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NEXT MEETING
When: Monday, June 16, 6:30 pm
Where: 1100 S. Holly St., behind the Ben Arnold Center
What: Tend, plant, harvest, and plan the garden; report updates.
Read more about garden developments and about how to support the gardens.
COMPOST PICK UP SCHEDULE
The Rosewood Market deli is willing to let us come and pick up compost daily around 6pm. We need to
pick up every day in order to make this work for them. If you are able to take a
day, or could be a substitute, please contact Billy.
Monday: Lori
Tuesday: Billy
Wednesday: Brian & Eleanor
Thursday: ??????
Friday: Brian & Eleanor
Saturday: Billy
Sunday: Billy
WATERING
Shall we water whenever we deliver compost?
DISCUSSION LIST
Anyone (with email access) who's interested in working on the
project can join the discussion, and can send messages to the others in
the group. To get on and to see how to use the list, go to:
http://carolinapeace.org/mailman/listinfo/communitygardening_carolinapeace.org
If you did not receive a message from Brian about the City's May 29
public meeting on the Comprehensive Plan, then you are not subscribed.
If you have already tried subscribing at the above url without success,
please call 803-446-2772 and leave a message for Lori with your name,
phone number, and email address.
NOTES FROM LAST MEETING
Mon., June 2 Meeting Notes
We had a visitor to the meeting this week. Laura, from the SC Dept. of Agriculture is doing the rounds to learn more about community gardening organizations. You might recognize her from her time working at Rosewood Market. She is very interested in what we are doing and we welcome her.
Some of the volunteers were able to provide her with contacts and other info, etc... Billy noted that a full bag of compost and the plastic border defining the main garden have walked away from the Edisto Court garden. Also, some wheat straw has been delivered as the site is becoming overgrown with weeds. Billy will be setting out to remulch the site in the next week or so and will solicit help when he decides on a day.
A number of people will be contributing new plants to the Rosewood garden site. Tomatoes, beans and some others that I can't remember should be finding there way to fill out the garden very soon. Composting pick-up is going well at Rosewood Market. Billy will check in soon with them to make sure they are cool with everything too. There will be renewed pressure with the parks department to supply a new tap at the back of the Ben Arnold Center. Lori spoke with the director at Ben Arnold about moving the dumpster.
There was some question still as to whether or not the summer workshop
will proceed as in the past. [Note from Lori and Karlann--June 4 we met with Boys & Girls Club Director Brian Harris and Program Director Sierra Haywood and were excited to learn that Mr. Harris comes to Columbia from the B&G Clubs in Atlanta, where they ran two community garden projects for all ages. Mr. Harris said he is very interested in our project and will support us in whatever way he can. We think we will have enough volunteers, so the workshops will be held with 4th graders again--Mondays 9-10:15 beginning after this week; we just need to let him know when we will be ready to start.]
Billy
NOTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Mon., May 5 Meeting Notes
Cassandra brought some butternut squash seedlings as well as some
lentils. Lori and Louis also planted some things. Jason affixed to the
compost unit one of the signs that the children helped to create during
the final Common Ground Summer Garden Workshop in 2007. When the skies
opened up and it started to pour, Cassandra headed home. Louis and Lori
tried to get some more things in the ground but called it quits when
the hail started to sting!
-Lori
Wed., April 23 Meeting Notes
We had a great turnout Wednesday
evening. At the Rosewood plot everyone weeded and spread straw, and
we added a few nasturtiums and some peas that Louis brought to the
beans, sugar snap peas, strawberries, and green onions that
were already there. Paul's flats didn't make it and so he's replanted
and we'll try again with those later. Brian and Eleanor went back
yesterday and also planted some gourds, pumpkins, and cucumbers that
Sara had started in her flats.
After working in the Rosewood plot,
Billy, Eleanor and Brian planted some of Sara's seedlings in the Edisto
plot: pumpkins, gourds, cucumbers, and marigolds.
We hope we identified everything
correctly!
--We'll also try and send this e-mail
out to the listserv. Sorry if you get two copies! Now that we've got
stuff in the ground it seems like it would be a good idea to start
using the listserv.
Best,
Brian & Eleanor
Mon., April 7 Meeting Notes
Cassandra presented information about funding that may be available for
a program pairing local schools with local farmers. Sarah demonstrated
the new rain barrels. We discussed getting a hose to siphon water out of the other
rain-collection can. So far no one has been using the e-mail listserv,
but we decided to wait and see if it proves useful before disabling it.
We decided that notes will be taken at meetings on a rotating basis.
Lori discussed the 8 week summer series and we decided that we'll
figure out who wants to be involved etc. over the next month or so.
Paul's beans have taken off and he will plant them in the Rosewood
plot. Brian and Eleanor will check the seedlings and water them on
Wednesdays until more waterings become necessary. The other seedlings
will be planted at our next meeting. Since several people would not be
able to attend this week at the regular Monday time, we rescheduled
(for this time only) to meet on Wednesday the 23rd. At that meeting we
will meet at the Rosewood plot and then move on to plant at the Edisto
plot as well. Billy will investigate reinstating the Rosewood compost
pick-up. If it is feasible, we will attempt to put together a schedule
to pick up the compost every day rather than once a week.
Mon., March 24 Meeting Notes
Kim left four flats for us, Lori brought seeds, and Mike brought sand,
soil, and peat moss and mixed it together. Mike filled up the flats.
Mike, Paul, Eleanor, and Bryan planted and made markers. Paul and Mike
each took two flats home; they took the remaining soil elements to
Paul's house for the time being. *There is a new director and new program director at the Boys &
Girls Club Ben Arnold Center. Before the March 24 Rosewood CG meeting I talked to the latter about the summer
workshops and she will discuss it with the new director. I have also
solicited volunteers via USC School of Education (that's how we got Kim
and Stephanie) and will try to attend the next Rosewood Community
Council meeting. I would say if there are at least 6 people committed
to the 8 week series and we can coordinate with the B&G Club
directors, the workshops can proceed.
Tues., March 18 Meeting Notes
Actually, Kim and Billy also met on Monday at 5:30 p.m. due to some email confusion. Kim reported that they took stock of the
plants and Billy introduced the idea of burying bottles in the ground
(with holes in them) to gradually release water. Kim made a plan for
the garden, which she and daughter Eve shared with Mike, Paul, Sara,
Dee Dee and Lori on Tuesday. We will meet on Monday Mar. 21 at 5:30 and
divide up planting. Lori will bring summer seeds; Kim will bring flats;
Mike will bring soil.
Tues., March 4 Meeting Notes
Karlann, Mike, Lewis, Kim, Billy and I met in the rain and surveyed the
back Rosewood (Ben Arnold) Community Garden. Lewis brought rainbow
chard seedlings to share; the collards and kale he planted are doing
great--the cabbage not quite as well. We decided to maintain the garden
at its current size, but add borders with wood or such to protect it
from lawn mowing, which I am looking into. We will flip last year's plan
that Matt and Emily made (maintaining their berm contours), with some
additions such as green beans. Kim is coming up with design/planting
details. Karlann's letter to Mr. Ben Arnold met with no response.
(Note: last year someone from the City met with me to brainstorm water
conservation--and gave us seeds and other resources--but could not help
us with watering with their mobile tank. In 2006 Parks & Rec. had
said it would be too much to put in a spigot). We decided to improve
the water collection but keep it simple. Mike is working on designing a
platform for putting Pepsi Co containers on at each of the gutter down
spouts; Karlaan is contacting Pepsi (tho I could do this Karlann). At
this point the idea is to put screening on top and a spigot at bottom
and continue hand watering. At the next meeting we'll all report back, and will exchange seeds and divide up planting.
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