Bonnie Stephens planting the first vegetable crop of the season on Saturday, March 30, 2013
Category Archives: Blog
Purple Tansy and Bees at the Garden
Last fall the Garden planted Purple Tansy/Lacey Phacelia along the fence that faces Mt. Diablo Blvd. by scattering seeds. Now the Purple Tansy is blooming and attracting lots of bees!
Sheet Mulching!
Last weekend we got a good lesson on sheet mulching from Lori Caldwell in our first Outdoor Learning class of the year. Now we are putting that lesson to good use under the oak trees in our garden. First we laid down a layer of cardboard making sure not to leave any ground uncovered. Then we thoroughly soaked the cardboard and added mulch (wood chips). The transformation continues!
Seasons Greetings!
We had a great work party yesterday and planted California Natives along the fence facing Mt. Diablo Blvd. We also planted a native garden, a tea garden, an herb garden and a butterfly and humming bird garden. Next year is going to be grand!
Last Class of the Year – Saturday, September 29
Don’t miss this one!
September 29 3 – 5pm Winter Gardens
There is as much happening in your garden over winter as there is in summer…even if you don’t plant anything. Did you know tomato horn worm grubs could be hibernating in your soil? Or that you may be promoting the growth of various wilts by composting your tomato plants? Join Nanette Heffernan in a lively discussion on how to prepare your garden for winter to ensure you have a healthy spring. We will also be discussing winter edibles that do well in Contra Costa County: Swiss Chard, Broccoli, Collard Greens…the list goes on and on. You will even take home some seedlings to plant!
Sign up here
Kale!
Farmers’ Market This Sunday
Lafayette Farmers’ Market reopens on Sunday, June 10 in a new location – South Bart Parking Lot. Please support the market. You will be glad you did.
Class Sign Up
Classes begin Saturday, June 2 and you can register here. But if you were at the Garden yesterday around 6:00 PM you would have been treated to quite an acting class.
According to naturalist Jules Evens, “a killdeer is one one of our most vociferous and citified shorebirds. They can nest in very urban environments, and often chose rather high-traffic areas. The don’t build a nest, but put a “scrape” in a loose gravelly area, often on the shoulder of a road or path where the eggs are cryptically colored. When a potential predator approaches, like you, they try to distract it and draw it away from the nest by calling loudly, and if you get too close, they feign injury (“broken wing display”) in an effort to lure you away from the nest or their ridiculously cute chicks.”
Check it out!
Work Party Saturday!
Saturday, May 26, there will be a work party at the garden from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
We’ll be building a short bamboo fence around the large oaks (to discourage
folks from walking in an area which still has some poison oak.) And we need to attach
the newly installed rabbit fence to the main fence with small pieces of wire. Leah may
need help building some wooden beds in the southeast corner. And we continue to need folks to pick up the asphalt that is spread
throughout the site.
Please bring water, a hat, gloves if you have them, and sunscreen.
Introducing Leah Ingram!
We are pleased to introduce Leah Ingram, our Garden Manager. Leah has gardened most of her life. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from Cal Poly with minor degrees in land rehabilitation, soils science and sustainable environments. During college she worked on the Cal Poly organic farm and performed small scale design and residential landscape installation in San Luis Obispo. Following graduation, as an AmeriCorps volunteer, she assisted in conservation management of a forest preserve, restoring native plants in Hawaii. She has also taught fourth graders
Leah Ingram - Garden Manager
in Alameda County about local creek ecosystems and watershed awareness.
The Fun Part Begins!
Now with agreements agreed and permits permitted, the fun begins at the Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center. First, we want to share some updated design ideas.
