How the Garden Grows! Update #2 - Seed Exchange!

An update to the update: How the Garden Grows!  

Seed Exchange Guidelines:

Prepare your seeds for the exchange:

• Divide your seeds into small envelopes or plastic bags prior to the exchange (we recommend 10-20 seeds per package).
• Label each package or attach a note card with as much information as possible to will help your fellow gardeners grow your seeds successfully, such as:

• Plant Type (i.e. Green Beans – Bush)
• Variety (if known)
• Hybrid or open-pollinated **Do not bring seed you have collected from hybrid plants.**
• Number of days until harvest (i.e. 60 days)
• Planting guidelines (i.e direct, transplant, 6” apart, 1/2 “ deep)
• Seed Source (i.e. My Garden)
• Year purchased or harvested
• Characteristics of the edible parts (i.e. Tomatoes – great slicers)

When you arrive for the seed exchange, place your seeds on the appropriate table:

• Cucubits: Cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, melons, etc.
• Greens: Lettuce, brassicas, spinach, chard, collards
• Herbs: Basil, chamomile, lemon grass, oregano, etc.
• Legumes: Beans, peas, etc.
• Roots: Beets, carrots, onions, radish, turnips, chives, etc.
• Solanaceae: Tomato, pepper, etc.
• Other: Corn, grains, flowers, etc.

The seed exchange will work on the honour system. Please do not take more packages than you have brought, until it is announced that all donors have completed their exchange. If you did not bring seeds to exchange, please wait until we have announced that all donors have completed their exchange. We have lots of extra seeds, so there will be seeds for everyone!

How the Garden Grows! UPDATE on ORIENTATION MEETINGS

As a followup to the post: How the Garden Grows!  Plots are filling up!

All Campus Roots Gardeners (new or returning) must attend ONE of these meetings.

WHEN:  

• Tuesday, 2015 April 14, 7:30-9pm 
• Wednesday, 2015 April 15, 7:30-9pm

WHERE:  University of Lethbridge, Anderson Hall Room#118

DETAILS:  Parking at that time of day is free in front of Anderson Hall.   (See Map)

Questions?  Email campusroots@uleth.ca

Thanks to all of those returning gardeners who got back to me to let me know they were coming back.   It has been very helpful. I look forward to seeing you all there next week.

Happy Gardening,

Courtney Lamb

Membership Coordinator, CRCGA

How the Garden Grows! Plots are filling up!

Spring will soon be upon us and CampusRoots is gearing up for another fantastic gardening year.  As the Garden gets larger, the Board has decided to run our annual Orientation Meeting a little differently this year.  To accommodate more of our gardeners' schedules, we are running TWO orientation and registration meetings this year.   

Attendance at ONE (not both) of these meetings is mandatory for those wanting to garden with us whether you are a returning or new gardener:

• Tuesday April 14th (evening, time and place to be announced)
• Wednesday April 15th  (evening, time and place to be announced)

NOTE:  There will also be an informal and short, but mandatory, Garden Walk-through held at the garden in early May. More information on that will be coming out closer to the event.

In the past, returning gardeners have had first choice of the plots, after which new gardeners were offered what was still available. This was done by having the returning gardeners register first at the Orientation meeting. With running two Orientation meetings this year, that system simply won't work.

RETURNING gardeners: BY APRIL 7th, contact Courtney Lamb (Membership Coordinator) via CampusRoots  with your intention to return to CampusRoots.  A garden plot will be held tentatively subject to your attendance to one of the Orientation meetings and payment of all fees.   If you are not able to decide whether you are returning by April 7th , you are still welcome to come back and garden with us, but you will be offered one of the "unspoken for" plots along with the new gardeners (i.e., there is no guarantee of a plot let alone the one you gardened in last year).

NEW gardeners:  Email CampusRoots with your wish to be considered for a garden plot in the CampusRoots Garden.  Courtney will be in contact with you about your interest.

We, on the Board, are all very excited for the upcoming season and wish you all a fantastic and productive year. If there are any further questions with regards to membership and the upcoming Orientation, don't hesitate to ask.

Gardener Orientation: Wednesday, 2013 April 10 @ 7pm in UofL AH116

Orientation for both new and returning Campus Roots gardeners will be held on Wednesday, April 10 in Anderson Hall, Room #116 (where all our workshops have been held) starting at 7pm.

All gardeners must attend this orientation or make prior arrangements for orientation with the Membership Coordinator (campusroots@uleth.ca).

NEW THIS SEASON:  

Membership Cards!  (and yes, they get you a discount at local garden centres!).

Plot rental fees are due by April 10.  Rentals not paid for by April 10, will be released to the waiting list of gardeners.  Why?  Simply put, we need to have your commitment in order to be able to release available plots to our waiting list before the gardening season actually begins. In the past, delays meant new gardeners could not take advantage of the full growing season and we think that is kind of unfair.

Requests for roto-tilling will only be accepted at the Orientation.

 

Seed Exchange! -- We always buy more seed than can be used in our respective gardens so bring along the extras and swap them with others!