Garden Tote Bags for sale!

We've got tote bags for sale to benefit the garden! At $5/each, we think these bags are a steal. Great for trips to the grocery store, farmer's market, and library, we can't wait to see our bags all over town. Proceeds from the bags will be used to help with garden maintenance, improvements, and to purchase the plants and seeds we need for next spring.

Bags will be for sale at the Foothills Open House next Thursday, August 29th at 5pm (you can buy them at the Spirit Wear table next to the garden). If you can't make it to Open House but would like to purchase a few bags, get in touch with us at foothillsgarden(at)gmail(dot)com to arrange a time to pick up your bags!

Thanks for supporting our school garden!

School's back in...can you help us water?

Now that school is back in, some of us have more time to spend in the garden and some have less. When you're dropping off your kids at school or waiting in the pick up line for them to come out, could you spare a few minutes to come water the garden? We've got open slots this week and every week until the end of the growing season. The garden looks fantastic and we'd love your help to keep it that way!

Here's a link to the online signup.

Share a plot

We've still got a few 4x8 garden plots left that we'd love to have planted in the next couple of weeks, and we've got a new idea for our community.

What if your church small group, your youth group, your scout troop, your softball team, your book club, or you and your neighbors leased a plot together, shared the time and expense of caring for your bed, and shared your harvest with each other or with your community?

What if you donated some of your harvest to Care and Share? What if you took it to our local firefighters to cook up in their kitchen? What if you gave it to a neighbor whose husband is deployed or whose wife is in the hospital?

There are people around us who are in need or who deserve a special treat. You can help. We can help. Our garden can help. Don't wait for someone else to do it -- lead your group, your organization, your friends and lease a plot with them today!

To download the lease agreement, click here.

Help us out this summer!

We're looking for more people to pitch in to water and maintain our HUGE school garden this summer. If you'd like to be part of something great, use this link to head on over to our signup and add your name. All the information you need should be on the sign up page, but if you have questions we haven't covered, please email us at foothillsgarden@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.

Foothills Summer Watering Sign Up

Square Foot Gardening class Tomorrow!

Don't forget that we're having our first ever FREE community class in the Foothills Learning Garden tomorrow (Sunday, May 19th) at 6:00pm. Bring a portable chair and meet us in the garden to learn about growing plants by the square foot instead of in rows.

To learn more about Square Foot Gardening, check out My Square Foot Garden.

Square Foot Gardening class on May 19th

Mark your calendars! A FREE training class in square foot gardening will be taking place in the Foothills Learning Garden on Sunday, May 19th starting at 6pm. Our speaker will spend about an hour explaining square foot gardening and how it works, and then there will be time for questions. This class is open to the public (so bring a friend) and will be great for new gardeners or experienced gardeners who want to make the most of their gardening space. If you'd like to have a place to sit during class, you may want to bring your own chair. We hope to see you there!

Looking for Wall-o-Water donations!

Our school is interested in experimenting with growing tomatoes inside Wall-o-Water insulators. Would you be interested in donating a 3-pack? If you'd like to contribute a pack or two to our garden, feel free to order online and have them shipped to the school. The shipping address is as follows:

Rose Bergles
Foothills Elementary School Garden
825 Allegheny Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80919

We've got at least 13 tomato plants waiting to go in the ground (purchased from the greenhouse at D20's very own School in the Woods) and we hope to have a few more coming in from garden club families. It would be great if we could get at least half of our tomato plants into Wall-o-Waters, but the more the better.

Thanks for your support!

Lease applications accepted beginning May 1st

It's the moment so many of you have been waiting for! Applications for plot leases in the Foothills Learning Garden will be accepted beginning May 1st. The lease agreement is in a Google doc here. If you are interested in leasing one 4x8 plot, please print and fill out the document. You'll need to mail or deliver your document with your $65 fee to Brian, our Community Liason, no earlier than May 1st. All of the lease details are on the lease agreement.

Also, we'd like anyone who will be using the garden this summer (this includes garden club families who will be caring for school plots) to read through the 2013 Garden Guidelines.

2013 Foothills Learning Garden Guidelines

The guidelines for the Foothills Learning Garden are established so that all gardeners will have the opportunity for a safe, successful, consistent, fair, and enjoyable gardening experience. Foothills Elementary School agrees to pay the water bill for the entire garden and maintain the garden structure. In return, the Foothills Learning Garden Committee asks that community garden members and those who are maintaining school beds adhere to the following guidelines for working in the garden.

Guidelines:

1. Community Gardeners will be allowed to manage only one plot on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to lease an additional plot and there is not a waiting list, you may submit a written request for approval to the Garden Committee. This request may submitted by e-mail to the Garden Committee at foothillsgarden@gmail.com.
2. In addition to taking care of your plot, we may offer Community Gardeners an opportunity to maintain one set of the school’s grade level plots (three 4x10 beds) during the summer months. Those who are maintaining school plots are encouraged to harvest from the plots while maintaining them. Opportunities to maintain the school plots will be offered first to families in the Foothills Elementary School Garden Club, then to families with children at Foothills Elementary School, and then to community members of the Foothills Learning Garden.
3. Gardens, pathways, and other common areas will be kept tidy and free of weeds. The pathways around your raised garden bed or the beds you are caring for are your responsibility. Failure to keep the weeds controlled in your plot(s) or the surrounding pathways will result in a reminder via phone call or email. If after seven days of the phone call or email there is no action to clean up the weeds then you may forfeit your right to lease or maintain a plot again in the future.
4. You are encouraged to mulch with non-pesticide or herbicide contaminated grass clippings or other clean organic matter. This helps to conserve water, control weeds and keep our costs down.
5. The use of non-organic fertilizers, herbicides, and/or pesticides is strictly prohibited. You may not use non-organic fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides on your plot or anywhere else in the garden. For recommendations on organic methods of fertilizing and controlling weeds or pests, please visit the garden’s website, http://foothillsgarden.blogspot.com. After looking to the website for answers about what products are or are not acceptable, please feel free to email the Garden Committee at foothillsgarden@gmail.com with questions. Gardeners who use non-organic fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides forfeit their lease payment and forfeit their gardening privileges for that year. They may request to rejoin the garden the following year by resubmitting their application and deposit as well as a letter stating that they understand this rule and will not violate it in the future.
6. Water is by far our largest expense. Please water wisely and only when needed, preferably in the morning or evening. It is best to water deeply and less frequently. While children are welcome to water using the provided watering cans, only adults are permitted to water using hoses. Hoses in use must always be fitted with an on/off nozzle in order to further reduce waste.
7. Unattended watering is not permitted.
8. Your personal tools may be kept on your plot or the plots you are maintaining at your own risk. You are welcome to borrow the school’s gardening tools from the garden shed (which should be built by early this summer), but please return them neatly to the shed when you are finished using them.
9. Community Gardeners are responsible for finding a Garden Sitter during vacations. If you lease a plot and you going on vacation during the summer ask a friend or neighbor or one of your fellow gardeners to water your plot while you are gone. If you are gone more than one week, then make sure your Garden Sitter is willing to weed for you! A garden membership list with contact information will be available to Community Gardeners.
10. Composting is encouraged. Maintenance of compost bins will be the responsibility of the Foothills Elementary School Garden Club. If you wish to add to the compost, please put organic matter in the designated area. Please do not add animal products (ie: meat or dairy) to the bin. You are welcome to use compost from the finished bin, but please share with your fellow gardeners.
11. Put garden waste (only organic matter) in the designated area. Do not add your garden waste to the compost; this will be done for you!
12. Community Gardeners may not transfer their plots to other individuals without written notice submitted to the Garden Committee via email (foothillsgarden@gmail.com). This notice must contain the name, address, email address, and phone number of the new gardener. You will need to work out payment for the remaining lease term with the gardener who is taking over your plot.
13. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Pets and bicycles are not permitted within the fenced area.
14. Please keep the gates closed and locked when you leave the garden. To keep pesky rabbits from entering the garden, please pull the gate closed behind you when you enter the garden.
15. If you see someone in the garden who you think may not belong there, please take the time to visit with them. The person may only be curious, a potential future gardener, or a new gardener. Or, the person may be someone who does not belong in the garden. Do not hesitate to ask their name and which plot is the person is caring for. Awareness goes a long way in helping secure the garden.
16. Please do not touch plots or plants that do not belong to you or that you are not responsible for maintaining unless you have permission from the gardener who is responsible for that plot. This includes school plots and the perimeter beds -- only those who are actively maintaining the school plots may work in those plots or harvest from them. Please do not allow your children to touch plants that do not belong to you and please do not allow them to touch or walk through beds that do not belong to you.
17. Harvest your crops when they are mature. If you can’t use them, share them. Some of the other gardeners may make trips to soup kitchens or pantries like Care and Share to donate our extra veggies!
18. Continuously keep your plot clean. When your harvest is done, clean up and dispose of dead plants and garden waste as soon as possible.
19. Turning and amending the soil is the responsibility of the gardener.
20. By November 30th, remove all stakes, strings, poles, etc. from your plot. In case you don’t return the following year or move to a different plot, your plot needs to be ready for the next gardener. If you would like to leave a structure on your plot, ask permission from the Garden Committee. 
    
    
    Most importantly, enjoy the garden! Please feel free to linger in the garden, chat with your fellow gardeners, and invite friends to visit the garden with you.

Ready to plant!

This weekend was another great work weekend for the Foothills Learning Garden. With lots of help from Don (of Don's Garden Shop) and some dedicated cadets from the Air Force Academy, we managed to place and fill all 40 garden beds and lay 55 tons of crushed gravel in the aisles.

Thanks to all who worked hard to get our garden up and running!

Stay tuned for information about bed leases -- I promise it's coming soon!

First build day a huge success!

Thanks to all who came out today to help build the Foothills Learning Garden! Despite the cold, soggy, snowy weather, we accomplished a LOT and are ready for the final push next weekend. Check out all the fun we had today building a garden to nourish future generations of Foothills families.

Safety talk first, by Nico Dellacroce.

And then we measure the reclaimed lumber. Yes, even the principal gets in on the fun!

And then cutting...yep, that's yours truly with a circular saw.

And hauling wood. Mrs. Lapham and Mrs. Dellacroce, two of our favorite teachers, were there to help!

Two happy fourth graders organizing 4 footers. Appropriate, right?

Don't tell Callie that you can't work hard AND be fashionable.

Foothills moms are the best! Hard working and dedicated. Thanks for your help, friends!

Here's a peak at what we accomplished today. These are upside-down community beds.

A view of the garden from the community side. Next Saturday we'll finish building and then get all the beds filled.

Thanks to Mrs. Kraus for organizing, measuring, hauling AND taking photos today! We'll keep you posted on what's in store for next Saturday. Plan to come out and help if you can.

Work day is ON!

We're on for garden building today, but we'll probably shut down early. Expect to finish up around 11am so that all can get home safely.

Thanks for supporting the garden!

Work day tomorrow!

Snow is in the forecast for tomorrow, but unless it's heavy snow and the temperature is below 30 degrees, we'll be out there working on the garden! The plan for tomorrow is to cut all of the wood into appropriate lengths and put together as many garden beds as we can.

We'll have hot coffee and hot chocolate on hand so bring your empty tumbler, and if we make it to lunch time there will be hot dogs for our volunteers. If you've signed up on the Sign Up Genius page, you'll get an email tomorrow morning around 7:30 to let you know for sure whether or not we'll be working.

The blog will also get an update around the same time, so check back early tomorrow!

Thanks for your continued interest in the Foothills Learning Garden.

Final Garden Design and Room to Grow

With the garden build days just around the corner, it seems like it must be time to share the final garden design with the public!

While there are only a few minor changes from the original garden design, the changes that have been made should facilitate efficient building and easier gardening, for both students and community members.

A few differences you might notice if you were familiar with the original design:

• All community beds are now 4x8 instead of some 8x8 and some 4x8. This is to ensure that gardeners can reach the center of their beds without stepping on (and compacting) their soil.
• Student beds will be built as 4 4x9 beds connected end to end instead of one 4x36 bed. This should make construction simpler.
• We've added a second entrance for community members.
• At the community entrance, some open space remains to act as an area where community members can gather to chat. Maybe someday we can add some benches, planters, and an arbor to make the space more welcoming.
• As you'll see on the image below (click on the image to enlarge it), three water spigots have been added along the fence nearest the school. We originally planned for one spigot to start with and hoped to add more in the future, but thankfully we were able to install all three now. This should ensure that water is readily available for gardeners. (Remember...kids will only be allowed to use watering cans -- we want them to learn to conserve!)

Some elements of the garden will have to be saved for the future.

• Perimeter beds. We don't have enough lumber to construct perimeter beds now. If you know someone who might like to take on this project, we'd love to see it happen! The perimeter beds will be a great place to grow plants for our art and science classes, and they will help the garden look finished and manicured, keeping outside weeds from creeping in.
• Trees and classroom space at the north end of the garden. If you have access to fruit or shade trees, we would love to add them to the north end of our garden. This could be a great space for our students to gather, for our CSD students to take a break, and for experienced gardeners to teach classes to our community during the summers.
• Community entrance beautification. We'd love to see this area spruced up. If that's a project you'd like to take on, let us know!
• Composting and tool storage. This area will not be built until sometime after spring break. If you're handy and would like to take on either the composting area or a tool storage shed or both, we'd love to have your help!

Our garden will be ready for planting by April, but that doesn't mean it will be finished! What can you contribute to growing our garden?

Could you RSVP for the garden build days?

In order to help us plan the garden work days, we'd love it if you could let us know when you can come and what tools you can contribute to the process.

Find more information and RSVP on our SignUp Genius page here. Thanks so much for your help!

Psst...you can get an idea of how we'll construct the garden by watching this short video of the Mill Street Community Garden coming together last fall.

Work days scheduled!

You've probably already seen it (I hope!), but our garden area is now enclosed by a 6' fence. The land inside has been leveled and hose hook-ups are ready for use. We're well on our way to growing a garden!

To get the beds built, we've scheduled two work days in March. The first is Saturday, March 9th and the second is the following Saturday, the 16th. Please mark your calendars and plan to bring your whole family to help us out! More information (about times, tools, and what you'll be working on) will be available soon.