Seed Fair and Orientations:

Dear Gardeners,
I welcomed rain this week since the soil moisture will be improved as we get started seeding. I also noticed bluebirds and wrens investigating the bird houses in the gardens so time to make sure they are ready for our friends. Birds eat many insects, particularly when raising young, so please don't disturb them and consider a nest box in your plot.
This Saturday, April 11,  is our Seed Fair. At this event, gardeners with assigned plots can get some free seeds to help them get started, attend a workshop to learn more about gardening, buy row cover (and learn how to use it) and get more garden information. We will be in the big gym at the Eagle Heights Community Center with seeds available for gardeners at 9 am. You will be asked for the name of the principal gardener at Check-In and then will receive a string of tickets that can be traded for seed packets. Our seed donors have provided seeds from last year and most of these will still have good germination. Two very experienced gardeners will be hosting the garden planning and seed-starting workshop starting at 10:00 am. If you are new to gardening or just interested in learning more, come by the workshop and pick up information. Row cover fabric will be for sale at reasonable prices and comes with an instruction sheet.  There is also the last orientation sessions  (meet at the garden sheds) at noon (both Eagle Heights and University Houses) and at University Houses with Mandarin translation at 1 pm.
Mark your calenders for Sunday, April 19 for our "cool season" transplant sale from 11 am to 1 pm at Eagle Heights near the shed. We also will have a soil preparation and general garden questions workshop at the same time. More information next week on this but usually we have a great sale.
Please be sure that you are gardening in the right plot and that you are observing the 6" rule that means there is access on the sides of your plot (6 inches from you and 6 inches from your neighbor) for watering and plant tending. If you plant up to the line or into the path, you will need to move those beds and plants so that everyone can get to the water and their own plants. We need to keep the paths open for carts and other gardeners. At Eagle Heights, please note that the water taps are only every other row so the people behind you will need to get a hose through to the water. At University Houses, this is also true in the A/B rows.
A reminder that this year, we have a new rule about no motorized tilling or weed whips in the gardens. We have problems with safety issues with private tillers and tilling is not ideal for weed prevention, often making the problem worse. Also, we have had reports of dogs loose in the gardens. We would prefer not to have dogs around the vegetables at all, but dogs are permitted on leash and with attention of the owners to keep dogs out of plots and control them around toddlers, wildlife, and those that might be frightened of dogs.
Hope you are meeting your neighbors and getting the gardens planned. Spring crops can start going in although we won't have the water on until the danger of freezing is past.
Please take the survey if you haven't already:
Gardener Survey
Seed Fair is always a happy event as we start the season. Hope to see many of you there,
Gretel, Garden Registrar