Well, here's the specifics

Eagerly looking forward to these workshops - as much as I'm looking forward to the snow leaving so I can stick my fingers in the dirt!

SPRING GARDENING WORKSHOPS

Three workshops are scheduled to teach the basics of home gardening through presentations and hands-on experience. Long-time gardeners and leaders of the Urban Garden Gang will teach various styles and methods of gardening, which require minimal or no tilling, are easy on the environment and make use of rain barrels. All sessions are held on Thursdays from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. and are suitable for new gardeners or experienced gardeners look for new methods or styles.

Session I, April 23: Basic gardening skills – learn about raised beds, container gardens, square foot gardening and intensive gardening. Attendees will learn how to make seed starting containers from recycled newspaper.

Session II, May 7: Seed and plant exchange and barter – start or add to your seed and plant collection. Learn how to start your own plant sets and why it’s important to save and exchange or barter seeds. Attendees will start plant sets to take home with them and for use in the Woodland Dunes Friendship Garden, which benefits the Two Rivers Mishicot Ecumenical Pantry.

Session III, May 21: Rain barrels and garden preparation. Learn how to construct a rain barrel from a recycled 55 gallon drum. Weather permitting, work will begin on the Friendship Garden. Bring gloves, rakes, and shovels. If the weather is unsuitable for outdoor work, this session will move indoors.

For information on the Urban Garden Gang visit http://urbangardengathering.blogspot.com. To register for these sessions, contact Woodland Dunes at 793-4007. There is no fee, and preregistration is suggested.

Urban Gardening in Other Parts of the World

City Farmer News just sent an update on urban gardening in another part of the world. Take a peek at this. Can you imagine this happening here? I can..........

It's time to meet again......

Did you see us in the news in Sunday's Herald Times Reporter?

Here's the link
http://www.htrnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008808170375

The article included photos of Soozi watering her garden with water from her rain barrel, and a nice shot of the rain barrel. Still trying to find those photos on-line, so we can share them here.

Anyway, hope your garden is growing and producing - keep us posted.

We are meeting Wednesday, August 20th at 6:30 p.m. at the Washington House. See the side bar for more info. (Yes, we know the meeting info is not quite right in the HTR.)

Friendship Garden

We're thinking it's time to finish up the Friendship Garden at Woodland Dunes. And we sure could use a hand or two. There's one more lasagna garden to plant and plenty of 5 gallon pails just aching for tomatoes and peppers. We'll start at 6:30 p.m. (and finish no later than 8:30 p.m.) on Thursday, July 24th.

We'll review techniques for constructing a lasagna garden and how to create container gardens.

We so much appreciate working with Woodland Dunes to make this garden experience possible. And the really cool thing is that all the produce that comes this Friendship Garden will be donated to the Two Rivers Mishicot Ecumenical Pantry for distribution to food insecure families.

Can you help us out? Leave a comment or send an email (see footer for addy), so we can have idea of who just might show up.

Do you know someone who might want to learn these gardening techniques, or who might have an hour or two to help out on Thursday? Well then, pass this information along to them.

Another Gathering of the Urban Garden Gang

Hey all you gardeners, future gardeners and garden dreamers - we're meeting again. Stumpjack Coffee Company, 1606 Washington St in T'Rivers, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 18th. I'm so excited about the interest that's been generated in our little group and some of the projects members are working on.

So, what is the Urban Garden Gang? Simple, we're a group of people interested in urban gardening and in helping others benefit from urban gardening. We are not a club, don't have officers or pay dues. We get together a couple times a month at Stumpjack Coffee Company and talk gardening, exchange ideas, and update everyone on projects that members may be involved with. Know anyone who wants to join us? Bring them along. It's a really fun time as our members have diverse gardening experience.

At this Wednesday's meeting, we'll be doing Q & A, and talking about the pantry garden project at Woodland Dunes. Let us know what you'd like for topics at future meetings. Come on down to the Stump on Wednesday and enjoy the garden talk and a good drink. See ya' there.

List of cool sites to visit for info on urban gardens and eating local

BLOGS AND WEB SITES TO VISIT

URBAN GARDENING, LOCAL EATING AND WHAT HAVE YOU

urbangardengathering.blogspot.com/ - Urban Garden Gathering – information on the urban garden and local eating scene in and around Two Rivers, WI

drsooz.blogspot.com/ - photo documentary of an urban backyard garden

garden.manty.us/ - Community gardens in the city of Manitowoc

uwmantygogreen.blogspot.com/ - UW Manitowoc green blog

www.manitowoc.org/comm_farm_home.html - Manitowoc Farmers’ Market

www.trmainstreet.org/events/fcmkt/farmmkt.html - Two Rivers Farmers’ & Artisans Market

wisconsinlocalfood.wetpaint.com/ - Wisconsin local food network

www.arts4all.com/elca/ - container gardening

cityfarmer.org – City Farming (urban gardening in Canada)

homepage.mac.com/cityfarmer/comiclife/ - City Farmer Comics

foodnotlawns.com - just what it says: grow food instead of lawns - really cool site

www.squarefootgardening.com/ - Square foot gardening

www.ehow.com/video_1745_create-seed-starting.html - how to make newspaper seed starting pots

www.greentreks.org/allprograms/roughterrain/urbangardening/index.asp - urban gardens

www.sacgardens.org/ - urban gardens

www.urbangardeninghelp.com/ - urban garden help, tips

adventuresinmyurbangarden.blogspot.com/ - blog from an east coast urban gardener

www.pbs.org/now/shows/344/locavore.html - 10 steps to becoming a locavore

www.eatlocalchallenge.com/ - tips on eating local

www.milwaukeeurbangardens.org/ - urban gardens in Milwaukee

Let us know if you have other sites we might add to this list.