Sunday, October 9, 2011

Hurricane Irene wipes out garden, community determined to rebuild

It has been over a month since fate blew the Catskills a heavy blow with heavy rainfall caused by Hurricane Irene. Our community got lucky despite losing a few bridges and a few close calls in the aftermath - two residents were severely injured while cleaning up downed trees in separate incidents. As we checked on our neighbors and nearby communities, news spread that our young community garden and the native plants we planted for stream restoration didn't make it. It was a few days before I got around to seeing it given that our bridge was one of the ones that got washed out. Nothing could have prepared me for this though. In my mind the garden was still looking like this (taken on August 20th).



Then to see this.

And this.
And this.

It was heart-breaking. I couldn't look at it for too long myself to notice the silver lining that was present. Within days Alex had sent word out to the community garden that all was not lost.
She wrote:
"In the midst of the muck, a few glorious pumpkins, tomatoes,some flowers and our some little native blueberry shrubs are still in ground. As Karen noted, we are now the recipients of a lot of high quality top soil, always a plus."

And sure enough, I looked at the pictures I had shot while in shock and you can see for yourself the colorful life peaking out among the dull brushstrokes of mud left by the flood.


Alex also reported that two raised beds, a bunch of tools, most of the garden posts and fencing materials had survived the flooding giving us gardeners hope that the future of our beloved community garden is brighter than we (I) first thought!




One thing about gardeners, they are forever looking ahead. So while the garden may have had a pretty serious setback this year, we are determined to make next year's growing season even better.


Note: There are efforts underway to get things into place for next year. Keep an eye out for email announcements to help any way you can.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Streamside Buffer Initiative Planting Day May 21, 2011


Innes Kasanof clears the grounds for easy planting with her mighty weed-wacker!


Willy Baer gets acquainted with the native seedlings & saplings ready for planting.


Alex Brock plants a young tree at the start of the path leading to the Vly Creek.


Catherine Skalda of Catskill Streams Buffer Initiative introduces the native plants & their ecological importance to volunteers.


A visitor from NYC digs another hole for a tree sapling.


Catherine speaking with Halcott Community Garden volunteers


Catherine shows Karen Rauter and Kurt Reynertson how to best place willow saplings (harvested on site!) into the side of the creek bank.

We had a beautiful cool day to work together creating a buffer landscape as part of our community garden. Thank you to Karen Rauter for securing the funding for this project and to Alex Brock and Bill for gathering the workforce with a lovely handmade postcard mailed to Halcott Community Garden members.

Monday, May 16, 2011

NATIVE PLANT DAY AT THE GARDEN SATURDAY, MAY 21 10 AM -4PM



JOIN US SATURDAY MAY 21 10 AM - 4PM IN THE GARDEN
FOR A DAY OF DEMONSTRATION, PLANTING AND CREATION OF A MODEL
STREAMSIDE PATH TO THE VLY FROM THE GARDEN. TAKE A NATIVE PLANT
HOME FOR YOUR GARDEN, ALL COURTESY OF THE
CATSKILL STREAMSIDE BUFFER INITIATIVE GRANT , AWARDED JAN 2011

BRING GLOVES, SHOVELS, HANDTROWELS AND A BAG LUNCH. WATER, COFFEE AND TEA WILL BE SERVED.

ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND !!!!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Sleet moves the first garden meeting to Saturday, April 23 at 3:00pm


Typical April weather in the valley encouraged rescheduling of the season's first work meeting to Saturday, April 23 at 3:00pm. A few hardy gardeners braved the sleet and cold rain to check the plots and survey the effects of the mountain winter. A number of bright green (and fresh-frozen) brussel sprouts were spotted as well as some early green shoots here and there.





There was a short meeting in the grange to discuss the coming season and preview some of the developments to come. Alex Brock opened with an update of the discussion of the stream buffer project scheduled for SATURDAY MAY 21, 10 am - 4pm. 



Oleg Demssevitch and Willy Baer discuss the location of the stream buffer plantings.


Hope for better weather on Saturday and bring your work gloves and tools!
We'll see at 3:00!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Season 2011 is underway

The Halcott Community Garden is the recipient of a Catskill Stream Buffer Initiative Grant sonsored by the Delaware County Soil & Water Conservation Department . Please join Catherine Skalda, coordinator of the program, and members of the HCG for a hands on work day to learn about best management practices using native plants for streamside erosion control and control of invasive plant species all while creating and planting a model garden serving the town of Halcott and it's neighboring communities for years to come.....JOIN US...ALL ARE WELCOME!
SAVE THE DATE : SATURDAY MAY 21, 10 am - 4pm , Halcott Community Garden, adjacent to the town highway department. Please Bring a bag lunch plus gloves, shovels, spades, rakes and hand trowels.
Water, coffee & tea will be provided at the nearby Grange building. JOIN US!