Hello Members,

We hope everyone is well and enjoying the garden. It has been wonderful to get rain this year but it has been a bit cold for crops this spring. Here is the March update.

March 4th Work Party:  The March 4th Work Party is ON from 7:30 – 9:30 am. We have many infrastructure activities that need to be done in the Spring.  Remember, there is no working in individual plots during the work party and children must be over the age of 13 to participate. Remember that the 4 hour community service requirement must be completed by April 30, 2023 – and must be completed in order to be eligible for 2023/24 plot renewal.  Your help is very much appreciated.  If you plan to attend, please RSVP by replying to this email — it just helps us to plan the assignments.  The last Work Party for the garden year  will be Saturday, April 1st.

2023/24 Membership Renewals: The renewal packet has been sent to all members via your email address – we will NOT be mailing the renewal. Good News – the membership cost remains at $160/year. The dues have not been raised since 2020 and with everything else going up, it is nice to know that we are maintaining a healthy budget without raising the dues.  The renewal deadline is April 30, 2023.  If you did not receive the email, please reply to this update and we will resend.  Anyone who cannot print out the packet can request a hard copy from Carol Meyer or Kathy Jarvis.  April 30th is the final day for submission of plot renewals. Any renewal received after April 30th will be considered late and a monetary penalty will be applied in order to retain membership. If you are leaving the garden at the end of the garden calendar year (April 30th), your plot must be fully cleaned out and in good shape, with car tags and gate openers returned. Please let us know in advance if you plan to leave as we are getting new applicants. Try to send your renewal in as soon as possible and you are welcome to put your renewal in the mailbox at the garden.

May 1 Planting Deadline:  Just a reminder that all plots are required to be fully planted by May 1st. It is the time of the year to clear out the old and bring in the new. NOW is the time to get your plot in shape, add amendments in preparation for the Spring/Summer season.  Due to the cold, it is recommended that you wait until at least mid-March to plant and then possibly cover and protect plants.  Further, all broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower must be removed by May 1 as well.

Plants that must be 4 Feet from the Border Boards:  Artichokes, Asparagus and Sunflowers — Corn was also added to this rule because of the size and height.  Consider the size of plants and how tall and wide they get so they don’t grow into the pathways  or shade your garden neighbor’s plot.

Garden Reviews:  Garden Reviews will be conducted the first week of every month by the Row Monitors. Please make sure your plot is in compliance with the rules.  Board Members can still check at any time.  Click here for a Quick Reference to the Rules which is easier than reading eight pages and it’s the things we most frequently look for!

Annual General Membership Meeting:  A General Membership Meeting will be held April 1 after the Work Party at approximately 9:40.  The purpose of this meeting is to approve the Budget for 2023/24, announce the new Board of Directors and provide other updates to the membership.

Garden Plumbing Work:  On March 27th, the last of the plumbing work will begin to replace all of the gate valves on the west side of the garden. This work was approved by the Board because of ongoing leaks at the connections and seized valves that are over 27 years old. Further, the boxes surrounding the valves had sunk into the ground so far that it was often difficult to find them. Now they are at the surface and are easily identified. This is a major upgrade to the garden and will allow plumbing repairs to be done by only closing off 2 rows at a time, rather than the entire garden. SoCal Sewer and Water has done an outstanding job. The cost to the garden was approximately $15K with $10K being contributed by Councilman Supernaw and former Councilwoman Mungo-Flanigan who was consistently a real friend of the LBCG. The remaining funding came from reserves that are used for these types of special projects.

Tools in plot: Please mark all tools, composters, or anything you have of value so if for some reason they disappear we will have a chance to maybe locate your missing items.  Take a photo with your phone and save it to your phone, if we have to walk the garden to find your belongings this will be helpful.

Theft from vacant plots: Please note that we are not allowed to enter plots that are or appear to be vacant. Recently, tools, cages and garden supplies  have been removed from plots and when members or family members come to retrieve items, they are gone. This is considered stealing and will result in immediate loss of membership.

PICNIC – JULY 29, 2023: Save the date. Absent another major pandemic, there will be a Garden Picnic in 2023 – set for July 29, 2023 with more details to be announced.

Feel free to contact me at any time for questions or concerns.

On Behalf of the LBCG Board

Greg Marcotte

LBCG President