In Memoriam of Dan Farmer

Some of you know Dan as the husband of Jeanne Farmer, the former Coordinator of the Cousins Field Community Garden, before Pamela H. and I. Dan passed away on Aug. 18th, 2011 and in memory of him a Mum has been planted in the planter at the front of Cousins Field Community Garden. Dan had been gardening many years at Cousins and I know he enjoyed many beautiful tomatoes and basil over the years.  I'm sure I can speak for all when I say we will truly miss his wit and humor around the garden. See here for more.

Please take a moment to pause at the planter and enjoy the newly planted Mum and remember Dan and his enthusiasm for gardening, his love of West Concord, and his friendship.

Concord Ag Day - Sat. Sept. 10, 2011, 10am - 2pm

Reminder:

Please come to

Main Street, Concord Center on

Saturday, September 10, 2011 10AM-2PM 

for

A Farmers Market on the Milldam

Participants:

Colonial Gardens, Verrill Farm, Hutchins Farm, Brigham Farm and Greenhouses, Scimone Farm, Macone Farm, Millbrook Farm, Kenney Farms, Silferleaf Farm, Walden Bros., Gaining Ground, Minuteman National Historical Park, Concord Land Conservation Trust, Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds and more.

Basil Blight

I'm including an email from Cherrie Corrie, a gardener from the East Quarter Farm Community Garden, who's sad to say she's gotten basil blight. Hope this hasn't effected any of you...I'm going to be on the lookout at ours today. Here are the details:

"A heads up, gardening friends -

Just as I am reveling in the beautiful lushness of my East Quarter Farm community garden, I'm SO sad to report that the sudden yellowing of leaves that I noticed on four varieties of my many basil plants last weekend is confirmed basil blight.  Now the leaves are quickly thinning and dark spores are appearing on the undersides and they must be pulled.

See my photo link:  https://picasaweb.google.com/khadro06/BasilBlight2011

This particular blight is relatively unfamiliar in the U.S.  Even our own Thurston Handley was unaware of it when I mentioned it to him today.  It apparently was first seen and ID'd in Uganda in 1933, then not again until 2001 in Switzerland and made the press last year in another resurgence. Wish I'd seen those news flashes before making it the dominant planting (in several varieties) in this year's garden design. Here's a link with more information for anyone with basil:

http://organicgardening.about.com/b/2010/06/24/a-new-blight-to-worry-about-here-comes-basil-blight.htm which is also linked to this one from NPR:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128061773

The organic gardening post has instructions regarding detection, harvest, and disposal...much the same as with the late blight that hit tomatoes 2 years ago.  Hope yours will be passed over...good luck!

Sigh!!!

Cherrie

-- 

Cherrie A. Corey

Naturalist, educator, and photographer
Concord, MA   978.760.1933

http://sense-of-place-concord.blogspot.com/"

The Public Works Commission Has Declared a State of Water Supply Conservation

Hello Cousins Field Community Gardeners,

Please read the Public Works Advisory notice below and follow for your home. What this means to us: Water before 7am and after 7pm  (correction per Delia K.) 8:30am and after 6pm to minimize water loss through evaporation.

Thanks all!

The Public Works Commission Has Declared a

State of Water Supply Conservation

 ADVISORY

 Due to the extended period of extreme heat and lack of precipitation, customer demand is reaching the limits of our available water supply.  If demand is not curtailed voluntarily, the Public Works Commission will be required to upgrade this declaration to a Mandatory Water Use Restriction – Level 1 which includes enforcement on noted water use restrictions.    

 To avoid this measure, we are seeking your support.  This can be done by increased awareness and abidance of the following Best Management Practices for lawn irrigation.   

Best Management Practices

S  Horticulturists agree that a total of one-inch of water applied to a lawn (rainfall and/or supplemental irrigation) over the course of a week is generally sufficient.

S  Water before 7 am to minimize water loss via evaporation. 

S  Mow high. Keep your lawn 2.5”-3” high to encourage a stronger roots system, reduce evaporation and crowd out weeds.

•   Leave the clippings on the lawn, they help retain moisture and provide valuable nutrients.

S  Check your lawn to see if it is thirsty by sticking a screwdriver into your lawn. If it goes through 5 inches of soil easily, your lawn may not need to be watered.

• Lawns that go brown in the heat of summer are not dead; they are just dormant and will become green again when the rain returns.

Please adjust your irrigation controller accordingly.  If you do not know how to adjust your controller, contact your irrigation professional.

Concord Public Works is monitoring customer demand and available water supply around the clock and will provide additional information as it becomes available. 

 For additional information as to what activities are acceptable under different levels of a Declared State of Water Conservation, please go to http://www.concordma.gov/pages/ConcordMA_PublicWorks/index 

Memorial Planter Dedication

When: 6/27/2011 @7PM
Where: Cousins Field Community Garden
Why: So we may dedicate the new planter to remember Gardeners who have passed away.

Please join us for a short dedication of the Memorial Planter as well as to enjoy some light appetizers and soft drinks and chat with other gardeners and Barbara McKenna. Bug spray might be a good idea. Donations will be welcome to offset the cost of the flowers.
 
Thanks to all and hope you can make it!

Good Event to Check Out This Sat. 6/25

Let's Talk About Food Chefs at Work

Looks like a terrific event to check out: http://www.letstalkaboutfood.com/

There'll be lots of demos on cooking by Boston top chefs, food court with many different cuisines to eat, activity booths, exhibitor tents and more.

It's next Sat. 6/25/11 from 10am - 5pm outside the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Cambridge Pkwy. near the Museum of Science.

Thought I'd pass it along...

Flea Beetles and Colorado Potato Beetles

Beware the Colorado Potato Beetle!

These are the bane of potato growers in N. America and Europe. Take a look here for more info. Evidently they are starting to appear on our potato crops, so take organic precautions such as insecticidal soap as soon as you see these guys.

I heard from another gardener the other day that her potatoes are getting eaten by flea beetles. I did some looking up of these critters and found this image (notice how small they are):

 The gardener I mention above is also going to use insecticidal soap on these beetles as they're making some holes already in her potatoes. Here are some more natural insect control ideas.  Let me know how this works!