Garden Orientation 2018

Thanks to everyone who came out to our opening day! If you missed our garden orientation this past weekend or would like a quick refresher, please read below:

1. Private Plots and Communal Beds:
   1. Private Plots are raised beds, each numbered 1 – 25. They are wicking beds and must be watered by filling the weeping tile from the standpipe, not from the cistern. Private plot holders are not to harvest from the Communal Beds.
   2. Communal Beds are all beds that are not numbered. They must be watered with a sprinkler/hose attached to either a standpipe or a cistern. Communal gardeners are not to harvest from Private Plots.
2. Tool Shed:
   1. Tools are for use by all gardeners, please clean tools before returning them to the shed. Ensure the shed door is closed before leaving the garden.
   2. Task Board – please sign up for tasks that need to be done
   3. Team Lists – are located in the shed, please refer to your team list for your assigned watering day
   4. Garden Map – there is a map of the garden inside the tool shed
3. Communication:
   1. There is a Communication Book inside the tool shed, please note anything that you wish.
   2. There is also a Communication Board at the entrance to the garden which indicates what is ready to harvest.
4. Gate Closure:
   1. Please ensure the gate is securely closed before leaving the garden!
5. Children:
   1. Children are welcome but please make sure they are supervised!
6. Dogs:
   1. Unfortunately, dogs are not permitted in the garden
7. Voles:
   1. We are trying to control voles by trapping. You can help by emptying traps and resetting them. If you do not wish to do this, please leave the trap in place and someone else will look after it.
   2. PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE TRAPS.
8.  Water:
   1. We receive water and are able to access it by way of permission from the hospital. This means it is at their discretion and any abuse or negligence on our end could result in this privilege being revoked. Therefore it is imperative that the water be shut off at the hospital after use.
   2. We dug a trench and buried the lines, connecting each cistern to the main water supply via a standpipe.
   3. If you are the last one in the garden please take a moment to check to see if the water is on and then turn it off. If there are other gardeners in the garden, ask if they have a need for it. If they do not, then turn it off.  If they are going to use it, confirm with them whether they know where and how to shut the water off.
   4. Individual cisterns are filled by a hose from the standpipe to the opening on top of the cistern. Please do not remove this hose from the cistern. The cisterns can be filled in about 30 > 45 mins if the water is not being used by anyone else. If you notice cisterns are low and you are expecting to be around for a while, then please initiate the task of filling one up.
   5. Communal garden – watering can be done either directly from cisterns or via the main water source (i.e., standpipe). If you wish to water directly from the standpipe, disconnect the hose that goes to the cistern and connect the watering hose to the standpipe. We encourage the use of sprinklers for watering, but you must remain at the garden while watering. Ensure the bed is thoroughly soaked at least 1 inch into the soil.
   6. Plot gardeners – watering/filling through your weeping tile is to be done using the main water source connection and not the cisterns.
   7. Maintenance – from time to time, the couplings will need to have attention paid to them. Drips and leaks happen which is why we have a task maintenance board. If you notice leaks, please don’t assume the issue has been noticed or addressed. Have a look at the board and make an attempt to inform the person who is responsible for that task. If you can’t do this, then please relay the information to your team leader or to the general community garden’s email address and let them know.
9. Weed Trimming
   1. Plot gardeners please try to keep the weeds and grass around your bed trimmed to reduce voles.
   2. Communal gardeners please assist with weed trimming around the garden where needed.

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