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!

Garden is storm ready

 

sawing plywood to fit the shed sides

We prepared for hurricane Irene on Saturday morning. Harlem is elevated ground and our area has not been evacuated.

We temporarily enclosed the tool shed with plywood and moved all tools and loose items inside, to prevent them from blowing in the wind.

Larger furniture is stacked. tied and anchored.

Special thanks to Mike, Roy, Steve, Marta and Michelle for preparing the garden.

Roy secures shelter posts, hammering bolts into the ground

the tarp roof removed

benches tied together

all benches and chairs stacked and tied

trees as anchors

 

Most of our gardeners have experienced hurricanes before. Steve led a repair train to the yard for the MTA during the last one to hit New York and is relieved to be retired today. Roy and Mike have seen many hurricanes on the islands. Michelle was in a flooded house in North Point. It was great to share stories and advice.

We send best wishes to our friends and loved ones still working to secure the City and hope everyone else enjoys their forced staycations.

good excuse to clean out

Mike and Steve install temporary plywood on tool shed

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

 

new cherry trees

two new cherry trees in the back near the compost bin

Steve picked up two new sweet cherry trees for the garden and got them in the ground.

Hudson cherry trees in New York City

Fig tree thrives

May 8, 2011

end of April

late April

We are very proud of our fig tree for surviving a very harsh winter with no trouble. We didn’t even have to wrap it. Matt picked the perfect variety for this spot, very hardy. It is late to open its leaves but first to start producing fruit this year!

Three Cherry Blossom Trees Grow in the Sidewalk

buds and bulbs just appearing in April

full bloom

pretty in pink

May leaves

What a spectacular show our cherry blossoms put on this year! They are doing fine in our New York City sidewalk. The tulips Ivy planted with students also grew well and were much enjoyed by the neighbors.

What Can you Do for our Garden by Steve Kidd

Everyone doesn’t have to tend a plot or box, to be a valued part of this team. There are always auxiliary roles to get involved with. Take, for instance, those apple trees in the front yard. There are two, which haven’t flowered and haven’t had much attention: other than people wondering whether they would block out valuable sunlight to a plot beyond them.

There’s a Plum tree sitting in a tote and an Apricot tree: it’s just starting to put out pretty pink flowers.

It would be great if some one or a team of garden members volunteered to be the “orchard keepers” of our fruit resources.

Just learning how to care for these trees and how to improve their potential for production would be an amazing contribution: a craft to share with others; and take the garden to a higher level.

There are a lot of online resources and workshops going on where one could meet technical assistance providers and fellow caretakers. So don’t think growing in a little box or plot is all of gardening.

Especially if your time is limited during planting season, consider being a Tree Steward for your  Community garden. Help to aquire knowledge to be taught to others for the future and on a larger scale.

Some think that Harlem neighbors are only fit to stand in lines for donated food. But, our gardens can demonstrate that even the poorest, youngest, and even; the disabled can be food producers.

There’s no shame in accepting charity; sometimes, its the best gift one can give another: (to let them be blessed for giving). But when one is able to acquire a productive capacity for our food needs:  then one is able to give a gift for all the generations.

April apricot

Our young apricot tree bloomed in April. Lovely!

apricot buds

apricot flowers

GreenThumb Spring Workshops

We encourage all gardeners to attend GreenThumb’s free workshops, often featuring free giveaways for GreenThumb gardens like ours!

See their full brochure here or check our garden calendar on our homepage for upcoming events.

This is a great way to visit other gardens, meet other gardeners and learn new skills!

Three new cherry blossoms on Saint Nicholas Ave

We are so proud of our three new street trees! These double-bloomed pink Kwanzan cherry blossoms are spectacular. Congratulations to Michelle who led the project. Special thanks to Geddes for getting them in the ground. We thank Nobu for donating the beautiful trees. Thanks to Ian for coordinating with Parks and Manhattan Forester Frick for his support.

Help us take care of them! They love water and we want them litter-free. Remember – your dogs can burn them, so this is not their turf – lead them to the curb. With everone’s help, we can make them the whole neighborhood’s to enjoy for many years to come.

profusion of pink petals

Three trees for the three-sisters garden