Hello gardeners, what do you think of this beautiful weekend
in the Finger Lakes?
The garden is looking really great lately, thanks to the
hard work of our members. The perennial garden is free of weeds, the grass is
mowed nicely, many beds are tidied up after produce is harvested, and the expanded compost pile is cooking away on this season’s additions. The
beautification crew did a great job with the flowers around the Community
Garden sign.
You may have noticed that the accessible beds are in their
permanent places. Now everyone can help fill them with topsoil and make sure
they have a good thick layer of mulch around them so that gardeners in
wheelchairs can get their hands dirty in that topsoil! If you’re at the garden
and have a few minutes, please fill a wheelbarrow with topsoil or mulch and add
it to the accessible bed area. Most of the raised beds can always use a bit of
mulch around them, too, or weeds pulled around them. Those weeds have an
annoying way of getting through too-thin layers of mulch, don’t they?
There’s been some evidence of something, possibly deer,
chewing on some crops. The board is planning on using natural deterrents to try
to keep the deer out of the garden. As always, please let us know if you see
signs of any sort of pests in your raised bed.
Speaking of pests, it looks like the fungus that got to so
many tomatoes last year is back. Remember, to help prevent the spread of the
fungus, remove diseased foliage promptly and dispose of it at home, NOT in the
garden’s compost pile. Allowing plenty of space between your tomato plants can
discourage the fungus, too.
What sorts of delicious dishes have you been making with
your harvest, gardeners? Got any recipes to share? Email them to
pygarden@yahoo.com and we’ll include them
in the next member update.
You may have noticed that beds 10 and 25 have been weeded
thoroughly. The Arc of Yates will be experimenting with growing garlic in these
two beds, which are quite wet much of the time. Good luck, Arc of Yates!
Finally, the Community Garden Annual Meeting is this
upcoming Saturday, August 16, from noon until 2:00 P.M. at Milly’s Pantry on
Main Street. Please bring a dish to pass—something from your garden, perhaps?
This will be a casual meeting where we will share ideas about how to improve
the garden, meet fellow gardeners, and vote on leadership positions within the
garden itself. If you’re interested in joining the Board of Directors, this is
your opportunity! If you can’t make the meeting but are interested in joining
the Board, shoot us an email at
pygarden@yahoo.com.
Happy growing!
