AswekickoffthenewfiscalyearthisApril,Iwanttotakeamomenttorecognizeoursuccessesandchallengesthatwe’vebeensharingwithyoumonthlyinthelittlebargraphsbelow,chartingourworkagainstourannualgoals.Whilethesethreemetrics:on-sitemembersignups,visitationandvolunteerhoursdonotdefineallthatwehaveaccomplishedacrossournetworkof56communitygardensandparks,theyhelpusmeasureourimpact.Lastyear,tengardensreportedintheirvolunteerhours,surgingusaheadofour1,000hourgoalto5,000hours!AbigthankyoutoBerkeleyCG,West
SpringfieldCG,Rutland&WashingtonCG,BrooksideCG,MissionHillCG,JoeCiampaCG,KitteredgeGreen,Lenox&KendallCG,MintonStableCGandSymphonyCGfortheirparticipation.Thismetricissoimportantforustobothfactorintoourgardenmanagementplansandgrantrequests,andIurgethegardencoordinatorswhohavenotyetstartedtogiveAnnieacallandgetyourgarden’svolunteerhoursinthisupcomingyear!Wehitclosetoourexpectednumberofgardenvisitors,hostingjustover293,00individualvisitstoourgardensandpopupinstallationsthispastyear.Thiswasmadepossibleprimarilybythegenerosityofourgardenerswelcomingtheirneighborstolearnaboutandsharethebountyandbeautyoftheirgardens.Nearly16,000peopleparticipatedinourprogramslastyear.Wehavereceivedanumberofprogramfeedbacksurveysandwillcontinuetousethesetostrengthenourengagementofferings.Oursupportersgrewby89peoplechoosingtosignupasmembersatourprogramsandeventsthisyear.Whilewedidn’thitthegoalof125,wecamesocloseandwillcontinuetopushforthisinthenextyear.Aswesetourgoalsfornextyear,wewillrollbackthesegraphsbacktozeroandlookforwardtoonceagainpartneringwithourvolunteersandgardenerstohelpgrowourreachandservicestoanevenwideraudienceintheupcomingseason.
BostonGardenersGazette Urban&Green
April2017
AMessagefromVidyaTikku,GeneralManager
YearEndActualsMembership:71%PropertyVisitation:126%VolunteerHours:500%
LaDonnaRedmondprovidedaninspirationalpresentationonfoodjusticeandthefoodsystematthisyear’s42nd
AnnualGardeners’Gathering.
PLANNOWTOATTEND:ACGA’S38THANNUALCONFERENCE
JULY27-30,2017**HARTFORD,CONNECTICUT“CONNectingtoOurRootsfortheFutureofCommunity,Food&NewDirections”
HundredsofcommunitygardenenthusiastsfromacrosstheUnitedStateswillbemeetinginHartford,July27–30,forthe38thAnnualConferenceoftheAmericanCommunityGardenAssociation(ACGA).TheACGA’sAnnualconferencewaslastinNewEnglandtenyearsago!TheACGAiscommittedtobuildingstrongcommunitiesandenhancingcommunitygardeningandgreeningacrosstheUnitedStatesandCanada.TheconferencewillbeheldatCapitalCommunityCollegeindowntownHartford.Overthecourseofthefour-dayconference,expertswillconductoverfiftyworkshopsontopicssuchascuttingedgehorticulturepractices;communitygardeningstart-upandsustainability;school/youthgardeningcurricula;andinnovativehealthandworkplaceprograms,tonameafew.TTOR’sownJeremyDickandMichelledeLimawillbepresenters.ThekeynotespeakerfortheeventisMarkWinne,formerlyExecutiveDirectoroftheHartfordFoodSystem.CurrentlyheservesasSeniorAdvisortotheFoodPolicyNetworksProjectattheJohnHopkinsUniversityCenterforaLivableFuture.OnSaturday,July29,conferenceparticipantswillheadoutonall-daytourstoeightmajorcommunitygardeningandurbanagriculturalprogramsinConnecticutandMassachusetts.Choicesincludevisitstoneighborhoodgardens,schoolgardens,urbanfarms,hydroponicfacility,winery,andmore.NetworkingstartsonThursdayeveningandisanemphasisoftheentireconference.FridayNightwillfeatureshortfilmsonrelatedtopicsatHartford’sCitySteam,andSaturdayevening,agalaeventandsilentauctionwillbeheldintheGershonFoxBallroomintheformerG.Foxbuilding.Allareencouragedtoattendtheentireconferenceorsingleactivities.ScholarshipapplicationsaredueMay5.Asaconferencehostorganization,Trusteeshasawarded5scholarships–congratulationstoLisa“Riz”Risley,LolitaParkerJr.,KannanThiruvengadam,MariaElenaGonzalez,andLindaCiborowski.ForACGAconferenceprogram,tourdetails,scholarshipapplications,andpricingvisitwww.communitygarden.org/conference.
Savethedate!TheSpringGardenCoordinator’sMeetingwillbeheldonWednesday,April26thfrom6:00PM-7:30PMattheKITCHENatBostonPublicMarket.Additionaldetailsandagendatofollow.
ACGAConference-BetsyJohnson,GuestoftheMonth
SpringGardenCoordinator’sMeeting
TrusteesstaffandvolunteersloaduptheCompostHeateratCityNativestogetthegreenhousewarmedupfortheNew
Englandspring
No-TillGardeningSaturday,April22|10:00AM-11:30AMAlvahKittredgeCommunityGarden,10HighlandAve,RoxburyCaseyTownsend,farmmanageratNatickCommunityOrganicFarm,willtakeyouthroughthenutsandboltsofno-till:composting,bedprep,seeding,andmore!
BackyardChickensSaturday,April22|1:00PM-2:30PMStarrLanePark,17StarrLane,JamaicaPlainLearntheinsandoutsofaddingchickenstoyourbackyardorgarden!KhrystiSmithofYardbirdswillcoverbreeds,care,housing,andzoning.
GardenMeetupWednesday,May3|6:00PM-7:30PMWestSpringfieldCommunityGarden,SouthEnd,BostonSharetricksofthetradewithothercommunitygardenersandTrusteesstaff.
DIYGardenStructuresSaturday,May6|10:00AM-12:00PMStarrLanePark,17StarrLane,JamaicaPlainComelearnhowtobuildyourowncomposters,trellises,andgardenfencesfromAdamMonroyofHomeHarvest.
RaisedBedGardeningSunday,May7|10:00AM-11:30AMSouthwestCorridorCommunityFarm,JamaicaPlainJonusaswegooverbeddesign,materials,planting,andmaintenance.
SpringPerennialDivideSunday,May7|12:30PM-2:30PMSouthwestCorridorCommunityFarm,JamaicaPlainJoinusforaplantswap!Shareyourfavoriteperennialsandtakehomenewonesforthisyear’sgarden.
CityNativesPlantSaleSaturday,May13|10:00AM-2:00PMCityNatives,MattapanComeforallofyourspringplantingneeds:nativeperennials,heirloomveggie&herbseedlings,andmore!
ContainerGardeningSaturday,May13|11:00AM-12:00PMCityNatives,MattapanLearnhowtogrowvegetablesandherbsincontainers.Thisworkshopwillbeheldduringourspringplantsale.
SouthEndPlantSaleSaturday,May20|10:00AM-2:00PMBerkeleyCommunityGarden,SouthEnd,BostonComeforallofyourspringplantingneeds:nativeperennials,heirloomveggie&herbseedlings,andmore!
CompostingTogetherTuesday,May23|6:00PM-7:30PMEagleHillCommunityGarden,EastBostonWe’llgooveringredients,methods,andcontainersformakinggreatcompostinyourgardenorbackyard.
VegetableGardening101Saturday,June3|10:00AM-12:00PMEagleHillCommunityGarden,EastBostonWe’llcoverthebasicsofsoilcare,transplanting,watering,andweedingtogetyourgardengrowingright.
Water-WiseGardeningWednesday,June7|6:00PM-7:30PMElJardíndelaAmistad,RoxburyLearntoconservewaterinthegarden.We’llcoverwhenandhowtowater,buildingyoursoilforwaterretention,andmulching.Spanishtranslationincluded.
GardenMixologyWednesday,June14|6:00PM-8:00PMSaintRoseCommunityGarden,JamaicaPlainLearntocraftuniquecocktailswithfresh,localingredients,andenjoyyourdrinkswithtastyseasonalappetizers.KevinMartinofPrivateerRumwillleadyouthroughconcoctingthreedeliciousdrinks!
SouthEndGardenTourSaturday,June17|10:00AM-4:00PMUnionPark,EighthStreets,andOldDoverneighborhoodsTouramixofpublicandprivategardenspaceswhileartistspaintthescenery.Enjoyareceptionandsaleoftheworksofartafterthetour.
UpcomingEvents
FormoreinformationonourSeed,Sow,&Growprograms,visit:www.thetrustees.org/seedsowandtocheckoutourupdatedwebsite,visit:www.thetrustees.org/communitygardens
VolunteerattheSouthEndGardenTourandgetafreeticket.TheSouthEndGardenTourisanexcellentopportunitytogetapeekintotheprivategardensoftheSouthEndwithoutriskingtrespassingcharges.Thisyear’stourisarobustmixofprivatebackyardgardens,smallpocketparks,andsomeinterestinggreenspacesandcourtyardsintheUnionPark,EightStreets,OldDover,andSOWAcornersof
theneighborhood.Ittakesvolunteerpoweronthedayofthetourandwehaveanofferwehopeyoucannotrefuse.Volunteerforonetwo-hourshiftonthedayoftheTour(Saturday,June17th)andreceiveafreegardentourticket.Threeshiftsareavailable10AM–noon,noon–2PM,and2PM–4PM.Workyourshift,enjoythetour,thenjoinusfortheReceptionandArtSalefeaturingthe‘pleineaire’workspaintedduringthetourbythemembersoftheUnitedSouthEndArtists.YoucansignuptovolunteerbycompletingtheGoogleformathttps://goo.gl/forms/sWoYzz1Cw7y9WpP43.Notfeelinguptothetechnology?Callmeat617.869.6720,leaveamessageat617.542.2122x2122,oremailmeatpbowne@thetrustees.org.Pleasesharethisinformationwithfriends,neighbors,andfellowgardeners!
Anyonewhogardenedlastsummerknowsthatitwasachallengingone.Despitethespringrainswe’vehad,climatescientistspredictthatNewEnglandwillbedealingwithheatwavesanddroughtmoreandmorefrequentlyinthefuture.Ofcourseweshoulddoeverythingwecantominimizeclimatechange,fromlobbyingforpolicychangestoreducingourowncarbonfootprints,butwealsoneedtoadapttosomeoftheinevitablechangescomingourway.It’spossibletogrowahealthygardenevenunderdrought
conditions--itjusttakessomespecialattentiontoyoursoil,mulching,andwateringmethods.LearnmoreatourfreeApril22No-TillGardeningworkshopwithfarmerCaseyTownsend&Water-WiseGardeningonJune7th.Belowareafewofmytips;pleasefeelfreetoshareyourownwithusbyemailingmeatmdelima@thetrustees.org
• Eliminatingorreducingtillage:tillingsoilwithmachinesorbyhandbreaksupaggregatesthatholdwaterandburnsthroughorganicmatter.Italsoreleasesexcesscarbondioxide,contributingtoglobalwarming.
• Addingorganicmatter:covercropping,composting,andmulchingbuildssoilsthataremuchbetteratretainingmoistureaswellasnutrients.Leaves,straw,driedgrassclippings&saltmarshhayaregoodmulches.
• Minimizingbaresoil:plantdenselyandusemulchsoyouhavelessevaporation-pronebaresoil.
SeetheTouronUs–PeterBowne,SE&LREngagementSiteManager
Growingadrought-resistantgarden–MichelledeLima,EngagementSiteManager
• Wateringwisely:usesoakerhosesordripirrigation,orselectiveandwell-timedhandwatering.Sprinklerslose30-50%ofthewatertheyemittoevaporation.Wateringintheearlymorningisbest,asyou’lllosetheleastamountofwatertoevaporation.Wateringmiddaycanburnplants,andwateringintheeveningcanmakeleaveswetovernight,whichencouragesfungaldisease.
Choosingcrops:takenoteofwhichcropsandvarietiesthrivewithlesswater,andemphasizetheseinfutureplantings.Generallyperennialslikerhubarb&asparagus,legumes,anddwarforminiaturevegetablevarietiesaregoodchoices.Swisschardandmustardgreensproducewellwithminimalwatering.Manynativeperennials,bothedibleandornamental,arewell-adaptedtodryconditions--moreonthisnextmonth.
42ndAnnualGardeners’Gathering Manythankstoeveryonewhoparticipated&madetheGatheringasmashingsuccess!We’regratefultoNortheasternUniversityforhostingandtoeveryonewhosharedtheirtime&expertise:MayorWalsh,LaDonnaRedmond,JohnTobin,allofoureducationalpartners,exhibitors,andvolunteers.ThankstoMadisonParkDevelopmentCorporationforbeingasupportingpartner,andtoallofyouwhoparticipatedorhelpedspreadtheword!CongratstoCommunityGardenAwardRookieGardenoftheYearFolsomStreetCommunityGarden,MostValuableGardenersJuliette&SaintfinbarMercury,andHallofFameinducteeJoeCiampaCommunityGarden.
PhotoCredits:MarkGardnerandBruceWilson
