Tag Archives: Mosaic Commuity Gardens

Jun 9 2016

MOSAIC Community Land Trust 2016 Home Garden Contest (Pottstown/Boyertown)

WP_20160605_14_14_05_ProJust a reminder that the home garden contest is happening NOW!

You may enter by visiting http://www.homegardencontest.com  there are many categories to choose from and cash prizes to be awarded! (copy and paste the link in browser).
Whether you are a novice gardener or an experienced pro, we welcome you to enter!  Please pass along the information to someone you know who too has a lovely garden worth entering.
Contest end on June 17 – sign up TODAY!
May 12 2016

MOSAIC Summer Youth Program – June 2015

MOSAIC’s summer youth program begins in June!  We are always looking for volunteers!!!! Now is the time to get your criminal and child abuse clearances!  The program is jammed-packed with more learning experiences, field trips and other great activities!  Please plan to help out!

Check our website and Facebook page often for more opportunities to get dirty, to grow and know what you eat, and to get outdoors in downtown Pottstown!

Apr 22 2016

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! 🙂
Apr 9 2016

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! 

Feb 29 2016

Mosaic Gardens Call For Committee Members & Volunteers!‏

Happy Leap Year 2016!

With a very busy garden season ahead, Mosaic is going all out in its quest to recruit garden committee members and volunteers!  Meetings will be held once per month, beginning mid-March (day and time TBD).

Here’s what we have in store for the 2016 season and as a garden committee member/volunteer, here is what you can be a part of and the great part about it is that there is NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED.  Our experienced committee members will provide you with the tools and knowledge needed to help others:

Mosaic is building its newest community garden at Barth Elementary School located on the west side of Pottstown – There will be approximately 20 additional garden beds available for families in the Pottstown area to learn, grow and enjoy more fresh produce at a fraction of the cost in local grocery stores!  There will also be several beds to be used as an educational tool for the students who attend the school!  We need your support in the following areas:

  • Disseminating information about the gardens to the families who live within walking distance of the school located at 467 West Walnut (late-March).  Information to include membership packet, construction timeline and committee contact information.
  • Assistance in recruiting volunteers (families, school students, churches and corporate volunteers) to lay top soil and mulch, assist with building a shed and to create the 20+ garden beds being built (early-April).
  • Speakers and organizers needed for information sessions, workshops and summer activities.  Information sessions will take place in April, workshops and summer activities will be scheduled throughout the entire growing season (May-October).

Mosaic’s two downtown community gardens and its permaculture garden will be up an running, providing more opportunities to educate and support families than ever – Our existing 50+ garden beds will be available to families again this year for planting more, learning more and enjoying more of the produce grown each year!  We are looking to provide families with support and additional education in order to become the great gardeners they dream of being! 

  • Assistance in recruiting volunteers (families, school students, churches and corporate volunteers) to lay top soil and/or mulch throughout the already established garden beds and perimeter beds (early-April).
  • Turn compost in order to sift out and lay the ready-to-use compost and to aerate other compost from last season at each of the three garden locations (late-April).
  • Speakers and organizers needed for information sessions, workshops and summer activities.  Information sessions will take place in April, workshops and summer activities will be scheduled throughout the entire growing season (May-October).
  • Produce Cart – We are in need of a few volunteers to run with our produce cart this summer!  Join  this fun activity happening several days throughout the growing season! The produce cart allows us to sell any garden surplus vegetables donated back to the gardens, to teach youth members how to build a business selling produce on a small scale and gives the garden an opportunity to provide area residents with information regarding their health and wellness.

There are plenty great opportunities available for all skill-sets and areas of interest!  Please consider joining our community garden committee or signing up for one or two of our much needed volunteer days!

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? – you ask?  A special gift pack is given to everyone who turns out to be an awesome facilitator, garden committee member or a volunteer event organizer this season! Check it out:

Each new garden committee member who attends 90% of our meetings during the growing season and signs up to support/organize at least two volunteer opportunities will receive a Mosaic Community Gardens T-shirt of their choice, a Mosaic Community Gardens apron, standard tote bag and a beautiful Mosaic mug along with a chance to win a free Mosaic CLT garden membership at the garden location of their choice for the 2017 growing season!

Each volunteer who organizes and rallies a troop of volunteers that provide support in the gardens for one day or more will receive a Mosaic t-shirt, the jumbo Mosaic Community Gardens Garden Ambassador tote bag and a Mosaic CLT car magnet along with a chance to win a free Mosaic CLT garden membership at the garden location of their choice for the 2017 growing season!

Each volunteer who facilitates one informational session or workshop will receive a Mosaic T-shirt and tote bag along with a chance to win a free Mosaic CLT garden membership at the garden location of their choice for the 2017 growing season!

Each person who assists/supports our summer programming for at least 6 of each 2-hour session during the growing season will receive a t-shirt, gardening apron, a JUMBO tote bag along with a chance to win a free Mosaic CLT garden membership at the garden location of their choice for the 2017 growing season!

Our need for additional committee members and volunteers has never been greater, the benefits and rewards have never been better!

Please sign up to support the “growth” of the Mosaic Community Land Trust Community Gardens today!

It’s EASY!  Simply reply to this email or visit our Facebook or website to sign up or to receive additional information regarding all of the opportunities TODAY!

See Ya’ at the Gardens,

MOSAIC CLT

Aug 19 2015

Mosaic Community Gardens Are THRIVING!‏

teacher-lauraPOTTSTOWN, PA – This Saturday (August 22), Mosaic will roll out its produce stand…offering up some of the season’s best vegetables!  Tomatoes, potatoes, squash, pepper (sweet and hot), eggplant and sweet potatoes will be offered from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.  We will have other surprise offerings for sale on the stand that afternoon.  Please plan to pay us a visit before running your errands or buying from a big chain superstore!

That said, we need donations from gardeners…if you have more produce than you can pick (or eat) please let us know.  We will gladly accept your donations to sell on our produce cart this Saturday!  We will be at the gardens throughout Friday afternoon harvesting for weekend sales.  Please email me if you would like to donate vegetables (grown at your home or the community gardens) to a worthy cause!

In partnership with National Penn Bank and Genesis Housing, Mosaic is set to host another Movie Night at the Chestnut Street Park! KOOKOO the Cartoon Magician will begin the event with a magic show at 7:30 PM that day!  We have a great night planned and EVERYONE is invited!

Mosaic’s Summer Enrichment Program ended with a bang!

80 students ranging from 5-17 years old attended camp and learned more about gardening, nutrition, arts/culture, music and physical activity as each relates to different regions of the world.  In each weekly program, we chose age-appropriate instruction in African-American, Latin, Native American and Caribbean cultures.  The children retained more information from week to week using this well-rounded approach to learning.  They formed “families” and made delicious meals together, played musical instruments some had never seen or played before, harvested items from the gardens that related to the week’s teaching and made instruments specific to each culture using recycled materials.

The summer program ended with an appreciation ice cream social at the high school to celebrate their volunteer efforts at each of the gardens and the local park, and a field trip to the Althouse Arboretum for the younger students was provided…the campers went on an hour-long trail walk/scavenger hunt while learning the reason why arboretums exist.  Some of the students said that having an arboretum in our own back yards is super-cool!

It was a great summer, thanks to all those who volunteered during the program!  A special thanks to our partners and supporters, ArtFusion, Olivet’s Boys and Girls Club, STRIVE Initiative, the Pottstown Athletic Club, Genesis Housing and Penn National Bank!

Mosaic is looking to celebrate the fall season by hosting a fall cleanup potluck social at the gardens!  We will be looking for families to come out, clean up and prepare our gardens for the winter season.  Create your best potluck recipe for this special event! “Bee” on the look-out for more information in an upcoming email…coming in September!