Invasive Plants - Japanese Knotweed

The need to keep vigilant about invasive plants is highlighted in this BBC News video about Japanese Knotweed.

VIDEO AND STORY HERE

 

The End of NAGA Composting Bins and Composting Areas

Yesterday, 4 Oct., a backhoe was hired to move 'compost mountain' from it's old and tired spot to over near the storage area, where it will be rested to compost. This new pile is OFF LIMITS. This policy is described in another, recent, blog posting. That posting has also been mostly translated from English into 4 other common languages. Gardeners caught putting compost (or garbage) on this pile may lose plots (where they have more than one) or have their membership revoked if they have only one plot.

 

 



 

 
The smaller compost bins have been removed. No gardener is to place any compost or garbage in these places or any other place in the NAGA garden. Your cooperation is fully required, expected, and will be appreciated.

Multi-lingual instructions regarding new composting policy at NAGA Garden

BULLETIN - Change in NAGA Compost Management Practices

Dear NAGA Members,

On 20 Sept. 2014 the Board of Directors agreed that effective immediately and onwards:

1.   ALL COMPOSTING IS TO BE DONE ON EACH NAGA GARDENER’S OWN PLOT.   2.   DO NOT ADD ANY OF "YOUR COMPOST" TO ANY EXISTING PILE OR BIN CONTAINING COMPOST.   3.   ALL EXISTING PILES AND BINS OF COMPOST ARE OFF LIMITS.

 

SIMPLY, FROM THIS DATE FORWARD:   JUST LEAVE ALL OF YOUR "GARDEN'S CHOPPED-UP COMPOST" ON YOUR GARDEN

The Board of Directors, Nepean Allotment Garden Association

- - - - - - - - -

Bulletin - COMPOSTAGE - 22 septembre 2014

Chers membres NAGA ,

Le 20 septembre 2014, le Conseil d'administration a décidé qu'à compter de maintenant et au-delà:

1. Tout compostage est à faire sur VOTRE PROPRE TERRAIN ET JARDIN.

2 N'ajouter pas «VOTRE matériel de compostage» À AUCUNE PILE DE COMPOSTAGE ACTUELLE OU CONTENANT DE COMPOSTAGE.

3. TOUTES PILES EXISTANTES ET BACS DE COMPOSTE
sont hors limites.

SIMPLEMENT, a partir d'aujourd'hui:
Il suffit de laisser tous vos " TRONCONS DE COMPOSTE
SUR VOTRE JARDIN


Le Conseil d'administration NAGA

Just Food for September 2014

Please take a look at JustFood.ca for upcoming activities and workshops.

http://justfood.ca/
You can also subscribe to their online newsletter (recommended).

Upcoming events include:
News and Events

1. Just Food Farm Stand Open Sundays - Check out Garlic Day on September 14th
2. Just Food's Start-Up Farm Program now taking applications for 2015 - Information Session September 15th
3. Tomato Preservation Workshops - September 18th and 23rd
4. September Farm Workshop Series - September 20th and 27th - SOLD OUT
5. Shop for Local Food with SavourOttawaOnline

Other Community News and Events

6. West End Well - NOW OPEN
7. Call for Oktoberfest Volunbeers - October 3rd & 4th
8.Food Secure Canada's Eight National Assembly - November 13th -16th
9. Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference - November 24th & 25th

 

UPDATED: NAGA Annual Picnic - Saturday 20 Sept 2014

UPDATED

Dear Naga Gardeners,

The annual picnic will be held on Saturday 20 of September from 2pm to 4pm.  We will gather under the tree and picnic table on the west side of the garden (near perennial plots 204 and 205, or annual plots 49 and 51 ).

Be proud of your produce and bring in some samples or a dish made out of your bounty. NAGA will provide burgers (even Halal) for everyone and some drinks.

Come out and enjoy!

 

Mike Chebbo

NAGA Chair

Note: the original date was the 13th, but it is forecasted as a lot of rain

 

How does a vine grow?

Here is a short, but fascinating, time lapse that shows how a vine catches a pole. Vine Grow.

Enjoy!!

 

"Community gardens ripped up along Arbutus corridor" (British Columbia)

CP Rail brought in heavy equipment  Thursday afternoon and begun tearing down structures and removing the community gardens that local residents have nurtured for years along the disused Arbutus corridor railway.

LINK TO REST OF STORY

Thankfully NAGA's legal standing with the City of Ottawa is very clear, but this is a tragic situation, nonetheless.

 

Results of the Nepean Creek Survey (2012)

Immediately south of the NAGA Garden is the Nepean Creek. You can see part of the creek from the fence that runs along the south boundary of the garden.  In 2012 the Nepean Creek was extensively surveyed by staff and volunteers of with the City Stream Watch Program.  The report can be found at this link:
http://204.101.207.53/IM/Documents/Aquatics/City_Stream_Watch/Final_CSW2012_NepeanCreek.pdf

From the report Introduction:
Nepean Creek is approximately two kilometers long (excluding the stormwater ponds) and flows from Colonnade Business Park just east of Merivale Road to the Rideau River just south of the intersection of Prince of Wales Drive and Fisher Avenue. The headwater reaches of the creek are entombed, out letting just east of Howard Darwin Centennial Arena (formally Merivale). From that point, the creek flows along the southern edge of a highly developed residential area. A naturalized buffer has been maintained between the development and the stream, and well used recreational pathways wind their way through the area crossing the creek multiple times and connecting to residential streets. Nepean Creek has an one online stormwater pond and one offline stormwater settling pond located close to the Rideau River. The stormwater ponds were not included as part of the stream survey as they fall outside the guidelines of the stream assessment protocol.

Here are some interesting facts from the report:

Watershed surficial geology
42% clay
26% diamicton
8% organic deposits
1% bedrock
23% sand

Invasive species
Observed in Nepean Creek include purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus), zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), Manitoba maple (Acer negundo), and buckthorn spp (Rhamnus cathartica).

 

Seed Saving Workshop – 20 August 2014

Seed Saving is a means of ensuring that our food supply is not reliant on a small selection of varieties that can lead to vulnerability to disease, pests, and changes in climate. The practice of seed saving and sharing, seen as a hobby to some, promotes genetic diversity of crops and overall food security. Join Just Food’s Community Gardening Network and participate in a seed saving instructional workshop to learn more about this traditional practice.

This workshop, facilitated by Greta Kryger of Greta’s Organic Gardens, explains and demonstrates how to save seeds from your favourite vegetable varieties from year-to-year. Registrations is required and two dates are available.

When: August 20 at 6-8pm
Where: Dempsey Community Centre
When: August 27 at 6-8pm
Where: Bayshore Park Fieldhouse
Cost: $5 or pay-what-you-can

For more information or to register: email CGNintern@justfood.ca or call 699-6850 ext. 12