April News and Events from Green Thumb

April 3, 2016
by garden
6 min read

Hi Gardeners!

April is finally here, which means that the GreenThumb growing season has officially begun!

As you create your plan for this season, please take a moment to review the GreenThumb Gardener’s Handbook, which outlines many of the resources available to GreenThumb gardens, as well as the requirements of being a GreenThumb garden. Now is a good time to go over these resources and requirements with your fellow gardeners at your membership meetings so that everyone knows what it takes to be a great GreenThumb garden. As the season gets underway, we’ll be visiting to see all of the great things that you have going on in your gardens, and to see how we can help. In the meantime, feel free to reach out if you have questions or want to share your ideas on how to make this another great season.

Best,
Bill LoSasso

Director, GreenThumb

News

GreenThumb Urban Gardener Profile

Our joint gardener profile participants, Carolyn McQueen and Jacquelyn Mealy, are sisters who founded F.A.R.R. Community Garden in Brooklyn. In this profile, find out how gardening can build strong communities and bring a family together. You can find the story here! If you’d like to have your story profiled please fill out our Urban Gardener Profile form and we will be in touch with you – Urban Gardener Profile.

Parks Build Community Contest: Vote for GreenThumb Gardens 

This Earth Month, two GreenThumb community gardens are eligible to win $20,000 to refresh their garden space. Krystal Community Garden in the Bronx and Windmill Community Garden in Queens are participating in the Parks Build Community Contest, a collaboration between the National Recreation and Park Association and the Walt Disney Company, to revitalize and restore parks all across the country. Help a GreenThumb garden win $20,000 by voting for them throughout the month of April here.

Grants

NYRP Gardens for the City Program

TRANSFORM YOUR GREEN SPACE NYRP helps transform a schoolyard. Is there a community space in your neighborhood you’d like to see transformed? If so, apply for help from NYRP below. NYRP provides support for project of various scales–from building a few vegetables beds to large-scale restoration work. Apply here.

Workshops & Events

Saturday, April 2, 2016

GreenThumb Workshop : Potato Planting
12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Potatoes come in all shapes and colors. Learn the secrets to planting these underground wonders with an opportunity to dig in the dirt. RSVP here.
Location: Edgemere Farm, Queens
Cost: Free

Thursday, April 7, 2016

GreenThumb Workshop : Fruit Tree Pruning 
5:00 p.m – 7:30 p.m.
Early April is a great time to prune your stone fruits. Learn how to prune fruit trees to improve production and protect tree health.  RSVP here.
Location : Little Green Garden/Rock Garden, Bronx
Cost: Free

GreenThumb Workshop : Vertical Gardening II – Living Walls
6:00 p.m – 7:30 p.m.
In this vertical gardening series you will learn how to make your own living wall pouch to install on your garden fence, wall, or structure. Living wall pouches provide a fantastic way to add green to walls and small spaces. In partnership with Grow to Learn. RSVP here.
Location : LIC Roots Community Garden, Queens
Cost: Free

Friday, April 8, 2016

The Urban Agriculture and Green Careers Fair
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Stop by to talk with industry professionals, college and university staff, and local community organizations about available career pathways in the field. Attend our short seminars and meet other students and education professionals who are interested in expanding opportunities in this field. Bring photo ID and RSVP here.
Location: The Brooklyn College Student Center
Cost: Free

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Feral Cat Caretaker Certificate
11:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Attending a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) certification workshop and gain skills you needed to help the feral and stray community cats in your garden. Upon completion of the workshop, you will become a Certified TNR Caretaker. In partnership with the NYC Feral Cat Initiative and the ASPCA.
Location: United Community Centers, Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Monday, April 18, 2016

GreenThumb Workshop: Structure Maintenance
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
GreenThumb staff will talk about guidelines from the Department of Buildings and how they will impact existing and future gazebos, casitas, shade pavilions and sheds. Staff will also discuss the ways GreenThumb is able to assist garden groups with structures in their gardens and ways to adapt existing structures to meet the new guidelines. RSVP here.
Location: Family Group Garden/Latinos Unidos, Bronx
Cost: Free

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

GreenThumb Workshop: Building SIPs in Raised Beds
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Learn how to build your own Sub-Irrigation Planting System (SIPS) in a raised bed. SIPS water from below and allow plants to absorb moisture more efficiently, which saves water and helps plants build strong root systems. In partnership with Just Food. RSVP here.
Location: Union Street Garden, Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Friday, April 22, 2016

GreenThumb Workshop: Beneficial Insects
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
This workshop will uncover insects that play a critical role in the life cycles of your garden plants from those that pollinate your vegetable and fruit crops to others that prey on herbivores and other harmful insects. Participants may receive insects to bring back to their gardens.
Location: City Hall Garden, Manhattan
Cost:Free

Saturday, April 23, 2016

GreenThumb Workshop: Healthy Soils for Healthy Plants
11:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
We will cover soil health basics including different ways of checking to see how your soil is doing based upon special indicators. We will also cover the ways you can amend or prepare your soil differently in order to improve its health, thereby getting your plants well-nourished and viable. 
Location: Garden of Love, Manhattan
Cost:Free

Sunday, April 24, 2016

GreenThumb Workshop: Raised Bed Design Part III : Three Tier Planter
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Learn how to build a three tier raised bed that is more accessible for seniors and those with limited mobility. This workshop will be hands-on and gardeners are welcome to join in.
Location: M’finda Kalunga Community Garden, Manhattan.
Cost: Free

Thursday, April 28, 2016

GreenThumb Workshop: Rodent and Insect Prevention
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Join an overview of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), focusing on how to deal with insects and rodents in gardens. See what techniques Land Restoration Project/GreenThumb uses, as well as simple things you can do in your own garden. RSVP here.
Location: Townsend Garden, Bronx
Cost:Free

GreenThumbNYC
www.greenthumbnyc.org

Happy Retirement Spotlight!

March 21, 2016
by garden
1 min read

There is at least one familiar face you won’t be seeing in the garden this year. Spotlight, a longtime member of the West 104th Street Garden cat colony, has left the great outdoors.

Though she has given up her garden condo, Spotlight remains in the neighborhood having retired to an apartment just a few blocks away. She now resides there with a former garden member. Spot, as she is now known, is wrapping up her first winter indoors.

Her many garden friends and admirers will be pleased to learn that our feline friend has thoroughly adjusted to her new life as a couch potato. Of course, while Spot may miss her previous life from time to time — sitting in her garden and those long summer nights patrolling its perimeter for rodents — it doesn’t show…really, not one little bit.

March 2016 GreenThumb Calendar

March 2, 2016
by garden
6 min read

March News & Events

Hi Gardeners!

I’m writing to introduce myself to you, the gardening community of New York City. I joined GreenThumb earlier this month, and I am absolutely thrilled to be working with GreenThumb and all of you to strengthen and support community gardens throughout the five boroughs. I am an urban planner by training, and I’m coming to GreenThumb after working in a variety of planning, policy and operations roles in the public, private and non-profit sectors. I may be a familiar face to some of you, as I am a community gardener myself in the East Village.

Like you, I am eagerly awaiting the start of the spring and have already begun planning for the season ahead. I encourage you to register for the 32nd annual GreenThumb GrowTogether Conference on Saturday, March 19th at Hostos Community College, where you can join over 1,000 fellow gardeners and greening professionals to kick-off this season. We’ll be hosting a record 65 workshops, with a keynote address by Tanya Fields – a food justice advocate and Executive Director of the BLK ProjeK. The GreenThumb team have outdone themselves again this year, and we’re looking forward to seeing you all there. Please also take a look at the 2016 Spring Program Guide, which covers many of the resources available through GreenThumb this season.

Since joining GreenThumb, I have been amazed by the talent and dedication of the entire team, and we’re all looking forward to working closely with gardeners across the City again this year. Please reach out and let us know how we can help, and let us know about all the amazing things that you’re planning for this season. We love learning about the creative and innovative ways that you are demonstrating sustainable living practices and bringing neighbors together in gardens across New York City.

As you know, GreenThumb is the largest community gardening program in the nation, with a network of over 1,100 community and school gardens that preserve nearly 5 million square feet of open green space to grow food, flowers, and communities. Scores of dedicated volunteers founded our gardens with the goal of improving and strengthening neighborhoods, and that tradition of service continues today through your continued efforts to care for and improve these spaces, and to insure that they remain inclusive and welcoming to all. It is your tireless commitment to that cause that make your community gardens (and garden communities) possible. Year after year the soil is worked, flowers are planted, food is grown, events are planned, neighbors interact, memories are made, and your communities are strengthened. Each garden is a unique and wonderful space, and you should all take pride when neighbors and passersby remark on their beauty and positivity.

We’ll be in touch frequently to see how we can all work together, and I’m looking forward to visiting gardens across the City and to meeting many of you in the coming months. 2016 promises to be another year of incredible opportunity and possibility, and I am excited to explore what we can accomplish together!

My best,

Bill LoSasso
Director, GreenThumb

News

32nd Annual GreenThumb GrowTogether
Saturday, March 19, 2016
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Join over a thousand community gardeners from all over New York for a day of learning, sharing, networking, and greening inspiration at the 32nd Annual GreenThumb GrowTogether! This event will be at Hostos Community College, Bronx. Pre-register by March 14 for $5. Register at the door on March 19 for $7. Admission for children 12 and under are free. Please pre-register here. We are also seeking volunteers for the event, if you are interested contact Matthew Melore at matthew.melore@parks.nyc.gov or call 212-602-5323.

GreenThumb Urban Gardener Profile
After the success of our first GreenThumb Urban Gardener Profile on Tumblr, we’re excited to share another! Congratulations to Montclair Wilson from P53 Garden in Brooklyn. You can find the interview here. If you’d like to have your story profiled please fill out our Urban Gardener Profile form and we will be in touch with you.

GreenThumb Youth Leadership Council 2016
The GreenThumb Youth Leadership Council is an opportunity for 150 high school aged youth and 20 college students to volunteer at a community garden in New York City. Both high school and college youths will learn about all that goes into a garden, including botany, agriculture, horticulture and composting. Feel free to email matthew.melore@parks.nyc.gov with any questions or concerns. High school applicants please apply here. College mentors please apply here.

Workshops & Events

Saturday, March 5, 2016

GreenThumb Workshop: Starting Seeds in a Greenhouse or Indoors
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Get gardening early – we’ll walk you through the steps of sowing, go over what healthy seedlings need to grow into mature crops, and document the process by keeping good records. In partnership with New York Botanical Garden. RSVP here.
Location: Model T Garden, Bronx
Cost: Free

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

GreenThumb Workshop: Vertical Gardening – Pallet Planters
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
In this vertical gardening series you will learn how to transform recycled pallets into vertical gardening structures. In partnership with Grow to Learn. RSVP here.
Location: Steward Park, Manhattan
Cost: Free

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

GreenThumb Workshop: Intro to Horticulture
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Join us as we learn how NYC Parks designs, plants, and maintains its beautiful urban flora while gaining valuable tips for your community garden plot and personal garden. In partnership with the NYC Parks Academy. RSVP here.
Location: Brooklyn Job Corps Academy, Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Saturday, March 19, 2016

32nd Annual GreenThumb GrowTogether
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Join over a thousand community gardeners and\greening professionals from all over New York City for a day of learning, sharing, networking, and greening inspiration at the 32nd Annual GreenThumb GrowTogether!
Location: Hostos Community College, Bronx
Cost: Pre-register by March 14 for $5, includes breakfast, workshops, lunch, and a t-shirt. Register at the door on March 19 for $7, includes breakfast and workshops. Admission for children ages 12 and under are free. Please pre-register here.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

GreenThumb Workshop: Grow Your Garden Group
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
As we enter a new growing season, let’s take some time to reflect on our efforts in supporting our neighborhoods and the community gardens within them. We encourage groups to share their challenges and successes so we can learn from each other.
Location: Carver Community Garden, Manhattan
Cost: Free

Grants and Resources

New York Restoration Project Gardens for the City Program
TRANSFORM YOUR GREEN SPACE New York Restoration Project. Is there a community space in your neighborhood you’d like to see transformed? If so, apply for help from the New York Restoration Project below. You can receive support for project of various scales—from building a few vegetables beds to large-scale restoration work. Apply here.

Partnerships for Parks Resources
Partnerships for Parks offers a variety of workshops and grants for eligible community gardens. Find out more information here.

Halloween Flea Market!

October 18, 2015
by garden
1 min read

Our final Flea Market for the season is on Halloween (Sat. Oct. 31). Flea markets are our main money maker. If everyone contributes, we can make this one a real winner, in honor of the tree pruning. Help save our elm!

What you can (easily) do:

  • Print and post the attached flyer in your building, stores, anyplace public–or slip under doors
  • Bring donations for sale from the Garden Table; leave in the gazebo. Let’s have some food this year: cookies, muffins, meatpies, whatever you do best.
  • Bring wrapped candy for tricker-treaters.
     

And (easiest of all) stop by, in costume if you like. People attract people. Surely you can spare 1/2 hour of mingling and browsing.

Thanks in advance,

The Steering Committee

Download our flyer:

image

DNA Info Reports: De Blasio’s Affordable Housing Plan Dould Destroy 15 Community Gardens

January 16, 2015
by garden
1 min read

MANHATTAN — At least 15 community gardens on city-owned property could be bulldozed to make way for new buildings under the de Blasio administration’s affordable housing plan, community advocates said. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development published a list this week of city-owned sites that housing developers can apply to build on, shocking those who tend to and enjoy the green spaces.

Read more at DNA Info

Rules Referendum Results

January 8, 2015
by garden
2 min read

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.

Bee Update

April 16, 2014
by garden
1 min read

Dear Gardeners,

The bees have become a problem. Saturday, we rejected West Garden locations and voted to put the hive on the stone path in the East Garden. On reflection, beekeeper Elaine concluded that this is not a viable location. The heat of the sun plus the retention of heat in the stone path would make the spot too hot. Given the amount of ongoing debate over whether and where to locate the bees, we have concluded that the best solution is for Elaine to take the bees to the country where she has a suitable location.

Thank you for your interest and your patience. We believe all will agree that we want to do what is best for the bees.

Yours,
The Steering Committee

Queen Code 12012

October 27, 2013
by garden
3 min read

It’s not a zip code, it’s the number of queen bees living in my hive at various times between May and October 2013.  The first queen (1) went into the new hive in May; five weeks later, a second queen was spotted in the hive but I didn’t know where she came from (12). I gave this second one to a fellow beekeeper and a week later, my remaining queen was also gone (120). My last report was about the new queen purchased (1201). This new queen, hived in early September, laid eggs for only two weeks and then stopped for unknown reasons. The honeybee farm that provided her (Johnston’s Honey Bee Farm in upstate NY) graciously replaced her at no cost, and that new queen was active immediately. In early October, Tobias Heller (garden member and new beekeeper) and I discovered some very interesting and good news about the hive when we did a complete hive inspection with Barbara Heller’s help.

1) a queen was laying regularly as evidenced by larvae of different ages visible in the honeycomb
2) we did not see the new marked queen from Johnston’s (with a pink dot for identification) but saw evidence of queen activity (larvae)
3) there was a large amount of capped brood – meaning that eggs had been laid in these cells at least a week earlier
4) there was lots of honey to feed the bees over the winter
5) a good amount of pollen was stored in the hive; pollen is needed to ‘build bees’ so the bees were preparing food for the new population
6) the bee population was noticeably higher than before, another good sign the hive would overwinter successfully; we guesstimated about 15,000 bees – about 10,000 is a minimum winter population needed to keep the hive warm enough
7) there was an empty queen cell attached to one of the frames in the middle hive box, indicating that the hive had raised their own queen from one of the worker larvae and that she had successfully emerged from the cell
8) we DID find another queen (12012), just by her very large size, that was most likely the one produced by the hive and that emerged from the queen cell; there is some chance she was fertilized on a nuptial flight in the neighborhood but we don’t know.
9) we have repeatedly found no diseases or parasites of any kind in the hive although other beekeepers on the upper west side have had such problems.

We hope the hive continues to thrive for the remainder of the fall and through the winter. Minimal inspection will be done from now until March or April and that only to see if the bees need additional food and are healthy