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!

Ken McKenna

Ken D. McKenna, a longtime gardener at Cousins Field Community Garden, and friend, died on May 24th, 2011.  He will be sorely missed by all. I remember Ken because he always wore a smile and had kind words to say to all that met him.

I learned Ken was an avid Lily gardener, and hope that we can soon create a long lasting tribute to Ken at CF Community Garden.

More details on that to come...

Thank you Town of Concord and Hawthorne Tree!

Recently, you may have probably noticed that some "black gold" as some call it (a.k.a. compost) appeared, then a few days later, some wood chips arrived to the left of the Community Garden recently. The compost was compliments of Rod Robison and Dick Fowler from the Town of Concord, and the wood chips of Chester Sadlow of Hawthorne Tree & Landscape.

Please accept our heartfelt thanks to the Town for delivering the rich compost for our gardeners to use to ammend their garden plots and to the local tree company, Hawthorne Tree & Landscape, for donating wood chips after a job, we are very grateful!

Please consider their generosity and think of them if you have any tree or landscape needs:

Hawthorne Tree & Landscape
130 Old Stow Road
Concord, MA 01742-2827
(978) 369-2506
Contact: Mr. Chester Sadlow

Conantum Garden Visit

We had a very nice visit to Conantum Community Garden today. We were invited by Mark and Pamela Hanson, enthusiastic gardeners who were kind enough to show us their herb and vegetable garden plots. We learned quite a bit touring their gardens and they generously gave us some rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, garlic and chives. We immediately went back to Cousins Field Community Garden and planted them in our new perennial plot and raspberry area.

We look forward to growing the Concord community gardens network as well as developing a Concord "grange", where we might learn from one another and share ideas and knowledge.

Teaming With Microbes

I picked up this book at the Concord Main library, not sure if it is at the Fowler. It was an enjoyable read, written by an "amateur soil biologist" and columnist on gardening, from Alaska of all places. Turns out the book is quite popular. There is a rich and lively micro world in the 8 inches of soil beneath your feet in your Cousin's garden plot.

http://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microbes-Gardeners-Guide-Soil/dp/0881927775