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.