The St. Francis Sustainable Garden Project supports the hungry, at-risk children and their families in our area. We use a garden plot in front of the St. Francis rectory where we grow and harvest herbs, vegetables and flowers. In past years each harvest has produced over 180 lbs. of produce- all delivered to the pantry at Foundations Preschool of Ann Arbor, - child care center for at-risk, low-income families.

The St. Francis Grounds & Botanical Gardens: Several gardens surround the St Francis of Assisi campus of buildings, including, but not limited to, the church, school, rectory and/or parish offices. These gardens need to be a beautiful expression of hospitality, in particular, the entrances, to our fellow parishioners and visitors as well as reflect a statement of our appreciation for God's creation and nature.

Questions? Contact: Scott Wright (734-821-2121)

Garden Update

Garden Update for Friday May 31, 2013. 
Written by Rose Sherry

Hello everyone,

The Good Lord is helping to water the garden this week. 
The spinach and rhubarb have been getting harvested and delivered already (thanks Erich and Ann Marie!!)
The potatoes have been planted in Paul along with some melons this year. We will be companion planting some bush beans in Paul in the near future. We are waiting until the potatoes come up some so that hopefully they will keep the bunnies away from the beans.

Speaking of bunnies:

Patrick stopped by the garden before Mass this morning and found a bunny burrowing between the peas in Matthew. He maneuvered around to coax it out to see where it would go to get through the fence. It went through the sides of the bottom of the gate. I thought that those looked kind of large. After Mass he went back again and it had returned. The second time he tried to it jumped over the lower fencing through the posts between Matthew and Luke.

When I got to the garden I saw two bunnies near the rectory patio.

So we put the white bucket in front of the gate opening and a watering can in front of the other gate opening. Don't know if they can jump over the lower fencing anyway. 

So we need to keep our eyes open for these critters while we determine how best to keep them from the main garden.

Good news:

We Harvested spinach and rhubarb...It took me a couple of tries to get it right. 

I put the rhubarb leaves in the city bin. Erich can we put them in our compost bins??

Patrick transplanted a couple of potatoes that sprouted in Luke and John into Paul and added some more sprouts.

The entire bed should be watered. You'll notice there are black hoses there. Those are soaker hoses (incase you didn't know) and we are planning on setting those up soon that that it will be easier to water Paul. More on that soon.

We will be at Mass on Monday to sub for someone and are planning on bringing straw for the beds and fixing the bean poles. I think that they will be fine until Monday, although they are sprouting as well as the squash. :-) We will also bring more Journal pages. We can also address what we want to do with the hoses for Paul.

That's it for now.

Rose

Garden gate Update Mon, 3 Jun 2013.
Written by Rose Sherry

Hello all,

A quick update on our bunny invasion. We came to the garden this morning to find that something (we thinking the bunnies) had chewed through the plastic netting attached to the bottom of the gate. As an interim solution, we have installed the short white plastic edging in the gate entrance to see if this keeps them out of the bottom of the gate and thus the garden. 

You will have to step over this short edging to enter the garden until we can engineer a solution that can be moved. So far we don't think that the bunnies are eating any of the crops but it appears that they have burrowed a hold in the Matthew bed. Please be on the lookout for any suspicious activity of this nature and report back to us if you see anything.

We will be adding straw this week as mulch to the beds and hopefully hooking up the soaker hoses in Paul. There are melons planted in Paul so don't worry about weeding there yet until they come up. They should probably look like the squash plants that are coming up in John. 

Ann Marie pulled all the spinach in Matthew since it was starting to bolt. Also in Matthew, Patrick has planted cucumbers among the peas (they will use the same supports). 

On the west side there is an egg plant growing, it is marked with a craft stick. He will be planting melons on the East and South sides where the spinach was before.

There is parsley growing near the asparagus, we would like to just let that grow since we didn't get to grow seedlings this year.

In Luke, there were beets planted between the onions and peppers, they are coming up now. It also looks like there are nasturtium plants growing among the peppers in Luke, we'd like to let them grow. I'll take pictures tomorrow when we are there so that you can identify them.

That's it for now. If you have any questions please ask.

Rose

Seedling/Plant Sale: May 18-19, 2013



Feed Hungry Neighbors, and new this year:
Support Michigan Native Plants Initiatives.

St. Francis Sustainable Garden Projects
       Annual Seedling/Plant Sale:  May 18-19, 2013.  Sale proceeds are used to fund supplies for 2 on site gardens.  One garden provides fresh organic produce and herbs to Perry Nursery School Families, a program for children of low-income single parents.  
An additional brand new initiative is our Michigan Native Plant Garden,
part of our Sustainability Project.
Donations and volunteers are also welcome.   Come learn about gardening!  Interested? Please contact Erich Jensen at: erichjensen@msn.com or (734) 771-8511.



We did it!: Compost Day Apr 20: St Francis of Assisi Sustainable Gardens Projects

We did it!: Compost Day Apr 20: St Francis of Assisi Sustainable Gardens Projects

Many thanks to 8 diehard volunteers (see attached photo taken by Ann Marie) who braved the cold (and even a little snow on the ground) and shoveled rain soaked compost (remember the weather from the previous 3 days) on a beautiful sunny morning.
 
Volunteers with shovels in hand included:
  • Rose and Patrick Sherry
  • Erich and Ann Marie Jensen
 
and the really heavy lifters who met at 8 am at the compost center:
  • Bob and Joan Meagher (who borrowed/brought a pick up truck AND wheelbarrow)
  • Frank Fazekas
  • Ron Yonkoski
We filled the new potato and native plant "Paul*" bed (128" x 64") with compost (see photo) and piled the remainder near the compost bins and rhubarb bed for further distribution to the perimeter of the main sustainable garden. 
* Named for St Paul
 
See you soon:
 
May 18 morning:  Garden preparation including tilling of the compost into the bed and the perimeter and seedling and seed planting.  
 
May 18-19 masses: Seedling/Plant Sale
 
Wanted: The usual suspects/volunteers.

Thank you and Needs


Dear St Francis Sustainable Garden Volunteers:

Is it still Spring?  I think so, although it is hard to tell today. 

Events (Updates)
  • Apr 5 (Fri) @ 10 am for ~ 1.5 hours on cool, clear, bright morning: 
    • Thank you to our volunteers: Susan Allen, Erich and Ann Marie Jensen, Rose, Patrick and John (photographer) Sherry and Julie White (see attached picture) and vendors: Downtown Home and Garden (DHG) and Ann Arbor Native Plants (AANP) for:
    • Clearing all leaf and winter debris from the perimeter of the rectory sustainable garden as well as edging, weeding and expanding the perimeter by several inches.  Note:  More herbs and selective native plants (i.e., perennials will be planted here).
    • Turning and raking out the soil in the NW bed of the rectory sustainable garden and planting cool crops of sugar snap peas and spinach including setting up the trellis for the peas.  Note:  DHG donated the seeds and 4 x 6 foot metal stakes for the bed>
    • Clearing all debris from one of the hill side garden (east of parking lot near pine trees) and turning over the soil for May planting of potatoes and native Michigan plants.  Note: DHG donated several pounds of red and Yukon gold seed potatoes (as well as onion sets) and AANP will be donating 4 plants each of 8 different Michigan native plants.
    • Filling 3 compost bins with the cleared organic debris and watering them.
    • Setting up rain barrel.
    • Hauling several 6 foot winter damaged branches from cedar trees for disposal/recycling.
    • Garlic, planted in October, is making an appearance, but the asparagus is not (yet).
  • Apr 6 (Sa) & Apr 7 (Su) at 5pm, 8:45 am &/or 10:30 am: Vegetable, Herb and Michigan Native Plant Seed Sale at PAC on cool, cloudy and windy days (see attached picture).
    • Thank you to our volunteers: Rose and Patrick Sherry, Erich and Ann Marie Jensen, Joan Meagher, and Kati Derezinski and vendors: DHG and AANP  Note:  Special thanks to Rose, Patrick (seed counter) and John (package artist) Sherry and Erich Jensen for packaging seeds and setting up the sale table and recordkeeping system.
    • Seed Sale was success with ~$90  in sales (about 75 seed and Canna bulbs [donated by Joan Meagher] at $1 each) and donations. Note: DHG donated snap peas, bush beans, pole beans and spinach seeds.  Lettuce and AANP wildflower seed mix was purchased.  Dill and cilantro seeds had been harvested and packaged from St Francis garden.  Burpee had donated a variety of seed packets.
    • All seed types sold at the masses with highest selling seeds being wildflowers mix and highest selling mass(es) were post 10:30 and pre 12:15 mass.  Note:  Will probably not sell after Sat 5 pm mass next year, but will still sell seedlings at this mass in May. 

Future Events
  • Apr 20 (Sa): Join Joan Meagher ~ 8 am to truck compost from City of Ann Arbor Compost Center and haul to St Francis garden beds.  Bring shovel(s).  Possible 2 trips with pick-up truck.  Rain date: Apr 27
  • May 18 (Sa) at 9am: Meet at St Francis sustainable gardens to prepare remaining garden beds including another MI native plant bed, turn over compost bins, dig up herbs for plant sale, and plant seeds/seedlings. Bring shovels.  
  • May 18 (Sa) & May 19 (Su) after 5pm, 8:45 am &/or 10:30 am masses: Vegetable, Herb and Michigan Native Plant Seedling Sale at PAC. Rain or shine.  
    • Do you have extra garden plants or perennials that need thinning.   Please consider donating and/or bringing extra plants in pots for the Seedling Sale

Other Information (updates)
  • New Initiative: Michigan Native Plant Sustainable Garden:  Part of the unused bed across the parking lot on the hill south of the Parish Office will become the home for some native Michigan perennials to serve as source and education on the importance of these plants with our parishioners.  We hope this garden will provide plantings for other parts of the parish property, altar decorations, and/or education initiatives for the parish school children.  We hope to include these plants in future seed and seedling sales with local nursery donations already being requested.
  • New Initiative:  Increased Potato Production Project:  The other part of this unused bed is for increasing seed potato (e.g., red and Yukon gold plantings) This vegetable crop is being moved from the main rectory garden.  Some additional companion and/or vegetable plants (not eaten by rabbits) are being considered.  Lastly, we are looking to include some St Francis school children in the planting (and then subsequent fall harvest) of the potatoes.
  • Donations: Although Joan Meagher and Erich Jensen have been diligently soliciting vendors for donations of plants, seeds and other garden supplies, we are specifically in need of the following items:
    • Leaf rake
    • Bow rake
    • 100 foot of hoses (to reach from parish office building to potato and native plant bed)
    • Hand saw
    • 5 gallon bucket
    • P.S.  We will also recognize donations in future Forums.
  • Names for the Garden Beds
    • For the rectory garden with its 4 beds outlining a cross: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
    • For the potato and native plant bed: Paul
    • For the another native plant bed near the potato and native plant bed: Francis
    • For the side garden (e.g., rhubarb): Peter

Other upcoming volunteer needs
  • A donation of 3 blueberry bushes and 3 huckleberry bushes awaits us compliments of Mary Ann's Michigan Trees and Shrubs, 28092 M 40 Hwy, Paw Paw, MI 49079
    • Are you able or do you know anyone headed west to or past Paw, Paw MI in the next 4-6 weeks to pick up these plants, if so, please call Rose, Erich or Joan?
  • Please save your clear plastic vegetable and fruit containers for garden harvest deliveries to Perry Nursery School.  Drop off at Scott Wright's parish office or Erich Jensen's house (near church on Crestland Street).  Please call first.
  • Please consider or share a day of the week (~1 hour commitment) from Jun to Sep to water and weed the gardens as well as turn the compost bins. 
    • Fazekas family has volunteered for Wednesdays.  Thank you, Frank, Julie and Frank III

Thank you for reading this long message, and thank you, for past and in advance volunteer time and/or donations. 

Please let us know, if you are no longer able to volunteer, so you are not bothered with future emails.

In Christ,
Erich Jensen
Garden Coordinator
734.771.8511

Rose Sherry
Garden Coordinator
734.657.0197

Joan Meagher
Fundraising Coordinator
734.546.6221

Scott Wright
Director, Parish Service and Justice
734.821.2121

Successful St Francis Seed Sale Apr 6 - 7

Dear All,
 
I certainly think so! even though weather was cool, cloudy, and windy!
 
  1. Many thanks to:
    1. The Sherry Family (Rose and Patrick) for covering the Saturday 5 pm mass
    2. Erich and Ann Marie Jensen and Katy Derezinski for covering the Sunday 8:45 am mass
    3. Joan Meagher (and Erich and Ann Marie) covering the Sunday 10:30 mass (and early arrivals to 12:15 pm mass).  Added note:  Family Religious Education, a big crowd, was in the PAC during this time, too.
    4. Scott Wright for publicity in the Forum and priests end-of-mass announcements
  2. Sales were at $88.00!
    1. $7.00 at 5pm
    2. $30.00 at 8:45am
    3. $51.00 at 10:30am until 12:15pm
  3. Sales breakdowns include:
    1. $42 for crop seeds
    2. $30 for flower seeds/bulbs
    3. $16 for donations
  4. Bestsellers
    1. Wildflowers (15)
    2. Spinach (11)
    3. Lettuce (10)
    4. Seed Balls (9)
    5. Note: All seeds had sales!
  5. Other notes/questions
    1. Table setup outside PAC door seems to be a good spot!
    2. Individual requests for heirloom tomato seedlings and lavender (i.e., consider for seedling sale)?
    3. Seed sale tally sheets by mass very useful (Thank you, Rose)!
    4. Selling all items for $1 simplified sales totals and giving change!
    5. Individual request for kale (i.e., consider for future seed sale)?
    6. Planting tips and content sheets (i.e., canna and wildflower) helpful giveaway!
    7. Consider having a few small paper bags for larger purchases and canna bulbs?
    8. Inclusion of flower seeds/bulbs encouraging? Seed balls for 2014? More native plant seeds?

 

Easter Blessings,

Erich Jensen

St Francis Sustainable Garden Co-coordinator

734.771.8511


New Initiatives - St. Francis Sustainable Garden Projects


Feed Hungry Neighbors, and new this year:
Support Michigan Native Plants Initiatives.

St. Francis Sustainable Garden Projects
       Annual Seed SaleSaturday April 6th and Sunday April 7th, 2013, after 5pm, 8:45 and 10:30 am Masses (find our table near the PAC entrance).  We sell organic seeds from the garden or other local sources.    (Annual Seedling/Plant SaleMay 18-19, 2013Sale proceeds are used to fund supplies for 2 on site gardens.  One garden provides fresh organic produce and herbs to Perry Nursery School Families, a program for children of low-income single parents.  
An additional brand new initiative is our Michigan Native Plant Garden,
part of our Sustainability Project.
Donations and volunteers are also welcome.   Come learn about gardening!  Interested? Please contact Erich Jensen at: erichjensen@msn.com or (734) 771-8511.



St Francis of Assisi Sustainable Gardens Projects: Information and Notice to Volunteers

Dear Garden Volunteers,

Happy Spring (I think!)!

We welcome your good thoughts and prayers for gardening with us at St Francis of Assisi. Although it's cold today, we have longer daylight hours! and have tentatively planned this garden season events and now need your help. 

So please mark your calendars AND give us a call or email response to one or more of the following activities and dates:

Events ... Our Sustainable Garden Project Sign-up Form Here!
  • Apr 5 (Fri) @ 10 am for ~ 1 hour:  Meet Erich and Rose to prepare one bed in the rectory sustainable garden to plant cool crops (e.g., spinach, peas).

  • Apr 6 (Sa) & Apr 7 (Su) at 5pm, 8:45 am &/or 10:30 am: Vegetable, Herb and Michigan Native Plant Seed Sale at PAC. Check out Forum tomorrow (Palm Sunday) for information or perhaps Easter Sunday, too.  Rain or shine.

Our Sustainable Garden Project Sign-up Form Here!
  • May 18 (Sa) 9am: Meet at St Francis sustainable gardens to prepare remaining garden beds, setup rain barrel, turn over compost bins, dig up herbs for plant sale, and possibly, plant seeds/seedlings. Bring shovels.  NOTE: Bring seedlings (or consider other plant donations) for garden planting and/or Seedling Sale (see next item)

  • May 18 (Sa) 5pm & May 19 (Su) at 5pm, 8:45 am &/or 10:30 am: Vegetable, Herb and Michigan Native Plant Seedling Sale at PAC. Rain or shine.

Other Information

  • New Initiative: Michigan Native Plant Sustainable Garden:  An unused bed across the parking lot on the hill south of the Parish Office will become the home for some native Michigan perennials to serve as source and education on the importance of these plants with our parishioners.  We hope this garden will provide plantings for other parts of the parish property, altar decorations, and/or education initiatives for the parish school children.  We hope to include these plants in future seed and seedling sales with local nursery donations already being requested.
  • New Initiative: Potato Project:  This garden is in the planning stages with Andrew Comai, a parishioner, to involve parish and community partners to grow more potatoes and share part of their harvest with Perry Nursery School and Food Gatherers.  Another unused bed (as described previously) may be used to grow more potatoes on the church property, too.  Stay tuned.
  • Donations: Joan Meagher and Erich Jensen have been diligently soliciting vendors for donations of plants, seeds and other garden supplies including but not limited to local nurseries (e.g., Lodi Farms), hardware stores (e.g., Ace Hardware), and native plant/wildflower suppliers (e.g., The Native Plant Nursery LLC) and associations (e.g., members of Wildflower Association of Michigan).  A grant has also been written by Joan and submitted to Meijer's.

Other upcoming volunteer needs
  • A donation of 3 blueberry bushes and 3 huckleberry bushes awaits us compliments of Mary Ann's Michigan Trees and Shrubs, 28092 M 40 Hwy, Paw Paw, MI 49079Are you able or do you know anyone headed west to or past Paw, Paw MI in the next 6 weeks to pick up these plants, please call Rose, Erich or Joan?
  • Please save your clear plastic vegetable and fruit containers for garden harvest deliveries to Perry Nursery School.  Drop off at Scott Wright's parish office or Erich Jensen's house (near church on Crestland Street).  Please call first.
  • Please consider or share a day of the week (~1 hour commitment) from Jun to Sep to water and weed the gardens as well as turn the compost bins. 

Thank you for reading this long message, and thank you, in advance, for your volunteer time and/or donations.      Our Sustainable Garden Project Sign-up Form Here!

In Christ,     Erich Jensen, Garden Coordinator   734.771.8511

Rose Sherry, Garden Coordinator  734.657.0197

Joan Meagher, Fundraising Coordinator    734.546.6221

Scott Wright, Director, Parish Service and Justice   734.821.2121