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.
This week we finally get to start planting. This would not be possible except for the wonderful work of our members, volunteers, community partners and garden manager. A world of thanks. For great photos of the workday on Saturday click here.
First of three planting tables
The very first class was held yesterday at the Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center. Did you know that the Saclan Tribe that lived along Lafayette Creek used ground up buckeyes (which are toxic) to stun the fish they caught? Neither did we. Learn more at the Lafayette Historical Society.
Generally well behaved students at Janet Thomas’ class on our creekside ecology.
Saturday, June 2 3 – 5 pm The Creekside Ecosystem
Join environmental science teacher, Janet Thomas, as she guides us through the world of plants and animals that exist within our beautiful creekside habitat. We’ll learn about the natural history and ecology of the garden area, and how to identify common riparian plants. We’ll observe what we learn first hand as we take a short walk along the Costa Trail that borders Lafayette Creek and the Community Garden. Register here.
View of the Lafayette Community Garden on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Wow. 20 volunteers worked together at the garden on Saturday. We’re almost ready to plant. Come take a look!
Lafayette Community Garden members building bamboo fence.
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!
[wpvideo 41WGxjU3]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.
We have lots of news to report.
- The fence is almost done.
- You can sign up for classes here.
- There is a work party on Saturday, May 26 – anytime between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM.
Lafayette Community Garden Deer Fence
Come on. You know you want to be there. On Saturday, May 12 there will be a work day at the garden. Come on over between 9:00 AM and 11:30. We will be working picking up trash, spreading wood chips, building a straw wattle garden bed, and digging trenches for the rabbit fence. And take a look at the progress:
[slideshow]It was great fun celebrating Earth Day with an open house at the Community Garden and Learning Center yesterday. We had a good turn out and featured docent led tours, bird watching with an expert from the Audubon Society, a glass bee hive hosted by the Mount Diablo Bee Keepers Association and more. Big plans for this week including digging post holes for the perimeter fence and a work day on Saturday.
Below is a photo of the birders spotting an Acorn Woodpecker (clown of the Oak forest!). You can see a lot more photos from yesterday at our Facebook page.
Spotting an Acorn Woodpecker at the Community Garden