A Few Notes

Water
The water is officially and finally on. I have filled some barrels to get everyone going but not all. I am handing over those reigns to the volunteers who belong to that task. On that note, if the barrels are ever empty and you happen to be spending some time at the garden, feel free to fill one or two up - as in you don't have to wait for someone else to do it. We have quite a few more barrels this year so I'm hoping we won't empty them as fast as we have in the past.
There is confusion every year on how to turn on the water in the garden. If you want to know how, come by the garden on a Wednesday night while I am there and I will show you. It has proven too hard to explain in written form and much easier to demonstrate but it still all boils down to "turn on tap - get water".

The Fox
Some of you may have noticed a bushy tailed visitor in and about the garden. A red fox has taken a liking to the garden area and is spending a lot of time patrolling the area for ground squirrels and mice. This is a good thing for the garden and free pest control at its finest. Having said that, I ask that you do not try to feed the wild animal or leave food for it. I also ask that you keep an eye on your pet and children if you bring them to the garden. The fox has shown aggression towards a smaller dog in the garden and wether that's due to territory, a young family close by or an easy meal, I don't know but we should not be tempting the animal in any regard.

Task Assignments
I've posted the task assignments above. If anyone is confused about their task or where to find it, contact me and I will explain further.

Planting 
If you haven't yet, this weekend would be a great time to plant. Rain and warmish temperatures are forecast throughout the weekend which the seeds will appreciate. Remember that the deadline for planting is June 10th. Plots not planted by that date may be turned over to those on the waiting list or planted for the foodbank.

Have a great weekend everyone!

May Catch Up

What is it about spring in the North that makes us feel like we just don’t have enough time in a day? I’m a bit behind in my posting so I’ll just get right to it.

Work Bees and Tasks

There is a work bee on every Saturday of May from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come for an hour or come for four. A great way to make a dent in those volunteer hours. We are mostly doing clean up in and around the garden and thanks to the tremendous show of gardeners last weekend, we have most of the heavy work done. Thanks again to all of you that were able to help out.

Starting in June, I will cut the work bees down to one night a week and that night will be Wednesday night. We usually run from 6-8 pm. Wednesday night work bees are a “Rain or Shine” affair. I draw the line at snow which may seem funny but last year on May 16^th we had this:

Taken from my front door. I'm hoping Mother Nature has a kinder plan for us this year.
I am still working on task assignments but hope to have that wrapped up this weekend. I will email everyone when that is done.

Greenhouse

I'm doing the greenhouse a little bit different this year and will only be offering space for 6 gardeners. I found last year that we had a lot of donations with no one to take care of them and often in pots that were too small to even withstand a day's lack of watering. I currently have three gardeners expressing interest so if you are interested shoot me an email and I'll make the space happen for you.

Planting
The general rule of thumb for the "safe to plant" date is any time after the Victoria Day weekend, this weekend in fact. I've been keeping an eye on the seven day forecast and Environment Canada is still forecasting below zero temperatures for next week. I know some of you have planted already and if your seed is underground it should probably be fine. The growth may be a bit delayed because of the cooler nighttime temps but I don't think it is anything to worry about. I wouldn't suggest any transplants yet, if you intend to use them. Even with the aid of row cover, they may suffer some damage. As for when to safely plant? I would say sometime in the latter part of the next two weeks.

Water
The City of Whitehorse will not hook up our water system until the frost is out of the ground (very slow this year) and all risk of freezing has passed. This is one more reason that it may be a good idea to hold off on planting. I will let everyone know when it is in place.

Biffy

The port-a-potty should be in place for this weekend in its usual spot behind the shed. Please use at your own risk. I do not clean it nor do I take care of it but it will be emptied once a week. Be courteous to the next user when you do use it. I usually keep a couple extra rolls of toilet paper in the shed should the need arise.

I think that's it for now. If you have any questions at all, please shoot me an email. I hope to see many of you on the weekend and until then, enjoy the returning Robins and the beautiful Crocus' on those southern exposed ridges. I haven't seen any dandelions yet, have you?