The 2015 MOSAIC Community Garden Season Is HERE!‏

Hi Gardeners,

We are just about ready to get a little dirty (with our hands and, occasionally, some of our other body parts)!

With our season fast approaching, we want to share with you a few reminders, tips, events and other such nonsense J.

Please read this email in its entirety, there is a boat load of valuable information below.  Reply to this email if you have questions or need additional information.

(Insert drumroll and good vibes here)

Membership Reminders:

If you have not already, please complete your Mosaic Community Garden membership packet.  All of the paperwork is now online at www.mosaicclt.org we now offer a way to pay online as well.  Just click on the “donate” button on our site and pay using your PAYPAL account.  Enter the appropriate amount to pay then type “garden membership payment” in the message/notes section of the payment process.  Not interested in gardening, but love the idea of helping other to obtain affordable housing?  Become a member of the Mosaic Community Land Trust!  By donating $25.00, you are helping the land trust turn blighted properties into beautifully-maintained lands in under-resourced areas of our neighborhoods.

Mural Results:

The results are in!  Concept #1 (Seeds of Hope/Success): 12 votes      Concept #2 (Bountiful Basket):    13 votes           Concept #3 (Sweetest Potato): 9 votes

Since the voting results were so close for the two mural designs, the mural committee has made the decision to blend Concept #1 and Concept #2! So many voters loved the sunflowers in Concept #1 and the plentiful basket of vegetables in Concept #2 the committee believed it would be a great idea to use elements from both designs!  Thanks to The Hill School, Sherwim Williams and others who are helping to complete the project!  Join us on May 18 when we begin the lower level of painting of the mural (save the date, details to follow).

Preparing and Planting:

Beginning in April, volunteers are needed to help with the cleanup and preparation of the gardens!  We will cleanup, till and organize the garden beds and perimeter beds during the month of April.  The first day is set for Saturday, April 10 from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM and Sunday, April 11 from 10:00 AM – 12:00noon.  We will need all hands on deck to help out!  No tools or gloves needed, all you have to do is SHOW UP and we will put you to WORK (in a good way)!  J  More dates will be added – be on the lookout!

Mosaic is planning its first planting day on Saturday, May 9 at 10:00 AM (rain date, Sunday, May 10 10:00 AM)!  Please plan to complete any paperwork, pay any membership fees (if you haven’t already)…but most importantly, to have fun, chat with your gardening friends and to GET DIRTY!

Btw, all of the seeds purchased for this year’s growing season are certified ORGANIC from High Mowing Seed Company!  No GMO or all that other pesky stuff…YAY!  We will use mostly seeds this year, purchasing just a few plants of those vegetables that tend to do better starting with a seedling for beginning gardeners.

Outreach and Other Events:

Mosaic is facilitating a hydroponic planting workshop at the Six Night of Family Entertainment and Education at the Pottstown Regional Public Library.  There are over 21 children and their families registered for this event!  Visit our website to find out more or to register for a workshop.  The hydroponic workshop takes place on Thursday, April 9 from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.

The annual Pottstown CARES day is a day focused on “spring cleaning” in downtown Pottstown – clearing sidewalks, cleaning up parks, etc. As part of that, more than a dozen of volunteers will be assigned to work in our gardens on Chestnut Street.  Mosaic would love to see more of our community garden members pitch in and help out!  The fun will begin on Friday, April 10 from approximately 9 AM – 12 PM.  Please contact us via email if you have any questions or need additional information.

Mosaic will have a table and activities at this year’s Month of the Young Child event being held at the Pottstown High School on Saturday, April 18 from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.  Please plan to bring the family out to this amazing annual event!

Our summer youth program begins in June!  We are always looking for volunteers!!!! Now is the time to get your criminal and child abuse clearances!  Please reply to this email if you need assistance completing your clearances in order to volunteer this growing season. The program is jammed-packed with more learning experiences, field trips and other great activities!  Please plan to help out!

Check our website often for more opportunities to get dirty, grow good things that you can eat, get outdoors and have some good ol’ fashioned fun in downtown Pottstown!

See Ya’ at the Gardens,

Laura

Leave a Comment