|
|
|
Fenway Garden Society e-News
June 2012
|
|
|
FGS June Events
Tuesday, June 5
5:30 p.m.
Mass. Historical Society
"The Fenway Victory Gardens: Finding History Inside and Out"
Thursday, June 7 5 p.m.-7p.m.Fenway Victory Gardens Central Meadow June Meet-Up in the Meadow
Tuesday, June 12
4:30 p.m.
Meet in front of South Station
"Greening the Greenway" Walking Tour with landscape Architect Toby Wolf
June 15-June 27
Fenway Victory Gardens/
Emerald Necklace Park System
Common Boston Week
Wednesday, June 20
5 p.m.
Fenway Victory Gardens
Open Gardens: Boylston Section
Saturday, June 23
9:30 a.m.
Fenway Victory Gardens
Community Participation Day
Sunday, June 24
10 a.m.
Fenway Victory Gardens
Photo Walk Workshop with Dan Splaine
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
May was a busy month in the gardens, with lots of new placements, spring cleaning and planting, our very well-attended second Community Participation Day of 2012, newly organized community composts, a Great Tomato Give-Away and visit from the Mayor, and three winning grants for FGS projects and programming!
Speaking of which: June is jam-packed with exciting events and programming! There's something for everyone, from workshops to walking tours, starting Tuesday, June 5th with "The Fenway Victory Gardens: Finding History Inside and Out", a very exciting collaboration with the Massachusetts Historical Society to celebrate our 70th year (see below for details and to RSVP)!
We also have two new regular events for members and friends we're inaugurating in June: a monthly Meet-Up in the Meadow and Open Gardens (see below for details on how you can participate).
And in another first, we're very excited to be event sponsors of Boston Society of Architects Common Boston 2012, The city's only free festival of architecture, design, and neighborhoods, which will be featuring four Common Points - Downtown, the South End, Mattapan, and the Emerald Necklace, including exciting activities in the Fenway Victory Gardens. It's going on from June 15th-27th. Don't miss it!
We hope you're enjoying the beauty and bounty of the gardens so far this extraordinary season. Summer in the park can sure be sublime, but let's make sure it's safe and sanitary for everyone, too. Check out these safety tips and Frequently Asked Questions, note that Son of Dumpster Days is coming the last week of June (see below), and feel free to call the hotline at (857) 244-0262 with questions or concerns.
Happy Gardening!
Mike Mennonno
President, the Fenway Garden Society
|
|
|
Join us for FGS Members & Friends Events in June!
Learn, build and grow together at our June 23rd
Community Participation Day
"The Fenway Victory Gardens: Finding History Inside And Out" at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Tuesday, June 5th, 6-7:30 p.m. Pre-Program Reception at 5:30 p.m.
View items from the Fenway Garden Society's collections, which are preserved at the MHS, and take a tour of the nearby Victory Gardens. Reservations requested. Please call 617-646-0560 or RSVP online.
June Meet-Up in the Meadow, in the "Great Meadow" of the Fenway Victory Gardens, Thursday, June 7th, 5 to 7p.m.
Join fellow FGS members and friends for bocce, croquet, and horseshoes, or bring your own lawn games or an appetizer or dessert to share. Contact Kristen Mobilia for more information.
"Greening the Greenway" an FGS Members & Friends Walking Tour with Landscape Architect Toby Wolf at
Rose Kennedy Greenway (meeting at the main entrance to South Station), Tuesday, June 12, 4:30 pm.
Tour of the Rose Kennedy Greenway with one of its chief landscape architects. Explore concepts in landscape design and see new plantings! A great opportunity to explore the Greenway with one of its creators. Space limited, RSVP required. Open Gardens - Boylston Section, at the Fenway Victory Gardens Accessible Garden, Wednesday, June 20th, 5-7 p.m.
Visit with 10 of your fellow gardeners in the Boylston section. Light appetizers and cold drinks will be provided. Contact Kristen Mobilia for details.
Learn and Grow with FGS at the June Community Participation Day at the Fenway Victory Gardens Teaching Garden, Saturday, June 23rd, from 9:30 a.m.
Lend a hand beautifying our park, get growing tips from Green City Growers in the Teaching Garden at 11:30, and get buzzing with Golden Rule Honey in our new apiary at 1 p.m.! Lansdowne Pub will also be hosting members and friends at noon -- free appetizers while they last! Join us for fun, food, and fellowship, and bring a friend!
Photo Walk Workshop with Dan Splaine at the Fenway Victory Gardens, Sunday, June 24, 10 a.m.
Join International travel and location photographer Dan Splaine for this on-location in the Victory Gardens photo class for adult photographers of all skill levels. Registration and course fee required.
|
|
Goings-On Around the Gardens
You Should Know About!
 The FGS community's single most important
ongoing project. | |
Community Compost Basics All FGS Gardeners Should Know
Our community compost is our single most important ongoing project, and all FGS members need to be on board in order for it to work. A lot of volunteers contributed to cleaning, staking, and organizing our three compost areas at the May Community Participation Day. Please respect their efforts by doing your part in keeping it clean and tidy and ready to turn in July. Here's what you need to know: - Each compost area is arranged in "wind rows", alternating empty rows with dumping rows. This is so that every six weeks the rows can be turned over.
- When dumping go all the way to the back of the dumping row. You can pile up to three feet.
- Soft plant material and woody material should be separated. Soft material can be dumped in the wind rows, and each compost area has a separate section for woody material.
- Invasives like aegopodium should be bagged and disposed of in park rubbish barrels.
- plastic litter should be separated out and disposed of in park rubbish barrels.
By following these few easy steps we can begin producing rich, clean compost for everyone's use in their gardens, which is the goal!
2012 Boston Natural Areas Network Soil Delivery Update
BNAN has for many years been the sole source of community compost from outside the gardens. Each January BNAN members and partnering community gardens can place a seed/compost order. That's where the free seeds provided to attendees to the FGS Spring Meeting come from, and FGS usually orders 80 cubic yards of soil/compost, which is delivered in the spring whenever it becomes available from the City of Boston. The soil/compost is free to members/partners. FGS does not pay for it; it is provided as a perk to our members. There is no provision for an entitlement to free high quality soil/compost in the FGS Guidelines, Regulations or bylaws. We obtain it when available due to longstanding relationships with institutional partners. Should the membership wish to include a provision requiring that each member receive a quantity of high quality soil/compost deliverable on demand the board would recommend raising dues by $5-10 a year to cover the cost. Members who can't wait for the BNAN/City of Boston delivery of free soil might check with neighbors to see if any are interested in going in on a group order, or contact the FGS hotline at (857) 244-0262 to inquire about others in the Gardens who may be doing so. C hips for individual gardens are also the responsibility of individual gardeners. Chips for garden paths come from Boston Department of Parks & Recreation and Arborway Tree Care when available. Their availability to FGS is based on many unpredictable factors and is never guaranteed. New Boylston Wheelbarrow Storage Added
A mini or "satellite" wheelbarrow storage depot, long in the works, was recently completed, and is open for business in Boylston Section, in the Southeast corner of the Accessible Garden.
Son of Dumpster Days!
June marks the return of the dumpster! If you have building waste or large woody material you need to dispose of, a dumpster will be available the last week of June. Details on dates and location TBA.
Until then, please either make arrangements to dispose of large building waste outside of the park, ask your neighbors or your Area Director/Section Coordinator if they know of anyone who needs materials you may wish to discard, or neatly store the items in your garden until the dumpster comes.
We want to remind you: members are not to dispose of waste around park barrels. Those who do will be in violation of City of Boston Parks Rules and Regulations, Section 1(d) and will be subject to action that could result in revocation of membership.
Please help us keep our park safe and clean for all!
|
|
Cleaning Up Our Act in 2012
In a recent meeting with the Parks Commissioner Toni Pollak and Assistant Commissioner of Operations Bernie Lynch, FGS President Mike Mennonno and VP of the Park Ed Hommel agreed on some important steps FGS could take to "clean up our act." (read more...) | |
|
Always report vandalism, break-ins, and theft! | |
The safety of members and visitors to our park is our top priority, and the Boston Police Department's as well. We have asked for increased car, horse, bicycle and foot patrols throughout the summer, but you can help ensure the safety of everyone in the park by reporting all incidents of vagrancy, vandalism and theft to:
- BPD at 617-343-4250
- FGS at 857-244-0262
- FOR EMERGENCIES CALL 9-1-1. Our address (for the dispatcher) is "the park across from 1220 Boylston Street".
Safety tips for members, visitors and friends are here.
Any questions on park security can be directed to Senior VP of Administration and BPD Liaison Kristen Mobilia at kmobilia@gmail.com. |
|
|
|
A 501 (c)(3) non-profit, The Fenway Garden Society Inc. seeks partnerships with individuals, local businesses, corporations and foundations who want to play an active role in ensuring our garden and community thrive. The Fenway Garden Society, Inc, does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, ethnic origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. We welcome visitors and encourage all to become a part of our diverse, vibrant, and growing community! |
|
|
|
|
|
