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Compost Team Leads December 10th Workday

15 Dec

We had another great workday on Saturday, December 10th, led by Mary Lynn Zoeller and the Compost Team.  All plot holders are required to donate two hours of labor each month to helping maintain communal areas or projects and the monthly workday, always held on the second Saturday of each month, 9:00-12:00, is a great time to get the work done and meet fellow gardeners.

Mary Lynn Zoeller's compost team led the workday, her sign reads: "Sift Compost Here!"

James Plyler and Jessie Alvarado humor the photographer as they pause from clearing weeds from a communal respite area.

Katie Falgoust shovels mulch while Nick Castrop and Kathy McWhorter discuss the Communal Plot Area, where Regina Mitchell is harvesting greens.

Katrina Meredith asks for direction while Julio Perez and a new volunteer move compost to a new area.

Julio Perez directs traffic while Nick Castrop, Crystal Aldape, and Kathy McWhorter share a story in the background.

Regina Mitchell pauses while harvesting greens in our Communal Plot to donate to our neighbors, residents of the RBJ Tower.

Saturday, June 4: Garden Anniversary Party!

19 May

The one year anniversary celebration of our garden will be on Saturday, June 4th, 10:00am-1:00pm.

We want to celebrate being the first community garden established on Austin Parks and Recreation Department land through partnership with the Sustainable Food Center and a grant from the Austin Parks Foundation.

The anniversary event is free and will include samples of food and drinks from our local sponsors, activities for children, garden tours, information tables about gardening and sustainable living, music, and lots of laughter.  We will thank our community “partners” with a short ceremony from 11:00-11:30.

We invite gardeners, volunteers, and all Austinites to come help us celebrate our first year of gardening and partnerships.

Note:  Volunteers are needed for one-hour shifts at information, food, and children’s activity booths or to help with set-up or clean-up, so please contact Kaela Champlin at kaela.champlin <at> gmail.com or (512) 567-0740 to let her know what you can do.

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UT Student Volunteers Whip the Garden into Shape!

17 Apr

Saturday, April 9, on one of the prettiest days of the year so far, the garden welcomed student volunteers from UT’s Project Reach Out. Students, gardeners and garden volunteers joined forces to tackle several projects around the garden. We spread mulch and compost around several trees, including the giant Cottonwood in the center of the garden. We worked on the bioswale (formerly called the rain garden). We planted in our perennial beds. We worked our community garden plots and raised beds. We created a new path in section B, complete with weed cloth and gravel. We relocated bag upon bag of Bermuda grass away from the garden. And we did planning for the Habitat garden! Then we ate pizza!

It was an unbelievably productive day, and we are extremely grateful to our volunteers and new friends for the many improvements to our community garden. THANK YOU!

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Special thanks to the following folks who made a big impact on the day!

  • Mary Lynn and the Compost committee for pre-event planning and coordination
  • Keep Austin Beautiful for lending us tools and Kathy S. for transporting them to and from the garden
  • Patricia for arranging for a Bob Cat and driver to dig out the bioswale
  • Jose, Mark and David for repairing two broken water pipes!
  • Polly for getting everyone signed in
  • Alec for leading a group of volunteers who worked on the bioswale
  • Jean, James, Nick and Marcela for leading groups of volunteers who worked on the perennial beds
  • John for leading a group who worked on the community garden plots
  • Jack and Joy for leading groups who spread the compost and mulch
  • Crystal for leading a group who filled raised beds with compost
  • Daniel for digging out a weedy row in section B and turning it into a beautiful new pathway
  • Dan, Susan, Richard, Glenn, Katrina, Jane, Libby, Dawn and so many others for their hard work
  • Beverly and Joy for donating and filling bags with Bermuda grass, and relocating away from the garden
  • Kathy Mc. who was everywhere helping everyone as always!
  • Farah and Kathy S. for taking the photos (mostly Farah!)
  • Festival Beach Gardeners for chipping in on the pizza!
  • Joy and Kathy Mc. who provided the summary of the day’s accomplishments and the kudos to the team

Saturday, April 16: United Way Capital Area Spring DAYS of Caring at FBCG

13 Apr

This Saturday, we are excited to welcome volunteers from the United Way Capital Area Spring DAYS of Caring, sponsored by Freescale Semiconductor.

In celebration of National Volunteer week, which honors individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities, UWCA and Hands On Central Texas is sponsoring a work day at Festival Beach Community Garden!

We welcome volunteers to join us from 9:00-12:00. We will be planting perennials, creating our rain gardens, mulching and working on the fence.   You can register for our project on the Hands On Central Texas website.  Please bring: Gloves, water, sunscreen,  hand tools (marked). Shovels and wheelbarrows  are also in great need.

For gardeners, participation in this event will count toward your work hours. See you Saturday!

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Saturday, April 9: Workday

2 Apr

9:00 – noon.  We are thrilled to welcome volunteers from UT’s Project Reach Out! The compost committee will be leading the workday with 42 volunteers spreading granite, mulch and compost over the grass to control stickers and around the tool shed area. Thank you!

We need garden members to help coordinate the activity and pitch in and help.

Please bring shovels and other tools! We will be using tools from the kind folks at Keep Austin Beautiful,  but they are limited on tools due to a special project they have that day. If you have any shovels or other tools that may be helpful please bring them to the workday.

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Vine Fest and Tea-ching Garden!

21 Feb

This Sunday, volunteers and gardeners gathered to plant grapes and berries to grow along the new fence line and made progress on a wonderful new “Tea-ching” herb garden. They raised a toast to bless the additions to the garden and celebrated the incredible weather with an impromptu picnic — a perfect reward for a lovely day of gardening. Thanks to Jennifer Lindley, who organized the effort,  and everyone who participated!

 

 

New Fence!

21 Feb

Our volunteers and gardeners have been busy, busy, busy preparing the garden for spring plantings. A major accomplishment is the work on our beautiful new fence.

Our February workday brought out the muscles and the welding equipment. The team work resulted in a gorgeous new fence that will serve as a trellis for grapes and other vines! Thank you to everyone for this wonderful new addition to our garden!

Wednesday, February 23: Garden Planning Meeting

19 Feb

Please join us for our monthly Garden Planning Meeting this Wednesday, February 23, 6:30 – 8:00 pm at Terrazas Library.  The library is at 1105 East Cesar Chavez (just west of Waller Street).

This meeting will include a special leadership training, so it’s a must for all committee and project leaders, all members of committees and work teams, all planning team members, and anyone who wants to have a role in helping us build our garden and create our community.  We are learning that the work we have to do requires leadership on the part of everyone.  Ours is not the type of organization where a few people at the top do all the directing.  We count on everyone to take part in the decisions and take their turn to initiate activities and lead work projects.  This training will give us an opportunity to learn some tools for effective leadership and share our ideas and strategies for making meetings fun and productive.

The agenda will also include reports from each of the current work projects, followed by discussion and input from the group.  We will also have discussion about the Grand Opening Celebration, which will take place in May.

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Early Winter Garden Activity

2 Jan
Daniel Barrios resting and enjoying the results of his hard work, a completed communal pathway along the south edge of the “B” section of plots, connecting the main path to the tool shed.  Thank you, Dan!

Volunteer at Festival Beach Community Garden

8 Sep

Volunteer at Festival Beach Community Garden, Waller & Clermont Streets, near Festival Beach

Please come join us in developing our new community vegetable garden at the next volunteer WORKDAYS:

Saturday morning, September 11, 9:00-12:00 AND Saturday morning, October 9 , 9:00-12:00

We need your help and participation with workday tasks: moving and spreading mulch, mowing open spaces, weeding our communal vegetable garden, and developing our composting system.

We have the tools – we need your participation (bring your own work gloves).
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