Compost and seedling giveaways continue at the Ft Scott Community Garden this Thursday from 2-5pm and this Saturday from 11am-2pm. Rain is in the forecast every day from March 9-17, so now is the time to weed and plant and let nature water for you. See the calendar for upcoming dates and evening garden visits. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the calendar (using a phone? you'll need to click "view as web version" at the bottom to find the calendar).
Don't forget- if you haven't planted yet, the use-it-or-lose-it cut-off for spring plantings is April 14. Don't wait- plant now!
Spring Pizza Party Potluck- Saturday March 28
We're celebrating spring at the Ft Scott Garden- open to any community garden member with RSVP. Please bring a potluck dish to share for lunch. RSVP here
Happenings in the gardens
Our cover crops are all turned in and ready for planting. We've planted peas, onions, leeks, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, lettuce, beets, and radicchio seedlings and carrot, radish, and turnip seeds. I'll be planting our cucumbers, beans, and summer squash this week. The irises are starting to flower and the garden is green! I also had some help from our Trust roofer to install gutters on the greenhouse and hook them up to a rain water harvesting barrel that I found next to a dumpster. Looks like we'll get to see how it works in the next few weeks.
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| Ranunculus in bloom at Ft Scott Garden |
We've had some great volunteer days in the gardens- weeding and mulching paths at Baker Beach garden #2 and Ft Scott in February, plus individual volunteers planting, weeding, clearing vines from our California Buckeye tree, and helping me build a replacement bed at Portola. I'm also working with our Integrated Pest Manager and her intern to install 1/4" hardware cloth at the West Washington garden- the wire extends 2 feet above and below ground. We hope that this discourages rodents from crossing into the garden area from the iceplant-covered hill next to it.
In Union Square this Saturday there will be free tulip bulbs on American tulip day from 1-4:30p.
Places to learn more:
Click for upcoming classes at Garden for the Environment, a 3/11 vegetable preservation class in Alameda, and a 3/16 fundraising dinner for Alemany Farm at Zuni Cafe.
Regular Educational Volunteer Hours
When: Wednesdays and Saturdays,
10am to 3pm
Cost: Free
Join
us in the garden on Wednesdays and Saturdays to help with garden maintenance
tasks. You’ll work alongside staff and fellow volunteers on a range of
activities like composting, vegetable planting and harvesting, pruning, and
weeding. The best way to learn is by doing, and we promise you’ll learn a lot
working in the garden with us. No registration needed -- you can come and go at
any time, and volunteering at GFE will always be free. Bring lunch and picnic
with us at noon!
Urban
Composting
When: Saturday, March 7th,
10am to 12pm
Cost: Free!
Sponsored
by the Department of the Environment
Register:
bit.ly/GFEUrbanComposting2020
Learn
how to make your very own compost! The backbone of every healthy garden,
compost improves all soil types and can be the difference between success and
failure with many plants. In this class, we will teach you how to make compost
in your backyard, and introduce you to our worms that make their own special fertilizer.
We will also give you tips on using your city compost bin. Come learn what you
can do to improve your garden and prevent organic waste from ending up in the
landfill.
SOLD
OUT! Introduction to Sustainable Gardening Three-Part Series: Spring
March
7th, 14th, and 21st
Saturdays from 10am to 12pm
Saturdays from 10am to 12pm
Introduction
to Sustainable Gardening is a three-part workshop series designed to help you
transform your backyard into a thriving, sustainable garden. Learn what plants
are adapted to our coastal climate and grow without the need for toxic
pesticides or large amounts of water. This course will focus on native and
drought-tolerant ornamental gardens, but will cover broad topics that can also
apply to vegetable gardening.
The
full series is $30 but at the final workshop you will receive $30 in gift cards
from Urban Farmer Store and Cole Hardware. This series is
sponsored by the San Francisco Public Utilities
Commission
Grow
Your Own Food in March
When:
Saturday, March 14th, 10am to 12pm
Cost:
Reduced -- $25; Regular -- $37; Full -- $50
Learn
to take full advantage of the unique gardening climate in San Francisco, where
you can grow your own fruits and vegetables year-round! Join us throughout the
seasons for our Grow Your Own Food workshop. In this March workshop, you'll
learn how to start your own seeds both indoors and outdoors and how to
transplant these seedlings into your early spring garden.
Container
Gardening
When:
Saturday, March 21st, 10am to 12pm
Cost:
Reduced -- $25; Regular -- $37; Full -- $50
Do
you want to grow a garden in the city, but don't have a backyard? All you need
is the right light, appropriate plants, and a container with good soil. Make
use of your window sills, deck, stairway, and other small spaces. Learn how to
get the most out of your container garden by setting yourself up for success,
and learning how to troubleshoot issues you may encounter. Containers for both
edibles and ornamental plants will be covered.
Dig
In! Six-Part Edible Gardening Series
When:
March 28th, April 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, and May 2nd
Cost:
Cost: Reduced -- $177; Regular -- $222; Full -- $266
Saturdays from 10am to 12pm
Saturdays from 10am to 12pm
Do
you want to get your hands dirty? Learn how to garden this spring! San Francisco
provides a perfect climate for growing food year-round food, and even a small
backyard space can be enough to grow healthy veggies. This six-part workshop
series is designed to teach you everything you need to start growing food in
your backyard in a supportive and hands-on environment.
Visit
our Workshops page for other great workshops
coming up in April and beyond, including salve- and bouquet-making, beekeeping,
and more!
Garden for the Environment
1590 7th Avenue (at Lawton Street), San Francisco, CA 94122
www.gardenfortheenvironment.org
(415) 558-8246
www.gardenfortheenvironment.org
(415) 558-8246
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UCCE
offers Vegetable Preservation Class in Alameda County
By Sue Mosbacher, UCCE Master Food Preserver Program
Coordinator, Central Sierra and Sacramento
Chili,
bean soups, vegetable soups, stews, and more – learn to can your own soups to
enjoy throughout the year. Out of freezer space for vegetables? Learn to
pressure can vegetables that are ready to eat or add to a meal at a moment’s
notice. Join the UCCE Master Food Preservers from Central Sierra for a Pressure Canning Vegetables class on Wednesday,
March 11, 2020, from 1 – 4pm. The class is at the Alameda County Environmental Health,
1131 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda.
Pressure canning opens up a fabulous world
of shelf-stable broth, soups, meats, and vegetables to fill your pantry. If you
are curious (or nervous) about pressure canning, come and learn why certain
foods must be pressure canned, how pressure canners work, the multiple safety
features on today’s pressure canners, and the complete pressure canning
process. UCCE Master Food Preservers will conduct several live demonstrations.
Multiple
styles of pressure canners will be shown and discussed to give you a strong
understanding of what’s available. Canning scraps to help reduce food waste and
stretch your food budget will also be discussed.
This
will be an information/demonstration packed class. You’ll leave with lots of recipes and ideas
to try on your own at home.
Class
is $15. Pre-registration is required at http://ucanr.edu/vegetables-mar11. Contact Robin
Cleveland at rkcleveland@ucanr.edu
or 530-621-5528 for more information.
About UCCE Master Food Preservers
The University of California Master Food Preserver Program extends UC research-based information about home food safety and preservation to the public. The UC Master Food Preserver Program is a public service and outreach program under the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources administered locally by participating UC Cooperative Extension county offices. For more information about our local program, visit http://ucanr.edu/mfpcs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The University of California Master Food Preserver Program extends UC research-based information about home food safety and preservation to the public. The UC Master Food Preserver Program is a public service and outreach program under the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources administered locally by participating UC Cooperative Extension county offices. For more information about our local program, visit http://ucanr.edu/mfpcs.
Friends of Alemany Farm is thrilled to be the beneficiary of a
special dinner hosted by Zuni Café and East Bay Eats on Monday, March 16, with
special guest chef Filbert Lim! Every other month East Bay Eats host a
family-style, community dinner at some of the Bay’s most beloved
restaurants. And in March, dinner is for the farm!
Enjoy a seasonal, multi-course, prix-fixe mediterranean meal –
wine included – at one of San Francisco’s landmark restaurants. Signature cocktails
may also be ordered throughout the night at the cash bar. All
in support of Friends of Alemany Farm!
Tickets are
$100 per person for a multi-course meal (wine included). Two seatings: 5:30 and
8 p.m. Please join us on March 16 for this special evening, and spread
the word to friends in your network who love good food and community
agriculture!
