Good afternoon Gardeners,
Our final meeting and workday of the season is this Saturday, December 4th. We use this final day to prepare the garden for winter and many hands make light work! THERE WILL BE REFRESHMENTS (in case you need another good reason to be there).
In addition to the garden work, this will also be the final meeting of the membership until March 2022, and we’ll be discussing some important topics, including new opportunities for members to get involved in the coming months. This will also be an opportunity for questions regarding upcoming votes and nominations for the steering committee (a separate detailed email will be circulated on these topics), so please join us!
Saturday’s Agenda:
1. Toy Drive
2. Steering Committee Nominations
3. Questions about upcoming votes
4. New committees for 2022, and committees that need additional help
5. Volunteers to help with grant writing
6. Garden tasks-water barrels, cisterns, umbrellas, furniture
Hope to see you there,
West 104 Garden Steering Committee
Category - Meeting Notes
Good evening gardeners:
As a reminder, the workday starts at 10 a.m. in the East garden.
Please remember to wear your mask, and stay home if you’re feeling ill. For those that are uncomfortable with in person attendance, a recap of the meeting will be circulated.
Please remember to sign in when you arrive
Agenda:
Meeting topics (15-20 minutes)
- New members-introductions, posted membership list
- Steering Committee introductions
- Safe gardening in the time of Covid
- Exterminator/rat update5. Garden security/locking up, etc.
- Planting in the east garden
- List of first beds to be rebuilt
- PayPal
Work day tasks
- Finishing rock bed in the east garden
- Twig/branch clean-up in west garden
- Weeding-East/West garden, around beds, herb garden
- Hydrant training
- Picnic table sanding and staining
- Touch-up newly painted shed
If possible, please e-mail and let us know if you are unable or unwilling to attend the work day.
Sincerely,
West 104th Street Garden
Good evening gardeners,
In advance of our Zoom garden meeting tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., I wanted to bring everyone up to date on how the city shut down is/will likely affect the garden this season.
Wood delivery for bed rebuilding-As of April 23, 2020, GT is still planning to provide enough lumber to rebuild and raise approximately 22 beds. The delivery was supposed to take place the last week in March, but has been postponed due to the shut down. This was to be the first of three deliveries, the last of which was to arrive towards the end of October 2020. To date, GT has not cancelled any of the planned deliveries.
Supplies and Plants-Between Jan. and March, GT has offered various supplies (garden equipment, flats of flowers, herbs and vegetables) to gardens in good standing. GT has not committed to a delivery date or to what will actually be received, but hoped that deliveries would begin in May. Although, it’s unlikely anything will arrive before the City starts to reopen.
Rainwater Harvesting System and Repairs to the Cistern-GrowNYC has applied for a grant to provide a water harvesting system for the east garden. The original proposal was for installation on the gazebo. However, due to the unresolved rat problem, if the grant is approved, the system will be installed on the new shed. Additionally, GrowNYC will upgrade the overflow on the cistern in the west garden.
Plant Sale-This is on hold until we have a better sense of when the city is going to reopen.
There will be ample opportunity for further discussion at the meeting tomorrow. The SC hopes to see (or hear) everyone then.
-Simone Nicholson
The workday calendar has been released. Be sure to add these dates to your calendar and check in at info@west104garden.org if you need a makeup assignment.
May 11 (rain date: May 18)
June 9 (rain date: June 23)
July 14 (rain date: TBD)
August 17 (rain date: August 24)
September 14 (rain date: September 21)
October 5 (rain date: October 19)
November TBD Closing Potluck
December TBD Mulch Day
Thank you!
In the spring of 2014 two amendments to the garden rules were proposed. These were revised and again presented for review at the last garden meeting on November 16, 2014. Because these are changes to our governing rules, conducted a formal vote and asked that all gardeners participate. An email was sent to all current garden members in December and those without email were polled via phone.
The results of the referendum are as follows:
1. Currently our Children/Minors policy reads as follows: All children under 16 must be accompanied by adults while in the garden. Parents are responsible for the actions in the garden of all minors under 18.
Proposed addition: Children will not be permitted in garden areas where power tools are in use.
Approved.
2. Currently our Committee Membership policy reads as follows: As a member/gardener, you must participate actively in two garden committees in addition to working in your own bed. A brief description outlines the primary duties of each committee.
Proposed addition: Each committee may have a chair or chairs elected by the committee’s members on an annual basis. Where no volunteer chair exists, the steering committee may appoint one from within the committee by May 1st of the current year.
Approved.
The updated language has been incorporated into our Membership Application and garden rules documents. If you have not had a chance to complete the Membership Application or renewal for the 2015 garden season, please do so soon. Garden applications and renewals are due by February 15.
104 Garden Workday Meeting Minutes
Date: 10/19/13
Lead by Ann Levine – Steering Committee
1. Announcement of 2nd citation for rat infestation:
Follow–up by Melissa Nichols from Green Thumb. Discussed possible ways to reduce rodents in garden area: harassment–fill holes with dirt and/or copper mesh, end cat and bird food on sidewalk by large gate and hang “pigeon” poster. Noted that Maria (owner of now closed pet store on W. 100 St.) was seen putting food out for birds and cats. She needs to be contacted at her home, 435 CPW.
Melissa will contact Green Thumb about acquiring the “pigeon” poster to hang on the outside fence.
2. Private Event Proposal:
Noted proposal was sent to all garden members to review with only a reply from one gardener. Decided that proposal will be reviewed and edited over the winter interim and presented at the first meeting of 2014 for a vote.
Anna (last name?) suggested we contact NYBotanical Gardens for events procedures/policies and similar venues; agreed to help with the proposal.
3. Stage
Stage “committee” (list members) goal to have final plans completed by the end of ’13.
Cindy (last name?) is an industrial designer and agreed to help with drawings if needed.
4. Website Redesign
Lead by Noreen, with Craig, Dinorah; volunteers welcome. Will do redesign over the winter interim.
5. New Members Orientation
Proposal by Lou to have mandatory orientation for all new members. No member will be given a plot unless they have completed the orientation. Lou volunteered to lead the first orientation meetings. Suggested a handbook could be written (or an old existing one edited) to provide members with garden rules, procedures ( with monitor checklist) and plant and gardening guidance. Put orientation dates on the calendar. Set up “bookkeeping form for member to sign and attach to application for confirmation of completed orientation. VOTE: 27/yes, 3/no, 1abstain
6. Budget
Noted over $8,000 in coffers (includes $1,000 stage grant). Garden has kept expenses low in 2013 and made some money from several flea markets.
Ariel mentioned Block Associations caution to keep our account under $10,000 for tax reasons, but it was concluded that was not really a concern.
7. Motion to move butterfly bush in the East garden to the SE coner of the garden by Katy. VOTE: 25/yes, 3/no. Bush will be moved by Katy and any volunteers this fall.
9. Work day projects and minor announcements:
- Plant daffodils (not in SW corner of West garden or under tree)
- Clean grill
- Turn off water harvesting
- Add bleach to water system.
- Do not prune canes near herb garden
August 14 Workday Minutes – Taken by Ann Levine
David Kaplan called the meeting to order–after an early hour of peach picking.
Announcements
The Columbus-Amsterdam BID is holding a Street Fair on Sundays Sept. 8 and 15, on Amsterdam between 106 and 110 Streets, from 12 to 4. The Garden would like to reserve a table, but we need both volunteers to man the booth and ideas for display projects.
The July 14 Flea Market brought in $590! Special thanks to Julia, Christine, and Jesus. The next flea market has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 5. Donations and volunteers requested.
From the members
Ideas for street fair: Supplies for children to draw their ideal garden; bake sale.
We’re in mosquito season. Water barrels must be covered at all times. Watering cans should be emptied and turned upside down after use.
Members must NOT give the lock combinations to non-members for any reason.
Fence in the southeastern corner of the East garden has collapsed. Must be repaired.
Tasks completed
Members cut down a volunteer tree just outside the fence in the East Garden; bagged mulch for future use (though much remains in the pile); sanded the floor of the gazebo, in preparation for painting; and weeded.
Dear Garden Members,
It is our sincerest intention to provide the most accurate minutes possible, but misquotes and other errors are likely to happen. We are sure you can all appreciate how difficult it is to follow a fast paced, multi speaker and at times, highly charged meeting and simultaneously take notes.
Please accept this revised copy of the most recent work day minutes.
We hope you find them informative.
Best Regards,
West 104 Garden Steering Committee
West 104th St Community Garden.
Monthly Meeting Saturday 5/12/12
Minutes
Meeting started at 10:21 am
1) ART WORK in the garden
SC: Morse code – current art installation
Vote: To be kept, or to be removed?
Remove: 9 votes
Keep: 9 votes
Opinions:
Jean: Said that in 2011 the garden voted the art to be kept as a permanent installation.
Ann: Proposed it to be revisited.
Flamingo Parade – installation on east building wall of the East Garden.
Concern about the vine. Was the art going to cover it? Was it going to affect its growth?
SC: Proposed an online vote for approval of graphic.
Garden Members approved suggestion.
On-line vote to be sent with picture attached and more details about the art size and way of attachment.
Vote: If it is to be a temporary installation, will the garden agree to host it?
Yes: 23 votes
No: 3 votes
Opinions:
Mary K: Said that the art installation was accepted in 2011 as a temporary piece. However, it remained unclear if every member had seen the graphic previous to that approval.
SC: Even if garden votes to allow the installation, the building owner/management has not agreed (or not) to the installation and the final decision will remain with them.
2) Request for a volunteer to be chairman for the Special Event committee.
Nobody volunteered.
Current members of the committee will select somebody among themselves.
3) Proposal from SC: Installation/extension of a fence at the back of the east wall end on the West Garden.
Reason: To prevent tenants from building in the middle to use garden as their private backyard.
Vote: whether to install new fence or not?
Yes: 2 votes
No: 18 votes
Opinions:
Walli: Concerned about spending money. Expressed concerns about financial status of garden.
Lou: Added that screws were methodically removed from existing gate that grant access to East Garden.
SC: Could we have somebody from the garden contact the building’s owner?
4) Replacement of crumbling brick path in front of east wall communal bed in East Garden.
Vote: bricks on path
Remove during work day (5/12/12): 7 votes
“Clean up” only during work day: 16 votes
Vote: brick path
Replace with another hard scape material: 14 votes
Replace with sod: 5 votes
Clean up: 6 votes
Extra: Dinorah and Paul to have a final proposal of materials for the meeting to be held in June.
Opinions:
Jean: Bricks to be removed once we have a plan in place.
Nikki: Encouraged plan of brick removal to be done on Saturday May 12th because it is a chore that has to be addressed by all members.
Susan Bernofsky: Offered to write grants if Walli will also join her on the task. Walli declined.
5) SC announced decision to not increase membership fee. Current: $20.00
6) Announcement of MMNY – Make Music New York, Thursday June 21st event.
7) Gazebo
Frank to begin work the week of June 21st.
Opinions:
Jean: to meet with new carpenter to assess scope of work to be done. Meeting to occur not later than Tuesday, May 15th, 2012.
Question to be asked: “What is duration of job?”
Mary K: pointed out that last year, garden members had decided to forgo
putting any gutters on the gazebo for rainwater gathering; and that the garden
tried to give the barrels and other water collection materials away.
8) Fire Hydrant.
Should all members call 311?
It was reiterated water should be used moderately due to lack of water access and plenty of rain. Tank in West Garden is full. It will provide enough water to irrigate plants on both sides.
9) Lids for water barrels.
Request for new flat lids that don’t hold water to discourage mosquito breeding.
Jean suggested drilling a small hole in the middle to drain accumulated water into barrel.
Garden approved suggestion. Experiment to be applied.
Concern: Wouldn’t this hole encourage mosquito breeding?
Jean thought small hole size might not encourage breeding.
Answer not completely satisfactory.
10) Removal of plants in communal beds. Main issue: East Garden removal of butterfly bushes and smoke bush.
Kim requested clearer rules regarding communal bed management to avoid future misunderstanding.
Mary K explained that each person in charge of a communal bed has the liberty to rearrange plants (add or remove) on their own behalf.
SC agreed with this remark.
SC representative (Kate) suggested:
a) Email or note has to be sent to all members in the garden before (NOT AFTER) removing any plant of considerable importance, size, aesthetic qualities, or sentiment attached to another member. This step aims to give enough time to the community to ponder the possibility of using the planting material.
b) Rules for Communal beds should be written down from now on, and be posted somewhere where people can refer to. It could be in the website or a copy posted inside the sheds.
11) Ants on peach tree.
Suggestion: Use of ant traps or mix potions suggested by Jean.
June 8, 2013 Workday Minutes
[Craig led the meeting/workday for Katy in the garden]
SC members in attendance (2) – Craig, Ann
–Beekeeper Elaine Mathews gave a report on our bees. The hive is thriving, which signals that the bees like their queen. Bees are busy making honey (most of which they will need for winter their first year)–and babies. Elaine checks the hive once a week and will send a message before she will be there, via Ann or Sumana, so that interested gardeners can observe her work.
–Noreen has resigned from the Steering Committee, due to an overload of work and grad school commitments. Craig invited gardeners to volunteer for her position. SC will follow up with email to members.
–NWCPMBA meeting 7:00 pm Monday June 10 at Schneider Apts, with focus on city parks. Garden member Victor Calise will be a featured speaker. Parks Department has tentatively offered to hold Shape Up classes in the Garden.
–All individual beds have been assigned. (Some may appear bare because seeds have not sprouted.)
–Flea Market was a success, despite low attendance: $441 profit.
–West Garden Art Installation–Five Smooth Rocks–proposed. Artist will construct frame filled with wood chips, provide 5 smooth stones, and invite Garden members and visitors to arrange the stones as they like, then take and submit a photograph. Photos will be arranged as a collage. Vote: a large majority of members approved the project.
–Weeding: Due to recent rains, the Garden is overgrown with weeds. Members asked to take some time to weed whenever they come to the garden and to weed around their individual beds.
–Paul and Craig led rock project to repair and extend the cat terrace with good results.
–Decrepit bulletin board on the West garden fence was removed.
–Ann managed a productive crew on the west side weeding and working the soil around the rose garden.
–Guy rebuilt a broken plot frame in the East garden.
–East garden big gate was checked to confirm opening direction for truck deliveries; East gate swings out, West gate swings in. No corrections needed.
–Mary Kelly managed a crew to clear loose stones from the newly laid path on the far east border to the space between the sheds. Adjustments were made to insure they were safely stacked, but there is still some concern re: safety for children. To be reviewed and reassessed.
Thanks all who participated.
Dinorah Matias opened the meeting, welcoming new and old members.
Announcements and reminders:
-
Members must begin working their individual plots before May 31 to retain custody of their bed.
-
All members must sign up for Monitoring if they have not yet done so. (Yenna was present with the calendar.)
-
All members received copies of the current Member Roster, Calendar, and Committee list with the emailed meeting announcement.
-
The Steering Committee is working on obtaining soil and mulch, through Green Thumb and the Parks Department
-
The No Smoking signs have gone up (in English and Spanish). If you see anyone tossing butts in from the street, please stop them.
-
We need volunteers to conduct orientations for new members. Please contact Dinorah if you are willing.
-
This year is the *20th Anniversary of the Garden! Surely an event to be celebrated. Special Events Committee members–and others–please submit ideas for a very special event.
-
Mardi and Robin have arranged for a fabric artist from Senegal to come to the garden for a demonstration and workshop, tentative date June 1.//Suggestion from Robin: A craft and coffee klatch later in the season.
-
Composting begins Sunday April 14
-
Steering committee to investigate fabric recycling in the garden.
-
Plot maps are posted in the garden sheds.
-
The gutter on the building west of the garden has been repaired, so the cistern can be turned on.
-
East garden path completed
-
Congratulations to Barbara Garson on publication of new book
-
Free electronic recycling event to be held on April 21st
-
Next workday will be May 11
Workday tasks
-
Removed volunteer trees in both gardens
-
Cleaned West garden, esp. of branches and trash; put out benches
-
Fixed plexiglass cover on West garden cold frame–to be completed
-
Fill water barrels (To be completed)
-
Sheds in both gardens cleaned and reorganized
-
Began pruning and feeding bushes in rose garden–to be completed
-
Compost site cleaned and readied for use
-
Metal trellis on Bed 21 removed
-
Furniture taken out, assembled and located