It's a bug's life

Since it is getting close to planting time, I wanted to give an overview of beneficials that we can plant to keep pests away and attract "good" bugs.

Daisies -- attract ladybugs who like to munch on aphids and mites
Black-eyed Susans and Asters -- attract lacewings and hover flies also to eat aphids
Marigolds -- give off a fragrance that deters mosquitoes
Sunflowers -- attract pirate bugs to deter white flies
Queen Anne's Lace -- attract small insects that eat caterpillars

We will also purchase some praying mantis who have an appetite for all kinds of garden bugs.

Extra! Extra!

Read all about it!!

We will be lining the bottoms of the beds with newspaper in order to prevent weeds from growing. Please bring any recyclable newspapers you have to the upcoming workdays.

Take your pick...

As we mentioned today, if there are any particular varieties you are hoping to see grown at the garden, please let us know so that we can look for them at the local nurseries over the next few days.

Our current seed and seedling inventory is as follows:

Tomatoes
Bell peppers
Chili peppers
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Honeydew
Butter lettuce
Spring mix
(Beets)
(Carrots)
(Spinach)
(Snow peas)
(Garlic)
(Onions)
(Eggplant)
(Acorn squash)
(Potatoes)
(Strawberries)

Go Team!!

We hope everyone was able to learn a thing or two about building raised beds today. Thank you to everyone who was able to come out and help. Over the next week, we will be finishing a few more beds, filling them with dirt, amending the soil, and planting seeds and seedlings!!

For the upcoming week, we will be onsite during the following dates and times:

Sunday, May 17 8AM-11AM

Monday, May 18 5PM-7PM

Wednesday, May 20 5PM-7PM

Please feel free to stop by! If you cannot make it during any of the times listed above, we will also be posting some "to-do's" on the blog as the days go by, so please check back!!

Keep it up!!

What a difference a day makes! Since this morning, we have had several more generous donations to our Community Garden Fund. We are so grateful for the support and would like to welcome additional contributions prior to our big workday on Saturday!

Save the Date

Mark your calendars! Our first workday will be Saturday, May 16 at 3pm. Can't wait to see you there!

Great meeting all of you!

What a great turnout! We're so excited that all of you came out to our first meeting. If you didn't get a handout at tonight's meeting, you should receive a copy in your Inbox later tonight. As mentioned at the meeting, we will be holding another informational meeting next Wednesday, May 13 at 6pm. Please tell all your YMCA friends who couldn't make it today!

Please make sure to sign-up as a follower of the blog. This way, an email will be automatically sent to you everytime there is a new post. Also, feel free to leave comments after any of the posts. Tell us what you want to plant, what you want to learn about, ideas you have for the garden, or anything else you'd like to share. We want to hear from you!

Welcome!!

Welcome to the home of the South Pasadena San Marino YMCA Community Garden! We're starting South Pasadena's first organic community garden and hope you'll join us. Bring your tools and gardening know how for a fun-filled growing season. In fact, even if you don't know a thing about gardening, we'd love to have you!

Our first meeting will be tonight, Wednesday, May 6 at 6pm at the YMCA Tree Lot located on Garfield Avenue. Over the next few months, we'll hold "How To" sessions where you can learn about everything from composting to cooking. Everyone's welcome to participate. We hope to see you there!