Salad Party Wrap-Up

Well, we had a fantastic time.  The lettuce was great!  Everyone enjoyed the various food that people brought and we enjoyed each others company.

For those who couldn't make it, please get out to the garden and cut yourself a head of lettuce.  You will need to bring a sharp knife or a pair of kitchen shears.  Cut the lettuce close to the ground.

Roni is going to bring a few heads of lettuce to Inner Spirit, so you may be able to pick-up one there.  

There were some questions about summer lettuce varieties.  Here are a couple of  articles that might answer some questions:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/03/AR2006050300639.html
and http://vegetablegardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/heat_tolerant_lettuce_varieties

Please, everyone put the following date on your calendar:  June 26th.  We are going to have a work day to complete a few really big jobs.  We need to trellis vegetables, clean out the shed and a couple of other projects around the property.   It is extremely important that we get as many people to show up as possible.

Have a great couple of weeks and I will see everyone on June 26th!

1st Annual Salad Party

Everyone has been sent an invitation via email!  Please respond asap!  Thanks.

Host: Lotus Community Garden
Location: Lotus Community Garden
17 Saratoga Ave
East Northport, NY 11731-2239 US
When: Sunday, June 6, 4:00PM
Phone: 516-330-6732

The Romaine, Butter lettuce and micro-greens are in coming in and will need to be picked and eaten!  So please come and enjoy the first harvest from our garden.  Bring fixings for a salad (we will provide the lettuce), a main dish that will complement a salad, dessert or beverage.

Please bring your own plates, cups, silverware and lawn chairs (or blankets for a picnic)

Musicians, bring your instruments if you wish to play!

Family and friends are welcome!

RSVP ASAP and let me know what you are going to bring (When you are responding to your invitation, there will be a place to select what you are going to bring, just click!).

I hope to see everyone at the party.

It is ok to use nonorganic starts!

I just wanted to let people know that it is ok to use nonorganic starts.  We decided, after looking at cost, that it would be fine to use regular starts.  Not to fear, we are going to be growing everything organically!  If you are looking for a place to buy starts for your garden or to donate to the garden, please let me know.  There are a couple of great local sources at rock bottom prices!

Mulching Update

We had a great morning at the garden today.  First, the squash bed got planted.  We also mulched all the community beds that have stuff in them!  Yeah!

We still need more mulch.  If you have an opportunity to go to the Smithtown Landfill and pick-up mulch, please do so.  We still need to mulch pathways and will need some for the couple remaining beds that need to be planted.

Mulch Needed!

Hello All,

Our soil is drying out so we need to put mulch down asap!  Mulching the beds will keep the soil moist and help keep the soil at an optimum temperature.  

So, I am asking that anyone who can go over to Smithtown landfill, please get a load/bags of mulch and drop it off at the garden.   

Anytime in the next week would be fantastic!   Before heading to the garden tomorrow,  I am planning on going over (depending on the line) and getting some bags.  

Here is the lowdown on the FREE mulch:

Free wood chips and wood mulch
Chips and wood mulch are available to residents. They are excellent for landscape use.

Pre-packaged bags of mulch are available for the taking, with a maximum of ten (10) bags per visit.

We offer free loading of loose mulch into your pick-up or dump truck.

Contact the phone number below for more information.

Tuesday through Saturday
7:00 a.m. – 11: 45 a.m.
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. 
Municipal Services Facility
85 Old Northport Road
Kings Park, NY
Town of Smithtown
269-6600 

If you have any questions, just give me a call at 516-330-6732

Jen

Garden Updates

Hello All!

I just wanted to update folks on things that need to be done and things that have to be done around the garden.  

First, check out the beautiful signs the kids made for the garden.  They really came out great.  Thank you to all the families that participated in the Children's Day on Saturday.   Hopefully, I will have the rest of the signs in the garden by the weekend. 

Today, Christiane Matsumoto planted beans in Bed E2 and some more beans in bed E7.  I planted peppers and tomatoes in bed E6.   We are definitely making progress on the planting!

Some more of the beds now have leaders.   Christiane Matsumoto and Lisa Mitten have volunteered to take care of the potato/ bean bed (E2), Lynn Cohen is going to take care of E7 - beans and Judy Serino is going to take of W3.  

We still need people to take charge of E5 - Lettuce, Radishes and E1 - Squash.  If you are interested let me know.  REMEMBER YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE AN EXPERIENCED GARDENER TO TAKE CHARGE OF A BED.  THE BEST WAY TO LEARN IS TO DO!  

I will be at the garden on Saturday morning from 9:00am - 12:00pm.  I would like to put in cucumbers and squash.  If anyone would like to join me, please do.    There is also plenty of mulching and weeding to do.  We are also going to have to make trellises for the peas soon.   If you would like to help out please let me know or just show up!

Time to Get Planting Again!

Hello All!

Well, according to the planting schedule for zone 7 it is time to get planting again!   There are quite a few things that need to be put in over the next couple of weeks:

Bush and Pole beans

Basil

Cucumbers  

Peppers

Summer Squash and Winter Squash

Tomatoes

If you are interested in planting any of the above crops, please let me know.  I will be at the garden on Saturday, May 8th from about 9:00am - 12:00pm.  Bring your favorite snack or munchie to share.  We will need to keep our strength- up!

I will also be working in the garden during the week, in the morning.  If you would like to join me, please call me at 516-330-6732, and we can set up a time to meet.  

We still need people to take charge of the E2 - Potatoes and Bed, E5 - Lettuce, Radishes, Peas, E7 - Beans and W3 - Carrots and Lettuce.  If you are interested please contact me.  

Warmly,

Jen Donovan

Bed Update

The bean bed is spoken for.  If you are interested in helping Lynn or anyone else, please contact them directly or contact me and I will put you in touch with them.  

E3    Moni and Denise/ Tomatoes, Peppers and Carrots

E4    Peg Dugan and Margo Cormack/  Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts

E6    Jen Donovan-Stump/ Tomatoes, Peppers, Basil and Carrots
E7 - Lynn Cohen/Beans

E8    Jim Fox/ Turnips, Beets, and Carrots

E9    Tricia Ferry-Neuf/ Cucumbers and Beans

E10  Lisa DeVine/ Herb Garden

W4   Sharyn Glowatz/  Swiss Chard and Asian Greens

We need volunteers to take charge of

E1 - Squash

E2 - Potatoes and Bed

E5 - Lettuce, Radishes, Peas

W3 - Carrots and Lettuce

Thanks, Jen

Saturday Workshop Update

It was a really fun and productive morning.  We got beds W4, E2, E4, E8 and E10 planted!  So that means, potatoes, peas, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, turnips, beets, carrots and some herbs are in.
Depending on the weather, in a couple of weeks we will be putting in cucumbers, beans, squash more herbs.  And late May or early June the tomatoes, peppers and basil will be planted.

In the mean time, what needs to be done is weeding, watering and thinning.  ANYONE CAN SHOW UP AT ANYTIME AND WORK on any bed.  If you work in a bed, please post what you did either here on this blog or leave a note in the tool shed.

What we are aiming for, is that a small group of people will be in charge of a plot.  They will take it from seed to harvest.  This way you will only have to coordinate with a with a small group of people and work as your schedule allows.

Right now the following people are in charge of the following beds:

E3    Moni and Denise/ Tomatoes, Peppers and Carrots
E4    Peg Dugan and Margo Cormack/  Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts
E6    Jen Donovan-Stump/ Tomatoes, Peppers, Basil and Carrots
E8    Jim Fox/ Turnips, Beets, and Carrots
E9    Tricia Ferry-Neuf/ Cucumbers and Beans
E10  Lisa DeVine/ Herb Garden
W4   Sharyn Glowatz/  Swiss Chard and Asian Greens


We need volunteers to take charge of
E1 - Beans
E2 - Potatoes and Bed
E5 - Lettuce, Radishes, Peas
E7 - Beans
W3 - Carrots and Lettuce

You do not need to be an experienced gardner to take charge of a bed.  The best way to learn is to do it!
We will help you get started and answer any questions you might have along the way.  You will also have this blog to post questions and concerns.

Let me know if you are interested.

For those of you who would rather work in what ever bed need work,  you can just check the blog or contact the people who are in charge of the bed and find out what needs to be done.

We are also looking for a few items:

Old Tennis Balls
Water Timers for Hoses
Tacks for a bulletin board

Have a wonderful day!

Jen

Upcoming Events

Saturday April 24 - Orientation to Community Garden & Organic Gardening9:00 arrival at Roni's House
9:30 Workshop Begins
It is extremely important that you attend this meeting for the success of the entire community garden.  This is where we will teach you how the garden will operate, how it will be organized, and how to garden organically.  

Please bring a dish to share at lunchtime.

Saturday May 1 - MAY DAY! - Children's art project making signs for the garden.  

Garden Updates

This website/blog was designed to be a source of information for the Lotus Community Garden members.  It is a place to post questions, find answers and information, keep members informed of events and what is growing in the garden.  

There is a page for each bed.  If you go to the garden and work in a particular bed, please post what you did.  This will allow other members to stay informed.  

If you want to go to the garden and work and not sure what needs doing?  Check the website!  It also is a place to go and find out what needs to be done!

I hope this website proves to be useful and informative.  If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me at donovanstump@gmail.com

Happy Gardening!

Jen Donovan

Movie Night: Fresh

Please join me in watching a new movie, FRESH, playing at the CInema Arts Center in Huntington next Thursday April 22nd at 7:30.  If you'd like to hang out a bit before the movie and eat the healthy food at the Cinema's Sky Cafe, arrive around 7pm.  If you've never been to the Cinema before, it's one of the greatest treasures of of our area.  Click here for the movie trailor.  I hope to see you there! - Lisa

Weekend Work Days and Up Coming Events

Saturday: Community Work Day in the afternoon beginning at 1pm.  So far Jen Donovan, Margo McCormack, and Sharyn Glowatz will be there.  I will be there at 1pm to plant potatoes.  I will not be there all afternoon. If you would like to plant potatoes with me, show up at 1pm sharp, unless there's a torrential downfall rain (right now there's a 30% chance of rain at 1pm)

Sunday: Only one person signed up in the afternoon and one in the morning, so there is no formal community work day.  If you would like to go there on your own and need something to do, give me call and I can give you a suggestion about what needs to be done in the community plot area.

If you are coming to one of the community work days this evening, sign up here.

Upcoming Events:

Sunday April 18: Garden Committee Leaders meeting at 7pm at Lisa Mitten's house.
Thursday April 22: Fresh the movie at the Cinema Arts Center at 7:30
Saturday April 24 in the early meeting: Meeting & potluck FOR ALL GARDENERS at the garden.  All gardeners are strongly encouraged to attend.  We will go over topics such as how the garden will operate for the rest of the season, especially the community portion, and teach everyone about organic gardening.  Details to follow early next week.
Saturday May 1 - MAY DAY! - Children's art project making signs for the garden.  Details to follow early next week.