Re: Community Garden: Open and Ready to Plant!

**A*@aol.com**

Friends,

I forward this message from Phoenixville, PA as an example of a mass e-mail
to gardeners and garden friends and supporters.

Regards,
Adam Honigman
Hell's Kitchen, NYC

Hi,  Folks!
St.  Johnbs United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden opened for the
2006 growing  season yesterday, April 1.  ALL plots are taken and we actually
have a  waiting list!  Many of our new gardeners noticed the garden because
they  have been coming to the site to use the labyrinth.  We welcome everyone
for the new growing season and remind everyone to join the Perennial Garden
Volunteers on Tuesday nights from 5:30 pm to dark for weeding and
conversation.
With this many people, we may actually reach Tinabs goal  of looking at the
garden, realizing that everything has been done and everyone  going to Steel
City for caffeine and conversation  instead!
This year, we have 35 people  gardening on 16 plots.  We have 3 bactive
senior adultsb, 25 adults, 7  children and 5 dogs.  Nine (over half) of the
plots
are held by  low-income families and/or a disabled person. Most folks are
gardening with  their families across two or three generations.  One of our
youth
is  learning to garden as his bar mitzvah community service project.
As Simon the Plowman plowed the  garden last Monday, folks are planning to
plant potatoes and peas this  week.  William Woys Weaver donated some
Vietnamese
Yellow Shallots which  folks can plant on Tuesday. Once the Mitchell Program
of St. Gabrielbs Hall  completes the wood chip paths, webll take down the
rope lines and make sure  each plot has a composter to improve the soil.
Peg Hine, St. Johnbs church  secretary, donated two books (A Light For My
Path and A Life of Purpose) for  folks to use at the labyrinth.  The books,
along
with basic information  on how to use the labyrinth, are in the Labyrinth
Information Mailbox next to  the labyrinth. Feel free to use them to guide
your
own meditation and problem  solving.  We also placed a blank bReflectionsb
book in the mailbox so  that folks can share their thoughts about the
labyrinth
with other walkersb  webve appreciated the bthank youb notes that
folks have
left in the mailbox,  but thought that a hard-cover book would be easier for
everyone to  share.
Before the plow came through, St.  Gabrielbs went through the garden and dug
up the volunteer larkspur seedlings,  then replanted them in the back area
(where the fenced area was until Dan took  it down last summer) around the
American Serviceberry tree.  By May, we  should have long spikes of pink,
purple and
white flowers all over the back of  the garden.
Starting on April 3, the Mitchell  Program will come to the garden three
times a week b Monday, Wednesday and  Friday.  As planting season has begun,
we
have plenty to do and we  appreciate their help in getting it done!
Here is the schedule for the next  two weeks:
Monday             3:30 pm to  5:00 pm        Mitchell Program of St.
Gabriel
bs Hall
Tuesday            5:30 pm to  dark              Perennial Garden Volunteers
(Great Conversation; Necessary, but Low-Impact  Weeding!)
Wednesday       3:30 pm to  5:00 pm        Mitchell Program of St.
Gabrielbs
Hall
Friday               3:30 pm to  5:00 pm        Mitchell Program of St.
Gabrielbs Hall
Saturday, April  15         2  pm                              Easter Egg
Hunt b free to all children 10 years and  younger
The weather looks wonderful for  the week b come join us on Tuesday night!
Dorene
Dorene Pasekoff,  Coordinator
St. John's  United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden and Labyrinth
A mission of
St. John's  United Church of  Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA
19460

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