Dear Gardeners,


What great timing for the rain this week! The gardens are getting to be quite a jungle as the beans get tall and the tomatoes get bushy.  I see some early green beans being harvested and squash starting to bloom. The hummingbirds and bees have been very happy with all the flowers blooming.


This weekend, we'll have two workdays at University Houses gardens: Saturday, 7/11 and Sunday, 7/12, both from 8 am to 11 am. Please reply if you would like to work one of these opportunities (workday credit is available working at either garden site). The plans call for weeding in the blueberries, fixing up the paths and maintenance of common areas.


You might want to check out the Garden blog by Jennifer for more info and pictures about last year's crane chick. On the webpage at :


http://eagleheightscommunitygarden.blogspot.com/


I've seen a few Japanese beetles in the gardens. These black, shiny and metallic-looking beetles eat a lot and like many crops and flowers. They are slow and you can hand-pick them into a jar of soapy water to kill them. Pictures available here:


http://hort.uwex.edu/articles/japanese-beetle/


Please remember that all of the plots at Eagle Heights are restricted to only organic methods , including fertilizers and pest control. You can find some guidelines on our website. We have a lot of children (and ourselves) and wildlife to protect.


As you pull out the lettuce and spinach in this warmer weather, be sure to replant some bush beans, cilantro or basil.  It is getting late for tomatoes or peppers to go in, but you still might get some summer squash which grow very fast.


Hoping you are enjoying the beets and carrots and onions I see being harvested now,

Dear Gardeners,
Looks like a stretch of incredibly nice weather in store for us this week and for the holiday weekend.  The summer crops will be happy with some sunshine and we'll all have a chance to catch up in the plots.
Happy, happy news!
I had some very good news to share. The crane chick from last year was hit by a car on University Bay Drive but went to a rehabilitation center for the winter. She is fully healed now and flying well and has formed a friendship with a male crane at the center. We are so happy since her injuries prevented her from migrating and now it seems she has recovered and comes and goes from the center at will.

Workday at EH:
This Sunday, we'll have a workday from 8 am to 11 am at Eagle Heights to work on weeding in the fruit trees and paths. Please reply if you would like to work this opportunity and I'll get you more information.
Mexican bean beetles sighted:
I've had one report of bean beetles starting up in the bean plants. We have released insect predators for these pests in the past and may do so again if there are a lot of problems. You can see pictures of the yellow fuzzy larvae and eggs here:
http://www.weekendgardener.net/garden-pests/mexican-bean-beetle-061006.htm
Hand-picking the larvae and destroying the egg masses is the best control, but please let me know if you see these on your beans so we can decide whether to purchase the insect controls. We will only do this if we have a lot of damage since they are expensive and won't be effective unless we have a lot of beetles for them to eat.
Garlic harvest?
A few varieties of garlic are getting ready to harvest. Some early varieties may be ready now but others may be up to a month from now. There is a narrow window if you want to harvest and store garlic for all winter. Too soon and the heads aren't finished growing and won't dry well; too late and they coverings will not prevent spoilage.   Most recommendations are that there are some dry leaves and some green leaves on the plants at harvest and you can read about it here as well as how to cure for storage:
http://awaytogarden.com/the-tricky-matter-of-when-to-harvest-garlic/
I've seen some beans with blossoms and even a few with little beans. The onions are starting to bulb up and the squash plants are really starting their growth spurt and some are starting to produce. Just a wonderful time now in the gardens. Please remember the Food Pantry program (Saturday before 10 am pickup or Wednesday before 8 am) if you have surplus.
Gretel, Garden Registrar

Dear Gardeners,
Hope you are keeping up with the battle of the weeds. The crops are looking great with lots of carrots and beets and turnips being carried home and the peas still holding on. There are flowers on some of the beans and a few new potatoes. Spraying for potato beetles was done last week to knock back the population, but keep hand-picking if you see adults or larvae. Careful attention to the small larvae will mean much less damage.
On Wednesday evening, there will be a workday at Eagle Heights to do more weeding in the common areas from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Please email if you would like to work this opportunity and I'll get you more information. We are trying to do a few weekday evenings with the long days but can only do that for a few weeks.
This Wednesday, we will start the Share the Bounty program.

1. Put your donated veggies in the containers by 8 a.m. Wednesday or by 10:00 a.m. Saturday. Keep in mind that if you leave something delicate like lettuce in the bins on Thursday, it will wilt long before bins are collected on Saturday.
2. Volunteers take the vegetables to the pantry where they will be much appreciated by families in need of extra help to stock their pantries with fresh fruits and veggies.
3. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

Remember that items meant for sharing with other gardeners at EHCG are placed on the share shelves, not in the Saint Vincent de Paul Share the Bounty bins. Please do not take produce out of the donation bins, as our gardeners have chosen to donate their fruits and vegetables to those in need.

The turtle has been sighted several places in the gardens and we think we have two mink in Eagle Heights. One of the mink was seen running by with a rodent in its mouth. The hawks have also been hunting (for their young?). We applaud the natural controls for our voles and chipmunks. Now just have our fingers crossed that the cranes have offspring too.

The flowers are looking great in the gardens with the daylilies and bee balm coming in now. Plant a few more bush beans or cilantro or carrots if you have an open space.

Gretel, Garden Registrar

Dear Gardeners,

 

This has been a wonderful year so far with the rains coming at just the right times and in needed amounts. It also means that the insects and fungal diseases are prospering so be on the lookout for potato and squash beetles and mildew on some plants. The poppies and daylilies are really decorating the gardens now and the mosquitoes haven't been too bad yet.

 

 

Next Wednesday we start our donations to the food pantry! The Share the Bounty project collects produce from Eagle Heights and University Houses gardeners and transports it to the St. Vincent De Paul food pantry, the county’s largest food bank. Starting Wednesday, 7/1/2015, containers will be placed across from the Eagle Heights garden shed or behind the University Houses shed on the white stands.

 

Here's how it works:

 

1. Put your donated veggies in the containers by 8 a.m. Wednesday or by 10:00 a.m. Saturday. Keep in mind that if you leave something delicate like lettuce in the bins on Thursday, it will wilt long before bins are collected on Saturday.
2. Volunteers take the vegetables to the pantry where they will be much appreciated by families in need of extra help to stock their pantries with fresh fruits and veggies.
3. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

Remember that items meant for sharing with other gardeners at EHCG are placed on the share shelves, not in the Saint Vincent de Paul Share the Bounty bins. Please do not take produce out of the donation bins, as our gardeners have chosen to donate their fruits and vegetables to those in need.

 

I look forward to seeing all of our gardeners' extra zucchini, beans, and other over-yields fill our bins! Happy Gardening from Jen and Alison, Food Pantry coordinators

 

I see a few new potatoes and beets and garlic and carrots coming out of the gardens with tons of lettuce and other greens. Hoping you are keeping up with the weeds and enjoying the salads,
Gretel, Garden Registrar

 

Dear Gardeners,
Wet out there today, but we are planning an Eagle Heights workday for Wednesday, June 24 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm to work on the flower area around the shed and continue work on the path in the 700's. Some of you have been asking for a non-weekend workday so here is an opportunity. If you would like to work this time, please reply and I'll get you more information.
I've also received some inquiries about the Food Pantry program. We will start collecting donations on Wednesday, July 1 and I'll get you more information on the program before then.
Carrots and beets and peas! O my!
Gretel, Garden Registrar

Dear Gardeners,
We seem to be having a very good year with the peas and kale and carrots coming in now. I've seen green tomatoes and peppers on some of the plants and my beets are starting to swell. The rains have been great for settling in the transplants and for growing weeds. At least the weeds are pulling easily with the soft soil but we are also seeing a lot of insects in the gardens. This morning, I saw four kinds of butterflies and a couple of moths (check your cabbages for caterpillars). We also have squash bugs coming out and Sandra sent along a good reference for squash pests: See
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=138
She also mentions mounding up the dirt at the base of squash plants to help since eggs of squash borers are laid right at the base of the plant.
We are going to have two workdays this weekend starting a project to repair the path along the odd 700 plots in Eagle Heights which is eroding. We will also be preparing a flower bed up by the Eagle Heights shed. The workdays will be Saturday, 6/20 from 9 am to noon and  Sunday, 6/21, from 2 pm to 5 pm. If you would like to work one of these opportunities, please reply and tell me which one and I will get you more information.
The gardens are a very busy place now with people needing tools so please don't hoard the tools and carts but return them to the shed each time you leave the gardens. There is also a lot of wildlife in the gardens with mink sightings, toads all over, the cranes visiting singly (hopefully while the other sits a nest) and even a turtle seen munching strawberries. An active ecosystem is really valuable to keep the insect and rodent pests in check.
Enjoy the butterflies as you work!
Gretel, Garden Registrar

Dear Gardeners,
The rain really helped the plants and now the sun is making them grow very quickly. There is a sudden green cast to the entire gardens with new growth. I saw someone with young carrots already harvested and lettuce is everywhere. There really isn't anything like salads in the spring with dill and cilantro and other herbs.
Insect workshop:

Good bug, bad bug and other pests.   Who is munching on those plants!  This informal, mini-workshop will cover identification, life cycles and strategies for dealing with crop destroying pests in your garden.  Bring your questions and observations.  For purposes of identification, you may bring un-squished bugs in jars or plastic bags.  June 6, Saturday, 11 am – noon, U Houses Garden, picnic table near the shed.

Plots available:

I also want to let you know that a few large plots are still available at each garden site. These are now half-price for the plot so please let friends who are considering gardening know. To apply, send or drop off an application (available on the website) and check (half-price) to the Eagle Heights Community center. There is one small plot available at EH at the moment from someone who changed their mind.

Workday opportunity:

We'll have a workday on Saturday, June 6 at Eagle Heights from 9 am to noon. We need to work on the common areas including weeding in the fruit trees and fixing up the sandbox area. If you would like to work this opportunity, please reply and I'll get you more details and let you know if we still have room for volunteers. We can take quite a few for these tasks.

Theft issues (sadly):

Unfortunately, I need to remind you about the theft issues in the gardens. I've had several reports of items missing from plots and vegetables taken. Please tell everyone who works in your plot that they should stay out of other plots and never take anything that doesn't belong to you. We take these issues seriously and you could lose your plot for thefts and we may get the police involved. Please get to know your neighbors since our best defense in these issues is to keep an eye out for each other.

Garlic scapes:

I noticed that some of my garlic varieties are starting to produce scapes (blossom buds). Hard-neck garlic will be growing these shoots soon and will benefit from your taking the scapes off by making larger bulbs. Besides, these scapes are delicious! More information, photos and recipes here:

http://gardening.about.com/od/herbsatoz/a/What-Are-Garlic-Scapes.htm

Finally, please leave the boundary markers (at the corner of your plots) in place. We have had people taking them out and using them for plant supports or throwing them away. These fiberglass or conduit markers should only be moved by garden staff so please contact me if you have questions.

Early mornings have been a delight in the gardens with all the birds and dewy plants. Hope you are enjoying the experiences and starting to see results.

Gretel, Garden Registrar