Heritage Rose News: Upcoming Events

Our garden participated in a heritage rose planting. We share this update on the program:

I hope that you are enjoying the beginning of spring.  I wanted to let you know about some of the exciting events going on in the HeritageRoseDistrict this season, and particularly this weekend.  We are very lucky to have Dr. Malcolm Manners and 11 of his students fly up from Florida Southern University this Friday! We can thank Dr. Manners and his students for many of the hundreds of roses that grace your community gardens, parks, and cultural institutions. The group arrives Friday morning, and is going straight from the airport to plant roses at Hamilton Grange.  Saturday morning the students will be facilitating a workshop at Broadway Community Housing for residents and a local Girl Scout troop on how to propagate roses from rose cuttings. It is a very busy weekend, but I have attached a schedule for anyone who was interested in participating.

 

In addition, we are happy to announce a new partnership with the High School for Environmental Studies. Not only are several students interested in the District and will be joining us in this weekend’s activities, but an AP Biology class is planning on studying the DNA of Heritage Roses! In addition, the high school includes a large roof garden (and greenhouse) where Heritage Roses can be grown. 

 

 

Saturday, May 5^th we will be adding new sites to the district. Recommendations for new sites are welcome. 

 

Saturday, June 9^th we are very excited to welcome the Graff family to New York.  Jacob Graff is the high school student who has been developing the HeritageRoseDistrict mobile walking tour for your smart phone.  In June we welcome Jacob, his family, and the Borough President to celebrate the district. Please stay tuned for more information.   

 

I will be checking in with all of our existing sites shortly, but wanted to note that Stephen has worked very hard to develop a maintenance guide for our heritage roses to ensure that they thrive. As you know, heritage roses are different from other roses, and often do not require pruning.  Please take a moment to look at the guide (attached), and feel free to reach out with any questions.    

 

 

If you don’t already, please follow us on twitter @HeritageRoseNYC and via our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HeritageRoseDistrictNYC  

 

Regards,

 

Erika Lindsey

Urban Planner

Office of Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer

April Updates from Steve: GrowNYC Plant Order Placed

Our pick up date will be Saturday May 12 10:00a.m. in the Bronx, reachable by public transportation if you can volunteer to help us. With good organization we can have the plants back to the garden by 11:30 that morning and have a plant sale.

April Monthly Meeting  this  Saturday April 14, 2012    12 Noon

If you cannot attend send comments, issues, reports by email by Friday

2012 Dues need to be paid this month. see Ivy , or Michelle, or Steve

Bokashi II Workshop this Sunday with Shig Matsukawa and Carey King
 

Inspiration from Eren: Pass it on and get planting!

Just some inspiration! See you guys Saturday!

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.-

Robert Louis Stevenson

last year’s Arugula, cherry tomato (from garden) with fresh raw corn salad (with balsamic and white wine vinegar or white grape juice vinegar, EVOO, Sea Salt and fresh black cracked pepper with some fresh dill )

young sunflowers last year

Herbs control insects, recommendations from Steve

http://gardening.about.com/od/naturalorganiccontrol/a/Companion_2.htm

Hello: This article needs to be read by every gardener and parent who will send  children to the garden this year. We must use every safe, organic means for insect control; after an exceptional mild winter. this applies not only to mosquitoes; but also other plant pests.

We need to insure that people begin to understand how our growing of herbs can contribute; not just to the taste: but also, to the abundance and health of our crops at Carrie McCracken Truce Garden.

the recent decision to retain the collective Herb box; managed by Jen needs
To be acknowledged. And we need as well to ask each box holder to plant
Appropriate herbs and flowers among their veggies or in pots near their plot.

I have Snow peas, onions, sugar beets seeds, ready for planting. My Garlic
Is doing well and will be ready for transplant distribution soon. I will then give
My box to a new gardener.

Steve

September Meeting Report

Many thanks to Alexis, Fatima, Ivy, Marta, Michelle, Roy, Steve, Tena and all the gardeners in attendance at this month’s regular second Saturday meeting!

Steve reported on final preparations for the composting workshop on Sunday (big success, report coming soon).

Roy collected dozens of figs for all, they are sweet and delicious, many gardeners are enjoying them as they ripen to a dark purple.

Steve reported on attempts to coordinate participation in the 125th Street farmers market. He introduced WHINGS and summarized some recent collaborations between gardens. He also reviewed partnerships with Harlem4, Housing, schools and other groups. He presented a history of community garden organizing in Harlem over many years and his plans for the future, a stirring presentation that these brief notes cannot capture.

Gardeners discussed recent concerns about theft of crops in the garden. Contradictory accounts of incidents in the garden led to the conclusion that we do not know who is responsible. All in attendance agreed that theft will not be tolerated and will be reported promptly to our garden contacts and/or the police. Please do not hesitate to call the local precinct if you witness forced entry, aggressive behavior or any alarming misconduct in our garden. We remind you to lock the gate behind you when working alone. Bring friends and meet us for open hours on the weekends! We encourage you to call a garden contact or write to info [at]harlemgarden.org if you have any reports or questions.

Eren is working on a harvest celebration for October and welcomes your ideas and participation. Arts and crafts are on the agenda!

Michelle is developing a video project on the garden and hopes to share it with us soon.

Thanks to Ivy for weeding and tidying the flowers!

Join us October 14-16 at Hostos for the second annual Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference: http://www.blackfarmersconf.org/conference-info

Join us Saturday, October 30th at Riverside Church for the Food Faith and Health Disparities Conference: http://www.theriversidechurchny.org/events/index.php?event=10681&filter=9

It’s been a very successful season overall and we have much to be proud of. Our official growing season winds to at the end of next month. Time to start cleaning up and dreaming big for the year to come!

August Growth Report

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It’s like a jungle sometimes

it makes me wonder

if the tomatoes will take over

ha-ha! ha! ha!

Flowers in the front, farm in the back

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Ivy keeps the front beds looking lovely with many perennials she propagated herself and a few annuals.

Sunflower success 2011

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Sunny and bright, the garden sunflowers are a delight!

July 4 Garden Picnic Photos

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June photos

broken bricks make nice paths between plots

 

getting tools and getting to work

 

good meeting attendance even in the rain

 

grapes forming

 

roses bloom

 

mulberries are a hit

 

lush cabbage