From the Gardens Registrar: Refund Policy; Warm Weather Plant Sale; Workday; Weed Juries; UW Family Garden Day

Hello Gardeners,

REFUND POLICY – In case you’ve just been offered a full professorship at a prestigious east coast college, or accepted into the post-doc program of your dreams, or if you’re just realizing that you really won’t have time to garden this summer, please let the Gardens Registrar know as soon as possible. If you cancel your garden plot before June 1, you can still get a refund of half what you paid. This will give you plenty of money for moving vans, plane fares, new wardrobes, etc. Okay, it’s not really much money, but it’ll buy you a latte or two, at least. And if you give up a plot that you can’t use, for whatever reason, you’ll make it possible for some deserving person on the waiting list to get a plot.

WARM WEATHER PLANT SALE – On Sunday, May 14, Scott Williams of GardenToBe in Mount Horeb will be back at Eagle Heights to sell plants – this time, he’ll have tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and other warm weather plants. 11am – 1pm, by the Eagle Heights shed. I hope to have a list of plants from him by next week.

FIRST WORKDAY OF 2017 – Every principal gardener at Eagle Heights and University Houses Gardens is required to put in one community workday each year. This Saturday, May 6, will be the first workday of the season. The project will be moving fruit tree prunings to a chip zone, organizing the weed pile stick deposits, and picking up path debris. We’ll need ten people, 9am – Noon. The weather looks pleasant for Saturday, so sign up now and get it over with for the season. This is the link to sign up: http://doodle.com/poll/mu5f8uauqphg6p82

WEED JURIES – This year, we are looking for volunteers to serve on garden juries, in exchange for workday credit. The job is to walk around the gardens, looking at all the plots and taking note of those that aren’t being tended or are overrun with noxious weeds. Jurors will also take note of plots that are beautifully maintained. Plots that need attention will have signs posted in them and the gardeners will be contacted. A jury will consist of three people – one experienced gardener, and two other gardeners. Each Eagle Heights jury will meet twice, for 3 – 4 hours each time. There will be only one jury team at University Houses, which will meet for one hour four times over the summer. I’ll provide more details and instructions, but for now, please let me know if you’re interested in participating.

UW FAMILY GARDEN DAY – This annual event, scheduled this year for Saturday, May 6, from 10am – 1pm, is sponsored by the UW Extension’s Master Gardener Program. Events include tours of the Allen Centennial Garden and the D.C. Smith Greenhouse; hands-on activities with seeds, plants, and soil; the chance to ask garden questions; and free seeds and plants to take home (while supplies last.) Here are links to more information:  http://science.wisc.edu/family-gardening-day.htm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uwfamilygardeningday/

Happy gardening,

Kathryn