Hello Members,
The cool weather is giving us a great start to 2024! It is so nice to see so many beautiful gardens. We have enjoyed a great fall/winter season and the food bank donations have been bountiful. All your donations are greatly appreciated. Keep up the good work.
Work Party and Community Service Hours: The February 3rd work party should draw a lot of members who have not completed their remaining 2 hours of service for the year. The January work party produced a significant amount of infrastructure work and we can all see it as we go around the garden. This is the important “give back” to the garden as a whole. As a reminder, all members need to complete 4 hours of community service no later than April 30, 2024 (new end of Calendar Year). Six plots did not complete the 2 hours before December 31 and will now have to do a total of 6 hours, so bring your friends and get it done before it’s crunch time! Everyone has adequate time in the next 3 months to get your remaining hours in and there will be no waiver of this requirement in order to renew your membership. Please do not wait until the end of April. Please rsvp to this email if you plan to attend. It helps us to make the assignments and how much work we can expect to get done.
Orchard Work Parties: The Orchard work parties are usually every Tuesday from 3-5pm and are by appointment only by signing up at the gazebo. Also, individual appointments are available by contacting Alan Coles at: lbcg.orchard@gmail.com. Your help is greatly appreciated. If you’re unable to attend the orchard work party, please be sure to cancel by crossing off your name or contacting Alan by phone or email. Instructions are in the sign-up box.
Upcoming Renewals: Renewals will be emailed in February and must be returned no later than April 30th. If you do not plan to renew your membership, please respond to this email so we can plan accordingly.
Weeds in Plots: Because of the rain, many plots have weeds and grasses growing prolifically – along with the veggies! As soon as the rain lets up, plot owners should get out to keep these under control. We understand that it is impossible to get out during the rain but immediately after is a great time as it is easy to dig up or pull the weeds.
Plots Available: We have several plots available and this is a great time to start preparing for a summer garden. Please help spread the word to refer Long Beach residents to our wonderful garden. If you have a neighborhood newsletter or online group, please let them know we have garden plots available. If you are dissatisfied with your plot, you can make a one-time change to another plot. You would be responsible to pay for any upgrades (raised beds, fences, etc) and you would have to completely clear your plot making it ready for another gardener. It may be helpful in some situations.
Trash: The trash trucks will NOT empty bins if wood, pvc or other materials are hanging over the bins. This causes major disruption in the trash removal and availability of the bins. Please cut the pieces up or if necessary, lay them behind the bin so a Board member can cut them up before putting pieces into the bin. Also, remember no furniture dumping from home. Last month we had a huge metal filing cabinet that had to be removed.
Critters: Overgrown plants are ideal places for rodents to build their burrows. Trim back rosemary and other plants to only what you really need. Keep artichokes clear at the bottom. Don’t let plants get overgrown and messy. Maintain a clean garden. Store as little as necessary in your plot. Remove garden waste promptly. Organize trellises and other structures to take up as little space as possible. Be vigilant. Watch for recent rodent activity in your plot and put a flag in the area where holes are. Flags are at the end of the main road in a bucket. Either call Frank at the number on the bucket or email me at gregmarcotte56@gmail.com.
Speed Caution: Again, we are seeing vehicles “flying” down the roads of LBCG. The maximum speed is 5 mph. This is a major safety concern as people can easily slip out between cars and if you would not see them, you could be liable for causing major injuries as the driver. Please SLOW DOWN!. Warning Notices will be issued.
Emails: We’re sending the Monthly Updates, Reminders notices, and Correction Notices via my email. Make sure you’re checking your spam folder gregmarcotte56@gmail.com. We only send it to the plot owner.
Board Meeting: The next board meeting is Monday, February 5th at 6:30pm by Zoom. If you’re interested in attending, please reply to this email with your name, plot # and email address to send a zoom invitation link.
Happy Gardening
Greg Marcotte