A hardy crew of widely diverse ages has been out getting the garden ready for winter, should it ever come. This past weekend we mowed the front (again, having sharpened the other end of the rotor), raked, fertilized and seeded. (Yes, seeded, sounds crazy but with this warm wet weather continuing, I don't doubt we could get a head start on spring.) A few weeks ago, we packed up two large bags of leaves and set by the compost tumbler: we can use them over the winter to cover food scraps we put in there. (It was getting pretty nasty in there, but we threw a few handfuls of leaves in and tumbled it around; hopefully it's achieved a better balance between carbon and nitrogen.)
Yet to Do: Rake the back courtyard again; mulch the lawn strips along East 18th Street with mower (it does a nice job and will be good to help enrich the soil and prepare it for next spring's replanting); til that lawn strip; set the pavers that we removed from the tree pits along the Avenue H lawn strip.
Wish List for Christmas or When We Get Money: Rake, edge clippers (manual kind, not electric or gas).
12/15/15
11/1/15
Gardening improves mood and self-esteem!
Click here for more
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34666231
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34666231
10/29/15
Preparing the garden for the winter
October 31 10:30 am - Action in the garden!
The mature compost needs to be sieved and put away, so that we can use the large black composter bin again
Our watering system (hoses, timers and sprinklers) also need to be collected and put away
You can come wearing your favorite costume... ;)
The mature compost needs to be sieved and put away, so that we can use the large black composter bin again
Our watering system (hoses, timers and sprinklers) also need to be collected and put away
You can come wearing your favorite costume... ;)
10/25/15
10/18/15
Improving our sidewalk and garden
Don't go to the gym . . . come help us with the 'hell strip'
(the strip of dirt between the sidewalk and the street towards 18th Street)
We submitted a design for tree guards and pavers along the hell strip and it has been approved by the city!
Meet us on Saturday October 24 at 10:30
In the back yard, we'll be sieving the mature compost out of the black bin.
(the strip of dirt between the sidewalk and the street towards 18th Street)
We submitted a design for tree guards and pavers along the hell strip and it has been approved by the city!
Meet us on Saturday October 24 at 10:30
In the back yard, we'll be sieving the mature compost out of the black bin.
9/26/15
9/25/15
What did we do with it?
The money we made in May with our very successful fundraiser sale ($477)
We bought:
a new large table that sits eight (with delivery);
a sail to shade the eating area, since the tree is no more;
lots of bulbs;
fertilizer;
ground cover seeds;
wood for tree pits on Avenue H; (we need a permit for that)
hose, timers, washers, menders etc;
plants (hydrangea, curly fern etc);
potting mix.
We spent almost all of it - join us in the next fundraiser sale on October 4
and make your garden wish list
We bought:
a new large table that sits eight (with delivery);
a sail to shade the eating area, since the tree is no more;
lots of bulbs;
fertilizer;
ground cover seeds;
wood for tree pits on Avenue H; (we need a permit for that)
hose, timers, washers, menders etc;
plants (hydrangea, curly fern etc);
potting mix.
We spent almost all of it - join us in the next fundraiser sale on October 4
and make your garden wish list
9/13/15
9/12/15
Fall Garden Fundraising Sale
SUNDAY OCTOBER 4
Empty your closets and contribute to improve our garden.
If you decide to sell your stuff on your own on that day, contribute 20% towards the garden fund.
If you are donating your clutter, you can drop it off in advance on Monday mornings or Tuesday evenings.
Write 1710garden@gmail.com to arrange a time
We need people to:
Empty your closets and contribute to improve our garden.
If you decide to sell your stuff on your own on that day, contribute 20% towards the garden fund.
If you are donating your clutter, you can drop it off in advance on Monday mornings or Tuesday evenings.
Write 1710garden@gmail.com to arrange a time
We need people to:
- sort & price donations
- put out & pick up signs
- arrive early on sale day to set up
- work the sale
- pack up & clean up
8/31/15
NYC Tree Census
Volunteer to help Joel Berson with the NYC Tree Census!
A
census of all the street trees on the City is being conducted this year
by NYC Parks Dept. It is a huge undertaking and volunteers are needed
to help complete the job. We are blessed to be in a neighborhood graced
by tree lined streets which complements the architectural beauty of our
historic district. I hope many of our residents will become
"VOLUNTREERS"
8/30/15
8/25/15
Poetry Contest
Write a poem about our downed tree or our garden!
All submissions welcome.
Winners to be decided by the readers of this blog.
Email your entries to 1710garden@gmail.com
8/9/15
Norwegian Maple R.I.P.
Our giant tree in the backyard that lost a few branches in the past spring, luckily causing no injury, has to come down. It is a Norway Maple, a member of the Sapindaceae family.
7/22/15
6/29/15
Compost is ripening
 |
| Our compost is currently closed
Please use small green bucket next to big black composter. Thank you
|
6/19/15
Saturday 20 garden day
Let's meet at 10:00 am
We're going to prune some wisteria - that apparently has been used as a passage by a raccoon -, weed some seedling and a little more of this and that.
We're going to prune some wisteria - that apparently has been used as a passage by a raccoon -, weed some seedling and a little more of this and that.
6/16/15
Garden day success
We worked on the E18th side of our garden, weeding unwanted seedlings and some saplings, and we mulched the weeded areas. Mulch had been brought here by Meredith and Stephen from the Greenwood Cemetery. We need a lot more of it: volunteers with car are welcome.
Please contact Stephen (F3) to coordinate the drive!
Please contact Stephen (F3) to coordinate the drive!
6/10/15
SATURDAY JUNE 13 10:00 AM GARDEN DAY
Help spread mulch, weed unwanted plants and....come and you'll find out.
5/28/15
To do in the garden
 |
| oak seedling |
Here's what you can do:
- Pull out the oak tree seedlings in the flower beds
- Pull out all the little plants that are growing between the cement slabs and in the cracks
- Unclog drains
- Sweep concrete areas. Broom is probably in the E 18th side of the basement
- Pick up any garbage laying around
5/25/15
5/24/15
Monday 5/25 Tulip bulb planting
Stephen got some free tulip bulbs and they need to be planted as soon as possible.
Meet us in the garden at 9 am if you want to do it with us.
Meet us in the garden at 9 am if you want to do it with us.
5/23/15
$457!!!
Thanks to Adam, Allison, Amy, Bea, Carline, David, Devon, Dimitri, Laura, Matthew, Meredith, Michael, Mr D., Olisha, Paul, Richard, Richie, Sam, Sedika, Shurnette, Stephen, Sue, Tanya, who donated objects, money, time and work to make our garden fundraiser a success.
A special thanks to Ivy, Esme, Noah and Henry who came out in very pretty costumes.
A special thanks to Ivy, Esme, Noah and Henry who came out in very pretty costumes.
5/22/15
Garden Fundraising Sale
Tomorrow Saturday May 23 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
If you have donations to drop off please contact Claudia @
7189385573 or email 1710garden@gmail.com
If you have donations to drop off please contact Claudia @
7189385573 or email 1710garden@gmail.com
5/3/15
4/14/15
Building a sieve for the composter
to separate larger, not yet broken down stuff from the finished, ready-to-use compost (from materials found in our building's garbage.)
4/8/15
3/27/15
Garden work day Sat April 11 - @ 12:00
April is round the corner and Spring is pushing its way through, and we'll see it soon in our garden. However . . . we need to help Nature do its job and that means we have to roll up our sleeves and grab tools, seeds and whatnot.
Our Garden Wiz, Stephen, is back and we know his expertise will bring the garden back to its splendor.
We need to:
- attack the bamboo
- sweep leaves
- transplant plants from some beds
- edge the outside beds
- fertilize
- cut some grass
Bring gloves, if you have them!
1/18/15
Ready for the pointsettia challenge?
Pointsettias, the Christmas plants, are named after Joel Robert Poinsett, first U. S. ambassador to Mexico who obtained plants from the wilds of southern Mexico.
Poinsettias (Poinsettia) are easy to maintain, but it takes some effort to make them bloom a second time. To grow them after the holidays, all you need to do is treat them similar to other houseplants: Give them bright light, allow them to slightly dry between waterings, and feed them with a liquid houseplant fertilizer according to label directions. That's the easy part. The bracts (those are the leaves that look like flower petals) will eventually fade and fall off the plant.
At that point, cut back the stems to just below the flowers and let them continue to grow. Getting the plants to rebloom is the hard part.
In spring, once nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50F, place your poinsettias outside where they'll receive bright, indirect light. They will grow but will remain completely green all summer.
Prune back the plants by one-half to one-third in midsummer, and repot them in the same pot, or in one that's slightly larger if the plant has grown significantly. Use a commercial potting soil. Feed the plants with a standard houseplant fertilizer during this time of new growth. Bring the pots indoors before nighttime temperatures fall below 50F.
From September 21 through the end of October, the plants need 14-15 hours of uninterrupted darkness daily, and nighttime temperatures around 65F. This is the secret to triggering new flowers to form and for the bracts to change color. This means that every day at about 5 p.m. you'll need to cover the plants. Uncover them between 7 and 8 the following morning. Absolutely no light can penetrate the darkness. If you place a box over them, it must not permit light to enter. If you place plants in an extra bedroom, no light can enter the room beneath the crack of the door or through a window. Even car headlights shining through a window are enough to interrupt the required darkness. Greenhouse growers use thick black cloths to cover their poinsettia crops, blocking out all light from passing cars and nearby shopping centers. If you successfully carry out the darkness routine, by early November your plants will be developing color, and you can end the daily darkness ritual and set the plants in bright, indirect light. By the end of November, the bracts should be coloring up nicely, and you'll be able to enjoy them through the next holiday season.
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