Community Gardens of Warren County

Notice to Community Gardeners...Bert Weber will be changing positions! Starting April 1, I will be working directly for the CHP2LWP Grant administered through GF Hospital and no longer employed by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Warren County. I will miss working closely with the dedicated staff at CCE but look forward to my new position. I am taking the month of March off to work on another project. Change can be good...think spring!

We had some nice weather this past weekend and a reminder that spring will eventually return! Before you start your seedlings...make sure all your packs and flats are clean. Avoid "damping off" by thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing all your seed flats and seedling containers. Also, avoid using old potting soil...start with a clean seeding soil mixture.

Interested in a community garden? Take a look at the new Community Garden Resource Booklet for more information on a garden near you! This booklet was created with the help of the Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work & Play grant. http://blogs.cornell.edu//Community-Garden-Booklet-2013-si

I know this has nothing to do with community gardens...but...this could be one of the reasons why some good dogs turn bad?

Don't forget Valentine's Day! Sweet and too cute for words!

Now that you've shoveled all the snow out of the way...time to plan for spring gardening. How about trying some hydroponics on your patio? This commercially available hydroponic tower uses a small pump to distribute water and nutrients to lettuce, chard and kale. Good way to take advantage of small spaces...grow vertically!

More bad news for our pollinators. The world Monarch butterfly population is near collapse. Global Warming, increased use of genetically modified crops, pesticide use, loss of native plants and habitat are all contributing factors. Plan this year's garden with native plants that will help our butterflies...like this one at the Lake George Elementary School!

"Zombees" discovered in Vermont. More disturbing news for our honey bees! The parasitic zombie fly has been found on some honey bees in Vermont. The zombie fly (Apocephalus borealis) parasitizes the honey bee causing the bee to become disoriented and weak. Infected bees are seen at night and can be attracted to light....very un-bee-like! The zombie fly maggots will eventually kill the host bee. Unfortunately, yet another threat to our already stressed honey bee population.

We lost a national treasure today. Pete Seeger was a champion for civil rights and environmental causes who inspired millions through his songs and a life well lived.

Is kohlrabi part of your garden design this season? This strange looking vegetable is a member of the cruciferous family that... like cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts...contains good phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and fiber. All members of this family of vegetables are linked to better health and lower the risk of cancer!

We still have 5 spots available for the East Field Community Garden! This an example of the sign will be in place in this spring. Please contact Bert ([email protected]) if would like to reserve your spot at the East Field Garden...it is free!

This will be the view from the new garden shed we just ordered for the Sagamore Park Community Garden. The shed is being built by Blue Line Barn and will be available for our gardeners this spring!

A photo to warm all our hearts on dreary winter day! Here are our neighbors at the Countryside Adult Home enjoying the harvest of fresh veggies they grew in their new raised beds last summer! The raised beds were funded and built by the Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work and Play grant of Glens Falls Hospital.