Welcome to ESCGA!

Hi Folks,

Just wanted to update you a bit on what's happening at the SU garden. We had a successful workday on Saturday. We got about 10 'volunteers' from one of the U's fraternities which, evidently, has a 'community service' requirement. Those of you who are near Universities -- or even highshools -- might want to check out how to get your garden 'signed up' so you can make use of them. In our case, the 'frat boys' (many of whom seemed to belong to the same fraternity and knew each other) worked well together and provided considerable muscle in moving the 2 dumptruck loads of compost we'd had delivered.

And the compost itself was free (we don't have a sufficient build-up from our own compost pile to suffice right now); the dumptruck delivery was 'donated' by a community member.

We've 'commissioned' a birdbath from the glass art folks on campus -- they liked the idea; hopefully will find a way to fit it into their schedule before the end of the semester.

Our theater department uses a lot of recycled materials in set building; the faculty member in charge said he'd 'build' what we wanted so we're hooking up with him this week to find out if he can build some raised beds and some trellising for us.

I'm about to write to the Sustainability Committees (and related folk) on campus about designing a rainwater catchment/wash-station/drip irrigation system for the garden; any expertise or more information on design would be greatly welcomed because I know basically nothing (except that water runs downhill and we're pretty darn flat).

Our 'free' shipment of seed from High Mowing Seeds is on it's way; Johnny Seed, Seed Savers and others do the same thing. You pay shipping and they provide a grabbag of seed packets that are left over from their travels and shows. We requested ours late but I got e-mail notification this morning that it had shipped -- about 2 weeks after I sent the $5 shipping fee.

We also took advantage of some 'free' native berry stems (I'll tell you that story later) but the key piece of information is that if you have permission to 'dig up' flora on public (or other) property, make sure you have that permission in writing.

So, part of the garden is planted; Saturday was a crazy day weather-wise and we got the outside 'beds' planted (berry stalks, daylillies, jerusalem artichokes, small evergreen shrub, about 8 strawberry plants, about 5 chard starts, and from seed, carrots, green onions, some flowers, 3 comfrey starts, and some cilantro (I think that's the herb I planted). The plants all were donated -- jerusalem artichokes, comfrey, chard and strawberries from farmer; daylillies, small shrub, from me (removing wire grass from my front garden necessitated 'saving' my daylillies and my backyard has minimal sun).

The whole inside of the garden got 'laid out' yesterday during class and will, in part, get structured by another class whose time is being volunteered tomorrow. That section will include our raised beds and house our 'summer crops' -- three sisters plantings, tomatoes and peppers that we've started in a campus greenhouse and flowers/herbs that I hope to start this week also.

Our goal for that is shortly after Earth Day at which hope to sell our surplus tomatoes/peppers and perhaps flowers and herbs (if we have surplus of those).

One of the students also had a great idea which is to buy those kits for making your own garden stepping stones and let people who 'donate' to the garden make their own stepping stones. The students themselves want to do it to leave their 'mark' on the garden and I think it's great. Not sure I want to 'pay ahead' for the kits so I'll be discussing what we are going to invest in this with the students.

It was fun, productive, and is getting comments so all good.

How's everyone else coming along?

Shawn

Hi folks,

I just caught Elizabeth's e-mail request for connections between names and e-mails and since I had it already:

aanastasia2@washcoll.edu Amanda G. Anastasia
ccartscouncil@verizon.net Marina Dowdall
elinamcpherson@hotmail.com Elina McPherson- Denton Community Garden
wyndhamdesigns@gmail.com Sue Wyndham- Landscape Architect/ Horticulturist, Denton (previously of Adkins Arboretum)
CHallman@lowershorelandtrust.org Christy Hallman (Lower Shore Land Trust),
estarbaker@yahoo.com Esta Baker- Berlin Library Garden, Berlin Elementary Rain Garden
ebeggins@gmail.com Elizabeth Beggins- St. Michael’s Community and St. Michael’s Elementary Gardens
remelvin1@umd.edu Rachel Melvin- Kennard Elementary Garden Program, St. Martin’s Ministries (Ridgely) Garden, Master Garden Coordinator Queen Anne’s County
lsilvestri@eslc.org Lisetta Silvestri
sharvey1@umd.edu Sabine Harvey- Worton Elementary, Chestertown Middle Gardens, Master Gardener and Kent Co. Ext. Horticulturalist
Ppilling@yahoo.com Pat Pilling, Berlin Library Garden
KMunson@co.worcester.md.us Katherine Munson, Berlin Library Garden
ShawnM@Shorefood.org Shawn McEntee, SU Sustainable Food Forest & Living Art Garden
Tholste2@washcoll.edu Tara Holste, Washington College Garden

If I'm missing anyone, let me know, please.

Shorefood.org is working on a 'rolodex' for us too.

Shawn