Garden Stewards

Overview

In late 2014, the garden membership passed a motion to appoint “Stewards” to coordinate each of the approximately 20 common areas in the Garden. The aim of this principle is to inspire members to assist in managing common garden areas, improve transparency and communication about these spaces, increase the gardening knowledge of the membership, avoid conflict, and increase the overall condition of the front of the garden. Each common area will have one Steward, working with a team, leading the concept, and overall direction of the area.

How to participate

Those who would like to be really hands-on and influence the direction of an area of the garden may wish to apply to be a Steward. Proposals for common areas (the map) without Stewards may be submitted to the Master Gardeners and are accepted on a rolling basis.

If you’d like to help with an area already under the supervision of a Steward, you can join as a team member. See below for a list of areas and the current Stewards. To get involved, if you’re at a work day you can either talk to Steward directly or ask one of the Master Gardeners for guidance. Outside the garden, you can use the following email address to email all of the Stewards: stewards@phcfarm.com

Guidelines

• Continuity is important, so trashing everything in a space to realize your idea is forbidden, however transition plans are acceptable.
• Food production is strongly discouraged due to poor soil conditions (lead).
• The Garden does not pay for ornamental plants. Please refer to the Master Gardeners for sourcing options.
• Communal areas are still the responsibility of all members, however Stewards will coordinate efforts to maximize the potential of an area.
• Tree pruning and removal shall only be performed by or under the guidance of the Master Gardeners.

For more detail on the rules in place to ensure the smooth operation of the common areas of the garden, please see the rules.

Information for current stewards

Stewards are recommended to do the following:

Frequently:

• Share when they’ll be gardening their areas
• Communicate with their team directly on to do’s
• Provide to-do’s for Group Gardening Days to Coordinators/Master Gardeners
• Email updates, successes, failures to Master Gardeners prior to monthly meeting

Seasonally:

• Check the list to see who their team members are
• Understand past history of area when planning future improvements
• Update Plant Directory
• Talk to Master Gardeners
• Send photos and accompanying text to the Communications Co-ordinator for use on the blog and social media

Information for current members

Always

• Check in with Stewards prior to planting or weeding (Don’t risk pulling out a plant that may not be in bloom yet!)

Frequently:

• Let the Stewards know when you’re available to garden (Maybe you foresee extra time during open hours?)

The garden’s common areas

If you’re unsure of which area in the garden is which, you can first have a look at the map of the garden.

There is also a list of the current stewards and team members

To help you decide which area you’d like to help with, here are the aims of each area for the current year:

Area A: Tree Pits

Prospect Heights Community Farm’s two tree pits serve many functions, including housing and protecting our two (Swamp?) Oak street trees, announcing and heralding the gated entrance to the farm, and adding all the benefits that trees contribute to our environs through cleaning the air, providing shade, housing birds, absorbing run off and making people smile. Proper care and maintenance of a tree pit is essential to securing a healthy long life for the trees housed within and all the benefits that they provide. Maintenance will include watering, mulching, feeding, and removing litter. Potential projects could include a local school centered project of adopting and naming the trees. With the proper care and education of the public, our street trees will grow with us for many years to come. (Brian)

Area B: Sustainable Bed

This year in addition to maintaining the relevant Project plants and Jerusalem artichokes behind, get the proper tags / labels for ID-ing the plants back in place. (Traci)

Area C: Marcia Bed

This well planted bed needs others to get involved in order to introduce others to the idea of layered plantings for spring, summer, late summer and fall interest. (Virginia)

Area D: Textile and Dye Bed

Goal: To create multi-season interest with a mix of plants usable as textiles and dyes. To make available bast fiber and dye material for members and visitors.

Maintenance needs: watering, dead-heading, keeping weeds and brutish plants under control.

(Sofia)

Area E: Francis’ Bed

n/a – Ask Francis as needed

Area F: Melissa’s Bed

Add compost ASAP, keep it weeded, and see what comes up as the time goes by. Divide and replant the snowdrops after their foliage browns. Reduce the overcrowding; the beauty berry should be moved out, and maybe the hydrangea should be re-positioned. Otherwise, it would be nice perhaps to put a plant of some sort in there in order to provide some off-season interest from the street… And tidy up the path around it, maybe put down some extra slate pieces… (Melissa)

Area G: The Rock Garden

The rock garden needs a bit of infusing to attract people from the street; so I’d like to invest again in some scree bed or alpines as originally designed. (Virginia)

Area H: Herbaceous Border

Goals: The soil is currently not in great shape and needs regular loads of organic matter adding to improve it. The weeds are already much more under control than they were the last few years but this area still needs more attention that other areas of the garden that are more established. Add more bulbs as this area on has crocuses and daffodils currently. Plan for summer and early autumn flowering as this is probably the most lacking season presently. Specific maintenance for this year are to continue to train the rose into a climber and to divide one large clump of irises which didn’t flower this year. There’s also some space at the back for more tall plantings e.g. biennials like foxgloves and hollyhocks. (Will)

Area I:  Stewartia Garden

This area will need some re-thinking in terms of the layout of existing plants, as well as management of the established shrubs including the viburnum, lilac, and witch hazel. Some of the larger plants are too congested and I would consider removing the lilac. After improving the soil and making changes to the layout of the major plants I would add some perennials and bulbs for a changing seasonal display. (Catherine)

Area J: Crabapple Bed

The tree will need long term management as it has some kind of fungal infection, and will require pruning out of dead branches. The bed itself is neglected and filled with weeds as well as plants that would do better elsewhere. So I would propose a major overhaul that would include rebuilding the stone border, removing unwanted plants, improving the soil, and replanting with more appropriate low growing perennials and groundcovers. (Catherine)

Area K: Burning Bush Bed

My intention this season is to create continuity with some improvements to ensure the plants are healthy and space is maintained in accordance with the expectations of the community.
The rock wall border also needs to be re-stacked and secured as many of the slate pieces are loose and a bit of a trip hazard. I plan to map out the existing plants in the area with the Master Gardeners and create a plan with them for what needs to be done in the space.

I am more familiar with vegetable gardening and very much look forward to understanding the plants in this area and working with the Master Gardeners to make this a beautiful, well-maintained area of the community garden. I would appreciate the opportunity to learn about the existing plants, how to care for them and to get my hands in the dirt! (Thomas)

Area L: Dogwood/Water Tanks

Goals: To continue maintaining the recently planted a magnolia tree, as well as several Hosta plants along the path and to continue developing the “hosta walk” by continuing to plant a variety of these plants to fill in the shady area along the path. Keep the tall willow-like plants along the tank side of this area to keep a natural visual block of the tanks. (Joey)

Area M: Woodland Whimsy

This is one of the shadiest areas of the garden and could benefit from a bit more attention and the addition of more shade appropriate plants. Some plants suitable for this area would be more Bleeding Hearts, adding Hellebores and maybe even Astrantia. It is also a prime spot to increase with bulbs as it only has a few at the moment (mostly crocus in one corner). Summer interest should also be increased, perhaps with an Acanthus mollis or spinosus, some early summer flowering primulas or Japanese anemone. As new plants are planted, a lot of the wild violets will be relocated which are taking over and clear some of the end closest to the bench which is quite weedy. There are also some irises which need transplanting as it’s too shady for them here. (Will)

Area N: Juniper Shade Area

At inception, the gardeners at PHCF created this plot around a shrub – Buddleia davidii – and called it “The Buddleia Bowl”. Their intention was to attract and support butterflies.

As the trees in areas adjacent to the plot matured, their height and branching created a canopy, severely compromising the sun needed for the Buddleia to thrive, and the soil became too densely compacted with interlocking roots.

When I took over the BB stewardship in 2019, the plot was in dire need of attention: the perennial shrubs (Hydrangea, Cut-leaf Forsythia, and Beauty Berry) were seriously languishing. My first task was to clean out the weeds and, unfortunately, the dead Buddleia. In the process, I uncovered Heuchera, Sedum which is now thriving. Trial and error led me to conclude the only route was to reinvent the area as a shade garden. A plot in progress… (Dolores)

Area O: Evergreen Edge

Goals: To commit to its maintenance ie. making sure it is weeded and tidy. (Dolores)

Area P: Walled Garden

Goals: To continue maintaining the iris bed planted under the fig tree, keeping the irises for their spring color, but also mix in later blooming shade plants that could thrive when the irises die off and the fig is in full bloom. (Joey)

Area Q: Communal Cutting Bed

To continue planting in conjunction with others desires for cut flowers for the entire membership (and visitors when we have enough) (Traci)

Area R: Sunny U

More information to come (Virginia, Dolores, Thomas, Eva)

Area S: Herb Circle

Goals: To continue improving the herb circle for another season for communal use. I did considerable work on a few sections and would like to form a team to help me take on this project. Several members have expressed interest in working with me on this area and I think with a committed team we can greatly build upon the plantings in this area. (Joey)

Area T: The Hill
This bed is a challenge because the tree shading a significant portion of it and the quality of the soil, which still has a significant amount of rocks and debris in it. I would maintain the current plantings, and beyond that I’d like to bring in as much color as possible, a variety of textures, and focus on native plants where possible. Since it’s already mid-summer, I would initially focus on improving the soil and planting some tricyrtis/toad lily, which would bloom in late summer. I would also try to establish some plants for next spring, potentially including trillium or hepatica. (Tilli)

Area U: The Communal Strawberry Box

I wouldn’t mind also finding and planting some everbearing strawberries in the potato/strawberry bed, so everyone could enjoy them all summer. (Melissa)

Area V: Briar Fence / Border

This area was planted to keep intruders from easily hopping the fence and stealing our tools back in the day; the trifoliate orange are maturing now and are (hopefully) getting ready to fruit. Maintaining those and the surrounding plantings, perhaps removing one of the hydrangeas or cutting it back and ensuring leaves aren’t dumped there to smother plants. (Traci)

Fancy getting involved? Email the stewards!