Hello Members

We hope everyone is well and enjoying the garden.

March 1st  Work Party:The March 1st Work Party is on from 7:30 – 9:30 am. Check in is at 7:15am at the gazebo. 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, 2025 – and must be completed in order to be eligible for 2025/26 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 5, 2025.

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.

2025/26 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, 2025.  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 Greg Marcotte.  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 Nancy Bernstein know in advance at 562-477-1598, 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 black 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

T-Shirts: A new order of LBCG t-shirts has just been received – short and long sleeve as well as tank tops!

$20 EACH in a variety of colors (may not include all below but also new colors).

They will be sold during and after the monthly Work Parties on the 1st Saturday of the month.

You can also email me to arrange a purchase at:  lbcga.president@gmail.com

They are a great advertisement for our wonderful garden.

Annual General Membership Meeting:  A General Membership Meeting will be held April 5th after the Work Party at approximately 9:40am.  The purpose of this meeting is to approve the Budget for 2025/26, announce the new Board of Directors and provide other updates to the membership.

Road Work in Garden: The City is going to fix potholes and slurry the garden after 25 years of no maintenance. We are very thankful for this intervention and here is the schedule:

  • Monday, March 3rd
    • Crack Fill & Grind Patch
    • All American Asphalt would be working around the community garden members to get potholes filled and cracks filled. Members may be asked to move vehicles in case they are on top of various improvements.
  • Monday, March 10th
    • Slurry Seal
    • Complete closure of the community gardens for the day.
  • Monday, March 17th
    • Striping
    • All American Asphalt would be working around the community garden members to stripe the existing. Members may be asked to move vehicles in case they are on top of various improvements.
  • Wednesday, March 19th
    • Final
    • Touch up work to finish any outstanding

Garden Picnic: There will be a Garden Picnic in 2025 – with more details to be announced.

Food Bank Boxes: The boxes under the food bank cages are for food bank delivery only. These boxes are not for individual picking in your plot. Please bring in your own boxes or bags.

Highlight of the Month: Just want to take the time to thank everyone for the donations to the food bank. It is amazing how much we as a group amass to supply vegetables for the LB Mission and other charities. A big THANKS goes to Anita Cordova who coordinates all of this – what a job and she does it with such ease! Although many gardeners help with the FB at work Parties, we have two gardeners who spend hours gardening five additional plots solely for food bank contributions – Mina Johnson (F16) and Janet Phun (F13). These ladies are amazing!

FB volunteers with permanent assignments include:

Lauren Hernandez E18

Bonnie Rice C19

Mina Johnson F16

Kyle Tompkins I18

Janet Phun F13

Diane Gregor N15

Linda Tomita I10

In addition, another big job is daily deliveries to the charities and the volunteers who do this include:

Sunday – Mark Rockenmacher G15

Monday – Alice Baldwin and Cecilia Burns K13

Tuesday – Kathie Stroben B-07

Wednesday – Angela McCormick J18

Thursday – Anaiah Younger E19

Friday – Cheryl DeMattels A6 Saturday – Robert Cordova D19

The LBCG is not only a value to each and every family that has a plot but is of great value to these charities who benefit from the hard work we all put into gardening and donating to the FB.  Thanks to everyone!

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

On Behalf of the LBCG Board

Greg Marcotte

LBCG President