From the Gardens Registrar: THIS WEEKEND’S WORKDAY AND ASSORTED MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Hello Gardeners,

PORTABLE TOILETS - Garden winterizing is continuing. The portable toilets were removed yesterday for the season. They will be back, tanned and rested, in March.

SANDHILL CRANES – Our sandhill cranes fly south to Florida for a few months every winter. They don’t leave because of the cold, but because, once the ground is frozen, they can no longer get enough to eat. Since we haven’t even had a frost, much less a freeze yet, our cranes might still be around Eagle Heights. But this time of year, cranes tend to gather in large flocks in preparation for migration. Last weekend, I saw thousands of cranes in farm fields near Spring Green, which is about an hour west of Madison. Maybe the Eagle Heights cranes were among them, The cranes don’t stay south very long – they will start heading north again as early as late February.

FROST NOVEMBER 11? – The current weather forecast is for 30 degrees this Friday night. Be warned.

WOODCHIPS AT UNIVERSITY HOUSES – Woodchips will be delivered to University Houses Gardens when the ground freezes. This means we will be able to complete the new wall project at the end of the main path (where the cinderblocks are currently.)

DON’T LEAVE TOOLS AT THE LEAF PILES – The Village of Shorewood is delivering many loads of leaves to us this month. They back in their trucks to dump the leaves, and the drivers can’t necessarily see obstacles, such as tools. This leads to buried or damaged tools. So, if you’re scooping up leaves for your plot, please take the tools back to the shed when you’re done.

GARDEN RULES – TRESPASSING AND THEFT - Even though many people are done with their gardens for the season, some people are not. The same standard garden rules apply at all times of the year – do not go into somebody else’s garden without that person’s permission, and do not take vegetables or anything else from somebody else’s plot, even if you think it’s abandoned.

WORKDAY – This weekend’s workday will be SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 9am – Noon, at UNIVERSITY HOUSES. Here’s the link to sign up: http://doodle.com/poll/dxtdvh2x9zs2pxa6

Happy gardening,

Kathryn