Hello fellow gardeners,

First off, thanks to all who made it out to our garden Meet & Greet event. If you haven't yet made use of the compost, please do. There is a shovel and buckets in the Garden Shed (combo: 000) for this exact purpose. It won't last forever!

Here are some updates for May:

WATER

The water is flowing through the hoses and there for you to make use of. During hot stretches of 3-4 days, your young plants and seedlings will want a nice dousing. It's often best to water your garden during the 'shoulder' times of the day (early morning/evening) when the sun's heat is less extreme. Water on your veg leaves during midday heat can cause scalding.

A couple pointers about the watering system:

1. The main ON/OFF control is located at the garden shed.
2. If the valve is ON and the water's still not coming out, check the hose for a kink.
3. There is no need to coil the hose back up when you're done with it; simply hook the nozzle over the edge of the garden shed and leave it for the next person to use.
4. There is a spare nozzle in the Garden Shed if you need it.
5. Make sure the valve has been turned OFF when you leave.

And be sure to get in touch if the system's either leaking or not working properly. Hoses and nozzles are the number one thing that breaks/malfunctions during a gardening season.

JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP

If you're one of those internet-savvy types, why not join the 4th and Mac Community Garden Facebook group? Great place for updates, photos, advice-sharing, watering help requests and more.

Here's the link. Make a request to join and I'll get you in right away.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/177443182836622/

GREEN WASTE BIN

As a reminder, any and all green waste can be placed in the cedar Green Waste Box. Please don't put your plastics and other trash in here; garbage should be packed out of the garden.

GARDEN TIPS: GARDEN THEFT... IT HAPPENS

Community garden theft is an unfortunate and unavoidable reality to all community gardens, and it is likely to be no different at our garden this season. Please let me know if any of your crop has been harvested by an unwanted harvester. If anyone happens to encounter said harvester in the act of harvesting, a bit of education often goes a long way; not everyone grasps the idea that the garden is not a 'free' garden for public consumption.

That said, here are a few tips to consider for what to plant to avoid pilfering:

1. Greens (like lettuces, kale, spinach, etc) tend to get passed over because they not easily 'plucked' the same way a tomato might be.
2. Underground veg (carrots, radishes, beets) are great because the good stuff is hidden in the soil.
3. Herbs!
4. Big leafy veg like chard, bok choy, and collards.
5. Shiny, colourful fruit and veg (peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, etc) make for easy targets.

This is general advice and nothing to fuss too much over. The best compass is often closest to the heart (or stomach): plant what you love to eat!