Dear All, Ann Marie and I, Erich, went to the garden today [July 1, 2013].
Activities:
Regards,
Erich
From: Erich Jensen - Mon, Jul 15, 2013.
Subject: Belated Spring Summary of St Francis Sustainable Garden Activities
Activities:
- Harvested peas and recorded; two small containers and one small cuke and delivered to Perry.
- Did NOT water any of the gardens (rain barrel is overflowing; imagine that)
- Weeded main and potato gardens
- Trimmed more branches and invasive trees along row of cedar/arborvitae trees
- Opened up and stirred compost bins to get rained on
- Filled city compost bin and hauled to street
- Trimmed back several clump of yarrow in perimeter
- Trimmed comfrey in perimeter and composted across 3 bins
- Trimmed daisies inside fence and outside (fallen on other plants like dill, marigolds, iris, etc
- Cleaned up dead/yellowed leaves of rhubarb plants
- Repositioned tomato branches within cages
Regards,
Erich
Subject: Belated Spring Summary of St Francis Sustainable Garden Activities
Dear All, Belated and continued thanks to our volunteers (and the church management) for a great start to the 2013 garden season! The spring has been wet and warm and the gardens including the new potato and native plant beds are thriving as well as the main garden and its adjacent beds of rhubarb and brambles (raspberries and black raspberries). Here is a brief recap of the activities (with attached photos) to date:
20 Apr 2013: Compost Day
Bob and Joan Meagher borrowed their friends pick up truck again and were met by Frank Fazekas and Ron Yonkoski at the Ann Arbor Compost Center on this early Saturday morning. Delivering the compost to St Francis within an hour, they were joined by Erich and Ann Marie Jensen and Rose and Patrick Sherry who helped haul and shovel most of it onto the newly cleared existing bed just south of the parish offices. Some compost was piled and stored near the compost bins for use along the main sustainable garden perimeter. It was a clear, crisp, and collegial morning, and many thanks to all, in particular, for Meaghers for the truck, and Erich for the extra wheelbarrow from a neighbor. Dave Barera supplied a current city water bill, so the load of compost was free.
18 May 2013: Potato - Michigan Native Plant Bed Preparation Day
On another beautiful sunny and warmer Saturday morning, Erich and Ann Marie Jensen, Julie White, Frank Fazekas, Joan Meagher and Katy Derezinski removed all weeds and spread and tilled the compost from 20 April into this recovered bed.
18-19 May 2013 Plant and Seedling Sale
After the Saturday mass and Sunday 8:45 and 10:30 masses, Patrick and Rose Sherry, Erich and Ann Marie Jensen, Joan Meagher and Katy Derezinski displayed and sold many plants including tomato, pepper, herb, native Michigan plants and more from volunteers home gardens, the sustainable garden and donations from former garden volunteers (e.g., Tracy Nagy) and local merchants (e.g., 5 flats from Turner's nursery and a variety of native plants from Ann Arbor Native Plants) outside the PAC main doors. Vegetable seeds (from Downtown Home and Garden), wildflower seeds (from Ann Arbor Native Plants) and seed balls (from Perry Nursery School) leftover from the seed sale in April were also sold. Sales and enthusiasm from parish members exceeded expectation and recorded a new high of nearly $225. All remaining native plants were planted in the new Michigan native plant bed prepared on May 18.
23 May 2013 Seed Potato Planting with Mrs Verhines 5th graders
On a beautiful cool Friday morning one of the 5th grade classes joined Rose and Patrick Sherry, Erich and Ann Marie Jensen and Steve Lavender, chair of the Sustainability Committee to plant 2 types of seed potatoes donated by Ann Arbor Home and Garden. After an introduction and background information on the purpose of the Sustainability garden and how to plant potatoes the students enthusiastically planted many seed potatoes. In the fall these same students will return to harvest and deliver the potatoes to Perry Nursery School. This activity was recently featured in an article written by Steve Lavender in the Sunday Forum. Companion planting of lemon thyme and bush beans was accomplished, and all plants are thriving in the new beds
April- July 2013: Other Activities
The weeding and watering schedule was established and the team of volunteers visit the garden almost daily, as follows: Mondays, Erich and Ann Marie Jensen, Tuesdays, Julie White, Wednesdays, Julie and Frank Fazekas, Thursdays, Katy Derezinski, Fridays, Rose and Patrick Sherry, and Saturdays, Joan Meagher. Because of the abundant spring rains, the garden has thrived, and mostly only required vigorous weeding by the volunteers. Crops of rhubarb, spinach, sugar snap peas, garlic and now beans and cucumbers have been harvested and delivered fairly routinely to appreciative Perry Nursery School by the Jensens on Mondays and the Sherrys on Fridays.
Sincerely and thankfully submitted,
Erich Jensen
Co-coordinator of Sustainable Garden
20 Apr 2013: Compost Day
Bob and Joan Meagher borrowed their friends pick up truck again and were met by Frank Fazekas and Ron Yonkoski at the Ann Arbor Compost Center on this early Saturday morning. Delivering the compost to St Francis within an hour, they were joined by Erich and Ann Marie Jensen and Rose and Patrick Sherry who helped haul and shovel most of it onto the newly cleared existing bed just south of the parish offices. Some compost was piled and stored near the compost bins for use along the main sustainable garden perimeter. It was a clear, crisp, and collegial morning, and many thanks to all, in particular, for Meaghers for the truck, and Erich for the extra wheelbarrow from a neighbor. Dave Barera supplied a current city water bill, so the load of compost was free.
18 May 2013: Potato - Michigan Native Plant Bed Preparation Day
On another beautiful sunny and warmer Saturday morning, Erich and Ann Marie Jensen, Julie White, Frank Fazekas, Joan Meagher and Katy Derezinski removed all weeds and spread and tilled the compost from 20 April into this recovered bed.
18-19 May 2013 Plant and Seedling Sale
After the Saturday mass and Sunday 8:45 and 10:30 masses, Patrick and Rose Sherry, Erich and Ann Marie Jensen, Joan Meagher and Katy Derezinski displayed and sold many plants including tomato, pepper, herb, native Michigan plants and more from volunteers home gardens, the sustainable garden and donations from former garden volunteers (e.g., Tracy Nagy) and local merchants (e.g., 5 flats from Turner's nursery and a variety of native plants from Ann Arbor Native Plants) outside the PAC main doors. Vegetable seeds (from Downtown Home and Garden), wildflower seeds (from Ann Arbor Native Plants) and seed balls (from Perry Nursery School) leftover from the seed sale in April were also sold. Sales and enthusiasm from parish members exceeded expectation and recorded a new high of nearly $225. All remaining native plants were planted in the new Michigan native plant bed prepared on May 18.
23 May 2013 Seed Potato Planting with Mrs Verhines 5th graders
On a beautiful cool Friday morning one of the 5th grade classes joined Rose and Patrick Sherry, Erich and Ann Marie Jensen and Steve Lavender, chair of the Sustainability Committee to plant 2 types of seed potatoes donated by Ann Arbor Home and Garden. After an introduction and background information on the purpose of the Sustainability garden and how to plant potatoes the students enthusiastically planted many seed potatoes. In the fall these same students will return to harvest and deliver the potatoes to Perry Nursery School. This activity was recently featured in an article written by Steve Lavender in the Sunday Forum. Companion planting of lemon thyme and bush beans was accomplished, and all plants are thriving in the new beds
April- July 2013: Other Activities
The weeding and watering schedule was established and the team of volunteers visit the garden almost daily, as follows: Mondays, Erich and Ann Marie Jensen, Tuesdays, Julie White, Wednesdays, Julie and Frank Fazekas, Thursdays, Katy Derezinski, Fridays, Rose and Patrick Sherry, and Saturdays, Joan Meagher. Because of the abundant spring rains, the garden has thrived, and mostly only required vigorous weeding by the volunteers. Crops of rhubarb, spinach, sugar snap peas, garlic and now beans and cucumbers have been harvested and delivered fairly routinely to appreciative Perry Nursery School by the Jensens on Mondays and the Sherrys on Fridays.
- Dave Barera was able to obtain a city compost bin which has been used regularly for excessive vegetative debris and is located near the other three stationary black compost bins. Note: City empties this bin on Tuesday mornings.
- Several cedar/arborvitae trees (destroyed in a March snow/ice storm) were removed along the fence line and have provided more space for rhubarb, red and black raspberries which are thriving and spreading for future crops and produce harvest.
- Father Bosco has the rectory patio full of tomato and pepper plant pots from the May plant sale.
- Joan Meagher successfully obtained donations from Meijer's, Downtown Home and Garden, Turners, and Ann Arbor Native Plants which also included a new 100 foot heavy duty hose, garden gloves, pruners, watering wand, stakes, and a rake.
- Funds from seed and seeding/plant sales allowed purchases of new colorful tomato cages and straw mulch.
- Lastly, the main garden has been routinely visited by a bunny or two as a refuge (we think), as crops seem to have been merely flattened not eaten. Holes in fence are getting plugged and anti rabbit organic natural deterrant spray has been used, too.
Sincerely and thankfully submitted,
Erich Jensen
Co-coordinator of Sustainable Garden
