Hello everyone,
Spring comes in a rush every year and I missed my planned May update. A lot to catch up on. If you are skimming be sure to check out the invitation at the end of this email for a potluck gathering to celebrate all the amazing work that has gone into preparing this year’s garden.
The Garden
We prepared in early May for a drought filled and smoky start to the season, and ended up with a wet and cool one instead. Germination has been slow, but our cool weather crops have loved it. We’ve replanted cucumbers that never came up, but also marveled at how far along the cabbages and broccoli have got on. Almost every square inch of the garden has been put in, and with the recent nice weather you can almost watch things grow. If you haven’t been able to come out yet, please don’t be shy, we’d love to see you and show you around.
Summer Volunteer Hours
We are making a small shift in our Saturday sessions to limit the time spent in the field during the heat of the day. Starting July 6 we will run sessions from 10am-2pm. In addition, starting Tuesday July 2, we will host a short morning session from 9am-10:30am. Our Tuesday and Thursday evening sessions will remain from 5:30-8:30pm.
Community Partnerships
Thanks to all our partners for all the hard work you do in making PUF a great space for community building and education. The Adaptabilities crew have been experimenting with square food gardening this year, created a trap garden and planted the hugel garden. Campus Food Bank volunteers have really made Tuesday evenings into a load of fun. And, we have further sessions upcoming with Alumni, ASSIST, MCHB and more. If you have a community you would like to bring out, send me an email and we can always try to accommodate.
Our Broader Garden Community
This spring PUF has had the pleasure of convening several conversations with our broader garden and food communities. At the beginning of May all three gardens on South Campus participated in a Jane’s Walk tour, welcoming around 20 members of the public to our gardens, and sharing with them how each garden uniquely contributes to our community. More recently I had the opportunity to visit Edmonton Urban Farm and Lady Flower Gardens with colleagues from the UK who are involved in researching urban agriculture. It is truly inspiring to see the grassroots work being done to support garden access and food security. Coming up, we look forward to welcoming Edmonton Horticultural Society members to PUF on Aug. 10 as part of their Open Garden tours. Keep an eye on the website for further information as it pops up.
Best wishes and happy gardening,
Kevin and the PUF team
