Saturday, November 24, 2012

Compost Workshop Sat. Dec. 1



















Location:  Gaia Gardens
Time: 1:00-3:00pm
FREE

Lots of people ask us about how to make good compost.  It's a bit like cooking.  You've got to use good ingredients, in good proportion, give it enough water, time and a little care.
In this workshop, we'll look at half a dozen piles made during the summer.  Some will be turned, and some will be used to top dress our garden beds before they get mulched for the winter.
Digging through, turning, looking at, and smelling compost are the best ways to learn about the process of composting.

Be prepared to move some energy and explore the magic of soil making.
Children are totally welcome.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Monthly Potluck, Mason Bees and Bird Sanctuary


















Orchard Mason Bees
Warm thank you's to Kathy for gifting us a sleeping tribe of Orchard Mason Bees!  She delivered the slumbering creatures in 6 inch cardboard tubes, which we gently unravelled to separate each individual cocoon.  After freeing all the bees to be, we placed them in the refrigerator to keep them from hatching yet.  They will be released next spring when the temperature rises to a steady fifty degrees Fahrenheit.  These tiny black/blue superheroes are the first pollinators, they target the earliest blooming trees and bushes. To learn more about this amazing process you can reference, "The Orchard Mason Bee", by Brian L. 
Griffin.

























Beekeeping at Gaia Gardens
Gaia Gardens will be keeping bees next year as we have acquired two top bar hives and are building a third one with adobe bricks.  If you are interested in participating in our beekeeping activities, please contact Dominique.
















 



Bird Sanctuary
In September, Cheryl, a bird watcher from the Audubon Society, came by to observe bird life in the garden. In two morning sessions, she recorded 21 species!

Barn Swallow
Northern Rough Wing Swallow
White-winged Dove
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Rock Dove {Pigeon]
American Robin
Black-headed Grosbeak
Western Scrub Jay
House Finch
Canyon Towhee
Spotted Towhee
American Crow
Western Kingbird
House Sparrow
Curve-billed Thrasher
Rufous Hummingbird
Black-Chinned Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Western Wood-Pewee [Flycatcher]
Bewick’s Wren

If interested in helping us choose plants to attract and feed migratory birds for next year, please contact Poki


















Don't miss our grand finale Community Potluck 
Monday Nov. 5
5:00-8:00pm
Come celebrate the end of our first farming season with wood-fired pizza, pumpkin soup from the garden, music and dessert.

NOTE: Please park on the street!


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