Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Meeting Summary

We just had a good meeting, and I will sum it up for everyone:

1. garden plan: submitted to city, waiting to hear back, I will email and bug Tina-Linda suggested grills in park/garden which is great idea
2. grants: Linda is finishing up Fiskars, Sue will check over Captain Planet and then we will send in, waiting to hear back from Nature Hills, will resubmit Growing to Gree in October WITH a budget (which I forgot to attach)
3. timeline: posted on our blog, check it out: http://sycamorehillscommunitygarden.blogspot.com/2009/01/timeline.html
4. connections: High priority. We need to make connections. We need someone to draft a letter as a script for people to say when contacting business/organizations and/or to send out/email. I got a partial list from Tom as to who has helped SHRA in the past. Other people had ideas and connections. Please add those ideas in your reply or post to blog
5. Blog: you have all been invited as co authors to post. I know this is a new technology, so maybe we can have a training session. It would be helpful to meet at a library with a computer room, or for people to come over with laptops. I shared my vision for the blog, too, and I basically see it as a way for kids to get involved as writers and photographers, etc, as well as all the other adults in the community garden.
I think that is it. Maybe we can have the next meeting in February and focus on the connections. It would be fun to all make calls at once, perhaps less intimidating!

Timeline

The garden timeline:
April 2008: creation of idea and communication to neighborhood
May: Share and collect information on garden idea with neighbors
June: Meet and discuss information gathered
July: ascertain formal interest and garden planners
August: prepare grants
October: garden tour
November: planning and design meeting
December: prepare grants and budget

January 2009: Garden meeting
February: make community connections, submit grants
March: Establish garden care rules and regulations
April: Begin sign ups
May: Begin construction and planting
June: planting, harvesting, and maintenance
July: planting, harvesting, and maintenance
August: planting, harvesting, and maintenance
September: planting, harvesting, and maintenance
October: garden preparation for winter and post season reflection

Monday, January 26, 2009

Working on Connections

Tom,
When you get a second, can you make a list of businesses that have worked with SHRA in the past (donations, support, etc). I need to know this for the garden.
This will help me A LOT!
thanks,
Amy

His Reply:
Through Jill: KROGER, ARLINGTON BANK
Welcoming Packages: Morone's Pizza, Texas Road House, Great Harvest, Victoria's Flowers, Dublin Cleaners, Mr Mulch, Rita's Italian Ice

Other Ideas:
Contact made but needs followed up on:
Shannon-Grainger
Brian-Bob Evans
Kim-Paetec
Jonathan-Rain Brothers
Stephanie-Gables Elementary School
Bill-Franklin Park Conservatory Growing to Green Program
Andrea-Straders Garden Center (5th ave only)
Cory-OSU Master Gardeners

Need to be contacted:
1.Volunteering: Columbus Police and Fire Departments, Christian Fellowship Church, Mayfair Village Retirement Center, Bishop Watterson High School.
2.Donations: Columbus Parks and Recreation Department, Andersons General Store, Oakland,
Construction company, Landscape company, Big Columbus Companies, Mr. Mulch, Jones topsoil.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Garden Planner Meeting Agenda

Hi, Ladies, Here is our agenda:
1. Blog (content, authors)
2. captain planet, other grants
3. garden design
4. timeline
5. connections to community

I am attaching the captain planet grant I have written up before corrections, so please print it out and mark it up, or email it back to me. It is all about getting kids involved in the garden, and it was really fun to write! If you can visit the blog before the meeting that would be good, too, but if not, we will go there together!
http://sycamorehillscommunitygarden.blogspot.com/

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Under There

is a beautiful community garden waiting to emerge!

Great Garden Art Ideas







How awesome.

Dream Budget for Garden


Captain Planet Grant Budget


Caring for Tools

By Willi Evans Galloway

1. Dip a soft cotton cloth in linseed oil and then coat the rusty sections of your shovel with a thin layer of the oil. Scrub off the rust with steel wool or a wire brush with stiff bristles. Apply firm pressure and use downward brushstrokes as you scrub. Be sure to wear gloves. Remove the rusty residue with a soft cloth. Then clean the blade in soapy water and dry it.

2. To sharpen the blade, use a flat metal file. This is easiest if you use a bench vise or C-clamps to hold the shovel steady while you file. Clamp the shovel to the workbench with its blade facing up. Position the file at a 45-degree angle to the blade, placing pressure on the outer edge of the blade. Begin filing at the bottom of the blade by drawing the file toward the handle using a firm, steady stroke. Draw the file in only one direction. Check the sharpness after each stroke with the file.

3. If your shovel has a wooden handle, sand it with a piece of fine sandpaper to smooth out splinters and rough sections. Clean off the sawdust with a cloth and then coat the handle with linseed oil to nourish the wood.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Our Sycamore Hills Community












Community Website Links

http://sycamorehills.us/

http://northwestcivic.wordpress.com/

http://www.greatercolumbusgreenmap.org/

YAY! YAY! YAY!



Wonderful people are getting more and more involved in the garden! Roger and Linda finished up revisions of the Fiskars and Nature Hills grants. Joe made the beautiful garden design below. The SHRA has a spiffy new website almost up and going and they are excited about the garden design. I learned how to hook up my hitch, rent a trailer, and haul things to the dump with Melanie and Joe's help. Random craigslist people are donating items! Brian is looking into getting Bob Evans involved, and Shannon is looking into Grainger's support. Sue is coming to the meeting this Sunday. Kate finished the logo, Jill sent me beautiful neighborhood photos, and Liz is turning documents into files I can post on the blog! Laurie figured out a way for me to post items on the blog as images through www.zamzar.com. YAAAAY! These are the fun times!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009