We are in the halcyon days of summer harvest at Rose Roots and grateful to have such a wonderfully productive and engaged community. We would like to thank all of you gardeners for helping us reach our 15,000 lb donation goal over the last 9 years of donating to community organizations in need. In light of surpassing this significant milestone, our Produce Donation Team Lead, Theresa McKinney, would like to offer the lead role to an enthusiastic gardener in 2022. We thank Theresa for the many hours she’s dedicated to help improve our community engagement and garden infrastructure over the years. Let us know if you are interested in this role, among others mentioned below, which will be appointed In Feb 2022 by the 2022 Leadership Team.
Upcoming: Tomorrow Sat Sept 4 from 9 to 10 am don't forget to bring your cardboard, dry leaves and grass and drop off with VP Patty for our Westside Landscaping Project.
September Updates
Pre-Registration Form for 2022 is Available!
We would like to know if you’re coming back next season! You must complete the Pre-Registration form if you are a returning gardener and would like to reserve your plot for 2022, or if you are a new gardener and would like to be placed on our waitlist. If you are not returning, please also fill out the form and let us know why you choose not to return. Your feedback will help us improve the gardening experience for others. Fill out the Pre-Registration Form Here.
Plot fees are between $35 and $75 dollars depending on the size of the plot. Plot sizes are (1) full 15' x 15' plots, (2) half plots 15' x 7' plots and (3) raised ADA beds. All plot assignments are subject to availability. Plot fees include water, compost, tool usage, workshops, and community building events. This form will be available from Nov 1, 2021 to Feb 28, 2022. On March 1st, 2022l we will start assigning available plots to new potential gardeners on our Waitlist.
Every season we have a waitlist for plots. Therefore, we want to ensure participation for as many gardeners as our garden's capacity so help us plan by filling out the form above early! If you are a new gardener, we will let you know of plot availability by April 30, 2022. Our garden opens early May when the City turns the water on.
Note: We require that all plots be planted by June 1st of each season. After June 1st, any unplanted plots will be offered to gardeners on the waitlist who have not received a plot assignment. We offer a 25% off discount for unplanted plots since we consider this a delayed start to the gardening season, As such, should a plot become available at that time, please note if you would be interested on the form.
Harvest Fest Cancelled
The Harvest festival was cancelled, again. You can cut those zucchini you’ve been saving for the growing contest and make a ton of zucchini bread now. Boom.
DUG Concessionaire Agreement Renewed
The Denver Urban Gardens concessionaire agreement was renewed by the City for 2022, which essentially means Rose Roots gardeners will have continuing access to great workshops and other gardening resources you can check out Here. We are continuing to pursue 501(c)3 status so that we may take steps towards managing our garden internally in the future. In the meantime, we look forward to using DUGs online registration next season, future micro-networking events with our regional neighboring gardens, and other opportunities to engage with our Sister Gardens, Beeler Community Garden in Aurora and George Washington School Community Garden in Denver. We especially appreciate all the extra support Lara, DUG Director of Operations, has offered our leadership teams through the years.
Fun times at DUG Micro-networking Event (pics below):
Dumpster Schmumpster
We are (still) working on trying to secure a dumpster for the end of the season and a trash removal contract for next season. It’s a good thing I didn’t drink white Russians every time I said the word “dumpster” in the last two months. It seems trash and recycling bins are difficult to secure at a manageable rate for non-residential sites requiring only seasonal pick-up, so we may just go with a team effort again of taking turns taking on site trash and recycling cans home when they are full. In the meantime, we may try aging some large experimental piles, as gardeners have done in the past, of all organic material pulled out of plots at the end of the season and see how long it takes for those persnickety sunflowers to break down with application of manure through the winter. Ideally, then we would start next season with fresh compost!
Team Lead Positions Available
Have you always dreamed of running a community garden? You’ve heard of the glamour, the cache, the lifelong friendships, the opportunities to deeply engage with your community? Here is your big chance! For the 2022 season, the following Service Team Lead positions are available and will be appointed in early 2022. Read more about these appointed positions Here.
Lead Positions available in 2022:
Produce Donation Team Lead
Social Committee Team Lead
Communications Team Lead
Rose Roots Youth Team Lead Mentor
NW and SW Quadrant Team Leads
Note: These positions are appointed by the Elected Steering Committee in early 2022. Feel free to nominate a gardener you think would like to contribute or share your interest in helping lead this all volunteer totally awesome community garden Here. Join us!
Also Worthy of Mentioning: Every member of our current steering committee is serving the first of their two-year elected terms, and as such our next election will be held in Sept 2022 to elect a new Steering Committee for the following season.
Way to Go Rose Roots Water Conservers!
We learned from DUG that last season we were one of the most effectively water conserving gardens in the DUG gardens. Huge kudos to you gardeners out there hustling to fix those leaky hoses and optimizing drip system usage, for those of you who are that Fancy Like.
First Annual Rose Roots Appetizer Contest and Live Music
What: On Wed Sept 15 from 5:30 to 7 pm we will be having our first annual Rose Roots Appetizer Contest with some sweet Rose Roots swag for prizes.
How to Participate: This is your big chance to try out one of those many magazine recipes you’ve saved for years, or make up an outraaaggous recipe of your own! Sign up Here to submit your entry or entries.
Contest Rules:
-You may enter as many categories as you like and we encourage all ages to participate including our Youth members.
-Bring your entries to the garden by 5:30 pm for tasting by gardeners, who will be given tickets for voting.
-Aim to offer 15-20 small servings for testing.
-Be sure to sign up, as gardeners can participate up until the day without registration, but we will cancel the contest if we don't have adequate interest by Sun Sept 12.
Appetizer Categories:
1. Most Creative
2. Most Colorful
3. Most Flavorful
4. Most Garden Ingredients
Live Music: A garden favorite singer/songwriter Laurie Dameron will be providing live music while gardeners sample the contest entries. Prizes will be awarded after the music.
Pro-Tip: A fabulous name like “Zucchinilicious Zinnia Zuprise” (it's taken now!) for your dish could win you some great prizes!
Upcoming Dates-Mark your Calendars and don't miss out!
This Saturday Sept 4, 9-10 am: Patty Sacks, Rose Roots VP Extraordinaire, will be out at the garden accepting cardboard and bags of grass cuttings and leaves to make a “lasagna” garden. We are making soil for the Westside Landscaping Neighborhood Improvement Project! Please bring your donations at that time or drop them outside the west fenceline through September.
Sept 7, 6 pm: Rose Roots Monthly All-Gardener Meeting
Sept 15, 9-10 am: First Annual Rose Roots Appetizer Contest and Live Music
Repeating Events
Sunday mornings: Pollinator Garden Work Party
Every other Thursday: Community Spaces Team Work Party
Monday and Thursday Mornings: Produce donation pick-up. Have your produce in the barn by 8:30 on these days for the Community Table and Veggie Van.
Sooooo if you made it this far, be sure to be among the first few gardeners to email us Here to share the “Pro Tip” for a gardener appreciation prize which can be picked up at our next All Gardener Monthly Meeting.
Special Thanks: Leading is Hard!
Special thanks to the 2021 Rose Roots Leadership Team. You make me want to do a little jig in the tomatillos and twirl in the echinacea! All of you who have stepped up to lead are the Bees Knees!
Contact us at leadership@roserootsgarden.org with questions, share your Feedback Here, or check our calendar Here for details and updates. And seriously, don’t miss our last events of the season. They are shaping up to be a good time together! See you out at the garden!
Erin and the Rose Roots Leadership Team
(720) 702-8806
“You have to find joy, you have to build connection, compassion and community in your life. Otherwise what are you fighting for? To do good in the world, you have to feel good about your own life. Be good to yourself and others.” -Stacy, The Battle Within