East Side Garden Blitz: 

Meet at Holladay A Garden and we'll go from there.  A wide variety of work to do all week long.  Plant more seeds, work in the greenhouse, fill compost into buckets, weed, etc. Due to much rain, the weeds are growing as fast as our plants.  Come and work for any amount of time.  Check the schedule, then RSVP.  http://liveandthrive.com/Gardening/Events_Classes

 

West Side Garden Blitz:

Happens Saturday, 2 - 5 pm, starting at TAYLORSVILLE Garden at 2 pm.  I'll be supervising this week.  RSVP.  We rotate this Garden Blitz, starting at from the south at Riverton OR starting from the north at Taylorsville.  This week:  Taylorsville.  http://liveandthrive.com/Gardening/Events_Classes

Harvest Distribution is beginning this week:

Items available for distribution:  Bagels, lettuce, spinach, chives, garlic, onion, oregano, and sage are in smaller amounts but ready to start harvesting.

West Side Distribution:

Saturday, 2 pm at the Garden Blitz, Taylorsville Garden.  See schedule

East Side Distribution:

During one of the East Side Garden Blitz times this week.  See schedule

The following is required for harvest distribution participation:

1)  You must RSVP within 24 hours of harvest distribution and tell us which of the above items you want OR when you come to work at the East Side Garden Blitz, let me know.  No one is allowed to pick any of the crops for themselves without notifying me first.

2)  You must have worked in our gardens and logged at least some hours during the 2011 garden season.  We have been working every week since January 8, 2011.  Exception to the rule: Our CSA members (non-working garden members).

3)  Current distribution includes once a week distribution and One Sandwich Size Bag of lettuce OR spinach per household. If there is still a lot more to pick, I'll email you.

If you want to learn how to harvest these crops, plan to work in the East Side Garden Blitz sometime this week.  We teach you how to do this so after it's cut, it doesn't look like it has been harvested, which will allow it to grow back quickly.

The harvest has just begun and we expect to continue harvesting the early season crops through August before we begin planting again for a fall harvest.

Currently all harvest is coming from Holladay A and B Gardens.  We want to make sure everyone who wants some harvest will receive a portion but you must RSVP or wait until next week's distribution.

NOTE:  There should be more lettuce & spinach ready to harvest in South Jordan A and 3300 South B gardens in a few weeks.   

NOTE:  To avoid any waste and guarantee complete freshness, RSVP is required. Not everyone wants all of the above crops.  Please specify what you will only use this week.

 

Artisan breads, pastry products available on Monday:

Contact me, via email, BEFORE each Monday, to RSVP for these items. Plan to come and get these items on Monday.  This delicious food is reserved for garden members who have logged hours working in the gardens anytime in 2011.  Food is limited. Must be picked up on Monday.

 

Official Live and Thrive Garden Textbook:

Successful Home Gardening, 2nd edition, Basic Principles and Practical Gardening Methods, by E. Gordon Wells, Jr.,  Click here to purchase

New, Second Edition, improved, 30% enlarged, updated, and printed in full color (November 2009). Includes all the basic principles and practical gardening methods which make gardening easy, enjoyable and productive. Focus is on gardening in Western United States.

Items we need:

Electric Heating Pads, used but in good condition

We need a few more heating pads to help us speed up the seed/germination process of our plants. 

Empty Gallon Milk Containers (plastic)

Empty Quart or Half Gallon Milk or Juice Containers - (Cardboard or plastic)

Small Yogurt Containers (plastic)

These containers are used for growing seeds/plants in until they are large enough to go into the ground

 

Multiple garden properties: 

 Click here for Working Member's Log in Page, to see details on all properties.

How to track your garden hours:

Click here to view and log in your hours:

Learn why we do this:  http://liveandthrive.com/_blog/Gardening_Articles_and_Videos

"You will be amazed with what happens at a Garden Blitz with even a few people!  It's impressive!"

Be prompt since we start moving from garden to garden at the meeting time.

Purpose of the Garden Blitz:

• Visit and inspect every garden often
• Distribute Baked Goods & Harvest
• Make assignments on urgent work to be done in each garden
• Determine the work that needs attention over the next few days
• Each Garden is divided into 2 parts: 1) Spring/Fall  2) Summer
• Note garden progress from previous week
• Weeding to be done
• Specialty Jobs and assign who will do them (requiring special tools/skills)
• Help all members get better acquainted with each garden
• Meet Garden Supervisors and Home Owners

"Every week offers a NEW garden chore!"

All of our Gardens are divided into 2 Garden Blitz's

East Side Garden Blitz - Includes all of our Gardens on the East side of the Salt Lake valley (all within 5 minutes of each other)

West Side Garden Blitz - Includes all of our Gardens on the West Side of the Salt Lake Valley (all within 10 minutes of each other)

NOTE:  If you are unable to attend a Garden Blitz...

go online to Garden Calendar Schedule on liveandthrive.com OR contact a Garden Supervisor

Keep track of your hours

New Tracking System for all working members is helping us a lot!

It allows us to:

1)  Identify who is actively working in our gardens
2)  Get better acquainted with each garden member
3)  Find our leaders through this system
4)  Reward active garden members with not only produce, baked goods but other rewards i.e. Dutch Oven Dinners, kayaking outings, and other fun activities
5)  Motivate gardens members to come and work
6)  Help us see the strong support team we have
7)  Help us become better leaders

Name of Garden:

Address:

Garden Supervisor:

Phone:

Email address:

Nearest public restroom (not home owners):

Home Owners name:

Garden Calendar Link: (http://liveandthrive.com/Gardening/Events_Classes)

• Check the Website Garden Calendar OFTEN, since it's updated regularly
• A consistent weekly schedule is offered.  We strive to be predictable with our current schedule.
• If you can't work any scheduled work sessions on the calendar, contact Sheryl or the garden supervisor to see what needs to be done and let them when you can work
• Supervisors will talk to Sheryl about a particular work session each week they would like to offer.
• Let the garden supervisor know if you can work consistently on a particular day/time.
• Sheryl does all the posting on her website.

April 21 assignment:

Buy this book and read the following chapters:  Why Garden?, Make It Practical, Soil Types, Improving the Soil.  This is what we've been spending a lot of time on so far this year - from Jan. until now. Besides offering "hands on" experience with growing our own food, please read these chapters to understand what is needed to be successful in growing food in Utah.

 

Successful Home Gardening, 2nd edition, Basic Principles and Practical Gardening Methods, by E. Gordon Wells, Jr.  Cost:  $11.99 (I bought mine at Costco, 5300 So. State Street, Murray)

Compost:

Several people have been sifting out very rich soil from the 4 compost bins at Holladay A Garden the past week.  This is an ongoing chore that needs to be done for another week at least.  If you like standing up and playing in the soil, you'll enjoy this job.

 

Greenhouse:

The entire high tunnel greenhouse is now ALL planted with a large variety of lettuce, spinach, kale and Swiss chard!  Think of this as a "1200 square foot bowl of Tossed Salad"!  We will be enjoying an abundance of fresh, home grown dark green leafy salads starting in May!

Garden Headquarters:

Holladay A Garden, my backyard garden, is finally starting to look beautiful again!  Over the past 6 months, it looked like a war zone. We dug a 3 ft. trench through the backyard to install the micro irrigation drip line system from the house to the greenhouse. Then in March, 2 large 60 ft. elm trees were cut down and dragged around the lawn.  Those who come to our garden now will now see a very different, much improved scene, thanks to many garden members!

Major cleanup: 

Last Saturday in South Jordan B, 3300 So. B and our West Jordan Garden we had a GREAT turnout to accomplish the very large task of cleaning up properties and getting them ready to plant!  Thank you SO much to everyone who participated!

 

Tilling: 

It's been a challenge to get some of our gardens tilled with all of the rain but Riverton is finally tilled, along with Taylorsville.  South Jordan B should be getting tilled this week.

 

Planting Seedlings: 

About a month ago we planted lots of seeds: collard, spinach and mustard greens in little organic newspaper cups that so many have helped us make.  They are getting big and are ready to be planted in our other gardens this weekend!  I'll need a lot of help with this fun chore. Approx. 40 plants will be placed in nearly each garden.

 

Wood Pile:

Our huge pile of logs from two 60 ft. trees is under control now.  We've been splitting wood and getting it stacked neatly on the side of our home.  We trade a bunch of this wood for peaches in the summer. 

 

West Jordan Festival:

Our booth is designed and ready to go for the West Jordan Festival, Sat. April 30th.  We have a slide show of our gardens playing on a TV for people to look at.  Join us at this event, tell your friends to come and learn more about our group or if you like, help us hand out fliers at the festival.  Details will be posted on my website calendar soon.

Spring produce:

Growing really well outside the greenhouse are rhubarb, onions, garlic, spinach, carrots, strawberries, herbs i.e. oregano, sage, chives and especially LOTS of Sugar Snap Peas! These are not quite ready to harvest yet but you'll hear about it when they are! 

 

Multiple garden properties: 

We are now up to 12 properties!  Home owners are handing us property and water rights faster than ever before.  These are all beautiful garden areas all over the Salt Lake valley. During the next few months, I hope you'll try and visit all of them, if not work in them with us.  Six properties on the west side of SL valley and 6 on the east.  The west side has larger gardens than the east side, but every property is worth a lot to us!  I'll update info on any new properties soon on our member's only page.

 

New Tracking System for working members:

This system will help us a lot.  Click here to view it:

1)  Identify who is actively working in our gardens
2)  Get better acquainted with each garden member
3)  Promote members to leadership roles who are found through this tracking method
4)  Reward active garden members with more produce and baked goods.
5)  Motivate more gardens members to come and work.
6)  Prove what a strong support team members have to work with. 
7)  Become more efficient leaders by analyzing which gardens need more attention.

http://strawbalegardens.com/

We are going to have a small straw bale garden in hopefully every property this year!  I'm really excited about this creative way to garden.

We are excited to have you start working in our gardens!  Here is the process you will follow:

1.  Make sure you are receive my weekly garden email

2.  Look it over to see what needs to be done in each garden.

3.  Work in the garden of your choice.  We hope everyone will eventually visit all of our gardens to see the difference between each one.  This will also help if we need extra help at a particular garden and you are willing to help us.

4.  RSVP via email or through a booking on my website that you (and anyone who comes with you) will be working in _________ (which garden).  If you are not working during a scheduled group work session, let me know when you will be working (Monday - Saturday).  Any daylight hours are OK if you know what needs to be done.  If you aren't sure what to do or are new to the garden, plan to work with others at the next group work session, generally held on Saturdays.

NOTE: If there is a question about special supplies i.e seeds, that you will need, send me an email prior to working.

NOTE:  We currently need more runners to help us take supplies i.e seeds, etc. from our Holladay headquarter garden to other gardens.  Let me know if you could help us.

5.  You will know WHAT type of work needs to be done in each garden, based on the weekly emails I send.

6.  Keep track of your hours and email them to me.  On the group work sessions, I would like to have everyone sign one sheet of paper.  Include name and hours.  Decide one person who will send me the info to me via email.

NOTE:  It's important for me to know the names of everyone who shows up, including children.  Regarding children: list their ages, if necessary.  We love parents working with their children in the gardens.  Some jobs are kid friendly and some are not, however.

7.  In addition to name and hours, briefly tell me what was accomplished.

8.  Be my "eyes and ears" of the garden. After working in the garden, besides reporting on the basics, if there is ever anything suspicious or something that would be helpful for me to share with other garden members, let me know.  

9.  As of April 4, we need more garden supervisors and assistants.  These are people who can check on the garden often, let me know it's progress, etc.  You are not required to work a lot of hours OR have any prior garden experience to do this job. We will teach you all you need to know.  You may need to help those who are new to the garden and watch over the progress of the garden and report to me.  We look for others to assist you if you can't   Since it's early in the season, we have not filled all of these positions.  You will have a few assistants so it doesn't become a burden to anyone.

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/planning-your-vegetable-garden