Bring Pollinators to Your Yard! Learn About Raising Bees in Alameda
FREE EVENT – June 11, 2023, 10 am to 11 am
Thank you Andre and Silvia Kruglikov! Many thanks, Andre, for your fun, highly-informative Alameda backyard talk about bees and honey. We all learned something new from you and your Twin Bee Apiaries hives. Big thanks also to Silvia for using your honey to bake us all some delicious Honey Muffins. (Find the recipe here: www.browneyedbaker.com)
Original event listing: This month we’ll continue our pollinator theme and learn about beekeeping from Andre Kruglikov, longtime Alameda beekeeper. Andre will share with us:
- How he got started and progressed in beekeeping.
- What happens in a hive over the course of a beehive’s year and how it affects the beekeeper. Each season brings its own challenges, especially winter!
- The different bees in a hive – queens, drones and workers – their roles and natural history.
- Varroa mites – the main scourge of bees and beekeepers – and how to manage them.
- Harvesting honey.
- Questions and answers, and much more!
About our presenter: Andre Kruglikov started keeping bees twelve years ago, in an effort to improve pollination of his fruit trees. His hives now number about twenty and his Twin Bee Apiaries sells delicious honey. He’s learned a lot over his time beekeeping and will share his knowledge with us.
We have room for 30 people, and we know that more will want to attend. We will keep a waiting list. Should you find yourself unable to attend, please let us know no less than 3 days before the event.
The event will take place outdoors in the City of Alameda. Location provided to registrants after registration.
Thank you to participants who attended this event! For an information sheet on what was discussed at this demonstration click here.
Save water and still meet the needs of your plants! Two Alameda County Master Gardeners will show you how.
Our speakers will provide an explanation of the drip irrigation system used at the Master Gardeners’ site at the Gardens at Lake Merritt in Oakland. This presentation will demonstrate how to construct a drip irrigation system that waters plants with different water needs. The water requirements for various plants growing in Oakland and surrounding cities will also be covered.
Then join us for a tour of the Master Gardeners’ Trials /Demonstration Gardens showing the different ways drip irrigation can be used. This event is part of a series of summer garden talks by the Alameda County Master Gardeners at the Master Gardener site at the Gardens at Lake Merritt.
About Our Speakers: Hugh Globerson (ACMG class of 2019) and Margaret Wong (ACMG class of 2014) are both active long-term volunteers at this garden.
Join us as we discuss the best methods for keeping your stone fruit trees in good shape via summer pruning and other tree care tips. The focus in this two-hour session will be on caring for cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, and those newly-popular genetic dwarf peaches and nectarines. After an orchard tour of each variety, you’ll have the chance to turn your attention to whatever stone fruit variety you are most interested in, and, with coaching, go hands-on. Whether this is a brush-up session for you, or something entirely new, you’ll be adding real value to your gardening know-how!
Please wear sturdy, close-toed shoes (preferably hiking or work boots). Bring a water bottle. Eye protection is highly recommended (clear safety goggles/glasses, or even sunglasses in a pinch will make a difference in protecting your eyes from errant twigs and branches). You also might want to bring a sun hat and/or sunscreen, although we will be under the canopy of trees with filtered sunlight for most of this workshop.
Equipment to bring, if you have it:
- bypass pruning shears
- gardening/work gloves
- other pruning equipment such as a pruning saw and/or loppers
Adults only, please. We know that interest will exceed the space available and will keep a waiting list. If you register and are unable to attend, we need you to cancel at least 3 days in advance so that we can offer your space to someone else. Please cancel by emailing abg.grow.food@gmail.com.
Farm2Market is a social enterprise that is part of Alameda Point Collaborative. APC works to end homelessness by providing housing and services to create communities where formerly homeless families and individuals can flourish.
Sunday, August 27 at Noon at an East End Location
2023 is turning out to be another big year for ABG’s Free Seed Libraries. With your help, we packed and have given out close to 10,000 packets of seeds so far this year.
As summer comes to an end, we are getting ready to move on to our fall seed selection and we need your help packing up fall and winter seeds to go in the libraries. We will be hosting our next Seed Packing Party on August 27th from noon – 2PM in a covered garden at on the East End. There will be both space for social distancing and the opportunity to socialize while doing something meaningful for a finite amount of time. This event will let us stock the libraries through the remainder of 2023.
Seed packing qualifies for Community Service hours for the student in your household. (We do ask that students younger than 16 be accompanied by an adult.) We will have summer refreshers and light snacks. Please join us to keep the Alameda Free Seed Libraries going through the remainder of 2023.
Here are some photos from the event: https://photos.app.goo.gl/TfebKQRRJiB17CQq8
ABG’s Annual Plant Swap will be held on Sunday, September 24th from 2 pm to 4 pm.
Guidelines for items that can be swapped:
- Attendees must bring at least one plant to donate to the swap.
- Make sure plants are clearly labeled.
- Plants should be in good health and in healthy soil, to minimize the possible spread of garden pathogens.
- Also welcome: bulbs or seeds, clearly marked, as well as other garden-related items: books, magazines and tools in good working order. These will be placed on our FREE table.
Attendees will need to take home anything they bring to the Swap that is not claimed by someone else. Registration will be required and will be available soon – watch for the link to be announced. Location is outdoors in West Alameda and will be announced 48 hours prior via email reminder to those who have registered. Please be sure to use a valid email address that you are able to check, when you register.
So many of us have citrus trees in our yards, but may not always know how to keep them at their best. Berkeley, like Alameda, is ‘Citrus Heaven’. And this is a chance to not only brush up on citrus-pruning skills (or learn the basics) in a workshop, but also tour a remarkable schoolyard orchard and garden in Berkeley.
Farm2Market Assistant Manager Sarah Miller and fellow Alameda Backyard Growers volunteer Marla Koss will demonstrate citrus pruning on two of the garden’s Meyer lemon trees and assist attendees to go hands-on with pruning. The Edible Schoolyard’s Garden Manager Jess Bloomer will supervise the tour.
For this workshop, please bring the following:
- bypass pruning shears
- gardening/work gloves
- other pruning equipment such as a pruning saw or loppers
Wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes (preferably hiking or work boots). Bring a sun hat and/or sunscreen and a water bottle. Also helpful: eye protection (clear safety goggles/glasses).
This event is for adults only. Registration is required. Please be sure to register with a valid email address that you are able to check. The workshop location will be announced 48 hours prior to the event via email reminder to those who have registered. We know that interest will exceed the space available and will keep a waiting list.
If you register and are unable to attend, we need you to cancel at least 3 days in advance so that we can offer your space to someone else. Please cancel by emailing abg.grow.food@gmail.com.
SAVE THE DATE!
When it comes to wreaths, do you prefer homemade to store-bought? If you like the DIY method, then please join us to create a beautiful, decorative holiday wreath — for your home or for a gift. You may even use your own harvested greens, herbs or dried fruit!
ABG’s third-annual, FUN, outdoor, in-Alameda Wreath-Making workshop will be held Sunday, December 3, from 2 to 4 pm. We will use gathered and purchased items to craft wreaths for your table, wall or door. ABG will provide instruction, wreath backings, floral wire, glue, some boughs and trimmings and light refreshments.
ABG will provide instruction, wreath backings, floral wire, glue, some boughs and trimmings and light refreshments.
We ask attendees to bring some natural supplies of your choice like: pine boughs, pine cones, grape or other vines, Eucalyptus branches, olive branches, magnolia leaves, gingko leaves, seed pods, shells, feathers, grasses, fresh herbs, dried fruit, ribbons, bows and trinkets. Feel free to bring your own clippers as well.
The workshop fee is $30. Registration is required and we can only accommodate 25 adults. Please let us know at least 2 days in advance if you need to cancel, so we can let someone else take your place.
The workshop’s location will be revealed after you have registered. Register here.
NOTE: It may be chilly so please wear layers.
ABG will host a Meet and Greet with the new director of Alameda Recreation and Parks, Justin Long.
Justin Long, our new Rec and Parks Director, will talk about current park updates and projects such as De-Pave Park, Estuary Park Phase II, and the City Aquatic Center.
Justin Long is a highly-skilled parks and recreation professional who comes to the City of Alameda with extensive experience including: executive oversight of park operations as the Deputy Director of Parks for the City of San Jose, the Assistant Superintendent for Environmental Stewardship for the Parks and Recreation Board of the City of Minneapolis, and the Operations Manager for the City of Atlanta’s park system. Justin is also a landscape architect and resident of the City of Alameda.
REGISTER FOR THE ZOOM MEETING HERE.
Meanwhile you can read a recent article about Justin in the Alameda Post.
Are you interested in learning how to prune an apple or pear tree, or in refining those skills? Join us for this hands-on workshop, as we discuss and demonstrate the best ways to shape semi-dwarfed pome fruit trees for better fruiting, summer sun penetration and access to the tree come harvest time!
NOTE: The orchard grounds where this workshop will be held are slightly uneven, and during the winter may be cold and/or damp. Attendees must be able to traverse the area on foot.
WHAT TO BRING:
- Please wear sturdy shoes, galoshes, hiking boots or work boots.
- Bypass pruning shears
- Gardening/work gloves
- Other pruning equipment such as a pruning saw and/or loppers
- Protect your eyes from errant twigs and branches by bringing clear safety goggles or safety glasses if you have them (sunglasses will also work, in a pinch).
- Even in February you can work up a thirst while pruning, so you may want to bring a water bottle.
This event is adults only, please. We know that interest will exceed the space available and will keep a waiting list. If you register and are unable to attend, we need you to cancel at least 3 days in advance so that we can offer your space to someone else. Please cancel by emailing info@alamedabackyardgrowers.org.
Farm2Market is a social enterprise that is part of Alameda Point Collaborative. APC works to end homelessness by providing housing and services to create communities where formerly homeless families and individuals can flourish.
Please NOTE: If rain is forecast for the morning of the workshop, attendees will be notified of cancellation via email the day before (Friday, February 9). The pruning workshop will be rescheduled for the next possible Saturday morning where rain is not forecast (2/17, 24 or 3/2). We will email attendees by the Thursday before the rescheduled workshop.
2023 was another big year for ABG’s five Free Seed Libraries. With your help, we packed and gave out about 15,000 packets of seeds to gardeners all across the island. From the feedback we received, many people had fun and learned from growing the seeds.
For 2024, in addition to the varieties we have distributed in the past, we have purchased some exciting new seeds, including Rosso Sicilian stuffing tomato, Chadwick Cherry tomato, Champion II tomato, a mini red bell pepper, Thai basil, Spacemaster container cucumber, Costata Romanesco and Emperor’s Jade zucchini and a new Red Kuri squash. We are excited to plant these varieties…and to taste them!
As we gear up for spring planting, we need your help packing up seeds to go in the libraries. We will be hosting our next Seed Packing Party on February 11th from 1PM – 3PM at an indoor space (with a rollup door for air circulation). Seed Packing Parties give ABG volunteers the opportunity to socialize while doing something meaningful for a finite amount of time. This party will let us stock the libraries through April. Volunteers are welcome to take seeds to plant at the end of the party. We will have hot beverages and light snacks and will wind up before the Super Bowl kick-off!
Please join us to keep the Alameda Free Seed Libraries going through the spring of 2023. Email abg.grow.food@gmail.com to let us know if you will be able to attend.