two volunteer tasks to keep up with

Hello ... Here are a couple of things I've been doing lately and would love some backup on if someone else could pitch in from time to time (and if you already have been, then thank you!):

1) If the large black trash can is full, take it out the front gate and around the building to the driveway on the building's north side (where the bus parks). Put the full one against the wall where you see a space for it. Then get an empty one and bring it around to the garden. I have no idea when they're picked up, but those are the basics of the system and will keep the can from getting too overfilled and stinky (rotting weeds in the heat -- wow!).

2) When I have a minute and when things seem especially heat-stressed, I've been watering along the south wall/windows, in front of the gate. The banner advertising the summer camp now blocks access to the front yard (and its hose), so I've been pulling a hose under the gate. But it only reaches as far as the strawberries, and then you have to finish with a watering can. It's tedious and I can't always do a great job with it, which is why I'd love it if someone else could keep an eye out, too, and water when the plants are drooping. The black-eyed Susans are my indicator and are what I prioritize if I only have a minute -- because they look so sad when they're thirsty.

Thanks!

another volunteer day?

Hello ...

It's been suggested that we do another volunteer effort. Here are some things needing attention:

1) Weeding in the common areas, such as the perimeter, and areas of brick that aren't under anyone's particular care

2) Sorting the sheds and, in the shed for smaller tools, determining if anything should be tossed. For the large tool shed, it's more about untangling the tools so they're not falling out. Also, getting a sense of what's wearing out (like some of the gloves).

3) Should we address the "free for all" pile by the back door? Can it be better organized? Do some things need to go away?

4) Identifying any other hoses that need to be repaired, or any other "issues."

5) Anything else you'd like to suggest?

Which is generally better for this -- Saturday or Sunday? I'm out of town this coming weekend -- who's available the 26th or 27th?

Thanks!

Grapes

It seems that the grapes need to be trellised. I can do the work, if someone is willing to obtain the trellis. If there is consensus on it, I'm happy to ask Jennifer if this is something we could fund out of the fees. Thoughts?

watering the perimeter

Hello ... I'd been mostly ignoring Tim's former areas, because the plants seemed to be faring OK. With the heat, though, it's apparent that we need to water those areas. I did some, pretty haphazardly. Maybe if several of us water when we can, we'll end up doing a decent job of it. Same with weeding. I don't want this to add unduly to anyone's burden, but if you see something you know is a weed in those areas, please go ahead and pull it. The areas I'm talking about, in case anyone doesn't know, are: on the south side of the building, before the gate; inside the gate, along the south fence, up to the southernmost plot; and on the west wall of the building, until it hits the weedy patch. Watering along the south wall outside the gate is complicated by the fact that the very long hose at the front of the building is seriously kinked, to the point where I couldn't get it to work. So I dragged a hose under the gate, but it was too short -- so there was a portion I had to water with a watering can. So:

1) Please water and weed in those areas if/when you can.
2) Could someone who knows hoses and how to repair them please take a look at the one at the front of the building, and/or see if there's if there's some other solution? Possibly we could link hoses to water the spot I couldn't reach -- I was addled by the rest of my gardening work and wasn't thinking too swiftly.

Also, I have an exceedingly stupid question: Is the white barrel near the east wall the composter? I thought so, but it seemed to have bags and trash in it? Whatever it is, I pulled it north a bit because it was shading two rosebushes. Anything big and long-term like that, could we please check that it's not blocking anything?

Thanks!

What should we do about rabbits?

Hello ... I was at the garden this afternoon and ran into Jackie Gant. She said she's having a lot of trouble with the rabbits this year. She was using red pepper to try to keep them at bay, but she also wondered if we could clear out the one remaining patch of weeds that is along the west wall of the building, to the south of where a few people have their plots/just north of where Tim had some of his stuff. (Can you visualize where I mean?) She has seen a rabbit darting in and out of there and suspects it has a burrow under the weeds. The weeds are quite large, and she said she would need someone else to do this task because she's not up to it.

At first, I thought this was a simple volunteer request, but then I thought that given the time of year, it's entirely possible that we're dealing with a mother rabbit and a nest of babies. Would the babies die if we did this? Like, would the mom freak out, and then the babies would die of exposure/starvation/predators? What if they're really tiny and she can't move them to a better spot? Does anyone know rabbit behavior? :) What is the best way to manage this problem?

Thanks!

Organizing volunteer efforts

Hello ... I'm in charge of coordinating our volunteer efforts -- that is, anything we do for the benefit of the entire garden, and not for our own individual plots.

It has been suggested that each of us should aim for a total of 4 to 5 hours of volunteer service over the course of the season. What I'm thinking is that there should be a couple of different ways you can participate. If you can come to a clean-up such as the one we had recently, great! If it suits you better to put in an hour here and there doing some of the more everyday maintenance, also great! That way, most or all of us should be able to meet the goal or come close to it, and contribute in a very real way.

I wonder if we could brainstorm some volunteer tasks? Off the top of my head, here are some of the everyday tasks:

1) Weeding in common/unclaimed areas, such as Tim's old strawberry patch and other plantings just before the front gate, the raised box with the tree in it (adjacent to Laura L.'s plot), and what other areas? Do I recall that Art and Julie will work in Tim's old perimeter plantings?

2) Trash pickup: Whether from the adjacent park or wherever, we get a fair amount of drifting litter. "Trash" could also include getting the big trash cans from the north side of the building, and putting them where they need to go (back to that same spot?) when full.

3) Retrieving any scattered tools, and straightening up the sheds.

4) Sweeping or other general cleanup in the brick areas.

5) Any others?

Bigger projects might include leading a workshop for all of us on a topic such as composting, vermiculture, organic gardening, etc. Perhaps also kids' workshops, so this doesn't all fall to Ilse to organize? Other ideas for "big bite" projects? And how often should we do a big clean-up like the last one?

A lot of the smaller things are stuff many of us do anyway. The difference is that you'd report it (in what, maybe half-hour increments?) -- not so we could be super strict about it, but just so we'd have some record. I'm not sure the exact mechanism, but I think you'd report your efforts to me -- and I would also be the one to put out the call when a larger group project is needed.

I think we should start the tracking once we have all of this settled. Would there be back credit for those who were at the clean-up, or should we start fresh, figuring 4-5 hours in the course of a few months isn't all that much?

Your thoughts on any of this, please?

Thanks!