December News: Goodnight, Garden |
|
|
It's Time to Put Your Garden to Bed |
|
|
The holidays are here, and that means one important thing: Time to put your summer garden to bed for the winter! To do that, for every 8-foot by 8-foot area of your garden: Add two (gallon-sized) buckets of good (new) garden soil Cover with two (gallon-sized) buckets of organic compost Rake all to cover your garden bed evenly, then Cover the new/amended soil with two inches of straw or mulch.
|
|
|
Last Community Garden Work Morning is Saturday |
|
|
Community Gardeners! The Town Green Community Garden's 2023 growing season is winding to a close. The final Second Saturday Workday of the year is this Saturday, December 9, from 9 a.m. to noon. In addition to the usual volunteer work maintaining the common areas of the garden, we're looking for some extra help Saturday to transplant some plants to the new Community Pollinator Garden in the Town Hall complex, just outside the Community Garden Fence. TGCG leaders Mary Mariani and Cindy Fenton will be on hand Saturday. Check in with them to see about the tasks that need doing. |
|
|
We will also be removing some plants from four beds in the Town Hall Administration Area across from the garden. Windsor Garden Club has used the beds as an example of low water-use gardening. WGC volunteers have taken care of them for the past 13 years. The Town is converting this space to another use. This Saturday is a perfect opportunity for those who still need to put in volunteer hours. Remember, as part of your contract, all Community Gardeners agree to put in six (6) hours of volunteer work time per calendar year on the common areas of the garden, or other WGC projects. The last date to complete volunteer work hours for the TGCG is Dec. 10. Check the notebook in the Kiosk in the garden to see your recorded volunteer hours. Any hours left "unworked" will be charrged to plot renters at $25/hr. |
|
|
2024 Windsor Garden Ideas |
|
|
What do you want to do in the garden in 2024? Windsor Garden Club is spending the next few months thinking about that question, and planning fun events for 2024. Post-Covid, WGC has moved away from holding monthly nighttime meetings and to a model of hosting fun and educational workshops and events for the community. We will again be holding four "Open Garden" events at the Town Green Community Garden, one for each season. |
|
|
Our Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall "Open Garden" weekend events offer free children's activities, as well as veteran gardeners and Master Gardeners on hand to take your questions about planting, pest control, what plants do well in Windsor, and other questions you may have. The events are also a chance to wander an established organic garden, and get some ideas for your own garden. We've got a mix of free and ticketed public workshops and events under consideration for 2024. So far possibilities include tours of the gardens at the Sonoma County Children's Museum (gardens -- and adults -- only), award-winning gardens in Sonoma and Marin counties, the Laguna de Santa Rosa, and local organic flower and food farms. Possible free workshops include "how to's" on compost, rain barrels, tree ecosystems, food forests, tool maintenance, proper pruning, and good garden layout basics.
Ticketed workshops will include two annual favorites: Succulent Pumpkins and Holiday Wreaths. Other possible ticketed events include: Forcing spring bulbs, Build Your Own Herb Garden, Build Your Own Salad Bowl, Build Your Own Tea Bowl, and Build Your Own Hanging Baskets. (BYO = you bring the pot/container, we provide the soil and plants and design and planting help, plus care tips).
What would you like to do in the garden in 2024? What kind of advice, field trips, or workshops are you looking for? Let us know at officers@windsorgardenclub.org. |
|
|
Holiday Wreath Workshop a Hit Once Again |
|
|
Twenty happy people turned out for WGC's annual Holiday Wreath Workshop Dec. 2. Floral designer Mary Robledo gave a "how to" demonstration, and participants chose juniper and redwood greens, and accents including fresh bay laurel, berries, dried orange slices and other elements to create their own wreaths. WGC members and veteran wreath makers Cindy Fenton and Angelica Llerena were on hand and worked with Mary to give participants design help and tips. Many thanks to Nancy Pieraccini for providing the event location, and to all the WGC members and friends who helped set up and clean up. If you couldn't make the Wreath Workshop this year, we hope to see you next December! If you want to learn more about the history and tradition behind holiday wreaths, check out our early and still-most-read blog piece on the Windsor Garden Club Website.
The Roots of Wreaths |
|
|
|
|
