We need your leaves!

The 2014 Leaf Drop is under way. Only two more weekends left, so rake ’em up and bring ’em over!!

Leaves are a large part of our compost operations throughout the year and donating your leaves is a great way to support your local community garden. Happy Fall!!
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Good times at the garden

Too much fun can be great. We seem to have gathered a bit of a backlog of past event photos to share, so without further ado…

Natural Tannin Dyes
Liz Spencer aka the Dogwood Dyer brought organic cotton, wild nettle, and fair trade hemp to dye with acorns, black walnut, sumac, and iron. Tannin-rich plants can be used for both mordanting and dyeing which means you can create a beautiful fall palette from completely local ingredients! In addition to these lovely dyes, shibori and itajame techniques for patterning were shared.

This workshop was held in November 2013. Don’t miss our next natural dye workshop focusing on Indigo and Woad! Learn more at phcfdye.brownpapertickets.com
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Fall Workshops

We’ve already had an excellent workshop on medicinal herbs and a great Gardener’s Mic on beneficial weeds (more on those in a future post).

Next up is a crochet workshop on Saturday, September 27 from 11:30am – 1pm, led by PHCF member Traci Nottingham.  Traci is a spinner, fiber farmer, and crocheter that has been exploring the fiber arts for over 20 years.  This class is ideal for those who have always wanted to learn crochet or simply pick up a new hobby.  Free!  No registration required.

Then Saturday, October 11 from 11:00am – 3pm, there will be an Indigo and Woad workshop with Liz Spencer aka the Dogwood Dyer.  Learn about the precious few plants in nature that yield a blue pigment.  We’ll be working with three different processes including the ‘organic sugar’ vat that requires no chemicals, and fresh leaf dyeing with woad grown in the garden!  This is no ordinary natural dye workshop so sign up ASAP!  Register at phcfdye.brownpapertickets.com

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Wild Brooklyn!

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Whether you’re stressed out, have low energy, or just want to learn about some of the edible and medicinal plants that surround us, this workshop is for you!  PHCF member, herbalist, activist, trainer, and teacher, Vanessa Chakour, will be discussing the healing power of local plants on Saturday, September 6th, 11am at the garden.  The introduction lecture is free and open to all.

Workshop participants will then be led on a guided walk, learn how to identify and responsibly harvest seasonal medicinal herbs, and then complete the day by making their own herbal tinctures and infusions.  There is a tour and materials fee of $30; please click here to register

See you then!

Fall is here!

And that means leaves are everywhere! PHCFarm would love to accept your bagged leaves on the next three Sundays: November 10, 17, and 24 from 10am-2pm. Please ensure no twigs, branches, or trash are mixed in.

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You’re invited to our 15th annual Pumpkin Smash Potato Bake Bash

photo and history courtesy of Traci Nottingham

photo and history courtesy of Traci Nottingham

Come to Prospect Heights Community Farm this Saturday, November 2 from 12:30 to 4:30pm! Compost your tired jack-o-lanterns and have a baked potato, cider, and other treats too. Enjoy music starting at 1:30pm by the talented folk singer/songwriter Jennifer Richman, multi-genre vocalist Lexy Casano, and folk guitarist Stan Baum.

Be a part of history!

Fall 1997: The semi-abandoned community garden was reorganized and much of the mugwort, japanese knotweed, and dumped trash (car parts, sofas, etc) was cleared out

Spring 1998: Cleaning and planning continued

Memorial Day weekend 1998: Raised beds were built in the layout that we see today, marking PHCF’s very first gardening season

Fall 1998: To celebrate all of our hard work and accomplishments, we decided to have a shin-dig and thus the Pumpkin Smash Potato Bake Bash was born

Fall 2013: Bring your pumpkins and help us celebrate our fifteenth year in the garden!

FREE

(rain date November 3)

Upcoming: Natural Dye Workshop With Tannins

The dye workshop went so well last time, we are hosting another! On Saturday, October 26th from 2-5pm, Liz Spencer will guide us through the marvelous color combinations of cellulose fibers and tannins. Participants will be working with organic cotton, fair trade hemp, and one of the coolest plant fibers…hand spun nettle (we promise there will not be any stinging!).

The local dyestuffs, including acorns, black walnut, sumac and iron, have a rich palette perfect for the autumn season. Participants will also learn about mordanting naturally to reap the bounty of our surroundings and dye without store-bought assists.

Each participant will receive one piece of cloth and two skeins of yarn to experiment with at the workshop. The sliding scale fee is $35-50 and anything you can contribute to help the garden is greatly appreciated! Register now at www.phcfarm.com/dye.

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Great Autumn Shrub Sale – Additional dates!

What should you be planting in fall? A shrubbery, of course.

This Saturday AND Sunday, October 5th AND 6th, between 12-4pm, we can help with our Great Autumn Shrub Sale! In addition to ornamental & fruit shrubs, we’ll have cool season seeds and fresh & dried herbs for your kitchen. There’s too much to list so come down to the garden at 252-256 St Marks Ave between Vanderbilt and Underhill on the day to see what you fancy.

Brilliant color from Pokeberry, Goldenrod, and Black-eyed Susan

Our September natural dye workshop was a great success. Many thanks to Liz and all the participants!! Goldenrod and pokeberry foraged from the Hudson Valley, as well as black-eyed susan from the garden, were used to create luscious colors on silk fabric and wool/mohair yarn. I can’t think of a better way to have spent an afternoon.

Want to get in on the fun next time? Follow @phcfarm on twitter or facebook and @misslizspencer on twitter or instagram.

Upcoming: Natural Dye Workshop

We’re pleased to announce our first natural dye workshop at the garden. Liz Spencer is a natural dyer, ethical fashion designer, artist, gardener, fiber enthusiast & animal lover. She holds a Master of Arts in Fashion & the Environment from the London College of Fashion and has experience with dyeing and dye gardens across the globe. RSVP at www.phcfarm.com/dye

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