With many plots producing an excess of beautiful vegetables, we are offering opportunities to deliver donated veggies from our barn to the Community Table Food bank. Learn more about our produce donation program Here. In a nutshell, any gardeners may put any excess produce in the barn. Volunteers are invited to help deliver the veggies to the Community Table and help the Veggie Van with pick up on Monday and Thursday mornings. If you sign up to help with these limited delivery times, this is a great way to earn service hours of the 12 required for full plots and 6 required for half plots and ADA plots.
Sign up HERE for a limited number of shifts.
Updates
Every year there are a variety of challenges in our organic garden that keep us on our toes as we work to problem solve. We aim to protect our plants from pests, heat, hail, not enough water or too much water, and ravenous bunnies. This year we have had an increase in mosquitos and pests like aphids as well as flea beetles and those pesky cabbage moths. Thus...
Note:
We can deter mosquitos from multiplying by ensuring we have no standing water in our plots.
We are looking into spreading ladybugs at the garden to reduce other unwanted pests, so keep an eye out for their happy spotted wings.
Gardeners can dust leaves with diatomaceous earth (mask wearing while dusting is recommended), or spraying affected leaves with Neem oil. You can also cover sensitive plants with a barrier like a light fabric. Don't be afraid to pull out and start over if a plant is spreading disease, especially if mildew is spreading on squash plants.
Westside Landscaping Project
Taylor, our neighbor of Forever West Farms, kindly tilled up another 8 inches of soil to help get the site graded. We are meeting with another equipment operator to get an estimate to complete the grading. Once that happens we can schedule more volunteer days to complete pathways. The next step will be to purchase and plant drought resistant perennials for the new West Side planting bed.
Planting Date
As the date to plant your plot has come and gone (June 10), we will be working to redistribute and maintain plots that have not been planted during our upcoming work party and throughout the remainder of the season.
Upcoming Events
June 16: 6-8 pm. Third Thursday Work Party and Potluck. Bring a main or side to share. Julie Lesnick will guide work projects. This is a great way to get service hours!
June 18: City of Arvada Pollinator garden tour. Nicole McCrorie will be leading a tour of our pollinator garden. Time to be announced by the City and will be between 8-12 pm.
June 21: 6:30 pm Rose Roots Steering Committee Meeting. All welcome.
June 23: 6:30 pm garden social, 7:00 pm Music in the Garden, Laurie Dameron. Feel free to bring a picnic and/or snack to share. More info below.
Save the Date! July 10, 5 pm. Ten Year Anniversary Celebration. More info to come.
Don't Miss This!
Music in the Garden: Laurie Dameron
When: June 23, All Community Welcome
Time: 6:30 social, 7 pm music
Bring: chairs, snacks to share and drinks
More Info: LaurieDameron.com
Billboard Magazine aware recipient Laurie has been playing the guitar for nearly 50 years and singing even longer. Between solo performances and performances with her band, Laurie D and the Blues Babes, she has performed for hundreds of venues in and out of Colorado over the past 25 years. A broad repertoire folk, blues, and jazz allows her to perform many different venues. She has produced three CDs and currently working on fourth and fifth.
Dameron is also an environmental activist and in 2012 started her project Spaceship Earth: What Can I Do? Multimedia Presentations hoping to inspire folks to be better stewards to our beautiful planet Earth! Her song “What Can I Do?” made it to the top ten finalists in the 2011 Tipperary World Peace Song Contest. She passed the first round of auditions for America’s Got Talent in Denver in December of 2013. In 2015 she was elected chair of Environmental and Sustainability Development for BPW Colorado and is past chair for NFBPWC (National Federation Business and Professional Women Clubs). In 2017 she was awarded “Trailblazer Woman of the Year” at BPW Boulder’s biggest annual event Celebration of Women.
Laurie is a long time member of Colorado Music Business Association (1987) and has won numerous other songwriting contests including COMBO.
Gardener Reminders
Please refrain from removing anything from another gardener’s plot, including plants, pavers, and any and all types of property that does not belong to you. This will keep our community happy and thriving.
Please refrain from weeding other gardeners plots, unless expressly asked to do so. People work hard in their plots to maintain plants we may not recognize, and neighbors may need help but be sure to ask first.
Please ensure you don't have standing water in buckets, or are creating floods in common pathways.
We did a great job of saving water last season and hope this season will be the same. Aim to water in the morning and evening on hot days and avoid watering during the mid day heat.
June Gardening Tips
Water deeply every few days to encourage roots to grow deep instead of sprinkling daily, unless it's a scorcher day, of which we've had a few!
Mulching is necessary to retain soil moisture. Some examples of organic mulch include 2-3 inches of sterile straw, organic grass clippings and leaves, or shredded newspaper.
Heat heat heat! Cold season veggies (eg. some lettuces, broccoli) and will tend to flower and become bitter tasting (or bolt) when the weather gets hot (99 degrees this week qualifies!). Using a shade cloth over tender leaves like lettuce can help extend the harvest.
Gardener Gratitude
Thank you to Gary, Jim and Deb for working together towards getting the kiosk doors fixed.
Thank you to Taylor of Forever West Farms for offering to help grade the West Side Landscaping Project.
Thank you to gardeners Nicole and Tyler along with Pat and Rose for partnering with our neighbor to the South, Forever West Farms, and helping maintain some of the fertile land.
Thank you to Patty for keeping the ball rolling on the West Side landscaping project.
Thank you to our treasurer John for helping ensure we have actively filled and planted plots throughout our very full garden.
Thank you to all Rose Roots gardeners helping to keep the garden a beautiful thriving place and who support our pro-social positive and inclusive community! As gardeners growing community, we contribute to local change by growing local organic produce, teaching the next generation of gardeners, and bringing a smile to neighbors who walk the nearby path in the Hills at Standley Lake Park.
2022 Season Highlights
Great Day of Gardening Video if you missed it is Here.
Community Feedback:
“From my personal point of view, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and the rest of your team who helped organize the event. And having the opportunity to meet so many gardeners in a single day just totally energized me. I felt so welcomed, enjoyed the informal workshop, and loved that many wanted to show us around the garden and to see their plots. Rose Roots Community Garden rocks!”
Patty Rhodes, Jeffco Master Gardener and Workshop Presenter
We look forward to seeing all of you out at the garden!
Rose Roots Leadership Team
Erin Newton, President
Patty Sacks, Vice President
John Malito, Treasurer/Membership
Laura Bennett, Administrator/Membership
Gary Williams and Jim Richards, Operations