From the Gardens Registrar: Water is On Its Way; Row Cover for Sale; Cancellations and Refunds; More About Workdays; No Cars Allowed in the Garden; Discouraged Plants

Hello Gardeners,

WATER – A work order has gone in for turning on the water both at Eagle Heights and at University Houses Gardens. I don’t have an exact date for completion, but the water should be on at both gardens by the first weekend in May.

ROW COVER – We will have more row cover for sale this SATURDAY at Eagle Heights, by the shed, from 2pm – 4pm. Each piece is 25’ X 7’, and costs $5. Cash only, and exact change, please.

CANCELLATIONS – Now that it finally seems to be spring, some of you may be realizing that you don’t have time for gardening, and you may be considering giving up your plot. If you decide to cancel, please contact me right away. Considering the weather we’ve had up until this week, we can give a full refund to anybody giving up a garden now. But we cannot give any refunds after May 1, and that date is almost upon us.

Both of our gardens are almost full, and I’ll soon be starting a waiting list. It would be a shame for a garden plot to be sitting unused while there are new gardeners anxious to be caring for it.

MORE ABOUT WORKDAYS – We don’t have a workday scheduled this weekend, but we will soon be having one just about every weekend. Our workdays most often are Saturday mornings, and at Eagle Heights. But we do occasionally have Sunday mornings, and we try to schedule a few workdays at University Houses as well. We will also probably try to do one or two weekday evenings later in the season.

The purpose of the workdays is not just to get free labor. It also gives gardeners a chance to meet other gardeners, and to get an understanding that they are part of a community. It feels good to work with a group towards a common goal, and to be able to look later at a part of the garden and know that you helped to weed it or mulch it or whatever. It feels particularly good once your blisters have healed….

NO CARS IN THE GARDEN – Unless you have special permission, do not drive your car into the gardens. Parking for Eagle Heights is along the south side of Eagle Heights Drive – leave your car there. If you do occasionally see a car driving in the gardens, it most likely belongs to someone connected with F.H. King, not our garden.

DISCOURAGED PLANTS – New gardeners often ask if there’s anything they’re not allowed to grow in our gardens. We don’t have many plants we absolutely prohibit, but we do not allow trees in plots, and there are a number of plants we don’t encourage. One is mint. Mint is delightful to smell and to cook with, but it is very aggressive. Once it’s established, it can be almost impossible to get rid of. And it can easily spread into your neighbors’ plots. If you want to plant mint, please plant it well inside your plot, and keep it trimmed. The best solution to the mint problem (short of not planting it at all) is to plant it in a pot, and then sink the pot into your plot. That way, the roots don’t spread.

Happy Gardening,

Kathryn