Renewing your plot for 2009

Hello gardeners,

Just a friendly reminder that we are finalizing our list of gardeners for the 2009 season. If you haven't done so already, please drop us a line at sunnysidegarden@riseup.net to let us know if you will be returning or not. We have a waiting list of new members, and we would like to inform them before seed-ordering time (Jan/Feb).

Thanks,
Joey

Fun with compost!

Hi gang,

One item that I forgot to mention at the meeting today was that the composters are in need of attention. Specifically, I think that it is time to rotate the bins to make room for the influx of old plants. So, I need 2 volunteers to join me this Tuesday, September 30th at 6:30 pm at the garden, for an enjoyable evening of mucking about in the composters (joy!). Please RSVP and bring your shovel!

Thanks,
Joey

Limestone convoy, Thursday the 28th at 7pm

Hi gang,

With September approaching, I know that a lot of us are soon going to be very busy. This is why I would like to organize one last work party. We have a huge pile of coarse wood chips to use, and I'd like to create a couple of paths with it: one leading to the hose, the other leading to the front door of the transformer station on Brock Street. The paths will survive much better if we place rock borders along them, so...

I'm looking for volunteers to make another limestone run across the causeway. Again, for those of you who didn't join us last time, you'll get to visit the secret spot where free limestone abounds! Bring your vehicle, and be sure to line your trunk with cardboard or an old blanket to prevent scratches. I'm hoping to get this done this coming Thursday, the 28th of August, with the convoy departing the garden at 7:00pm sharp. We'll fill the pathways with the chips once the rock borders are in. We had a very productive outing last time when we did the Brock Street rock borders, so... come one, come all! (Remember, you'll get to learn about the secret spot!)

Please let me know if you can make it!
Joey

Some photos...

This week I harvested our first melons of the season!

Everything is so lush right now. I couldn't resist a few more pictures of everyone's plots. Basil:

Little squash:

Crisp beans:

Tomatoes almost ready!


A perfect eggplant:


And so many beautiful flowers, I'll save them for another post. Some happy wasps:

Need planters for tomatoes

Margaret would like to move some tomato plants into planters. Does anyone have extra patio planters? If so, could you leave them by/in the shed? Thanks!

Saturday evening soil shifting = fun!

Margaret and I will be at the garden on Saturday the 19th at 7:00pm to move soil and mulch. Bring a shovel and join us! (Because c'mon, what else could you possibly want to do on a Saturday night, right?)

Joey

The Brock Street flower beds are ready

Happy planting, Nikki and Yael! Let me know when to haul the mulch over.

Joey

Transformer station flower beds - update

Four of us (Mike, Joey, Darren and Mary) got together yesterday evening to transport limestone from Mike's secret spot to the front of the transformer station. The new flower beds there are starting to look good! We still need to level-out the soil and spread some mulch, which we can hopefully get done over the coming days. As for the path, can I suggest perhaps a few low hedges (spirea?) to be planted along its edges, perhaps with mulch forming the path itself? I don't think we would need to do the entire length of the path leading to the street, maybe just a 3rd of the way down to give it a suitable 'look'?

Joey

Dirtpile workbee update

Thanks go out to Jane, Jane C and Margaret for joining me in the garden this evening to shift the soil in front of the transformer station. We filled the new flower bed areas with soil, but we will wait for the limestone borders before smoothing it out. Although we moved some of the remaining soil to the big pile next to the shed, we decided to leave some by Brock Street just in case more is needed there. Hope to see you all on July 10th for the next work bee.

Joey (aka Digger)
ps: where are the other men???

dirtpile work-bee

Hey everybody - we have a big pile of dirt to move! 8yds: a lot bigger than it looks! We also ought to go and get a rock border for the new bed that will hold the dirt. This is a call out for a work party sometime in the next two weeks. Please read below and reply to me or post on the blog what day/evening might be good for you to come. This way, maybe we can have as many people help out together as possible.

So... please respond with your best 2 times to get out with a shovel and wheel barrow over the next two weeks. By Friday or Saturday I'll try to pick the most popular seeming times and will let you all know.

More specific job run-down:

Big pile of dirt (first priority). We will fill the beds to 4-6 inches and then transport the remainder to our back fence.

Rock border for the Brock Street ornamental bed (second priority, but best done first). we are not bound to do this, but it would make it look really nice to edge the beds with chunks of limestone rock. If enough people say are willing, we can vehicle convoy over to a site across the causeway and load up our vehicles with nice pieces of free limestone. I think we need 6 loads. As a bonus you'll learn the 'secret' site. Exciting!

Yael has done a lot of work planning out the garden and has already purchased the plants (paid for by UK). Nikki (our newest gardner) has some of the plants at home already, and will plant them when the beds are ready.


Thanks, and see you soon!
Mike

call for tomato foster care

Hi - I'm passing out a call for tomato foster-care on behalf of the Loving Spoonful, a foodshare like pilot program for kingston. They are involved in a foodraiser that supports the buddhist centre fundraiser. Respond to Susan if you are interested in helping:


The Tomato Project is Out of Control!!

Thanks to an overwhelming response to the latest donation initiative (partnering with the Buddhist Centre to receive donated tomato seedlings) we now have many, many tiny tomato seedlings (2-3" tall, most of them) which need homes. We have about 80!

I need people who can foster these plants through the summer and donate the produce back at harvest time. We'll have a big weigh-in and it'll be fun! Community gardens, your back yard, wherever! I have planted about 15, but that's all I have room for. Anyone?????

Thanks

Susan Belyea
Coordinator, Loving Spoonful
Cooperative Food Distribution Initiative
Kingston, ON
(613) 583-2055

2 new beds ready

I moved the extra soil into a big pile beside the composters this evening, meaning that the two new beds are ready to go (as long as UK doesn't dump a new pile onto them...).

Joey (aka Digger)

UK update

When it rains it pours dirt and mulch. 7yds dirt, 2yds mulch coming soon to the garden courtesy of UK. I think that some trees also came down today, though I haven't been by. We will have a bunch of work to do moving piles around and prepping and planting the beds in front. Yael has made a great plan for the Brock St beds that our group is responsible for maintaining.

The sign is just dandy, but the design can't be distributed on our listserv due to it's size. True, it features a large UK sunshine/energy logo, but it looks pretty good, explains the garden and is built to last. Coming soon, hopefully, to the Macdonnell side. (email me and I'll send you the .pdf)

I went by the garden this AM. Thanks to whoever has moved all that dirt around - awesome! If the extra dirt comes today as expected, there will still be lots to do Saturday morning, so please come if you can. I'll post something tonight if the dirt DOESN'T come.

Otherwise, bring a shovel and some newspaper, and we'll make two lasagne beds on Brock Street (paper to suppress weeds, then 4"dirt, then mulch). We will then relocate the extra dirt (there's a lot) somewhere discreet for our future garden plots.

Finally, does someone want to make a sign for the Martha's table bed, and one for the Communal bed. We should explain to passersby the function of both beds, and invite people to pick from the communal bed.

Mike

Rideau Public School Funfair

Hi everyone: Rideau Public School will be having a Funfair this Saturday, May 31st from 10am to 2pm. There is lots of stuff to do for kids-air castle, magician, make a garden stone, face painting, dunk tank. Also, there is a BBQ and snack table (with samosas if you come early enough). And a silent auction with lots of good stuff.

All are invited.

Rupa

Cow Manure

There is a pile of cow manure in front of Rideau Public School that is available to anyone. Feel free to take some.

Rupa

Soil for new beds

Hi everyone,

As you may have noticed, it appears that UK has delivered the soil for the two new gardening beds. The unfortunate thing is that they dumped it all in ONE bed, so we will have to shift some over to fill the other one. I noticed tonight that someone has begun the job, and I gave it a stab this evening too. If you are in the garden and have some free time, please feel free to shift some soil. There's a wheelbarrow and a spade in the shed. It would be great to get this done before the rain comes on the weekend.

I'm also interested in knowing what people have planted so far this year. How are things going? Care to share your successes/failures? This week we have been harvesting our first crop of salad greens (Rocket, Mustard Greens and Cress) as well as radishes, all of which were planted from seed in late April. These were very easy to grow, and the greens did very well under the floating row cover.

Happy gardening,
Joey (who just used a b-l-o-g for the first time... yay!)

Tags

Don't hesitate to put "labels" at the bottom of your postings. They make a nice little index on the right-hand side ("Find It!" under the slideshow) which we can use to navigate around the posts easily.

You can use a label that already exists (click "show all" at the bottom of your posting) or make up a new one.

Loving Spoonful is Hiring!

Loving Spoonful is a collaborative initiative of Ontario Public Interest
Research Group Kingston, The Partners in Mission Foodbank, the Justice and
Peace Office of The Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul and the
National Farmer’s Union Local 316. We will be recovering surplus
perishable food from grocers, restaurants and farmers to be used in meal
programs and other community agencies. The project will combine food
reclamation with support for local, sustainably produced food in Kingston.

This position is hosted by OPIRG Kingston, which is a non-profit
organization largely student directed and student funded. Our mission is
to provide a framework and support for concerned citizens to conduct
research, education and action on social and environmental issues, as they
define them. OPIRG-Kingston endeavours to foster a non-hierarchical
working environment by following consensus decision-making processes and
strives to be an anti-oppressive space.

HOW TO APPLY
Applicants must provide a cover letter and resume with references. Visit
www.opirgkingston.org for more details. Please email applications to
lovingspoonful@opirgkingston.org (preferred) or deliver to the Hiring
Committee, OPIRG Kingston, 51 Bader Lane, Queen’s University, Kingston ON,
K7L 3N6.

Submission Deadline: Wednesday May 21st, 4:00 p.m. Interviews will take
place on Friday May 23rd and/or Saturday May 24th.

We encourage you to contact Susan Belyea at
lovingspoonful@opirgkingston.org or at (613)583-2055 for more information
about this position and this project. To download a job description visit
www.opirgkingston.org.

Only those applicants selected for an interview will be notified.

Applicants must:
• be between 15 AND 30 YEARS OF AGE (INCLUSIVELY) at the time of selection;
• have been registered as full-time students in the previous academic
year, and intend to return to school on a full-time basis in the next
academic year;
• be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or persons on whom refugee
protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection
Act;
• be legally entitled to work according to relevant provincial
legislation and regulations;

OPIRG welcomes the contributions that individuals from marginalized
communities bring to our organization, and invites individuals from the
following groups though not limited to: Aboriginal people, people of
colour, women, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered people,
queer-oriented people, single parents, members of ethnic minorities,
immigrants and people with disabilities to apply.

We encourage applicants to describe the contributions and experiences
they, as individuals who identify with marginalized communities, would
bring to the OPIRG organization, in their cover letter. All applicants are
asked for a brief statement on their views of power and oppression.

rain barrels

The city just posted their rain barrel program for this year. Instead of first come, first served, they will deliver directly to your house. Cost is $32. One per household. There are 1000 available, but they'll go fast!

http://www.utilitieskingston.com/water/rainbarrel/

Mike

volunteers needed for ground turning at new garden

Monday May 12th at 6:30pm, we will be turning the soil at the new garden site at Oak Park. We'll be lifting sod on 500ft of garden. Then we'll transport the grass to an existing compost pile 30m away. So... show up with spades, forks, and wheelbarrows, or just bring yourself!

The garden is at the far west end of Oak Street, just past where Victoria Street terminates. The basic plan is to cultivate 500 square feet of potatoes for donation to local emergency meal and food providers. We're going low tech and not asking for many City resources this summer (no water). We will also try to build profile over the year to involve community in planning for the future uses of the site... more donation plots, community garden plots, education centre... at this site there is room for all possibilities.

See you there!

Mike

OPRIG looking for new coordinator

PIRG Kingston is looking for a new coordinator! A detailed description can also be found at www.opirgkingston.org. Applications are due Tuesday May 20th, 4pm. Interviews will take place on either Monday May 26th or Tuesday May 27th.

Applicants must provide a resume with 3 references, a cover letter and a one-page (one-sided) statement or essay that addresses any of the following topics: the relevance of anti-oppression work to social change organizations, the most pressing issues facing our communities today, the role of public interest research in society, or the role of students in social or environmental change.

OPIRG welcomes the contributions that individuals from marginalized communities bring to our organization, and invites individuals from the following groups though not limited to: Aboriginal people, people of colour, women, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered people, queer-oriented people, single parents, members of ethnic minorities, immigrants and people with disabilities to apply.

We encourage applicants to describe the contributions and experiences they, as individuals who identify with marginalized communities, would bring to the OPIRG organization in their cover letter. All applicants are asked for a brief statement on their views of power and oppression.

For more information please email info[at]opirgkingston.org.

Thanks!
Sayyida

Contact Us

Just a reminder, if you're trying to contact everyone by email, send it to sunnyside@lists.riseup.net and it will happen. To reach our garden coordinator, please email joeybray@sympatico.ca

A Helpful Haiku

The shed? how does one
enter that aluminum
room? Grow, not forwards!

new bed-frames up, + other updates

Darren, Huss, Joey, Alexis and I have put up the two new beds for Martha's Table. The materials cost $400, marked down over $100 courtesy of Glen Supply up on Counter Street. Let's try to thank them by giving them business. They are local and have lumber and some hardware.


Soon, hopefully, dirt will arrive from UK to put in them. When it does, we'll be calling for people to help fill the beds.


UK is also set to remove shrubs from the daycare fence, as well as the beds at the Brock Street face of the substation. Yael has done a lot of work planning the ornamental beds to go there. There will probably be a call in May for some help with working the soil, moving the soil, as well as planting.

Mike

Plant Sale plus...

Hi everyone,

Lara and I continue to plant seeds for Marthas Table in the centre garden . There are now 3 types of lettuce, snap peas and snow peas in the bed. There is also some Swiss Chard and Mizuna greens(is that right Tracey?) PLUS many strawberry plants on the east side of the bed for nibbling next year!

To accomodate everything we are trying to grow plus leave space for extra planting, we've taken out (or mostly taken out - a few remain to be taken) the perenial flowering plants on the north side of the bed. At first we had anticipated handing them over to the 'Brock Street Flower Bed Team' (they are all potted in my back yard, awaiting soil) but it occured to us that most of the plants are large enough to be split into many small plants and that a 'Plant Sale' may be a good way to raise some money towards building the new beds. In addition to these plants, I also have Hostas that need splitting (of course) and other plants in my garden that need thinning.

How does everyone feel about this idea?

There's a meeting scheduled for Sunday the 18th. Could we hold a plant sale in the garden that day...meet in the morning perhaps...any other ideas? I'd be happy to make a sign and poster the area to let residents know. If everyone thinks this is a good idea, would anyone be available to help out with the selling that day? If people are planning to be in the garden that day maybe we could rotate shifts at the sale table and sell thru the day.

Cath

Workshop at Mulberry School, "Food For Thought", Saturday May 3rd

"Food For Thought: Cultivating Thought on the Food We Eat".
Saturday May 3rd, 9:30 am-3 pm.

Starts with guest speaker Janette Haase, followed by workshops. Choose 2 of 5: "Eating in a Northern Climate", "Bread Making", "Soulful Eating", Stenciling", and "The 10000 Mile Diet".

$20 in advance, $25 at the door. Childcare available for $15/child. Call Mulberry School for more info, 613 542-0669.

Wolfe Island's Seedy Saturday, Saturday May 3rd

Wolfe Island’s Seedy Saturday: Community Seed, Plant and Tree Swap Event
Saturday, May 03, 11-3pm
Wolfe island Community Hall, Marysville, Wolfe Island.

Home gardeners, seed savers, farmers, neighbours, and folks from Kingston and area are invited to come together to share, trade, and purchase locally grown seeds and plants while sharing stories and knowledge. There will be a seed & plant swap (don't forget to bring your seeds or plants!), seeds and plants for sale, workshops, live entertainment, a puppet show and a kid's corner. And of course some local snacks for nibbling. Everyone is invited to learn about and contribute to our local seed and food heritage.

The event will highlight local foods and seeds, and provide an opportunity for community building between Kingston and the rural community.

For information please call Nicole Clark at (613)385-2641.

Workshop: "Organic Vegetable Growing for the Small Home Garden", Saturday April 26th

ORGANIC VEGETABLE GROWING FOR THE SMALL HOME GARDEN

An afternoon workshop with Janette Haase

Learn the basics of how to grow a productive and efficient garden in a small space
Saturday, April 26th from 1-5 pm. Cost $30. Kingston location TBA.

Contact Janette Haase @ 613-376-9849 or janettehaase@gmail.com

Martha's Table Meeting: April 12th

Rupa, Sarah, Catherine and I were present for the short meeting yesterday. A lot of people were sick or otherwise unable to make yesterday's meeting. However, by email or phone, most of those people told me about their preferences for scheduling of the work-hours, so we felt able to make some decisions, all, of course, open to changes. Here they are:

We will have our next meeting when there is soil in the two new beds that we will build. We will do our first planting and invite the Martha's Table people at that time. Because of the soil/UK/Sunnyside budget issues, we'll plan on this being around the third week of May.

Until then, Lara and Cath will plant some lettuce in the central communal plot.

Starting June 4, we'll begin our regular scheduled 'harvest hours' (anyone got a better name?). These will be Wednesdays from 8-9am. I'll bring a calendar to the next meeting and you can sign up for your times. Depending on how many of us want to host the harvest hour, we might not have to sign up for more than 1-2 each. We could also ask other Sunnyside gardeners to participate.

Our reasons for choosing this time were: it was convenient for many of us; Martha's Table is open at this time to receive the produce; produce is sweetest and crispiest in the morning; it will give MT three days to use up what we give them.

We will communicate with the rest of the group that they can donate any excess at this time. If people are away, or overwhelmed, they can contact the person who is scheduled to 'host' to ask them to harvest and donate what is ready. The hosting schedule will be posted on the blog. Can we also post people's phone numbers? Think about this so that we can make a decision at our next meeting.

It's really exciting that we are making the partnership happen this season!

See you all soon,
Mike

Workshop: Growing Neighbourhoods, Tuesday April 22nd

Growing Neighbourhoods
How community gardening can strengthen the place you live

More and more people are choosing to grow their own food with
others by creating a local community garden. It’s a way for them
to meet their neighbours, have fun and do something good for the
planet. At this free workshop, three speakers will outline the joys,
challenges and benefits of community gardening – and perhaps
inspire you to do it, too!

• Hilary Davies
Former co-coordinator of Food Down the Road
• Jeanette Haase
Sydenham organic gardener, author
• Carone Beaucage
FRILL Community Garden

April 22, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Kingston Public Library, Delahaye Room
130 Johnson St.

For more information, please contact andrea.wilmot@spckingston.ca

First Garden Meeting of 2008 Season!

Attention All!

We will be having our first Social event on April the 20th at 4pm at the Community Garden. We will be finalizing all payments for the plots and also dividing up the plots. Face painting by Maya, no BBQ unless it is really nice out -- So check on the blog for an update prior to the event.

We will also be posting shortly the dates for the next socials (as soon as I learn how to work the google calendar)

R.

Soil from UK, the Brock St. beds

from Mike:

Hi all,

good news: UK will supply us with soil for the first part of our bed expansion.

also news: UK wants us to plan and maintain the two beds on the Brock Street face of the building. Beautification of the site for the entire community was part of what they had in mind when they let us use the site, and all along they have wanted us to improve the Brock Street face. The beds are on either side of the front door and right up against the building. Currently both beds contain an overgrown shrub. Brad wants us to get rid of the shrub and to then do whatever we think is beautiful. He will pay. We are welcome to expand the beds, too.


Will someone volunteer to take the lead on this? Or a couple of people could take it on and call on the rest of us for help when they need it, both for planting and/or for maintenance.


Mike

A New Beginning

Welcome!
Spring was in the air today -- the countdown has begun.
Please feel free to email suggestions about how to improve the website for the garden, and suggestions for possible links. I've done a first draft. I will be posting emails received via the list on the website for easy archiving. Best,
R.