Another NEN blog goes live

I've once again had the pleasure of contributing to the Neighborhood Empowerment Network site. This time, the blog post subject was how to plan a garden like ours. Hee haw - plan!? Who told them this was planned?

Community Event a Success

I may have gotten Pennsylvania Street Gardens into a mess (UCSF's Community Celebration event) but Arum definitely got me out of that mess - she seemingly effortless kept her cool running the booth talking to the community, and making everything look great (see photos of the event). Meanwhile, I ran around like a crazy person helping kids and Jennifer Newsom participate in planting an edible garden. The day could not have happened without you Arum! Many thanks to everyone who stopped by to check out our poster and pickup a little UCSF sponsored giveaway of an ecopot basil, parsley or chives.

UCSF also made a generous donation to fund out booth, which included 2 edible gardens and 1 native plant garden. The new fun native plants that will now call P-garden home are:

Penstemon eatonni (3) - 4 inc

Salvias (1) - tiny 6-pack

Erioginum (1) - 1 gal

Epilobium cana (1) - 1 gal of our native Fuschia!

Dudleya pulverulenta (1) -5 gallon of awesomeness

Dudleya farinosa (1) - 1 gal

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi subsp. coactilis variety white (1) 10 gallon

Agave desertii (2), 4 inch

Agave shawii (2), 4 inch

The event was truly a mega-event hosted by UCSF to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Benioff Children's, Women's and Cancer hospital. There was flamenco dancing, a ton of free food, and even the gorgeous farmer's market (well a very upscale one anyway!) style decorations that were also for the taking. I saw a lot of very happy people walking out with armloads of produce!

Arum and I met a lot of great people at the event, and I hope to see them all at the garden in the near future. Specifically the workday on Novemeber 6th from 10-12 at Pennsylvania Garden on Pennsylvania in between 18th and Mariposa. But I bet you all already know to be there ; )

Emily

Come visit us at UCSF!

Hey everyone,

Pennsylvania Street Gardens (aka P-garden etc) has been invited by UCSF to participate in the Community Celebration at UCSF Mission Bay from 1-6pm (more info here)! I know you will all be watching the World Series just a few blocks away, but before the game come stretch your legs at the event. There will be food, music, and of course gardening activities. I have designed a native plant garden for oohing and awwing (see photo; awesome Dudleya pulverulenta) and their will be an edible garden too! Hope to see you at the Pennsylvania Street Garden booth+ gardens.

Emily

Local metalworker makes PG safer

This just in: if you visit the garden today you'll see new evidence of the craftsmanship of Potrero Hill metalworker Ron Lester (Iron Maverick). He has just installed our brand new handrail, and it runs from the top of the steps all the way down the length of the storm drain, and in classic Ron style has a wavy, organic feel that fits the garden perfectly.

We have always loved his work; he donated the arch at the front of the garden to us, and we liked it so much that we asked him to create the info board holder that we funded with our May 2010 plant sale. After consulting with dog owners, the decision was made to build a fence around the dog area and we've hired Ron to do the job.

We folded the handrail into that brief, and it'll help in our planned improvements to the lower path: stopping folks from being tempted to jump into the ditch, and with baseboards added, stopping wood chips from smothering the Aloe nobilis hedge there. We'll trim back the plants along that path and make a little retaining wall opposite the handrail to keep the Callas in place, widening the path at the base of the steps.

Watch out for the dog area fence soon - the entire garden will soon bear the stamp of Ron's metal artistry! We're very happy to support a local business too, and keep all the money donated by locals on the Hill.

Tree Dahlia gets ready to rock

Dahlia imperialis

Our Tree Dahlia (Dahlia imperialis) is about to start flowering. Get out there and see it now - the 10' tall flower spikes are usually blown over by November winds and we only get to enjoy it for a short time!

Today I deadheaded and trimmed a lot of plants in the garden. I also chatted with Ron yesterday about the handrail he'll be installing at the steps tomorrow. Can't wait to see what that will look like!

Raffle winner - please check in!

mjg1966 at hotmail.com won the raffle at the plant sale - please email me to claim your prize! annie at psgsf.org (or check your email - I sent a couple messages to you)

thanks! :)

Get your PSG tees here, folks!

Some of you may have noticed PSG volunteers wearing some pretty stylish tees at the plant sale last weekend. Well you can have one too! We used CafePress.com to create a whole line of PSG logo tees and sweatshirts, among other things. And $5 from every sale goes to PSG. Click here to buy 'em.

We also have other fun gardening tees for sale - to see the whole line, click here.

Xmas coffee mugs and personalized Christmas ornaments can be found at CafePress if you’re looking for unique Christmas gift ideas!

Deluge of good news!

This just in: stacks of cash

What an utterly bonkers week. To add to the excitement of getting a gong from San Francisco Beautiful and receiving $85,000 last week from two granting bodies, we enjoyed a hugely successful plant sale on Saturday and then on Sunday I was interviewed by the Examiner about our plans for the SPUR project (now known as the Pennsylvania Railroad Garden) just down the street.

Today I got a call from KPIX (Channel 5) that they wanted to do a TV interview right-now-this-minute at the site of the  Pennsylvania Railroad Garden (watch the video and decide for yourself if we should get Emily in front of the camera next time - I vote yes!) This was followed closely by a request from the Potrero View for comment on how on earth we plan to spend our outrageous bounty. And to cap it all off I've just received notification that we received an Innovator Award from SFPT for $1500.

(I really think I have to take Alison's advice and play the lottery this week - it seems Lady Luck has my number on speed dial.)

OK, well I'm going to live in Hawaii now and employ a professional back-patter for full time fawning. I invite all the other fantastic PSG volunteers to follow my example! Do we think SFPT will notice if we invoice them for Mai Tais? Nah!

Watch KPIX tonight, 6pm

Emily and I just met with a photojournalist from KPIX-TV (Channel 5) and if you tune in tonight at 6pm, you’ll see the SPUR project (now known as the Pennsylvania Railroad Garden) on TV!


All this press is the result of the Community Challenge grant awardees being announced today. The excitement is mounting – we should be able to start work soon. Go team!

Examiner article

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Replacing-blight-with-beauty-105156064.html

Replacing blight with beauty
By: Erin Sherbert
Examiner Staff Writer
October 18, 2010

The short stretch of 17th Street at the edge of Potrero Hill has long been known for its homeless encampments, illegal dumping, hypodermic needles and petty crimes.

The street is one of many right of ways in San Francisco that is not formally “accepted” by The City, meaning officials have no obligation to take care of it with street cleaning, sidewalk repairs and everyday maintenance.

Yet, one neighbor is working to clean up the street — one grant at a time.

Annie Shaw, who lives on 17th Street, initiated the Seventeenth and Pennsylvania Urban Renewal project, a plan to give her street a complete makeover.

She is using $45,000 from the Community Challenge Grant program, which provides matching grants to local residents, businesses, nonprofits and other community groups to make neighborhood improvements such as litter abatement, landscaping and adding public artwork.

“Nobody looks after it, so it’s a disaster,” Shaw said of her street. “Nobody had any intent to take care of it.”

Shaw is one of 28 community members who are receiving a piece of a $577,000 grant to embark improvements, which include rain gardens at San Francisco State University and community art at the Tenderloin Housing Clinic.

Companies give 1 percent of their business taxes annually to the grant fund.

Mayor Gavin Newsom is expected to announce the recipients today.

“Clean and green neighborhoods are essential to the quality of life of all San Franciscans, and these innovative community projects help to beautify our neighborhoods and get communities working together,” Newsom said.

Shaw’s project started more than a year ago with a small garden she planted at the off ramp at Mariposa Street. She caught the attention of Caltrans, which owns the land, along with her neighbors, who appreciated the small touch of beauty in the neighborhood.

With the grant money, Shaw plans to start work on building new sidewalks this spring with the help of some professionals. She will plant trees and “spiky” plants that will both be beautiful and create an uncomfortable spot for transients to sleep, Shaw said.

Once the street is brought up to code with Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant sidewalks and acceptable pavement conditions, The City will officially take over maintenance, said Christine Falvey, spokeswoman for the Public Works Department.

In the past six months, The City has accepted more than 200 streets that were not officially maintained by San Francisco.

Sale and festival - fun times!

Panorama!

Yesterday's benefit plant sale and raffle were a great success for us: we raised $2241 to put towards to fencing of the dog area: that's twice as much as we made in May at the last sale!

At 8am we met Gary who'd donated the use of his tents, tables and chairs to us from Brickley Production Services.

Matt & Melissa

Melissa worked the cash box and sold raffle tickets, while Emily and I sold plants and advised customers on what would work for their garden or patio. Nataly arranged the plants beautifully and kept things restocked, as well as selling her own succulents (among other things) which looked lovely! Leah priced and trimmed, and Matt delivered what he described as "a billion" wheelbarrow loads of plants to people's cars, or even their houses if they lived locally. He even dug up a variegated Agave americana right out of the garden for one lady who just had to have it. It's OK - we have lots of others, and it was a tad crowded in that spot ;)

Leanne, Arum, Nataly and Phil worked the booth at the Potrero Hill Festival all day (after helping set up at the sale!) and their setup looked very professional indeed. They raked in the raffle ticket money, and gave away lots of dog treats too! How could Nataly have been at both events, you may ask? I think she must possess super powers ;)



Emily, me, Leanne,
Arum and Nataly



At the end of the day, Emily and I went up to enjoy the festival for a few minutes. There was dancing, there was eating, there was a petting zoo (um, it was total Cute City there - I almost rustled a little goat, they were so adorable!) and clearly a good time was had by all.

When we to back to the sale, Nate, Tanya and Michelle had come to help us tear down - thank goodness for them, because I for one was shattered! We had a few leftover plants that I'll probably put on craigslist next week, when I've had a chance to inventory them. And I need to announce the computer-selected winners of the raffle! Never a dull moment around here ;)

Pics to come soon - check out Emily's ones here!

Welcome to Pennsylvania Garden!

We hope that everyone had a blast at the plant sale & Potrero Hill Festival. Our fund raising efforts were wildly successful, many thanks to everyone who participated. We have such a great neighborhood!

For new visitors:
Pennsylvania Street Gardens is a non-profit group dedicated to greening Potrero Hill and the surrounding neighborhood. It was founded by Annie Shaw in December 2008 with the creation of Pennsylvania Garden at 18th and Pennsylvania.

We maintain Pennsylvania Garden, and are working hard to keep it looking beautiful, and plan on hosting many fun community events (think movie night, dog show, and photography contest!). We love working with members of the community (artists; engineers; dog walkers!) so green thumb or not, you can be a part of the garden too.

If you'd like to volunteer or get on our email list, please send an email to: info at psgsf.org

If you'd like to donate please follow this link: click here

If you have materials (plants, equipment, services, other?) to donate please send Annie an email at: annie at psgsf.org

If you want a Pennsylvania Street Garden T-shirt: click here

Hope to see you all at the garden again soon!

Emily

The plant sale is TOMORROW!

The plant sale is TOMORROW from 10am-4pm! Everybody - tell your friends to please come on down and buy these 600 plants and massive pumpkins and buy a raffle ticket for the $350 in prizes we just have to get rid of!

Raffle items include:

• Salvia mexicana in a beautiful pot from Flora Grubb gardens!
• 2 framed and matted photos of flowers by artist Hilla Hueber!
• Embroidered PSG bag from Rickshaw (see pic; oooohh ahhhh)!
• 2 SpeeDee oil change coupons for the motorized vehicle in your life!

AND MORE!

Tickets will be $1 each, 6 for $5, 15 for $10

Funding at last!

I’m very proud to announce that we have just received $85,000 in funding for the SPUR project (now known as the Pennsylvania Railroad Garden) which aims to change the 100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue into a nice place to live.


This is the combined total from the CCG and PUC grants. We asked for $145k, but their fund is limited – we will apply again next Spring for the rest.

This allows us to divide the project into two (frankly more manageable) chunks:
Phase 1 from 2010-2011: retaining wall and trees (using the funds we were just awarded)
Phase 2 from 2011-2012: plantings, seating, sidewalks, fence etc (future grants)

We will plan community meetings to discuss our plans and look for volunteers to help manage the project shortly. If YOU want to be involved, we need your help!

In the meantime, thanks are due to all of you who contributed to the grant writing, fact-finding, number-crunching effort it took to get these grants written up accurately and submitted in a timely manner, and all those who worked hard to clean the street and liaise with DPW, SFPT and Caltrans to get them on our side.

Congratulations! Let the work begin! :)

Annie

Gong: bestowed

Last night I was invited to receive a San Francisco Beautiful award for Pennsylvania Garden. We were one of four winners this year at the prestigious event, and it was quite the gala function. Tickets were not, ahem, cheap, but then again this is a fundraiser for the foundation that saved San Francisco’s cable cars from being thrown away. Yes – that’s right! Were it not for SFB tourists visiting our fair city would have nothing to do but throw crab sammies at the seals and wonder why it’s sooooo cooooold…

 

I digress! The event last night was at the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel, a splendid Art Deco affair atop Nob Hill. And it was not cold – the roasty weather meant I was able to step out in a strappy dress and heels with no jacket! I made poor Matt wear a suit and tie, as did Ryan. Emily rocked a hot frock too. It was quite the scene!

 

There was also a hat contest going on. I was determined to make a hat for the “flora” division that showed off water-wise plants, so I popped into Flora Grubb Gardens and picked up a Tillandsia xerographica and wired it in all its curly, pale celadon-and-rose glory to a headband. Next I added a pearly pink rosette of Graptopetalum paraguayensis “Pinky” and a more spiky, vertical bromeliad of unknown name with a pink flower. To complete the look, I wired on several leaves from our variegated Cortaderia selloana “Silver Comet” which made a long, twirly feather effect.

 

I didn’t win the hat contest. Suspect favoritism, hehe, but cannot complain – I did receive mad props from one of the many tiara-wearing beauty queens (?!) in attendance, Miss Chinese American Chamber of Commerce (according to her sash.) So there. ;)

 

We ate a lovely meal and were presented with our award and yeah, it felt great to get so many pats on the back after all the stabbing pains in the that back gardening can cause ;)

 

Afterwards we weren’t ready for bed, and it turned out Emily had never experienced The Tonga Room, so we tottered over the road and enjoyed the tropical rainfall and Singapore Slings. I mean, where else can you go in SF when you’re overdressed on a Wednesday night? 

Congratulations to all the volunteers for this award!

Potrero Hill Festival

The 20th Annual Potrero Hill Festival will be held on October 16th on 20th Street between Wisconsin and Missouri Streets. Yes that's right - the same day as our plant sale!

Potrero Hill, the iconic neighborhood is hosting the 20^th annual festival with of a “New Orleans” Style Brunch created by the California Culinary Academy and an exciting street fair at our great location on 20^th Street. We’ll have music, food, crafts and activities for the young and old alike.

The Potrero Hill Festival will support the programs of the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House (NABE). The NABE is an invaluable community resource that provides important programs for the community, including youth and senior nutrition, employment and supplemental education programs and programs for developmentally disabled adults.

We support this cause - and we'll be hosting a booth at the Festival so drop on my and say hello, and buy a raffle ticket for one of our splendid prizes before you wander down to the plant sale at Pennsylvania Garden! It'll be a great day out for everyone and the weather won't be as blisteringly hot by the weekend ;)

Sale plants looking GOOD!

Salvia elegans, Plectranthus
argenteus and an Echeveria
ready to sell.

I was perusing the plants we have for the sale and wow: they are looking really nice! We have over 550 plants for this sale - loads more than last sale, and they are beautiful quality. We have quite a few from Whole Foods, some from Sloat Garden Center, and a geat many have been grown on for us by Matt's dad in Mendocino who has a nursery business there.

I'd say the standouts are some beautiful 1 gallon white gingers - they will smell heavenly when they flower: awesome patio plants. Then I have a matched set of three powder blue Agave americanas in 10 gallon pots that will make someone a very imposing set - their leaves are in perfect condition and form - so architectural.

There's a massive specimen Agave filifera that you won't find just anywhere, some Peruvian Lilies just covered in flowers, and the unusual and exotic Euphorbia lambii - one gallon size and they'll quickly grow to a magical 10' tall tree-let with a very Dr Seuss look.

We've got loads of sweet peas just getting ready to cover your arbor in scented flowers, pots of delicious-smelling Pineapple Sage that are just about to bloom flame red, and millions of succulents for that vertical garden you've been dying to build. We even have Anthurums and variegated spider plants for indoors (why don't more people do border edges with these? In a shaded spot they brighten things up and make a great outdoor plant here in the Bay area - grab some Clivias too and make a rocking shade garden!)

Here's a list of the species we'll be selling, in various sizes (2', 4", 6", 1 gallon, 2 gallon, 5 gallon and 10 gallon) with more to come daily:


Aeonium arboreum “Atropurpureum”
Aeonium sp.
Aeonium haworthii
Aeonium "Kiwi"
Aeonium "Sunburst"
Aeonium - variegated
Aeonium "Zwartkop"
Agave americana
Agave americana variegata
Agave attenuata
Agave fillifera
Agave parryi
Agave lophantha
Agave scabra
Aloe arborescens
Aloe brevifolia
Aloe maculata
Aloe nobilis
Alstroemeria (Peruvian Lily)
Anemone sp. (pink)
Anthurium
Aster “Bill’s Big Blue”
Atriplex lentiformis ssp. breweri
Brugmansia
Calandrinia grandiflora (Rock Purslane)
Camellia
Canna indica – red
Canna - variegated
Carex flagellifera (Weeping Brown Sedge)
Ceanothus
Centranthus ruber (Jupiter's Beard)
Chlorophytum (Spider Plant)
Citrus x limon (Lemon)
Clivia miniata (Fire Lily) - orange
Conifers - unidentified, weeping
Cordymine "Red Sensation"
Coreopsis (yellow)
Cotyledon orbiculata
Cotyledon orbiculata var. oblongata
Crassula erosula "Campfire"
Crassula multicava
Crassula ovata (Jade plant)
Cuphea ignea (Mexican Cigar)
Cypress
Dianella tasmanica
Echeveria sp.
Echeveria "Blue Curls"
Echeveria pulv-oliver
Echium pininana
Euphorbia sp
Euphorbia lambii
Euphorbia lathyris (Gopher Spurge)
Freesia "Scarlet Red"
Fuchsia sp (pink & purple flowers)
Graptopetalum paraguayense "Pinky"
Graptoveria "Fred Ives"
Haemanthus albiflos
Hedychium coronarium (White Ginger)
Hydrangea sp (White Lace)
Hydrangea sp
Impatiens balfouri
Iris douglasiana
Iris douglasiana "Canyon Snow"
Isomeris arborea (Bladder Pod)
Jasminum blinii (Pink Jasmine)
Juniperus chinensis ("Old Gold" juniper)
Juniperus horizontalis "Blue Chip"
Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi (Lavender Scallops)
Kalanchoe thyrsiflora (Paddle Plant)
Kalanchoe tomentosa (Panda Plant)
Lathyrus odoratus (Sweet Pea) 'America'
Lathyrus odoratus (Sweet Pea) 'Berry Dare'
Lathyrus odoratus (Sweet Pea) 'Mrs. Collier'
Lavandula sp. (Lavender)
Leonotis leonurus (Lion's Tail)
Lysimachia nummularia (Creeping Jenny)
Mentha suaveolens variegata (Pinapple Mint)
Miscanthus sp. (Ornamentakl Grass)
Myrsine africana (African Box)
Nepeta "Walker's Low" (Catmint)
Nicotiana alata "Lime Green"
Oenothera biennis (Evening Primrose)
Opuntia sp.
Ornithogalum umbellatum (Star of Bethlehem)
Passiflora sp (Passion Flower) - lavender/pink
Pelargonium (Geranium)
Phormium (New Zealand Flax)
Phormium tenax (New Zealand Flax)
Plectranthus amboinicus (Cuban oregano)
Plectranthus argenteus
Rosa (Rose - pink)
Rosmarinus (Rosemary)
Salvia elegans (Pineapple sage)
Salvia elegans (Pineapple sage)
Salvia greggii "Moonlight"
Salvia karwinskii (Karwinski's Sage)
Salvia leucantha (Mexican Sage)
Sedum sp.
Senecio madraliscae (Blue Chalksticks)
Sisyrinchium californica (Yellow-Eyed Grass)
Stachys byzantina (Lamb's Ears)
Stipa tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass)
Tulbaghia violacea (Society Garlic)
Viola sp. (Violet)
Washingtonia (Mexican Fan Palm)
Zantedeschia (Calla Lily)



Bike tour!

 I was out in the garden at 9 am labeling plants. In a little while, Emily came along and we labeled away while trying to prevent some small children from hurling themselves into agaves while their parents ignored them (!)


Around noon, 40 bicyclists converged on the garden! This was not a surprise – it was part of the Garden City Workshop & Bicycle Tour put on by San Francisco Parks Trust (SFPT) and Garden for the Environment (GFE). In fact, Julia from SFPT was cycling along with them!

Emily took pics while I did a very brief megaphone talk on how the garden got started. They asked questions, took brochures, and they were off to the next stop on their tour!

Kunzea baxteri

After this whirlwind of activity Emily and I finished up some labeling, noticed the first ever flowers on our Kunzea baxteri, and then drove to Flora Grubb Gardens to get a raffle prize. We were immediately struck by a 5 gallon Salvia “Limelight” in a tall, matching green ceramic pot that set off the violet-blue flowers amazingly well. Saw it. Wanted it. Had to have it. Got it. Yeah!

Next we went to Flowercraft and got a load of plants for Emily’s upcoming UCSF demonstration garden. My patio is full to the brim with plants – will we sell them all? I hope so!

One week before the sale!

Phil obliterates weeds

Today we had an extra volunteer day to help with prep for our big plant sale on October 16th

We had a great turnout! Leanne and Phil, Alison and Rick, Emily, Arum, Gina, Michelle and I worked from about 9-2pm, and in that time we weeded the entire dog area, sheared the lavenders and watered them well (thanks Rick and Alison!), deadheaded Cannas, Scabiosas etc, planted loads of Muscari bulbs and daffodils "Fragrant Rose" and "Replete" and labeled tons of plants for the sale. Whew! Great job guys!

Emily

We also presented the winners of the dog contest with their prizes: a fabulous set of doggie poop bag holder and refills of biodegradable dog poop bags! I think they went down pretty well: Big thanks to Arum and CSNStores.com for providing the prizes.






Arum, Rick and Alison

After that Emily was kind enough to drive me over the Sloat Garden Center on 3rd Avenue. This entire trip should have taken no more than an hour - we were just picking up donated plants to use as raffle prizes for the sale. However, due to Fleet Week it took... two and a half hours. Most of that spent inching across Golden Gate Park while steaming in frustration.



Leanne

This made Emily and I very late for our next appointments, and was totally aggravating. Gah! Lucky Emily and I always have lots to talk about ;) Sorry Ryan and Melissa. Don't hate me - hate the Blue Angels, people!

International Tulip (Or Daffodil!) Guerrilla Gardening Day.

Saturday 9 October, is the first International Tulip Guerrilla Gardening Day. Just like International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day in May it's an excuse to go out and plant tulips (or daffs) in your neighbourhood and beyond, knowing that others are doing the same all over the place at the same time. This feels pretty good and will look good come spring 2011. I've heard that guerrillas in France, Italy, Canada, USA, Belgium, Austria, Germany will all be taking part... and for those for whom it's spring time well... why not make 9 October your sunflower day?


Join the Facebook event for more info here.

(If October 9 passes you by the tulips or daffs won't mind, you can still plant them well into early winter).
 
I'm going out to plant a few dozen daffs and Muscari in Pennsylvania Garden on Saturday. Join me?

LAST CALL! Calling all dog owners! Win a prize!

UPDATE! We have some winners already.... just TWO more prizes left to grab folks! ENTER NOW!

Great day for dog owners at P. Garden: we’re having a contest, and you can win some excellent prizes!

We have 6 fantastic sets of dog poop bag dispensers and biodegradable bags up for grabs in this contest. All you have to do is answer this one simple question by emailing me: annie at psgsf.org

Name ONE dog who visits the garden regularly and who has been mentioned in this blog!

Yeah, pretty easy, but we want to give away these prizes so send your answers in right away! Spread the word on the contest and cleanup day (see rules) so we can get as many hands on deck as possible - we need to get things looking lovely for the plant sale on October 16th, where 100% of proceeds go towards improving the dog area.


UPDATE! We have some winners already.... just TWO more prizes left to grab folks! ENTER NOW!
Michelle and Gypsy
Alison and Peeka
Dorothy and Bella (I think?)
Gina and Tank

The Rules:
The first 6 correct answers win a prize.
Closing date for entires is whenever we get 6 correct answers!
You must pick up your prize in person at the volunteer days on October 2nd or October 9th, when we will be cleaning up the dog area a little in preparation for the plant sale on October 16th.
That sale is a benefit for the dog area’s new fence! If you can stay and pull a few weeds, great!
No substitutions, no whining, no howling!

Garden City Workshop Oct 10th: Sign Up Today!

A Three Part Workshop Series- October 10, 17, and November 7th.

Have you been dreaming of starting your own urban oasis, a garden where you can grow you own food and find some peace of mind, but you don't have any space and don't know where to look to find some? If so, this 3 part practical workshop series is for you! Attend one workshop, or all three. This workshop series is co-presented by the San Francisco Parks Trust and Garden for the Environment.

Garden City Workshop I: Finding City Land for a Garden & Bicycle Tour

Date: Sunday, October 10, 2010
Time: 9 AM - 1:30 PM
Location: San Francisco County Fair Building, 9th Ave @ Lincoln Way, just inside Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA 94122
Cost: $15-$30 sliding scale

Pre-registration is required, and space is limited, so sign-up soon.
To pre-register, please call (415)750-5110, or email julia@sfpt.org


"The future of life on this planet may depend on what we eat. Factory farmed junk food is the #1 cause of climate change." - Excerpt from Organic Consumers Association's "Food Agenda 2020: The Organic Alternative"

If you want to be part of reducing carbon emissions in your community and be part of the local urban agriculture movement, look no further- this workshop is for you!! You'll learn how to identify possible spaces for gardens in San Francisco, including city property, privately owned lots, school gardens, sidewalks and backyards. The pros and cons of each option will be explored. Workshop participants will venture out on bicycles for a rolling tour of innovative gardens implemented in such spaces and to meet the visionaries that created them. All participants should bring a bag lunch, water, and a bicycle.

The bicycle tour will end at Hayes Valley Farm at 1:30 PM. Workshop participants will then have the opportunity to get keyed into and play a crucial role in garden actions throughout the city organized by Kitchen Garden SF, including garden installations, maintenance and harvesting. Also planned at Hayes Valley Farm are afternoon workshops and a harvest party. The entire day's activities are part of the Global Environmental Work Party, day of action 10.10.10, organized by 350.org and local urban agriculture organizations.

Sloat sponsors raffle prizes!

This just in! Sloat Garden Center (home of all plants we drool over) has agreed to donate prizes to us for the raffle at our plant sale on October 16th!

Come to the garden and buy a ticket or five, or get tickets at our booth at the Potrero Hill Festival on October 16th too! Oh I'm dying to know what they're donating... I'm sure it will be something very, very cool.

Nickels for P. Garden!

Whole Foods is doing their Nickels for Nonprofits thing again. This is where you bring your shopping bags and they donate $0.05 for each bag to one of three nonprofits. Between now and the holidays, PG is one of those nonprofits!

So, every time you shop there, even if you’re only buying a tiny lip gloss or one apple, take a bag! And please pick Pennsylvania Street Gardens as your nonprofit of choice. We’ll let you know how much we raise and what we’re going to spend it on later.

Potting session

Matt and I went out today and potted up some Agave lophantha that John gave us recently. Took about an hour to get them all set up for the plant sale, and we have more to do. Then we were hungry... so we left!

Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention.... it RAINED today. The non-locals may not appreciate the significance of this, but it's a big deal to SF gardeners: first real rain since the spring! I just Googled to find out how much rain we got and let's just say it might as well never have happened, 'cos that statistic is impossible to find. I estimate 1/2" which is about enough to make the soil look wet, but if you scuff the dirt with your toe it's dusty underneath. It will take a few days of that rain, or a real storm, before we get nice damp dirt. In the meantime I'll be out there dragging hoses around as usual...

Photo shows two Salvias flowering away nicely: in the forground is "Anthony Parker" and in the background Salvia leucantha (Mexican Sage)

Weeds begone!

Up at the crack o'dawn today to go to the Sloat plant sale. I got some Penstemons for Emily's upcoming demonstration gardening event at UCSF (details to follow)

At 10am Matt and I made it to the garden. This volunteer day was another great show of might in numbers. In two hours Arum, Nataly, Elliot, Nate, Tanya and Miyuki cleared all the paths of weeds. Boom!

Miyuki and I also inventoried succulents, and Matt bought new locks for the tool shed. I chatted with Max from across the street, and David from around the 'hood. Matt set up the water and improved the path to the compost heap a bit too.

After that we all stood around eating ice cream Arum had brought from Mr & Mrs Miscellaneous which was excellent.

All in all, a lovely day! Photos show the Salvia elegans (Pineapple Sage) flowering nicely for the first time, and the Dyckia, getting ready to flower again.