in our beautiful Garden Party 123 West 89th Street –
located mid-block between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenue, New York City.

Taste our fabulous international buffet of fine foods and wines
from local restaurants and purveyors of fine food.

Join us to honor Eric Schneiderman, New York State Senator, the Lower East Side Ecology Center, and Dr. Scott Gaynor, head of the Gaynor School on West 90th Street.

And  special tribute to our founder Dee Parisi who passed away last fall.

Tickets are $60, and checks may be sent to West Side Community Garden, PO Box 20301, Park West Station, New York, NY 10025 . To pay Electronically click on the NY Charities button on this web site, before June 5. the West Side Community garden is a  Not-For-Profit New York corporation and all donations are exempt to the full extent allowable by law.
For further  information call Mira Stulman at 212 875 0632

Sundays in June & July

June 13, 2010 – 4pm
Mary Cherney & David Nadal (Flute/Guitar Duo)
June 20, 2010 – 6pm
Bill Saxton (Jazz Quintet)
June 27, 2010 – 6pm
Sweet Plantain (Latin Classical String Quartet)
July 11, 2010 – 6pm
Community Sing-Along (Pop and Folk Songs)
July 18, 2010 – 4pm
Geoff Burke Trio (Jazz)
July 25, 2010 – 6pm
Tom Thies and Friends (Viola da Gamba, Bassoon, Portative Organ)

This project is made possible in part with public funds from the Manhattan Community Arts Fund, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

Saturday, April 24, 2010 – Sunday, April 25, 2010, 1-4pm

Celebrate Spring on the Upper West Side! Enjoy a blaze of Spring tulips at our Annual Tulip Festival, All are welcome. Free Admission.

We are celebrating our 22nd year of tulips in bloom. You are invited to visit the beautiful West Side Community Garden while the tulips are in full color!

In addition, during the month of April we invite one and all to bring a camera to the garden, capture the beauty, and enter our first annual Tulip Photo Contest 2010.

For festival information, please contact:
Mira S. at 212-875-0632 (day) or
Jackie B. at 212-316-5490 (evening).

Congratulations goes to…

Ellie Nagler (aka Photogirl2010) for her winning photograph (left)!

Ellie’s work was presented to this year’s individuals honored at the Annual West Side Community Garden Benefit in June.

Honorable mentions goes to our four semi finalists:

Boris Gorelik, L Cheng, Bill Swersey (aka Swerz) and Brandon Remler (aka nycphotog2008).

Thank you to everyone who participated.

Thank you to All! –Tulip Photo Contest 2010

Many thanks to all of you who have submitted such amazing photographs showcasing the 2010 West Side Community Garden Tulip Festival.

As you can imagine, with over 578 submissions from 64 members, it has been tough to select the final winners.

Currently, the semi-finalists have been selected and winners will be notified via Flickrmail shortly. Please check your Flickr account soon for notifications.

Thank you for participating in and making our first West Side Community Garden Tulip Festival photo contest a success!

Sincerely,

West Side Community Garden Tulip Festival Committee

April in the Garden - Tulip Photo Contest 2010

Throughout the month of April, we invite you to bring your camera, capture your favorites and enter them in our community photo contest.

Winners will be announced following our festival weekend.

First Prize: The winning photographer will receive a ticket to this year’s West Side Community Garden Annual Benefit in June.

In addition, the photo will be our featured image in next year’s festival promotional material.

Submit your favorite images to our tulip festival Flickr group:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/wscgtulipfestival

Remember to add the date and your initials to your file name prior to submission/posting.

Note: If you do not already have one, you will need to set up a flickr account (free) to to submit your photos

Everyone is welcome, all ages, at this community planting festival, trowels and shovels are provided, bring gloves and dress warmly. There will be a brunch/Turkey lunch for the workers on both planting days. Planting will be in the garden West 89th Street, West 90th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenue. For more information call Tom Thies 212 369 6183, Jackie at 212 316 5490 or email westsidecommunity@gardener.com

Also needed, People to help with food- Chili, cookies, cakes, pies, welcome

THIS WEEKEND SATURDAY NOV 7, 11AM-4PM there will be a preplanting cleanup. Perennials must be marked or removed, leaves raked,  toolshed cleared out, and compost turned.

There also will be a preplanting tulip sorting party  Thursday November 12 on West 94th Street 10 am-4pm. Call Tom Thies for more information. Everyone is welcome for all activities.

The Annual Arts and Crafts Festival Saturday will include a children’s crafts workshop at 11 am, and Director Morna Martell with the Dramatune theater company returns at 1 pm to reprise the “play within play” from this season’s “Mini Midsummer’s Nights Dream.”

The Sunday program features Greg Lorenz in a song recital with a Lute player and piano from 1-2 pm. The Vivian Sansom Reading series at 2 pm will again feature writers from our local New York City community. Howard Pflanzer, Victoria Sullivan, Rosalie Calabrese and other writers will be featured, and we have a new story from the Sansom archives!

There will be a reception for the artists and writers at 4 pm and Steven Jacobson and with the New York String Orchestra will serenade us between 4:30-5:30 pm.

There will be a Book Sale both days.

The Garden’s downed Sophora tree was removed August 19, by Stuart Goldstein of A & S Tree Service. The remaining Sophora Tree is listing and may need to be removed.

The two Sophora trees, also known as “Japanese Scholar Trees,” are in the pea or legume family. They were in the original Garden, which was founded in 1975 and were preserved during the 1987-88 construction of the permanent West Side Community Garden site. Generations of Gardeners enjoyed their lovely height and light shade.

Note the slightly earlier time for this weekend’s concert, 5 PM.

In the event of rain, the concert will be relocated to the Stephen Gaynor School, 148 West 90th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues, just down the block from the garden.

Our remaining schedule:

JUNE 28 New York Consort of Viols – Renaissance music, with a children’s slant, 5 pm

JULY 5 Geoff Burke  – Bebop alto sax master and friends, 6 pm

JULY 12 Sweet Plantain – Classical Latin String Quartet that is tight and skillful, 6 pm

JULY 19 Community Sing-Along – Jackie Bukowski and her Met Opera friends lead us all in song, 6:30 pm

Andre O’Neil will play J.S. Bach’s Suites for Unaccompanied Cello #3 and #6 on an authentic baroque instrument.  Please join us for what promises to be a special evening.

As always, all our concerts are free and open to the public.  The remaining schedule is as follows:

JUNE 21 Andre O’Neil  – plays 2 Bach Unaccompanied Suites on Baroque Cello, 6 pm

JUNE 28 New York Consort of Viols – Renaissance music, with a children’s slant, 5 pm

JULY 5 Geoff Burke  – Bebop alto sax master and friends, 6 pm

JULY 12 Sweet Plantain – Classical Latin String Quartet that is tight and skillful, 6 pm

JULY 19 Community Sing-Along – Jackie Bukowski and her Met Opera friends lead us all in song, 6:30 pm

• Correct balance of brown and green materials (approx 60/40 mix)
• Air (created by turning the heap)
• Moisture either from green material, rain, or added water

There are three compost bins on the 90th Street side of the Garden, by the sheds. There are signs to indicate which compost heaps are designated to accept new material. Please chop up material into small pieces as it makes the heap easier to manage and will produce compost twice as quickly – a hot heap is a good heap!

Browns (high in carbon)

• dead flowers
• woody yard trimmings no longer than 6” or thicker than ½”
• straw
• corn stalks and husks
• a few leaves (dumping huge piles of leaves on the heap is counter-productive)
• untreated wood chips & sawdust
• shredded paper

Greens (high in nitrogen)

• grass clippings (untreated)
• plant & yard trimmings
• vegetable and fruit peels, cores and scraps
• egg shells (crushed please)
• coffee grounds, filters & tea bags

DO NOT ADD:

• diseased plants
• weeds that are heavily laden with seeds
• grease, fats, oily or cooked food
• barbecue briquettes
• meats, fish & poultry (attracts rats)

by Sharon Kimmelman, 09-05-12

Have you ever made it? If not, you’ve probably eaten it. It’s a meal of layered ingredients: pasta, filling, sauce, cheese. The layers are distinct when you assemble them. During the cooking, layers blend somewhat but remain distinct. Well, garden plants have to eat, too. Over the growing season, through their root systems, plants take up dissolved minerals and nutrients with the water. This ‘food’ needs to be replenished.

The Lasagna Garden Technique is a no-till, no-frills method of restoring soil fertility and building precious topsoil. The idea that we need to turn over the soil is unnecessary and detrimental, except in the most extreme circumstances of impenetrable or clayey soil. It’s important to remember that the soil itself is a living ecosystem teeming with insect and microbial life. They place themselves on the levels and in the areas favorable to their specific needs. Flipping the soil over and mixing it like cake batter destroys this highly structured organization. It is this invisible behind-the-scenes activity and soil structure that offers the real benefit to plants.

Being lazy isn’t all bad. This is the classic lazy gardener’s approach. Use it to top off a raised bed or convert lawn to garden. It’s good for the soil and easy on your back. It’s not rocket science; it’s rock science. Plus, it benefits our garden by using up the compost so we don’t have to spend $$$ buying bags of pre-packaged, plastic bagged stuff from far away, using precious fossil fuels to have it shipped here. Peat moss is a non-renewable resource dug in and shipped from Canadian bogs. Each of us can choose local, low-tech, high return approaches. This is definitely one!

Lasagna Gardening has multiple benefits. It:

• uses organic waste materials immediately
• builds up the soil level
• sequesters carbon
• preserves the strata of microorganisms
• improves soil fertility
• holds water, slows evaporation and run-off
• blocks out weeds
• keeps root systems cool

What you need is a stack of newspapers and / or corrugated cardboard, unfinished compost, water, hand pruners, a shovel, and a trowel.

Here’s how to start on a plot with mostly overgrown weeds.

1. Clip and discard any developed seed heads.
2. Clip the plants off at the soil level leaving the roots in place. Lay the tops down (they have pulled up nutrition to the surface, so use them to your advantage).
3. Lay down a barrier of newspaper (4+ sheet thickness) or cardboard over the whole area.
4. Wet down the newspaper so it doesn’t move around. (I soak the cardboard in a barrel so that it is more flexible and easier to mold.) Dig out any plants or perennials you wish to keep and replant higher or paper around them.
5. Add a 4 – 6″ layer of unfinished compost onto the entire area. Identifiable scraps will break­down over time, as the quintessential ‘slow release’ soil nutrient amendment.
6. Water deeply.
7. Repeat Steps 3-5 to build up the soil, if needed.
8. Top off with a layer of newspaper or cardboard.
9. Add a 1-2″ layer of mulch (straw or wood chips).

Without the sun, the grass and other roots systems will decompose leaving rich a soil habitat. To plant, simply push the mulch aside a bit, cut an ‘X’ or a slit in the paper layer, peel back the paper, make a small hole or valley, place a handful of finished compost in it, and either place a seedling or your seeds. Firm the soil. Flap back the newspaper (if it’s intact). Pull the mulch back around the stem or opening. Water the area to settle the soil around the plant or seeds. Voila! It’s so easy. Over time, the plant roots will ‘knit’ the layers together expanding the healthy soil habitat.

The uppermost paper barrier and the mulch keep the roots cool, slow evaporation, and keep the leaves from direct contact with the soil. That’s similar to undisturbed wild areas. Some gardeners use the newspaper layer only the first time because the thick layer of mulch on top keeps weed seeds from sprouting. Some folks add minerals, organic nutrients, biochar, etc to the compost layer.

As Dr Paul Rowan, DVM, says regarding cat care, “Stick as close as you can to nature and you’ll never go very far wrong.” This statement is globally applicable.

Doing this garden prep in autumn, the material has the whole winter to rot, but you can still do it in the spring just before planting. I’ve done both. Don’t lose this season.

Good practices ripple forth benefits broadly. Feed your garden better and you will eat better, feel better, get healthier, improve the environment, and set a good example for others. As long as you return your food scraps to the garden your plants will be well nourished, and so will you!

.

(Learn to identify the most common garden ‘weeds’ in our garden. Some are delicious and nutritious ‘wild edibles’, a much more dignified term and quite true. More about that in a later article.)

<–  USING THE NYCHARITIES.ORG BUTTON,  to the left

Angela LaGreca (comedian, singer, actress) will host an international al fresco dinner at The West Side Community Garden, honoring Susan Henshaw Jones and The Greenmarket. The event is on Wednesday, June 10th, from 6 to 8 pm. Everyone is welcome.

Location: The West Side Community Garden amphitheater, between 89 and 90 Streets and Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. Tickets: $60. In addition to a sumptuous meal, there will also be a raffle to have lunch with Bradley Whitford, award-winning star of The West Wing.

This is our biggest fundraising event of the year, and helps support such programs as the Tulip Festival, our “Music in a Garden” Concert Series, Potluck Picnic, Theater… all free and open to the public.

For more information call ESMarks, 212-873-9661

Tea and homemade cookies were served, along with ice water for thirsty visitors. The Garden is proud of its service to the community; we are open every day of the year.

The Garden attracted many new members, new donors, and many professional photographers. One of them was Lee Snider. Some of his wonderful photos are below.

New Garden member Alison Yobage took some lovely photos, too:

More photos can be found at:   http://wscgtulips09.shutterfly.com/

For more information on joining or contributing to our Garden, please contact Brad Smith 212 749 6861 , or Jackie Bukowski, evenings at 212 316 5490.

Here is the tentative schedule:

SUNDAYS  AT  6 PM

June 14    Bill Saxton Quintet (Jazz)

June 21    Andre O’Neil (Bach Cello Suites)

June 28    New York Consort of Viols (Renaissance)

-      -      -      (Viols at 5 pm)

July 5       Geoff Burke Quartet (Jazz)

July 12      Sweet Plantain Quartet (Classical Latin)

July 19      Community Sing-Along

PARTY January 10 6 pm to 9 PM

The West Side Community Garden Annual post-holiday Winter party is Saturday January 10 6 pm to 9 PM. This is a covered dish affair, so bring your best dish to meet and greet you summer gardening friends. Party is at St. Martin’s House 2nd floor Community Room, 65 West 90th Street, NE Corner West 90th and Columbus Avenue.

ELECTION January 27, 2009 5-8 pm

And, for the politically minded, the West Side Community garden annual elections for the board of Directors is . Early voters can come 5-7 pm to vote, and the election meeting will start at 7 pm, when we will have a presentation of the upcoming year in the garden, projects, events, and a Greenhouse report. Election is at St. Martin’s House 2nd floor Community Room, 65 West 90th Street, NE Corner West 90th and Columbus

BOARD MEETING January 5, 7:30

Members wishing to run for the 2009 WSCG Board of directors are invited to attend a Board meeting January 5, 7:30, or call Edith Marks 212 873 9661, Brad Smith 212 749 6861, Jackie B. at 212 316 5490, or drop an email asking to be listed on the ballot. People wishing to be listed on the January Newsletter should let us know by January 12. The cutoff date for being listed on the printed ballot is January 25, 2009, before 8 pm. Board Meeting is at St. Martin’s House 2nd floor Community Room, 65 West 90th Street, NE Corner West 90th and Columbus

Except during holiday weekends, the WSCG Board meetings are the first Monday of each month 7:30 pm- 9:30 pm

Help Wanted

Winter party – People to help decorate needed Saturday Jan 10 5 pm. if you would like to help, respond to this email or Call Edith marks 212 873 9661, Brad Smith 212 749 6861, Jackie B. at 212 316 5490

Election committee Volunteers: Brad Smith 212 749 6861 or respond to this email.

Snow Shovelers: Call Brad Smith within 4 hours of snow fall. People needed to spread salt substitute, shovel snow, and ( occasionally) to laboriously chip the ice off the sidewalks.

And FINALLY, THE FLOWER COMMITTEE is preparing for its annual spring and summer of fun. The greenhouse at St. John the Divine has heat pads and seedlings will be starting next month. WE will also be planning the summer bulbs order, and preparing our annual seed order. Check out the seed companies on line to get an idea about what you would like to see planted in the garden this summer. There will be more light this summer because of the major pruning job three weeks ago. Call Tom Thies at 212 369 6183 to find out how you can be involved.