Tree wells take bloom on Page Street

Have you walked by the garden along Page Street lately? Last Saturday, a group of garden volunteers worked to transform the tree wells on Page Street that border John Muir Elementary School by planting them with beautiful, drought-resistant, flowering plants.

We've been interested in adopting these tree wells for many years because they've been neglected and are often used as trash cans and dog toilets. Now they are planted with rosemary, mexican sage, bush daisies, and California native plants like Zauschneria. The plants are small but should fill in the tree well spaces nicely, help to discourage trash, and create a beautiful natural corridor along the block.

Special thanks go out to all who helped make this transformation possible: Bridgit, Gabriel, John L., June, Mary G., Matthew, Richard, and Steve. Check out these photos from the tree well planting workday.

The plants for this project were purchased at a deep wholesale discount using garden membership funds. But we're working now to try to get donated plants from the city to finish planting the tree wells along the Webster Street side of the school. I'll keep you posted as these plans progress.

By adopting these tree wells, the garden is making a commitment to take care of them, including watering them during summer months, pruning and weeding them as needed, and painting over graffiti. We've deliberately chosen low maintenance, drought resistant plants to minimize this work. Let me know if you are interested in becoming a part of the tree well team. Thanks!

Help Page Street bloom!

Volunteers are needed to help transform the tree wells surrounding John Muir Elementary School, with beautiful, drought resistant, flowering plants. Please let me know if you are interested in lending a hand.

Over the past few years, we have talked about adopting the tree wells that surround the elementary school to help beautify the neighborhood and extend the garden beyond our gate. This winter we're going to make that happen.

Right now, the tree wells are often full of trash and routinely tagged with graffiti. We 're planning on planting them with plants that will thrive in this environment, discourage trash and graffiti, and add beauty and greenery to the block. Now is the perfect time to get started on this project because the rainy winter months will help ensure that the new plantings get off to a good start.

No date has been set yet for the planting, but I wanted to send out an email to begin recruiting volunteers. We hope to complete this project in the next month.

Let me know know if you are interestred in helping out. Thanks!

End of the year garden deadline approaching

The end of the year is approaching and this is a reminder that all gardeners who aren't planning on actively gardening during the winter months are required to prepare their plots for the season.

To be clear, there are many things you can grow during the winter in the Bay Area and I don't want to discourage anyone from doing that.

But if you aren't planning on doing so, you are required to either sheet mulch your plot or grow a cover crop. Gardeners who don't take care of this by the end of the year will have to give up their plot to someone on the waiting list. Sheet mulching your plot or growing a cover crop will keep weeds under control and also help to improve the quality of your soil.

You'll find step-by-step instructions for sheet mulching tacked on the bulletin board at the back of the garden and here:

All the supplies for sheet mulching are in the garden: manure is under
the blue tarp in the front, cardboard is in the toolshed, and there are
a couple of bales of straw by the apple tree.

Cover Crop Instructions

Cover crops (also called green manure) suppress weeds, build productive soil, and help control pests and diseases. Plus, cover crops are easy to plant and require only basic care to thrive. Here are the basic steps to follow:

1. Remove all invasive weeds from your plot (oxalis, knot weed, crab grass – see picture of each posted on the top of the compost bin). Discard these invasive weeds in the green city compost trash can.

2. Aerate the soil in your plot by poking it with a fork spade.

3. Spread a ½” (or less) layer of horse manure over the soil in your plot (from the manure pile in the front of the garden).

4. Using the metal rake, gently mix the manure into the soil.

5. Spread the cover crop seed throughout your plot. You'll find seed in a jar in the tool shed. Try using 1 cup per square yard.

6. Using the metal rake, mix the seed into the soil.

7. Cover your plot with a very thin blanket of straw. If too much straw is used it will suppress the cover crop. The straw is used to hide the seed from birds and rodents.

8. Keep your plot watered until the winter rains start.

9. One month before planting towards the end of winter, chop the cover crop with pruners and mix into the soil. Cover with straw and wait for one month. Be sure to keep the plot watered. Remove the straw from plot on planting day. The straw goes into the garden compost bin not the green city compost trash can.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!

Planning ahead for winter gardening

It's not too early to begin making plans for winter gardening. In fact, its best to start cool weather crops when the season is still warm and there are enough hours of sunlight to encourage germination and initial growth.

Some winter crops that do well in the garden are peas; root vegetables like carrots, turnips and beets; greens like lettuce and spinach; brocolli, kale, and collard greens; and garlic and onions. More information about winter crops can be found in Pam Pierce's "Golden Gate Gardening," which can be found on the bookshelf in the toolshed.

You can learn more about winter garden this Saturday at the Garden for the Environment's "Organic Gardening for the Winter" workshop from 10am to noon. The garden is located at 7th and Lawton and pre-registration for the workshop is required.

Next workday and workshop: November 7

If you are not planning on gardening during the winter months, you are required to prepare your plot for the season, which will help keep weeds under control and improve the quality of your soil. On November 7, we'll have our fall workday and hold a workshop to demonstrate how to prepare your plot for the winter months. And we'll follow the workshop with more music and food in the garden. Stay tuned for more details.

Music and great food in the garden!

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day for our annual garden party last weekend. Sunny skies and warm temperatures along with yummy food and great music made for another fun event in the garden. I really appreciate how everyone pitched in to help make things run smoothly. Special thanks to Bridgit, Marina, Jay, and Jamie who serenaded us with a wonderful accoustic guitar performance. Check out some photos from the event taken by Chad and myself.

Our next event will be November 7. We'll be holding a workshop on preparing your garden plot for the winter followed by another musice performance in the garden. Stay tuned for details.

More summer plums ripe in the garden!

We harvested the golden plums from the back of the garden and you'll find a basket of fruit on the compost bin. There are a limited number of plums available, so just take one so others can enjoy them. First come first served!

Plums are ripe and ready for pickin'

Have you tasted one of the delicious plums from the back of the garden yet? The plums on the middle plum tree (bordering the southeast corner of the patio) are ripe and ready for picking!

All fruit at the Page Street Garden is available to members of the garden. Feel free to use the fruit picker on the long pole by the toolshed to pick a plum. Just position the basket of the fruit picker beneath one of the plums. Tap the branch and the plum should land in the basket. I'll also pick a few and leave them on top of the compost bin.

There aren't that many plums in the tree, so please just take one so everyone gets a chance to enjoy them. The fruit from the other two plum trees will ripen in a few weeks. I'll keep you posted.