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JULY WORKSHOP SERIES

HARVESTING AND DRYING HERBS

Thursday July 14 6:30 pm at the community garden

Come join us as we take a walk

around the garden and around the north end of town. From cultivated to wild herbs, what and when to harvest, and how to dry and store the herbs for the winter.

NATURAL PESTICIDES

Thursday July 21^st 6:30 pm – at the community garden

Learn how to make your own natural pesticides for you plants by utilizing plants growing in the garden bed.

MOSAIC GARDEN STEPPING STONES

Thursday July 28^th 6:30 pm – at the community garden

Tiss Clark will be joining us at the garden to make mosaic stepping stones. All materials will be provided but we only have ten spots available, so if you would like to take this workshop please email me at communitygardendc@gmail.com. Spots distributed on a first come first serve basis.

HERBS AND THEIR BENEFITS

CALENDULA
Calendula officinalis

Some facts
- Annual, herbaceous
- Grows 12-15 inches with bright orange and yellow flowers which bloom from early summer to frost.
- Prefers full sun, and will grow in almost any type of soil as long as it is not overly moist.
- You can companion plant them into your garden around plants you don’t want to be attacked by pests.
- Harvest the flowers before they go to seed to use as medicine. By constantly picking the flowers when in full bloom this allows for more flowers to form.
- Flowers can be used fresh or dried.
- Used as: an infusion, traditional tincture, compress, poultice, medicinal food, ointment, salve, bath herb, infused oil
- Benefits: Calendula is great for healthy skin. Burns, including sunburn, Conjunctivitis, Eczema, Gastritis and chronic ulcers, Inflamed and sore eyes, Jaundice, Warts, Minor injuries/wounds, Cramps, Coughs, Pain and reducing swelling caused by the sting of a wasp or bee, Snake bites, Sprains and wounds, Varicose veins

CHAMOMILE
Matricaria recutita

Some facts
- German Chamomile can grow up to 24 inches
- White daisy like flowers bloom from early summer to the end of the season
- Likes full sun to partial shade, and grows best in well drained soil.
- Harvest flowers during the blooming season (only flowers are used) can be used fresh or dried.
- Uses: infusion, traditional tincture, compress, poultice, ointment, salve, sleep pillow, honey.
- Benefits: Chamomile is a sedative and nervine herb. It has calming, soothing and anti-inflammatory actions. Promotes sleep, digestion, healthy skin and is great for children.




PEPPERMINT
Mentha piperita

Some facts
- Herbaceous perennial in zones 5-9
- Purple flowers bloom in mid to late summer
- Likes full sun, partial shade, shade and grows well in most soils.
- Aerial parts are cut at any point in the growing season. Harvesting right before it flowers gives a sweeter taste. Use fresh or dried.
- Uses: infusion, traditional tincture, compress, medicinal food, ointment, salve, bath herb, sleep pillow, honey.
- Benefits: Peppermint is great for every part of the body. The digestive tract, respiratory tract, muscular system, and women’s reproductive system. It can be used to relieve pain, winter illnesses and children’s health concerns.


SKULLCAP
Scutellaria species

Some facts
- A herbaceous perennial in zones 4-8
- Height 8-24 inches
- Flowers are light blue-purple and appear in mid to late summer
- Likes water and moist areas
- Full sun- partial shade, well drained moist soil
- Harvest aerial parts about three inches from the ground, when herb is in full flower
- Uses: traditional tincture and infusion
- Benefits: it is a nervine and sedative that relieves stress, anxiety, and pain while nourishing the nervous system

LEMON BALM
Melissa officinalis

Some facts

- A herbaceous perennial in zones 4-9
- Height 24 inches
- Flowers are white but not showy
- Prefers warm climate that is not too wet
- Full sun partial shade, well drained soil
- Harvest aerial parts of the upper half of the plant any time during the growing season. It will quickly regenerate to allow for several harvest cuts through out the season.
- Uses: Infusion, traditional tincture, ointment, bath herb, cream, salve, compress, poultice, syrup, lozenge
- Benefits: Great for the whole body, children’s health, winter illness, immune booster, stress reliever, pain reliever, and helpful to the digestive system.


DILL
Anethum graveolens

Some facts

- Annual Herbaceous
- 3 to 5 feet high
- Large umbels of small yellow flowers, blooming from mid to late summer
- Full sun and well drained soil
- Harvest aerial parts of the plants, leaves are best before the plant goes to flower. Seeds can be used once flower has turned to seed.
- Uses: Infusion, traditional tincture, medicinal food
- Benefits: Dill is great for discomforts with poor digestive function


OREGANO
Origanum vulgare

Some facts

- Perennial Herbaceous zones 5-9
- 24 inches in height
- Lavender flowers from mid to late summer
- Full sun, partial shade well drained soil
- Harvest aerial parts of the plant 3 inches from bottom at anytime during the summer, best before plant is in flower.
- Uses: Infusion, traditional tincture, medicinal food, ointment, salve, foot soak, bath herb, infused oil
- Benefits: a powerful medicinal food helps support the digestive system, use during the winter season helps support the immune system. Oregano has antiseptic properties which help with skin concerns

THYME
Thymus vulgaris

Some facts

- Perennial herbaceous zones 5-9
- 12-15 inches in height
- flowers bloom through out the summer and can vary in colour from purple, pink or white
- Full sun, partial shade well drained and somewhat dry soil
- Harvest the aerial parts at any time during the summer, 3 inches from bottom of plant, best before plant flowers.
- Uses: Infusion, traditional tincture, compress, poultice, lozenge, ointment, salve, cream, balm, foot soak, bath herb, infused oil, medicinal food
- Benefits: an immune system support, great for winter illness, great for digestive and respiratory system support, sore muscles, throat concerns, skin health and nervous system



ROSEMARY
Rosmarinus species

Some Facts

- Perennial herbaceous zones 8-11
- 12-36 inches but can grow considerably taller with age
- Blue flowers bloom when the plant starts to experience cooler night time temperatures
- Full sun well drained soil
- Aerial parts are harvested through out growing season, leaves are best before flowering, multiple harvest will be possible if you take care with harvesting and harvest no more then ¼ of the plant
- Uses: Infusion, traditional tincture, compress, lozenge, medicinal food, ointment, salve, foot soak, bath herb, infused oil
- Benefits: great source of antioxidants, immune booster, helps the digestive system, the circulatory system, the respiratory system, used for skin and brain health


PARSLEY
Petroselinum crispum

Some Facts

- Biennial herbaceouse zones 5-8
- 12- 20 inches in height
- White flowers near the end of the second year
- Full sun, partial shade, no special soil needs
- Harvest aerial parts at any point during the growing season
- Uses: Infusion, decoction, traditional tincture, medicinal food
- Benefits: medicinal food helpful to the digestive system and urinary tract, full of antioxidants


BASIL
Ocimum species

Some facts

- Annual herbaceous
- 15 inches in height
- Pink to purple flowers
- Full sun, well drained soil
- Harvest aerial parts through out the growing season, best before flowering and can be harvest on a weekly or biweekly schedule
- Uses: Medicinal food, infused oil
- Benefits: Supports the digestive system

CILANTRO
Coriandrum sativum

Some facts

- Annual herbaceous
- 10 –12 inches in height
- White flowers appear as temperature warms
- Full sun, partial shade, shade, no special soil conditions
- Harvest aerial parts, leaves best before flower, seeds when plant has gone to seed
- Uses: medicinal food
- Benefits: supports the digestive system

CATNIP
Nepeta cataria

Some facts

- Perennial herbaceous zones 3-7
- 15- 24 inches
- White to purple flowers
- Full sun, partial shade, shade no special soil requirements
- Harvesting of aerial parts cut plant 4 inches from ground, leaves best before flowering. Can provide several harvest cuts through out the growing season.
- Uses: Infusion, traditional tincture, compress, poultice, medicinal food, salve, foot soak, bath herb, sleep pillow
- Benefits: Helps support the nervous system, pain relief, stress relief, children’s ailments, teething, digestive tract support, winter illnesses


SAGE
Salvia officinalis

Some facts

- Perennial herbaceous 4-8
- 24 inches
- Purple flowers
- Full sun, well drained soil
- Aerial parts harvested through out the growing season, harvest only the upper half of the plant for quick regeneration.
- Uses: infusion, traditional tincture, compress, poultice, medicinal food, salve, bath herb, infused oil
- Benefits: used for digestive and respiratory concerns, throat conditions, skin and hair health, winter illnesses, medicinal food

THURSDAY NIGHT WORKSHOP SERIES JUNE SCHEDULE

Every Thursday night at 6:30 we will be hosting an informative workshop at the community garden.

Our June Schedule is as follows

COMPANION PLANTING
Thursday June 2nd - 6:30 pm at the Community Garden
Companion planting helps build healthy soils and healthy plants. Learn what you can plant together to optimize your space and to yield a larger healthier crop. There are also plants that do not like each other and can hinder the growth of another when planted beside.

BUTTERFLY GARDENS
Thursday June 9th - 6:30 pm at the Community Garden
What we can plant in our gardens to help encourage our beneficial insects to stop by for a visit. Our beneficial insects help to pollinate our crops and keep detrimental insects at bay.

COMPOSTING
Thursday June 16th – 6:30 pm at the Community Garden
Learn proper methods of composting. What you can add to help speed up decomposition and preparations to add to the compost heap to help make healthy compost and the benefits of using compost in your garden.

KEY HOLE GARDENS
Thursday June 23rd – 6:30 pm at the Community Garden
Come and learn about this African style of gardening and help us build our own Keyhole garden at the community garden.

MULCHING AND GREEN MANURES
Thursday June 30th – 6:30 pm at the Community Garden
How to mulch, what to mulch and what you can use as mulch. What is green manure, the benefits using this farming practice and how and when to plant your green manure


The community garden is
located on 3rd ave between duke and albert st.

Time to plan the garden

So now that the sun is back, the temperatures are rising and the last frost date is getting closer. Planning your garden should be on your list. If you haven't started seeding your garden yet then you should get on it. Now is the time for seeding things like carrots, beets, lettuce, mustard greens, pak choy, arugula, spinach (any type of green), turnips, potatoes, onions, kale, parsnips, peas, radishes.
Keep your transplants inside until the first week of June, Unless you build a domed greenhouse over them for protection.
also when seeding early this gives you a chance to plant in succession. So if you plant lettuce and greens now, save some room to start some more in two weeks, this way you will have a continual harvest of fresh young greens, before they get a chance to bolt. you could also plant beets and turnips in succession, Your first crop should be seeded now and in three weeks you could seed the next. Radishes can be on a continual harvest planting every two to three weeks. Peas and beans can be planted now and then another batch in three weeks. Also remember that after you harvest something plant something else in its place. To ensure you optimize your gardens potential to the fullest.

plant your onions with your beets and your basil with Tomato
lettuce between the peas and bush bean with potato

WEEDS AND THEIR BENEFITS SATURDAY MAY 28TH 7:00PM

Dawne Mitchell an avid gardener and instructor will be coming to the community garden on Saturday may 28th. She will be talking about edible weeds that are coming up in the garden and how we can get an early start to our fresh greens. We will start off at the garden and then go for a walk around the north end to find what edibles are popping up. So please come join us.

sprouting workshop april 30th 1:00pm

On Saturday April 30th at 1:00pm the community garden will be hosting a sprouting workshop at the recreation centre.
so come on out and learn how to sprout!!!
There will be a kids table set up as well refreshments and snacks provided. We will be discussing all things sprouts and you will be able to start your own batch that you can take home.

Sprouts are an amazing alternative to regular salad and you can grow them all year round!!! So when the winter days are getting long and dark and you are searching for that extra bit of energy and longing for some fresh food, you should pull out the jars and seeds and grow a batch of sprouts.

So come on out to learn all the ins and outs of what and how to sprout !!!

Seed Starting Workshop

This Saturday April 16th we will be hosting a seed starting workshop at the Recreation Centre. The event will begin at 1:00 pm. We will be discussing seed starting mixes,seeds to be started indoors and what greens we can start to plant out in cold frames. We invite you to come on out, if you had seeds at home you wanted to start but have some questions feel free to bring them, if you need seeds we will have some available to plant, so come on out for a planting party.

Spring Is Here

Now that the days are getting longer and the sun is shining on our faces, Spring is here and the planting season is upon us. The Community Garden just had our annual Seedy Saturday to kick start the season. What an awesome day, we had three lovely ladies out to speak, a great lunch and a busy seed exchange. Local growers occupied tables, to talk with the public, take plant orders and sell products. Kids were running around and the thoughts of starting seeds and planting gardens were on everybody's mind. Now is the time to dig out your pots, gather your soil and seeds and start your plants indoors. A big thanks goes out to all the community garden committee members and CKS coordinator Miles for helping make the event a success and a thank you to all the lovely people who came out for the day.

2nd Annual Seedy Saturday April 9th 2011

Spring is in the air and lots of seeds are ready to be started. So we would like to invite you to come on out to the Recreation Centre and get inspired.
We will kick start the day at 10:00 am with three great presentations.

10:00 am Simone Rudge will be talking about what it takes to become certified organic.

10:40 am Joanne Jackson Johnson will tell us all about composting and micro-organisms.

11:20 am Karen Digby will talk about market gardening in the Klondike.

at 12:00 pm -1:00 pm we will provide a locally sourced lunch and have time to discuss ideas, asks questions etc...

1:00 - 3:00

Bring along your favorite seed varieties to exchange with friends.

There will be demonstration tables, kids activities and organic heirloom seeds for sale. Or just come on by to sip some locally grown tea.

We hope to see you there!!!

2011 - The year of Self Sustaining Ideas

What do we need to grow ?
What do we want to grow ?
How can we be more efficient in our use of resources?
How can we come together as a community ?

These questions are larger than one voice and require attention immediately as changes must be made to our system of neglect. I have recently read articles about crowd sourcing and the idea makes a lot of sense. If you havn't heard of this concept it is exemplified with the website wikipedia. People create the content instead of passively absorbing one persons ideas or opinions. It seems to lead to growth of ideas through sharing and communication. Stagnation of ideas may lead to repetition and disinterest. Where active involvement inevitably leads to evolution. Just as my voice has already started to preach I offer a start with these questions and hope for involvement from others.



January planting reminders

Leeks
broadcast in a tray than separate.

Onions
bunching varieties are a nice treat.

Happy Planting