Hi Pickers!
Who knew we’d still be picking citrus in June???
I hope you can join us this Sunday, June 16 from 2 – 4 PM!
Let me know if you can join us to pick (hopefully) lemons and oranges by clicking HERE.
I will let you know where to meet the group.
Please bring gardening gloves (if you have them), water to drink and a hat.
Thank you!
Jillian
Please join us for Alameda Backyard Growers’ Third Annual Garden Tour. This year, we focus on food production. Margie Siegal has made her large yard into a mini-farm. She raises fruit trees, herbs and lots of different vegetables. Margie will show us the innovative techniques she’s used to solve some gardening challenges, and tell us about what didn’t work. We’ll also focus on her tricks for successfully growing the heat-loving vegetables that can be difficult in Alameda, including melons and eggplant.
About the farm: Caution: Most paths are grass, and the ground is uneven. People with mobility difficulties may not be able to access most areas. Please wear low heeled shoes with good soles. The resident feral cat, who controls rodents in the back yard, is terrified of dogs. Please do not bring your dog.
About the gardener: Margie has been gardening for years, mostly learning through making mistakes and reading books. She finds gardening relaxing and enjoys the low stress manual labor.
Because of the size of the garden, attendance is limited to 25 people. Preregistration is required.
If the event is already full when you try to sign up, please email info@alamedabackyardgrowers.org to be put on the waiting list.
DATE: Saturday, July 13
LOCATION: Ploughshares Nursery, 2701 Main St, Alameda, CA 94501
Join us to learn more about Ploughshares Nursery and help Jeff Bridge and his team with fun projects!
Help Ploughshares weed out and plant the propagation area, transplant fruit trees and seed native plants for next year’s sales. Bring work gloves and clippers, it’s going to be fun!
Directions: From Webster Street, turn West onto Willie Stargell Ave. or Atlantic Avenue (Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway). Turn Right onto Main Street. Ploughshares is across the street from Svendsen’s/Bay Ship and Yacht.
Help Save Our Monarchs by Planting Milkweed and Flower Seeds!
Last Thanksgiving, only 28,429 monarchs were counted in their wintering colonies compared to a historic population of about 10 million in the Western Monarch migration. Today monarchs face several challenges, the most intractable being a lack of milkweed (Asclepias spp.), where females typically lay their eggs, as well as a lack of winter blooming nectar plants to feed them along their journey. They are also being decimated by the increased use of glyphosate in agriculture, which kills milkweed and other sources of food for these butterflies.
If you have a sunny, open 4′ x 4′ space where you could plant milkweed and butterfly flowers – you could be part of the solution!
At this special workshop we will talk about how to plant and maintain a butterfly garden, then help you plant California native milkweed (and other flower seeds) so you can create your own butterfly garden. You will leave with milkweed, winter blooming flowers and information on how to help the monarchs!
Join us Saturday, August 10 for a Field Trip and talk on cool season Gardening.
Location: Alameda County Master Gardeners Trials Garden, at the Gardens at Lake Merritt
Hi Project Pick Volunteers!
I hope you’ve had a great summer break! Fall is around the corner and I’m sure we’ll be picking lots of apples and persimmons.
Meanwhile, we have one plum tree to pick this Sunday, September 8, from 2 – 3:30 (only one tree).
If you’d like to join us for this quick pick, please click here (https://forms.gle/JbBf9VcnKUZqk7818) to fill in our sign up form.
I will let you know where to meet the group.
Please bring gardening gloves (if you have them), water to drink and a hat.
Let me know if you have any questions at info@alamedabackyardgrowers.org
Thank you!
Jillian Saxty
It’s time for our annual harvest-time potluck! We’ll munch on garden and other delights, and talk about our summer gardens – our triumphs and our woes, our successes and our failures, those nagging problems and our solutions.
Bring food or beverage to share, or just bring yourself. Please bring your own reusable plate and utensils to help us reduce waste. We look forward to seeing you!
Hi Gleaners,
After a summer pause, we have lots of fruit coming in for the fall.
The pick this Sunday, September 22 between 2-4 PM will feature apples and lemons.
Please let me know if you are available by filling out this form:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1sHlMPrx31zNc5-0crH7-hoL0wHRVhkY1pcc_4E1MfhU
I will contact you about where to meet when you RSVP.
Thank you!
Jillian Saxty
Project Pick Coordinator
October 15, 2019, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Avenue, Alameda
Did you know your head is as heavy as a bowling ball? (your poor neck!) Or that losing 1 pound means 4 pounds of weight off your knees-a 4 to 1 ratio?
Come hear about how ergonomics can make your gardening less painful and extend your time in the garden, both now and in the future. Join The Alameda Backyard Growers on Oct 15 to hear more.
The goals of the presentation include:
- Understand how garden activities affect your body ergonomics and wear and and tear on your joints
- Learn to correct gardening activity for better body mechanics
- Demonstrate best ergonomic practices
Our Speaker, Joan Sarlatte, worked as a nurse practitioner caring for injured workers, many of whose injuries related to repetitive jobs. She became interested in ergonomics as a way to retrain your body toward better working practices. Now retired, Joan graduated in the Master Gardener class of 2018, and is interested in helping gardeners learn to work with less discomfort and fewer injuries.
Hi Pickers,
There’s been quite a lull in fruit picking requests – not sure why. However, we do have one (fuyu) persimmon tree that needs picking.
Can anyone help with that on Sunday, Nov. 10 between 2 – 4 PM?
If so please fill our our volunteer form here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1sHlMPrx31zNc5-0crH7-hoL0wHRVhkY1pcc_4E1MfhU
I will provide the joining location and other information with your RSVP.
Who knows? We may have more trees on our list by then. 🙂
Thank you
Jillian Saxty
ABG Project Pick Coordinator