Community Garden Plan
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Beth Gray
May 9, 2012, 7:25:41 PM5/9/12
to on-science-and-sustai...@googlegroups.com
Hello All,
Pls find attached my suggestion for a garden layout. Keep in mind this is just a rough draft and once we regroup and come to decisions I will make a more detailed plan with measurements, etc.
There is a lot of room for nonfood gardens. As soon as we agree on a layout, we can go back in to organize plantings. We can fill with pollinator attractors, strategically placed pest deterrents, and I'm sure we can even get in a grove of clumping bamboo (need to be careful about type of bamboo because certain kinds are HIGHLY invasive). I know we can not grow food in the ground, but I still think it is a good idea to look into phytoregeneration, if only for future generations.
Right now I have solar panels on the shed roof, but once we have a green house, we may want to position them closer since I'm assuming the greenhouse will be the main user of electricity.
One thing I included that I haven't seen suggested is a mason bee box
http://www.groworganic.com/mason-bee-kit-68-tubes.html
So! Let me know what you think. If you can't make it to the meeting Saturday, comment here. Otherwise, let's all talk in person at the meeting.
Thanks,
Beth
Pls find attached my suggestion for a garden layout. Keep in mind this is just a rough draft and once we regroup and come to decisions I will make a more detailed plan with measurements, etc.
There is a lot of room for nonfood gardens. As soon as we agree on a layout, we can go back in to organize plantings. We can fill with pollinator attractors, strategically placed pest deterrents, and I'm sure we can even get in a grove of clumping bamboo (need to be careful about type of bamboo because certain kinds are HIGHLY invasive). I know we can not grow food in the ground, but I still think it is a good idea to look into phytoregeneration, if only for future generations.
Right now I have solar panels on the shed roof, but once we have a green house, we may want to position them closer since I'm assuming the greenhouse will be the main user of electricity.
One thing I included that I haven't seen suggested is a mason bee box
http://www.groworganic.com/mason-bee-kit-68-tubes.html
So! Let me know what you think. If you can't make it to the meeting Saturday, comment here. Otherwise, let's all talk in person at the meeting.
Thanks,
Beth
Tobias Fox
May 9, 2012, 8:17:44 PM5/9/12
to on-science-and-sustai...@googlegroups.com
WOW! This is great! I'm still working on finding a solution to have our fence repaired or replaced.
I'm looking forward to this Saturday's meeting at 1pm. I'm closely watching the weather because I'd like for us to visit the lot Saturday. We usually meet in the cafeteria at Essex County College, and I had recently proposed that we have our meeting at the lot, but given the weather we've been getting recently that may not be possible. So, I'm proposing that we meet at Essex County College at 1pm, then around 2pm head over to the lot to get a better assessment of the space we'll be working with and possibly introduce ourselves to some of our neighbors. Unless everyone feels we should just meet at the lot at 1pm instead.
Tobias
Chuck Nwosu
May 9, 2012, 10:47:50 PM5/9/12
to on-science-and-sustai...@googlegroups.com
I'm impressed! Great layout! I will try to make the meeting on Saturday.
Beth Gray
May 12, 2012, 11:07:09 AM5/12/12
to NSSG group
are we still meeting at the caf?
Date: Wed, 9 May 2012 20:17:44 -0400
Subject: Re: Community Garden Plan
From: tobia...@gmail.com
To: on-science-and-sustai...@googlegroups.com
Date: Wed, 9 May 2012 20:17:44 -0400
Subject: Re: Community Garden Plan
From: tobia...@gmail.com
To: on-science-and-sustai...@googlegroups.com
Beth Gray
May 12, 2012, 11:09:50 AM5/12/12
to NSSG group
which building is it in- I've never been there
From: biff...@hotmail.com
To: on-science-and-sustai...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: Community Garden Plan
Date: Sat, 12 May 2012 11:07:09 -0400
Tobias Fox
May 12, 2012, 11:18:34 AM5/12/12
to on-science-and-sustai...@googlegroups.com
Yes, let's meet at Essex County College, the main building. They only have 1 cafeteria. The address is 303 University Avenue, Newark, NJ, but you can also pull on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd off of Market St. When you come into the main building the cafeteria is located on the second floor near the security booth. Anyone should be able to tell you where the cafeteria is located. I proposed that we meet at the college to have a sit-down meeting from 1pm to about 2pm then head over to the lot for a further assessment. No one opposed of this so I'm hoping everyone who's coming will come to the college first.
Tobias
biffykin2
May 15, 2012, 7:34:33 PM5/15/12
to ON - Science and Sustainability Working Group
Hi Everyone!
If you have no further suggestions or objections, I will be moving
forward with a more detailed layout for the lot. I wanted to compile
a list of all the plants people are planning to donate (ask everyone
you know too!) in one spot on the message board. I think I remember
hearing sunflowers and someone had two trees? I want to try and
incorporate the donations into the plan. This is not mandatory, but
it could be helpful. If you list any edibles you plan to bring on
Saturday i can work on suggestions for organizing the raised beds as
well. I encourage all of you with plenty of gardening experience
(ellen and monica i'm winking at you) to work on ideas as well. If
you can make it Saturday, please bring your ideas and we can all
discuss. If you can't, i think email them to me directly at
biff...@hotmail.com and I will bring and share with group.
Also if there are any garden features such as pots or sculptures
people would like to contribute, also list here. Please try to reply
by thursday so i can have friday to work with the list.
DONATION:
-a bench! it's the one I made at GNC's workshop, still needs to be
sanded and treated which i might do if i can get around to it in a
timely manner.
-seedlings if ready by Saturday: 2 cucumber (small and bushy, good for
raised beds), 2 heirloom green tomatoes, 2 cherry tomatoes, 2
cantaloupe
-some small terracotta pots, good if anyone has annuals
If you have no further suggestions or objections, I will be moving
forward with a more detailed layout for the lot. I wanted to compile
a list of all the plants people are planning to donate (ask everyone
you know too!) in one spot on the message board. I think I remember
hearing sunflowers and someone had two trees? I want to try and
incorporate the donations into the plan. This is not mandatory, but
it could be helpful. If you list any edibles you plan to bring on
Saturday i can work on suggestions for organizing the raised beds as
well. I encourage all of you with plenty of gardening experience
(ellen and monica i'm winking at you) to work on ideas as well. If
you can make it Saturday, please bring your ideas and we can all
discuss. If you can't, i think email them to me directly at
biff...@hotmail.com and I will bring and share with group.
Also if there are any garden features such as pots or sculptures
people would like to contribute, also list here. Please try to reply
by thursday so i can have friday to work with the list.
DONATION:
-a bench! it's the one I made at GNC's workshop, still needs to be
sanded and treated which i might do if i can get around to it in a
timely manner.
-seedlings if ready by Saturday: 2 cucumber (small and bushy, good for
raised beds), 2 heirloom green tomatoes, 2 cherry tomatoes, 2
cantaloupe
-some small terracotta pots, good if anyone has annuals
ellen
May 16, 2012, 9:11:17 AM5/16/12
to ON - Science and Sustainability Working Group
oh so glad you said pot (flower that is)
I have a strawberry pot that I have been looking for a home for - will
bring that.
I'll e-mail you Biffy with my list of plants.
ell
On May 15, 7:34 pm, biffykin2 <biffyk...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Everyone!
> If you have no further suggestions or objections, I will be moving
> forward with a more detailed layout for the lot. I wanted to compile
> a list of all the plants people are planning to donate (ask everyone
> you know too!) in one spot on the message board. I think I remember
> hearing sunflowers and someone had two trees? I want to try and
> incorporate the donations into the plan. This is not mandatory, but
> it could be helpful. If you list any edibles you plan to bring on
> Saturday i can work on suggestions for organizing the raised beds as
> well. I encourage all of you with plenty of gardening experience
> (ellen and monica i'm winking at you) to work on ideas as well. If
> you can make it Saturday, please bring your ideas and we can all
> discuss. If you can't, i think email them to me directly at
> biffyk...@hotmail.com and I will bring and share with group.
I have a strawberry pot that I have been looking for a home for - will
bring that.
I'll e-mail you Biffy with my list of plants.
ell
On May 15, 7:34 pm, biffykin2 <biffyk...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Everyone!
> If you have no further suggestions or objections, I will be moving
> forward with a more detailed layout for the lot. I wanted to compile
> a list of all the plants people are planning to donate (ask everyone
> you know too!) in one spot on the message board. I think I remember
> hearing sunflowers and someone had two trees? I want to try and
> incorporate the donations into the plan. This is not mandatory, but
> it could be helpful. If you list any edibles you plan to bring on
> Saturday i can work on suggestions for organizing the raised beds as
> well. I encourage all of you with plenty of gardening experience
> (ellen and monica i'm winking at you) to work on ideas as well. If
> you can make it Saturday, please bring your ideas and we can all
> discuss. If you can't, i think email them to me directly at
monica
May 21, 2012, 9:00:41 AM5/21/12
to ON - Science and Sustainability Working Group
hey beth you requested info about vetiver able to take up lead in the
soil. http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120325/ARCHIVES/303259932/1018&slId=7
also, i have read that MOST plants don't take up toxics that will
make them poisonous, so that really, the caution about eating things
grown on the garside lot is not an issue. perhaps though, we who were
working there turning up dirt are more at risk of lead contamination?
i didn't think about that, !! and as far as i know, the rain on our
roofs isn't carrying down any toxics. but we should investigate. were
roofing tiles made of asbestos? and if so, is asbestos toxic if you
ingest it? i don't have my usual endless hours of research time
today, i have to go to a paying gig. peace out!
soil. http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120325/ARCHIVES/303259932/1018&slId=7
also, i have read that MOST plants don't take up toxics that will
make them poisonous, so that really, the caution about eating things
grown on the garside lot is not an issue. perhaps though, we who were
working there turning up dirt are more at risk of lead contamination?
i didn't think about that, !! and as far as i know, the rain on our
roofs isn't carrying down any toxics. but we should investigate. were
roofing tiles made of asbestos? and if so, is asbestos toxic if you
ingest it? i don't have my usual endless hours of research time
today, i have to go to a paying gig. peace out!
Tobias Fox
May 21, 2012, 9:38:44 AM5/21/12
to on-science-and-sustai...@googlegroups.com
Thanks for conducting this research Monica.
Tobias
ellen
May 21, 2012, 9:53:06 AM5/21/12
to ON - Science and Sustainability Working Group
Monica,
I'm not an expert on lead, but I did a rather extensive report on it a
while back, and I THINK - lead is most dangerous when ingested.
Hopefully you wore gloves, so would not receive it thru the skin.
And I have never heard of it being a danger to inhale - altho I could
be wrong.
I know children that play in contaminated dirt are at risk, but that
is because they really get covered with it and put it in their mouths.
Also children are more suseptible.
so I think you are ok. :)
ellen
On May 21, 9:00 am, monica <campspar...@gmail.com> wrote:
> hey beth you requested info about vetiver able to take up lead in the
> soil. http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120325/ARCHIVES/303259932/101...
I'm not an expert on lead, but I did a rather extensive report on it a
while back, and I THINK - lead is most dangerous when ingested.
Hopefully you wore gloves, so would not receive it thru the skin.
And I have never heard of it being a danger to inhale - altho I could
be wrong.
I know children that play in contaminated dirt are at risk, but that
is because they really get covered with it and put it in their mouths.
Also children are more suseptible.
so I think you are ok. :)
ellen
On May 21, 9:00 am, monica <campspar...@gmail.com> wrote:
> hey beth you requested info about vetiver able to take up lead in the
Beth Gray
May 22, 2012, 10:02:49 PM5/22/12
to NSSG group
Hi All,
First, I just want to say thanks to everyone who made it out to the sight on Saturday. I had a great time and am feeling really inspired the locals who turned out (hoping you are now all on the google group!). It was great meeting everyone and I think we have a lot of great heads put together.
I will be unavailable until 6/4, so I'm using this message to share some ideas I've had and to give some suggestions on how to proceed over the next weeks. last saturday i went to our sponsor, ritchfield farms and they offered to donate vegetables for the garden at the time. i did not take any because the soil had not been delivered, but i was hoping to find a volunteer with a car to get some things this weekend. i will email them with the person's name and a list (see below) and they can decide what they are willing to donate. The vegetables they offered when i was there, however, we not certified organic. If everyone feels strongly about certified organic (i do not), i can have a conversation with them about it. i only mention because of the SAS mission statement. you all decide. Also, I am hoping to meet with someone tomorrow or thursday to pass on some donations i've received: $25 home depot card, $20 cash. otherwise, i'll just hold it. I also have some seedlings started in a frenzy forgetting i will be away from them for over a week. If someone could take them that would be great.
RICHFIELD FARMS LIST (let me know if i missed anything):
landscape plastic
tomato
cucumber
pepper
zucchini
watermelon
basil
chives
cilantro/coriander
onions
celery
eggplant
parsley
If we use the squarefoot gardening method, we can plant from 96-1536 on our 3 beds. See this handy guide!
http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/plant-spacing/
If you see attached image, i have laid out some measurements to help use as a guide for placement when installing the beds. Note that this drawing is only the front 60' or so of the lot. Once that is done, if people feel inclined to begin preparations for the front areas of the garden, they can also use this image to create an outline for the ornamental gardens. It might be nice to use some of the big rocks we cleared as a border. It is recommended that as much stone as possible be removed from these bed areas. I also recommend that the bed area be covered with sheet mulch (http://agroforestry.net/pubs/Sheet_Mulching.html) to bring nutrients to the soil. People can use these areas to plant any non edibles they would like to donate. We should add to the sheet mulch every so often and by next spring the soil should be rich and ready for a mass planting.
I've also been thinking a lot about the rainwater harvest system. There was a call out from our neighbor across the street questioning the quality of the rainwater that we propose to collect from the building next door. I've attached another drawing of an idea how to catch rain without a roof and use for drip irrigation in the vegetable beds. It's based on using a sturdy trellis attached to each bed and used as a structure to collect water. I got the idea from this great aquaponic system http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-agriculture/growing-tower-basil-roofless-rainwater-harvesting-aquaponics.html. How to construct/aquire the rainsaucers is a question. We can still harvest from next door and use that water for the ornamental gardens. Here's a video with a pretty good set up. It is not recommended to use palettes to support the barrels b/c of the weight. Cinder blocks might be the way to go. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdqznxPT_cY.
Something else to think about: organic pest control.
Beth
First, I just want to say thanks to everyone who made it out to the sight on Saturday. I had a great time and am feeling really inspired the locals who turned out (hoping you are now all on the google group!). It was great meeting everyone and I think we have a lot of great heads put together.
I will be unavailable until 6/4, so I'm using this message to share some ideas I've had and to give some suggestions on how to proceed over the next weeks. last saturday i went to our sponsor, ritchfield farms and they offered to donate vegetables for the garden at the time. i did not take any because the soil had not been delivered, but i was hoping to find a volunteer with a car to get some things this weekend. i will email them with the person's name and a list (see below) and they can decide what they are willing to donate. The vegetables they offered when i was there, however, we not certified organic. If everyone feels strongly about certified organic (i do not), i can have a conversation with them about it. i only mention because of the SAS mission statement. you all decide. Also, I am hoping to meet with someone tomorrow or thursday to pass on some donations i've received: $25 home depot card, $20 cash. otherwise, i'll just hold it. I also have some seedlings started in a frenzy forgetting i will be away from them for over a week. If someone could take them that would be great.
RICHFIELD FARMS LIST (let me know if i missed anything):
landscape plastic
tomato
cucumber
pepper
zucchini
watermelon
basil
chives
cilantro/coriander
onions
celery
eggplant
parsley
If we use the squarefoot gardening method, we can plant from 96-1536 on our 3 beds. See this handy guide!
http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/plant-spacing/
If you see attached image, i have laid out some measurements to help use as a guide for placement when installing the beds. Note that this drawing is only the front 60' or so of the lot. Once that is done, if people feel inclined to begin preparations for the front areas of the garden, they can also use this image to create an outline for the ornamental gardens. It might be nice to use some of the big rocks we cleared as a border. It is recommended that as much stone as possible be removed from these bed areas. I also recommend that the bed area be covered with sheet mulch (http://agroforestry.net/pubs/Sheet_Mulching.html) to bring nutrients to the soil. People can use these areas to plant any non edibles they would like to donate. We should add to the sheet mulch every so often and by next spring the soil should be rich and ready for a mass planting.
I've also been thinking a lot about the rainwater harvest system. There was a call out from our neighbor across the street questioning the quality of the rainwater that we propose to collect from the building next door. I've attached another drawing of an idea how to catch rain without a roof and use for drip irrigation in the vegetable beds. It's based on using a sturdy trellis attached to each bed and used as a structure to collect water. I got the idea from this great aquaponic system http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-agriculture/growing-tower-basil-roofless-rainwater-harvesting-aquaponics.html. How to construct/aquire the rainsaucers is a question. We can still harvest from next door and use that water for the ornamental gardens. Here's a video with a pretty good set up. It is not recommended to use palettes to support the barrels b/c of the weight. Cinder blocks might be the way to go. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdqznxPT_cY.
Something else to think about: organic pest control.
Beth
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