Good Growing Season

We have come to the end of a good growing season. It is time to prepare our garden beds for the winter. The fruits of our labor were rewarded with a bounty of delicious vegetables, herbs and a visual assortment of beautiful flowers. The temperatures have dropped so it’s time to put the garden tools away, time to pack those garden gloves that look so wonderfully worn and served us so well away. Just seeing the garden gloves with yesterday’s dirt on them gave you a peaceful feeling, they reminded you of your time alone working the soil in your little patch of heaven. As we prepare our garden beds for the winter we can also take this time to plan next year’s crop. Remember when you would open the gate and make your way to your assigned plot you would notice other gardens with the most outstanding eye-catching plants and you would think to yourself, “I can do that”. Well now is the time to plan and research that plant and add it to your 2012 planting list. With every new idea there is an old one that still works. Don’t discount those plants that gave you that summer smile, but add a few new ones to the old standbys. The most ideal garden is one that combines neighborly ideas, a variety of vegetables, fragrant herbs and a few flowers to excite the senses. Our winter homework is just beginning, relive those summer thoughts and remember to start mentally preparing your plot for an even better 2012 summer garden. Put your garden bed to sleep for the winter, clean those garden tools and imagine all the possibilities of next year. See you in the spring!

Writings by Robin, Bay Community Gardener

Take a Walk Through the Garden

It is very difficult to be in a bad mood when you visit the Community Garden. From the moment you walk through the gate you are welcomed by an assortment of plants, some of which are enjoying the peak of the season and are showing off for you. Some plants tower over your head as you pass. Other plants are so full of fragrance that it catches you by surprise. You need to walk slowly to take in the full effect of what is on display. If you walk too fast you will miss that perfect little flower mixed in with all the hearty vegetables. As you look around you also can sense the tender care that was cultivated into each plot of soil. Some are more experienced than others but that is also the beauty of it, each garden has its own individual charm to offer. A good friend once called the garden “their sanctuary” and I think that is a good description.

If you haven’t been to the garden yet, take a stroll through. You won’t regret it. Escape your worries and let the Community Garden work its magic on you too. Your troubles will be lighter when you leave.

Writings by Robin - a Bay community gardener

Summer is Here!

It seems so long since we dared venture outside without an umbrella. The rainy weather dampened our spirits for awhile but now that cloud has passed and it’s so good to feel the warmth of the sun again. Summer is all about warm days, lemonade, bike riding, ice cream cones and enjoying the outdoors. Finally, pleasant summer days are here. Thoughts of short sleeves, evening breezes and the beauty of color are upon us. The grass is greener than ever before. The trees seem fuller and blooms have sprung overnight. Garden centers have become a flurry of activity. We are all anxious to play in the sun, plant flowers, watch our vegetable gardens grow and just relish in the thought that there is no need to run and take cover. Get out your bike, garden tools or just take a leisurely walk next door to say hi to your neighbor. Get out into the warm weather, but leave the umbrella at home this time. It’s finally time to have fun in the sun. Enjoy!

Writing by Robin - a Bay Community Gardener

April Meeting Updates

The City is working with the County Planning Commission to craft a sustainable master plan to include a community visioning portion. Mayor Sutherland along with Paul Alsenas, Carol Thaler and Chris Alvarado from the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, were all present at the meeting. The master plan was last updated 10 years ago and is largely around land use planning. The Mayor would like to take this opportunity to update the master plan and set a vision for where the City wants to go and where the residents want to go. There is a desire to have the master plan address a broader perspective, including how the City grows in a sustainable way, addressing everything from human capital to health and education, expanding it beyond land use and zoning. According to Paul Alsenas, our region leads the nation in the sustainability effort. He reviewed examples of innovation and leadership in the field that are occurring in Northeast Ohio. Carol Thaler gave a presentation and reviewed a slide with the group that showed that Environment, Culture, and Economics must all be integrated to be truly sustainable. The group then discussed how to expand the current master plan to include a sustainability vision. The Green Team is very excited to work with the City on this project.

A brief update was given on the Bay Community Garden by Bob Shields. To date, 120 plots have been spoken for with only a few remaining plots available. There has been a change in rules this year where community gardeners are being asked to provide 1-2 hours of service within the garden each month to help with general maintenance such as grass cutting and tending to common areas like the sunflower garden and pumpkin patch. So far, the response for volunteers has been incredible. Residents at The Knickerbocker want to get in on the gardening action as well and have requested 7, one-half plots (so, 3.5 beds)—the beds need to be raised to around 30 inches. Bob is looking for individuals or groups to help with labor and materials. If you are interested in helping out, please email Bob at: bobshields@oh.rr.com.

Volunteers are needed for 2 upcoming GT events—May 5^th for the Bike-to-School Safety Fair from 6:30-8:30 PM at the Bay Middle School. Volunteers are needed to set up the table and promote Green activities. On Saturday, May 21^st the 4th Annual Waterway clean-up is planned with Bay High School Project Earth Club from 11 AM-2 PM. Eryn Whistler, the Project Earth adviser, would like to expand the clean up beyond the waterways, and is looking for adult volunteers to assist the students in specific areas. Anyone interested, please contact the GT at: bayvillagegreenteam@gmail.com.

Our next regular monthly meeting will be Tuesday, May 10 at the Bay Community House beginning at 6:30. Make a difference, get involved!

SPRING, The Promise

With spring comes a promise that better uplifting sunny days are ahead. There is no turning back the clock. We are guaranteed that temperatures will soon be going up, jackets will be coming off and a breeze of fresh air will soon be coming through the window. The heavy feeling of winter will be just a memory. Spring is the time to refresh our way of thinking. It is time for us to make room for the possibility of new growth. Just as the earth was silent under the snow, we have been silently waiting for this time to arrive. In a way we have all been dormant, but now the time has come for us to come alive. Spring is a hopeful time of year, it is a fresh start. This is the time to have new goals and new plans. This is the time when it feels good to break free and just breathe. Walk out into the fresh air and begin to imagine all the possibilities that spring can bring. Visualize all the colors that have been absent for all these months but will soon be in abundance. Picture in your mind the beauty of a newly planted garden. Mother Nature has given us the next season to enjoy she has kept her promise now it’s up to us to make the most of it.

Writing by Robin - a Bay Community Gardener

News on the Community Garden

The Bay Village Community Garden will be opening in early to mid April, weather permitting. The garden is located at the corner of Forestview & Wolf Roads and affords residents the opportunity to learn and practice sustainable, organic gardening methods.
Sponsored for Bay residents in a partnership that includes the BVGT, the City and the BV School Board, the community garden is all about sustainability. Not only does the garden allow residents and service organizations to grow healthy, organic, local food, but a technique called square foot gardening is used to maximize the crops produced in the 4'x8' plots.
With square foot gardening, you plant within each square foot, not in rows. The many "green" advantages by this type of planting includes less land and water usage (as the crops are close together), and fewer weeds.
A public meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 22nd beginning at 6:30 PM at the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, 28728 Wolf Road, to discuss the upcoming year and answer questions from Community Garden renters and potential renters.
Plots for the 2011 growing season (April-November) are available on a first come, first serve basis to Bay residents, so sign up early by contacting Bob Shields at: bobshields@oh.rr.com if you are interested in renting a plot or if you have any questions.

See you at the garden!