MOSAIC GARDEN NEWS AND UPDATES

Happy Earth Day to all of our supporters, gardeners, volunteers and to those who care about gardens (and our planet)!

 

Memberships are NOW Due!

 

If you have not done so already, please take a few moments to fill out a membership packet and send your membership fee sooner than later so you can start growing at the gardens on Opening Day(s)!   2016-garden-plot-registration, 2016-mosaic-membership-application, clt-demographic-survey-individuals-1-19-16 (1)

 

…Already Completed Your Paperwork?…

 

To those who have completed all of the necessary documents and paid the membership fees, WE THANK YOU!  Garden bed location and plot assignments will be sent out no later than Thursday, May 12, 2016.  This will allow for our “later-bloomers” to sign up and be added to the plot assignment list. Please be patient as we want as many families as possible to be a part of the gardens and the beginning process of growing great garden goodies…mmmm, we can almost taste the tomatoes!

 

Additional Community Garden Details and Opening Dates

 

A “blueprint” of the garden will be sent to every gardener providing a layout of the land and the location of everyone’s specific garden plot(s).  Each plot will be numbered and last name written on the assigned plot accordingly.  A gardener’s guide will be included in the email for your review in order to learn more about the gardens prior to opening day.

 

Speaking of opening day…

 

Our first planting days are Saturday, May 14 and Sunday, May 15, from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Yippee! 

 

Each day, we will provide a brief tour at each garden location, learn how to open and close the gardens each visit, discuss the importance of your log entries each time you visit the garden and harvest vegetables, resolve any incomplete membership packets and answer any questions you may have about gardening.  At that point, it will be TIME TO PLANT!

 

Plants and seeds will be provided to each gardener and support will be offered in order for you and your neighbors to have your best growing season yet!

 

Composting Workshop Rescheduled

 

Our next garden workshop, “Breaking Down: Composting Basics” scheduled for Tuesday, April 26, has been RESCHEDULED – Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at the 615 Chestnut Street Community Gardens from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM.

 

Our Home Garden Contest is Also Near – Enter Today!

 

Home Garden Contest

Mosaic’s Annual Home Garden Contest is underway!  Contest details, categories and a list of awesome prizes can be viewed athttp://www.homegardencontest.com/. This year, you can enter the contest online!  Kudos, to The Pottstown Mercury Fit for Life, the Pottstown Health and Wellness Foundation, Colonial Garden, Pine Hill Tree Farms, Achin’ Bank, the Pottstown Garden Club and others for your support!

Another Note of Thanks!

Mosaic wants to also thank Genesis Housing, Pottstown School District, XL Insurance, our private supporters and other volunteers for your continued support of our community garden and land trust initiatives!

Donating Made Easy – Use AmazonSmile

Don’t forget, 

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization.  Preservation Pottstown (our 501c3 registered name, also known as Mosaic CLT) is now available as your charitable organization on Amazon Smile!  The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges. Use smile.amazon.com and choose Preservation Pottstown as your designated non-profit organization you wish to donate to!

 

‘Nough Said…for now.  Visit our Facebook page to take a look at all of our recent activity buzzin’ around our community gardens over the past few weeks!  Share your love of the gardens by sharing our posts on Facebook with all of your friends and family!

 

HAPPY EARTH DAY! – now get out there and plant a tree, or a bean plant, or an herb, or a vegetable, or a…..you get the idea! 🙂

MOSAIC Community Gardens Upcoming Workshops

Tuesday, April 12 6-7 PM at the 423 Garden location 

Mulch, No Till, Just Thrill Gardening – Learn how to use everyday household items such as newspaper or cardboard as mulch and the great benefits in doing so.

 

Tuesday, April 26 6-7 PM at the 615 Garden location

Breaking Down Composting Basics – Learn how to compost on a large and small scale and learn how to tell when the compost is ready to use.

Please reply to wash5000@msn.com if you are planning to attend either of the two absolutely-FREE workshops.  Bring the kids and other family members, you are sure to have a fun, informative time! 

News From The Althouse Arboretum‏

In the News

The entrance to our parking lot is done! Soon (with the help of our volunteers!) the handicapped gardens will be in place. The shed is almost finished so we’ll be able to move all the gardening tools out of the house. Plants are blooming, some we identify and add pictures of on our facebook page. Come visit!

Gardening Series

A lecture series presented by Master Gardeners and other experts in their field. Please preregister here Starts Tuesday, May 26, 7pm Donation $5 First in our series is Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Composting. Do you need a bin? If so what size? What do you put in it? How do you use it? All questions answered! Also a limited supply of native plants will be available for purchase.

Volunteer Weekend

May 30th & 31st, 2015, The last Saturday and Sunday of each month, Come any time in between 10am & 3pm We’ll be doing a little of everything! Planting, weeding, moving, choose your favorite activity, meet your neighbors and have fun! Families welcomed! No experience necessary! No preregistration required!

Summer Camps 2015

Children grades K through 4th June 22-26, 9am to 12pm –Nature Explorers Learn about nature by exploring it! Campers become detectives looking for clues to reveal each day’s nature mystery and wonder. July 13-17, 9am to 12pm – Wildlife Week Looking closely you can find wildlife everywhere in our nature center! Campers will see, collect and identify familiar and quite strange creatures in our woods, fields and ponds. (8am arrival available) Click on the picture for more info and registration.

Recycling Day – Scrap Metal and Tires

Saturday, June 27th, 9 am to 1 pm Support the Arboretum and clean out the garage at the same time! No fee, all donations appreciated. (Please drop off only during recycling hours)