting Your Garden to Bed Workshop Recap

By: Danna Olsen

I attended the last gardener workshop of the season at McFarland’s Community Garden. The topic of the evening was “putting your garden to bed and planning for next season.”

Katie Getty-Syoen gave us a tour of the gardens. I was particularly impressed with the children’s garden area. After running into many obstacles trying to get a school garden started, Katie got involved with a 4-H program and created a playful space with and for kids at the McFarland Community Garden. This space has a big sandbox, a desk planted with sedum, a mini produce/ lemonade stand and a whimsical garden bed. Her creativity and perseverance is an inspiration.

Below are some notes from the workshop of what to do at the end of the season.

Harvest

  • Before the first hard frost, make sure to harvest remaining tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc.
  • Root vegetables should also be harvested before the ground freezes.

Remove Dead Plants

  • Disease-free weeds/plants should be composted or used as mulch.
  • Diseased plants should be bagged and discarded off-site.

Get Ready For Next Season

  • Be ready to cover late season hardy vegetables and cold tender perennials with row cover or a plant blanket.
  • Add compost to your garden plot.
  • Plant cover crops (e.g. Clover, buckwheat, field peas/oats)
  • Try lasagna mulch by layering paper, cardboard, used straw/hay and vegetable scraps to build both structure and fertility or layer mulch of autumn leaves or hay on your garden bed.
  • Plant garlic and other spring bulbs (select the largest bulbs you can find).
  • This is a good time to clean and sharper tools.

 

 

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Closing Day & Elections

Closing day is scheduled for Saturday, November 7th at 12:00pm. This is a mandatory event for all garden members. Failure to attend will result in bad standing* and removal of all plants in your plot.

The purpose of closing day is getting the garden ready for winter by wrapping up any maintenance projects, cleaning out plots and planting cover crops to protect the soil, holding elections for the garden leadership team next year and celebrating the end of a successful season together with a potluck.

  • You are required to compost your weeds/plant debris within your plot boundaries or remove the material from the property. Diseased plants should be bagged and removed from the property.
  • Between old plant refuse and cover crops, mulch shouldn’t be needed, however if you wish to add something else, it must be approved. Mulch such as leaves and marsh hay are encouraged, but materials such as wood chips etc. may cause damage to the soil or issues in your plot next season.
  • Volunteer hours will be awarded to those that attend.

If you are able, please bring a snack or beverage to share. After our hard work, we will celebrate the season with a potluck.

*Good Standing:

To end the season in good standing, you must have paid all dues and completed 4 volunteer hours per plot. Being in good standing allows you to be refunded your security deposit AND gives you the opportunity to apply for a plot next season.

Elections for 2015 Garden Leadership Team:

We will also hold elections for next year’s garden leadership team during closing day. Descriptions of the positions can be found below or on the CSCG website: https://crowleystationgarden.org/handbook/leadership-organization/

The success of Crowley Station Community Garden relies on dedication and hard work from the leadership team. It is a very important role that isn’t difficult! The leadership team meets once a month at the garden meetings (open to all members) and discusses the status of projects, events and issues within the garden. If there are projects that pertain to their role, leaders put in some time to complete those tasks throughout the month. They are encouraged to enlist the help of other garden members to complete these tasks and keep the garden running smoothly. This is a great way to fulfill volunteer hours and make a difference in the success of the garden.

Please let us know if you have any questions about any of the leadership roles!

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Memorial for Becky Selleck

Last year Crowley Station Community Garden was created through the work of many dedicated community members. One of those members was Becky Selleck. Becky volunteered to be the first Educational Director and had a vision of the community garden serving everyone in the neighborhood. She worked to establish a relationship with the Episcopal Grace Food Pantry and started the first Educational Plot to teach members how to get the most our of their gardening experience. She was always willing to jump into a project with a smile or a sympathetic ear if a member was struggling. It was amazing to have her energy involved in the project.

Sadly, Becky Selleck passed away this Summer in an accident. Her Madison friends wanted a way to honor her gifts and life. They reached out to Crowley Station Community Garden in hopes they could find a partner for a memorial that would align well with everything that Becky worked for.

Together we have decided to rename the Educational Plot to Becky Selleck. We also hope to work on some expansion projects for the garden as well.

Please join us on Friday, August 28th, 5:30-8PM at the Crowley Station Community Garden for a potluck, stories, and an opportunity to donate to the memorial project!