Three rows of peas |
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With late fall comes the end of our gardening season. Gardeners are required to prepare their gardens for winter by removing all plants and weeds before the garden is closed for winter. It will reopen in late spring 2024. Currently, all plots are rented, however, if you would like to be added to the Wait List please contact our garden president, Sharlene Marty. Author: Deb Kavulich
Rocky River Community Garden members exchanged their gardening clothes for their meet and greet outfits as 35 members gathered for the Summer Solstice Party at the City Hall Gazebo on Thursday, June 22, 2023. President Sharlane Marty and the Summer Solstice Committee welcomed guests who brought an array of delicious side dishes and desserts. Thank you to committee members Carrie Ashton, Linda McConaughy, Susan Navratil and Ann Slife for all your hard work. Special thanks to Chef Chris Nortz who expertly grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, and “impossible burgers,” a new menu item added this year. Many of us were asking for recipes for the couscous salad, noodle salad and the corn salad. If you brought one of these dishes, would you be willing to share your recipe with us? Please send recipes to Deb Kavulich, PR Chairperson, at [email protected]. We will publish on the RRCG website for all to enjoy! In late fall 2022, the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District (CSWCD) installed a small rain garden on the Rocky River Community Garden property. It's along the entranceway path leading from the Rocky River Senior Center to the garden entrance fence. It's just south of the River Sprouts Greenhouse. According to the CSWCD website: Rain gardens are attractive, landscaped areas planted with perennial native plants which don’t mind getting 'wet feet.' They are beautiful gardens, built in depressions, which are designed to capture and filter stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces around the home, such as rooftops and driveways. The district has assisted installing over 30 rain gardens across the country. Learn more about the project here. Opening day for the 2023 gardening season has arrived! We officially opened the garden on Friday, April 15, for the 2023 season. From April 15-22 please check your plot and start pulling weeds and preparing the soil for planting. NO PLANTING YET! The first planting day is April 28. New gardener orientation is from April 29-May 6. Please see our Calendar tab for all garden dates. Another big reminder, NO PARKING AT THE GARDEN! It's a city ordinance. Park in the Senior Center lot next door. You are allowed to drive back to the garden, SLOWLY, to drop off heavy or large objects like lumber, mulch bags, etc., but you are only permitted to park by the garden up to 10 minutes, after that you must move your car and park in the Senior Center lot next door. Thank you for being respectful of your Rocky River neighbors. Hope to see you soon in the garden! It's time to sign-up for the 2023 gardening year. Returning plot holders should have received an email with the required paperwork and fee schedule. You must submit your paperwork and fee by February 14. After that date, those on the waiting list will then have until February 21 to register and submit payment. Lastly, those on the remaining list will have till March 1 to submit paperwork and fees. If you'd like to be added to our waiting list please contact Registrar Dave Gilronan. Sad to say, but the Rocky River Community Garden is closed for the winter.
Everyone cleared out their plots by October 28 and then the closing committee took care of all the rest. We'll see you in the spring of 2023. It's October. That means we have reach the end of the 2022 gardening season. Time to clean out your plot and prepare it for the garden's closing on October 28. A few tips from the Closing Committee: In order to have the area prepared for winter and then spring 2023, each gardener is responsible for clearing their plot and surrounding area. All plots must be cleared and inspected by NOON on FRIDAY October 28. Any plot that hasn't passed close-out inspection by NOON on FRIDAY October 28 will be forfeited, and that gardener will not be permitted to garden in 2023. Garden inspections will be done from October 13 thru NOON October 28. No inspections before October 13 and none after noon October 28. If you have a special situation, please contact Maria Antoniw to discuss. If before October 27th, you do not need to be present when your garden is checked, but you must come back and address any issues the inspector brings back to you so it can be reinspected by October 28th in order to be cleared for 2023. Inspections on Oct 27th and October 28th must be in person – there is no time for re-inspections. The biggest reason for failing inspections every year is weeds – in the plot and the assigned paths. PLEASE weed before we inspect so we don’t have to call you to come back. Thank you, Closing Committee Thanks to all who joined us for our 2022 RRCG Cook-Out on August 25!
Special thanks to Picnic Committee Members Michelle Cox, Susan Navratil and to the grillmaster Christ Nortz. First harvest! Well, actually, first FULL harvest.
The tomatoes are finally ripening. The basil is glorious! The peppers are plentiful. And it's time to dig up the garlic and onions. This is my favorite time to be a gardener because I finally have all the ingredients needed to make the best homemade sauce ever. And the key ingredients all come right from my little community garden plot. Just add some olive oil, throw it all in a pot, simmer for 30 minutes, and, ta da!, you have the best sauce on the planet. Mangia! So far this spring, the weather's been very cooperative. Not too hot. Not too cold. Not too much rain. Not too little. Just right. My pole bean seeds have sprouted and are now about 3 inches tall. A handful of heirloom tomatoes made a surprise appearance last week. Think they're going to be yellow champagne tomatoes since that's what I had in the plot last year, but who knows? That's the fun of being in a community garden. Sometimes you acquire mystery plants from other gardens thanks to a bird dropping or two. I missed a week of weeding, and boy did I have to pay for it on Sunday. Spent about 2 hours weeding. But the plot's weed-free again. You have to stay up on those pesky weeds almost daily. Bugs have eaten my bean leaves a little, but that's the only pest problem so far. And picked a few more asparagus. Love 'em. Till next time.... Preparing your plot before you plant is the key to success. It's not fun, but it is important. Some gardeners have their plots tilled at the start of the season. You don't have to weed as much that way, and it loosens up the soil. But I prefer to do my own tilling. Reason being I have a couple asparagus plants that come back each year, and scallions that grown through the winter and I don't want them disturbed by tilling. So after pulling all the weeds, and then adding some cow manure, hummus and organic compost soil to my plot, I manually till with a hoe. After that it's time to plant. Over the years I've learned some plants are better to plant as seedlings... like peppers and tomatoes. While others I prefer to sow as seeds... like beans and carrots. Final step is to water well. Here's my plot at the end of week 1. Well, all the spring rain pushed our official garden opening back a couple of weeks, but today's the day we've all be waiting for. Opening Day 2022!
The plots are tilled, the water's on, and it's time to get planting. Make sure to weed your plot and the pathway directly west and south of you plot. Wood chips are a great way to keep your paths weed-free. And remember, we're an organic garden. So only organic fertilizer and pest control is permitted. Looking forward to seeing you in the garden! It may be the heart of winter, but it's time to sign-up for the 2022 gardening season. First dibs go to returning gardeners from last season. You should have received an email with the 2022 rules and waiver form. Payment and signed forms are due by Feb. 13, 2022. After that plots will be made available to residents on the waiting list, followed by plots being available to all residents. For more information please click on the Garden Rules tab above. |
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