Saturday, June 1st

The compost has been delivered!  It is still a bit green, but smells AMAZING!  If anyone has a wheelbarrow that could be left at the garden for a while, it would be appreciated.  We will be purchasing one in the near future.

Please line the area around your own garden by laying down cardboard, then 3-4" of mulch.  Remember that others may need some help, so if you have time to do a bit of trail covering, especially by the seniors' and children's raised beds, we really are going to need some help!

Thanks to Arbour Crest for delivering the mulch, completely free of charge.  We will be adding their information to our Supporters Page.

New CHEP Grant Money

We have an opportunity to get some additional funding for our community garden, from CHEP.  We may just apply to help cover the costs of compost delivery, but we are open to ideas!

If you have an idea for a structure or something our garden is missing, please email Danae (danae.tlr@gmail.com).  The steering committee will look at all ideas and make a decision, then apply for the grant money.

Please email your ideas by Monday, June 3.

Colorado Potato Beetle

Sightings of Colorado Potato beetles have been confirmed this week at the Varsity View Garden.  To my knowledge, we have not had them at our garden but please check your plant leaves every few days and remove adult beetles and eggs if found.  Although they are especially active on potato plants please check ALL plants not just potatoes.

Hand removal is the easiest and least invasive option. After hand removing beetles and eggs from plants, dispose of them by either squishing them or by putting them in a  Ziploc bag and removing them from the garden.

Let's be vigilent now so they do not become an issue at in our garden.

Friday, May 30, 2013

It's almost June and the garden is looking great!

I had to take home my wheelbarrow, I'm sorry - the wheel is broken and I won't be able to fix it until next week.

The mulch was supposed to get dropped off, but Arborcrest's customer decided to keep the mulch and so they had none to deliver.  We are first on their list - we should be getting some very soon.  Please start collecting cardboard for the area around your own garden plot, and for the chil;dren's and senior's raised beds areas.

-Jay

Composting 101

As part of the Nature City Festival, there is a composting workshop on Wednesday, May 29 fromm 7:30-9pm at "the Den" - basement of 220 - 20th Street West.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Monday, May 27

Mulch has been ordered.  It should be arriving later in the week - they are very busy and backed up right now.  Arborcrest will be delivering 3 cubic yards of mulch as soon as they can.  Once it arrives, all members need to cover paths around their own gardens, and work together to fill in all uncovered common areas.  If more mulch is needed, we will order it as soon as possible.  These are the priority areas:

1. Do NOT mulch 10x10foot area to the north of the tool box - the shelter will be built here
2. main paths which have not yet been covered - need to cover with cardboard, then 3-4" of mulch
3. areas between seniors and children's raised bins - cardboard and 3-4" of mulch
4. 1 foot paths in between gardens - cardboard and 3-4"
5. 1-2" of mulch on top of paths covered last year

Danae sent some beautiful pictures taken this weekend.  You can view these and all of our garden pictures in our photo album.  

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE COMMON GROUND COMMUNITY GARDEN PHOTO ALBUM

Sunday, May 26

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Nature City Festival and Plant Sale.  We raised $115 ($20 of that is American money) from the sale of the plants and pallets.  Thanks to Adam for generously donating some fold-able pallets, and to Tina, Donna, Adam, Jay, and Rylan for donating plants.

  

There are still tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, sunflowers, and basil left over from the sale.  As well, there are fold-able, stack-able pallets available from Adam.  The hinges on these pallets sell at Lee Valley Tools for $15 apiece, but Adam will be willing to get more if people would like them for gardening.  If anyone is interested in some of these items, please phone or email Jay.

We will be ordering mulch very soon to cover the remaining trails around the garden.  Please start collecting cardboard.  We will be asking every gardener to put down cardboard and mulch around their own plot, and to help out around the children's and senior's raised beds.

We now have permission to build our shelter.  Alex has marked with stakes where the new shelter will be built, and the tool box has been moved to accommodate the new floor.

Happy gardening everyone!

Today's the day!

We hope everyone will come out to the Nature City Festival Kickoff at 1pm, RAIN OR SHINE!  Put on your raincoat and rubber boots and come enjoy some nature!

Try one of our THREE brand new ORIENTEERING COURSES and get to know our park!

Taste some delicious flavoured waters!

Paint one of our new raised bins for seniors and children!

Buy and sell your plants and seedlings to help raise funds for the community garden - please bring them by 12:30pm, please!

- click here to view what Jay & Rylan will be selling - $5 each -

MAYBE EXPENSIVE, BUT IT'S A FUNDRAISER

Come out and enjoy the weather - whatever it may be!

Nature City Festival Kickoff

There will be lots of activity over the next few days, to get ready for our Nature City Festival Kickoff.

Click here to learn more about the Kickoff

1pm, Saturday May 25

Common Ground Community Garden

If you have any plants or seedlings for the kickoff, please bring them to the garden for 12:30 on Saturday!

We will be painting bins, planting, setting up an orienteering course, and making sure all of our events are ready.  We also have a large sandwich board/poster printed that will advertise our event form the street, since it is also the North Park Community Garage Sale.  Click here to see our Kijiji ad.

We also got some great news from Alex!  We now have permission to build our garden shelter!  We already have many of the supplies and will post up information about a Work Bee when we know more.  Thanks so much to Alex for all of the work he has done getting our garden up and running - there's no way we would be as far without him!

New bins!

Thanks to Alex who was hard at work at the garden yesterday, setting up the new bins.  If there is anyone else you know of that would like a raised bed (children, seniors), please let Danae know as soon as possible.

Continue to help yourself to the topsoil and compost.

Don't forget the Nature City Festival Kickoff on Saturday, May 25th at 1pm at the garden.

Topsoil

The topsoil is next to the CGCG sign and south of the larger pile, which is the compost.  Help yourself.  Jay and Rylan have kindly left their wheelbarrow at the garden for us to use until we acquire one of our own.  Please remember to lock up up to the tool box when you are finished with it.

Rototilling!

Chris will be at the garden Saturday (TODAY!) May 18th @ 3:00 pm. $10.00 per plot.
If you wish to have your garden rototilled please be at the garden or contact TINA @ 477-1703 to make arrangements and she will make sure it will get done.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Work Bee TODAY at 4pm!

• If you are able to help, we will be taking apart the old wooden raised beds, starting at 4pm on Friday, May 17.   We will be moving the lower plastic raised beds to the children's area, and the "Help Yourself Garden."   Over the next few days, people should be hauling compost and topsoil to fill these raised beds.  We need to get these ready as soon as possible.  If you are able to help on Friday, or over the next few days, please lend a hand.  
• THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO TAKE A WOODEN RAISED BED FOR $5.  Take one now, pay Alex later.  We are using this old wood to make space for the new beds and we will be using the wood for the new compost bins in the near future.

Nature City Festival

• You can learn more about our Nature City Festival Kickoff - CLICK HERE
• Along with all of the other festivities, we will be selling off plants to help raise funds for the garden.  If you have any plants or seedlings you are willing to donate to the garden, please bring them to the Nature City Festival on Saturday, May 25 at 1pm! Anything not sold can be used in the children's area, and the "Help Yourself Garden." our in your own garden spaces.

Compost

• The compost delivery was placed on the south end of the garden.  You may take any you want, but we would also like people to help full up and mix the senior's raised beds (they have top soil already), and the children's beds (more topsoil is coming soon).  We don't want to have to make our raised beds wait to garden, please help out!
• Amanda and Christine will be attending a Master Composter Workshop.  They will be contacting everyone on the Compost Committee in the near future.

Rototilling

• Tina will be making sure that anyone interested in rototilling will get it done soon.  There IS a cost associated with this service.  If you are interested, please leave a message on the message board on the right side of this blog --> or phone Jay Kennard at 306-717-0952.

Tools

• Rylan will become the new "Toolmaster" for the garden.  He will be taking an inventory and finding the tools we need for the garden.  If you have any requests, please email Rylan at rylanhaas@gmail.com.
• More information to come soon.

Herb Spiral

• Danae is starting two herb spirals in the herb gardens.  (Click here to see some example)
• If you would like to donate any medium to large-sized field rocks, please being them to the garden.

Donations

• The Donations Letter has been updated.  If you would like to contact a business for a donation for the Common Ground Community Garden, you may use this letter.  Please notify Danae (danae.tlr@gmail.com) before contacting a business to ensure we do not contact more than once per year.

Steering Committee Meeting

• Please accept my apologies Inge & Greg.  I was going to email you on Monday and completely forgot in the hecticness that is life.
• Please read the full minutes available on our Documents Page (or CLICK HERE TO READ THE MINUTES)

Compost Delivery

UPDATE - The compost has arrived!  Help yourself!

Thanks to Danae for showing them where to deliver.

I just received word that the compost will be delivered today.  They got backed up yesterday and will catch up today.  Sorry for the delay, everyone.

Thursday, May 16, 2012

The compost was not delivered on Wednesday, and I have not yet heard why.  I will post when it is available. Watch the blog, I will post as soon as I have any new information.

If anyone would like a set of wooden frames, they are in a pile with the "For Sale" signs on them.  They are $5.00 each.  If no one is interested in them, we will use them for something else in the garden.

And THANKS ALEX!!! The water taps look amazing - easily accessible, clearly marked, secure, and functional!  What a beautiful garden it is becoming!

Wednesday, May 15

The compost will be delivered today (Wednesday).  Please help yourself once it arrives.

The steering committee will be discussing the purchase of tools and wood chips on Thursday.  The agenda is available in the Documents Page.

Thanks to Alex for hooking up the water.  Look for the blue posts around the garden.  The locks are still very stiff, so keep trying.  If you have any problems, please let us know.

Click here to see the Committees Page

Compost Delivery

Two truckloads of compost have been ordered and will be delivered on Wednesday, May 15.  Once it is delivered, feel free to help yourself.

The Steering Committee will be meeting on Thursday (not at Luther Heights this month) to discuss things like our shelter, garden tools, grants, and work that needs to be done at the garden.

Garden Plots

Learn to Compost

Composting 101

part of the Nature City Festival (http://wildaboutsaskatoon.org)

Wed, May 29, 7:30pm – 9:00pm

220 20th St W., Saskatoon (The Den - in the basement of the TwoTwenty) (map)

Saskatoon Waste Reduction Council event, in partnership with the City of Saskatoon 

Composting 101: Learn to Compost at Home! Learn the basics of composting kitchen and yard waste right at home. A short presentation will cover all the information you'll need to create and maintain a successful backyard compost pile. There will be time afterwards for questions. Suitable for adults new to composting or those with questions about how to improve their current compost. 

http://www.saskwastereduction.ca/

A Great Start!

Thanks to everyone for coming out to our Annual General Meeting.  It was great to meet everyone and get started on all of our planting and projects.  The steering committee will be meeting shortly to get moving on compost, top soil, tools, rototilling.  We will keep you posted on everything as soon as we can.

Please come to the Nature City Festival Kickoff on Saturday, May 25 at 1pm.

Annual General Meeting

Common Ground Community Garden

in North Park Richmond Heights

Annual General Meeting

TONIGHT - Thursday,

May 9, 2013   7:00 PM

Luther Heights - Richmond Room

1802 Alexandra Avenue

---

Agenda

7:00 PM Welcome and Introductions

7:10 PM Gardener’s Agreement & Responsibilities

7:25 PM Garden Committees

Steering Group:  Monitors garden activity, sets and enforces guidelines, resolves issues, assigns plots, etc.

Communications:  Develops and maintains communications amongst gardeners, as well as the community as a whole (neighbourhood, Luther Heights, schools, etc.) through blog, email, newsletter, signage, telephone tree, etc.

Site Maintenance:  Organizes work bees related to the general maintenance of the garden.  For example, path maintenance, weeding work bees, “put the garden to bed”, etc.

Social & Educational:  Organizes social and educational events, workshops, potlucks, etc.

Compost:  Educates about composting and helps to maintain and make decisions about the garden compost pile.

7:35 Common Ground Community Garden Blog http://commongroundcg.blogspot.ca

7:50 Nature City Festival

8:00 PM Garden Tour & Seed Swap (weather permitting)

Annual General Meeting and THANKS!!!!

A special thanks must be sent out to everyone who has been out at the garden working so hard to get it ready for the spring.  Alex built the new signpost, fixed the mess I made (Jay), and posted the new Common Ground Community Garden sign, courtesy of our supporters at Novatex Graphics.  Danae and Christine were staking out all of the new plots.  I'm sure I'm forgetting someone...thanks to all of our volunteers!

Annual General Meeting

Thursday, May 9 @ 7pm

Richmond Room - Luther Heights

1802 Alexandra Avenue

please bring your own water - there WILL be snacks ;) Note the garden tour and seed swap!

Click here to view the Agenda

If you have any questions or have something to add, 

please press the "Comments" button in the top right-hand corner of the Agenda.

Spring!?!

All of the flyers have been delivered and apartments have posters up.  Everyone in North Park /  Richmond Heights has now been invited to join Common Ground Community Garden. 

I look forward to meeting some new gardeners at our Annual General Meeting on Thursday, May 9 in the Richmond Room at Luther Heights - 1802 Alexandra Avenue.  The agenda will be posted very soon!

Steering Committee Meeting

- click here to view the minutes from the 

Common Ground Community Garden Steering Committee 

Wednesday, May 1, 2013 -

Don't forget the Annual General Meeting 

Thursday, May 9 @ 7PM

Richmond Room, Luther Heights - 1802 Alexandra Avenue

If you have anything you'd like to discuss during the Annual General Meeting, please contact Danae (danae.tlr@gmail.com).  We will post the agenda on the blog before the meeting.  Can't wait to see you all!!!

-Jay

CHEP Community Gardening Newsletter

- Click here to view the May 2013 CHEP Community Gardening Newsletter (pdf) -