What’s New This July?

Hello fellow gardeners! As we officially entered July, we would like to share with you some important messages regarding the garden: upcoming events, safety information, gardening tips, and more!

Be Careful! Uneven Ground and Gate Repairs

The water is running in the garden! Please watch your step near the greenhouse. Also, please avoid using the double gate entrance on Hansberry St. until we can repair it. 

If you have any questions or would like to help with garden repair projects, please email maintenance@hansberrygarden.org

Next Tend-the-Garden Day & Call for Volunteers 

Need volunteer hours? Join us in the garden for TTG on Saturday, July 9, from 9 a.m. to noon. There are a number of tasks that need to be completed in order to keep our space safe, usable, and beautiful. We will need volunteers for: 

  • Replacing and installing new beams for the main gate and the second bulletin board
  • Helping grade and reseeding the land where the fire pit used to be
  • Rebuilding the fire pit
  • Replacing hoses, nozzles, and parts of the sink
  • And much more!

These efforts will likely take more than one day but TTG is the perfect time to start. The more the merrier! If you can’t come to the next TTG but still want to help, please email maintenance@hansberrygarden.org

Next Potluck

Saturday, July 16 at 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 10: Soul Music in the Garden

Come join us in the garden for the second night of Hansberry Garden & Nature Center’s 2022 FREE, summer concert series! On Sunday, July 10, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., we will be hosting our free Soul Music in the Garden at 5150 Wayne Ave. (at the corner of Wayne and Hansberry) in Southwest Germantown.

The soul-jazz trio of Margel the Sophant, Ray Bailey & Harry Metz formed recently as a new and improved incarnation of the various house bands the three of them have been a part of over the past decade. Ray & Harry are cousins and have been playing in bands since age 10, while Margel and Harry worked on various co-productions and low-key jam sessions over the past five years. Ranging from mellow, neo-soul pocket grooves to bossa nova and jazz standards, they stay flexible and spontaneous while remaining grounded in a unique sonic personality. The trio performed together initially with singer Boogieman Dela in 2018  at Wawa’s Welcome America Festival, and so far this year they have backed up Tylar J, The Bul Bey and several more innovative local vocalists.  

Bring a friend, bring your family, bring good vibes! Beer will be graciously provided by Attic Brewing Co., while supplies last. Hope to see you there.

RSVP via the Eventbrite link.

Saturday, July 23: Create Your Own Planter & Bouquet Bar in the Garden

Save the date and join us for TWO summer workshops in the garden! HGNC will be hosting Create Your Own Planter & Bouquet Bar with Astia Carrega & Megan Kizer. Both of these workshops will be held on Saturday, July 23 at 5150 Wayne Ave. (at the corner of Wayne and Hansberry) in Southwest Germantown. Details for each workshop below.

Hypertufa Casting for the Garden with Astia Carrega at 11 a.m.

$35/person, advance registration required (link) &  includes price of materials

In this workshop, participants will learn how to and make their own hypertufa planters with artist Astia Carrega. Hypertufa is a lightweight, porous material made from a mixture of peat moss, cement, and either sand, vermiculite, or perlite. 

Astia is a gardener, sculptor, and printmaker based in Germantown, Philadelphia. They have been working with found objects, glass, and concrete in many different forms since 2010 and draw inspiration from environments both natural and urban.

Bouquet Bar in the Garden with Megan Kizer, 3 – 4 p.m.  (Rain Date: Sunday, July 24 at 3 p.m.) 

$25/person, advance registration required (link) & includes cost of materials

Ever wanted to try your hand at arranging beautiful flowers? Perfect for a day with friends or a treat yourself moment, this DIY bouquet building event will provide:

  • A variety of in-season, locally sourced flowers for you to arrange 
  • Optional directions about how to arrange in “formulas” or the chance to freestyle 
  • A unique vessel to take to display your bouquet at home 
  • Gardeners available to answer some of your questions about growing flowers at home 
  • Light refreshments 

In this workshop, participants will learn how to arrange flowers and create their own bouquet with the guidance of HGNC’s very own Megan Kizer. Participants are recommended to bring a hat, personal water, a small snack, and sunscreen. 

Contact:

Megan Bridge

events@hansberrygarden.org

PO Box 44137 

Philadelphia, PA 19144

Vote Plant & People for Best of Philly!

Congratulations to member Cherron Perry-Thomas of Plant&People! Her local, black-owned small business has been nominated for Best of Philly 2022. Plant&People is a plant shop and community hub located on 1431 N 52nd St Philadelphia, PA 19131 in West Philly. Follow these steps to vote for Plant&People by September 8, 2022: 

  1. Open this link in your web browser. 
  2. Scroll to the Home & Garden menu on the left and click Nursery/Garden Store.
  3. Click the green VOTE button next to Plant and People
  4. Register to vote by simply including your name, email address, and zip code.

It’s that easy and it takes less than five minutes to vote! The deadline to vote is September 8, 2022. From the Plant&People website: 

Plant&People grew out of a notion to support the community with wellness and self-care tools. We believe adding more plants to our lifestyles and caring for plants can offer us an alternative to managing stress. There are little to no plant nurseries and wellness spots in Black communities. We ask “why do we always have to leave our communities to heal?” We are a Black-owned mother and daughter plant loving duo, looking to share our passion for a plant life in our own community. We offer workshops, education, events, consultations, services and plant based goods. The goods are carefully selected to highlight Black owned and created, women, local, environmentally friendly, fair trade including hemp-derived products and accessories.

Make sure to check out their website and follow Plant&People accounts on Instagram and Facebook.

HGNC’s Very Own: Kirk Lee, Music Out Everywhere! 

Check out Kirk’s latest music video on YouTube! 

You can find and follow Kirk on YouTube, Spotify, and really anywhere music can be found on the internet. From his Youtube page

“Hi there. I am a Philly based indie songwriter, folk singer, and environmental scientist. I am excited to share my songs with you!

My debut single is out now and available online, where music is found! 

Keep steady, be open, and adapt quickly. The world is changing.”

Weeds and Bugs of the Month II: July by Heather Levi

It’s summer! The crops are thriving! The weeds are thriving! The bugs are thriving! 

The thistle is still springing up in and between the beds (and on the periphery), but it seems to be under control. Bindweed will always be with us. For this month, we’re seeing more Peruvian daisy, a bit more Japanese hops, and a lot more of my beloved purslane, and a LOT more bugs.

FOES

WEEDS: 

Japanese Hop (Humulus japonicus)

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Although this plant is related to the common hop (humulus lupulus), it will not flavor your beer. What it will do is grow is take over anywhere it is allowed to grow. It starts as an innocent looking seedling (left), and then grows as much as a foot a day. As a bonus, it is covered with little spiky hairs that can cause contact dermatitis. We hates it. 

However, it doesn’t seem to be coming up in the beds this year. You can find it near the amphitheater where it makes common cause with some poison ivy.

Peruvian Daisy (Galinsoga quadriradiata, aka quickweed, aka shaggy soldier) and Crowdipper (Pinellia ternate, aka Green Dragon).

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BUGS

So far I’ve seen the following on our cukes, squashes and beans. They are all bad. Smoosh when you can, but also look for eggs on the backs of leaves.

Squash Bugs and eggs (anasa tristis)

Figure 1. (A) Squash bug adult laying eggs, and (B) newly hatched eggs and early nymphs. Photo credit: A.L. Buchanan

Squash vine borer and larva (Melittia cucurbitae) 

Adult squash vine borer, Melittia cucurbitae (Harris). (1) Abdomen covered by orange to reddish hairs and punctuated with black dots dorsally, (2) Front wings covered by scales that give them a metallic green to black sheen, (3) Hind legs covered with long black hairs inside and orange hairs outside.
Larva of the squash vine borer, Melittia cucurbitae (Harris).

Cucumber Beetles (Spotted and Striped – a few different species)

Figure 2. Spotted cucumber beetle (left) is larger on average than striped cucumber beetle (right).

Harlequin Bug eggs

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And the ever popular Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula):

They are back! Most are in the small black-and-white nymph stage, but I saw one red-and-black one this week. Pro-tip: They are hard to catch because they jump, but they use a lot of energy to jump. If you miss, give it a second try.

INNOCENT BYSTANDER OF THE MONTH

Firefly 

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Firefly larvae eat soft-bodied insects, as well as slugs and snails (and such). Adults, depending on species, eat nothing, or maybe nectar, or… in some cases… other fireflies.

IMAGE SOURCES (except Peruvian daisy, harlequin bug eggs, and firefly):

Japanese Hops:

https://weedid.missouri.edu/weedinfo.cfm?weed_id=132

https://weedid.missouri.edu/weedinfo.cfm?weed_id=132

https://www.mda.state.mn.us/plants/pestmanagement/weedcontrol/noxiouslist/japanesehops

Squash bug

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/squash_bugs_as_pests_of_cucurbits_in_michigan

Squash vine borer

https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/leaf/squash_vine_borer.htm

Cucumber beetles (spotted and striped)

https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef311

Ongoing Messaging

Membership Messaging

Log your hours!

Don’t forget to submit your volunteer hours. 10 hours are required but more is appreciated!

You can log your hours at any time here.

Maintenance Messaging

Join us for Tend the Garden Day! Help the garden stay beautiful every second Saturday of the month.

See task list here.

Events Messaging

Mark your calendars! Stay up to date on HGNC events, like our Potluck every 3rd Saturday of the month.

View calendar.

Communications Messaging

Send us your photos and stories! We would love to share your success across all of our channels.

Email us today!

Fundraising/Finance Messaging

Give your support to HGNC! Visit us online for upcoming fundraising events and for access to our donation page.

Donate today.

Newsletter Messaging

Check out our blog! Read our latest updates about gardening, food justice, and other news regarding HGNC.

Read on.