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The Guardian of the Garden – Garland Community Garden –October 6, 2016  (to be replaced with a turkey after Halloween and Santa after that)

According to the first definition of “Monster” as provided by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a monster is “a strange or horrible imaginary creature.”

Imaginary is the part of that definition Loving Garland Green is focusing on as we invite people in our community to join us in using their imaginations to create creatures that never before, nor likely never again, will exist.  To sweeten the pot and we are hoping, to increase participation, we will offer $100 to the most imaginative monster brought down to the garden on October 29.

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Our first Monsters Bash at the Garland Community Garden will be held on October 29 from 1 to 3 PM in the garden which is located at 4055 Naaman School Road – Garland 75040.  If it rains we will reschedule the event for Sunday October 30 at the same time, same place.

The main purpose of this event—after having fun—is to help our organization in building a scholarship fund for a Garland high school senior who plans to continue studying horticulture at an institution of higher learning after graduation. [More information on the scholarship will be released to the public in January of 2017.]

We are inviting people to participate by creating a monster and bringing it with them to the garden between 12:00 and 1:00 on Saturday, October 29.  The event itself will officially be from 1 to 3 PM.  Other events will be featured such as planting a wildflower hill and digging up sweet potatoes and peanuts, and tours of the Garland Community garden.  All visitors will receive wildflower seed packets and instructions for building a hugelkultur (a water efficient garden plot). We will also be passing out information regarding the importance of recycling your leaves.  Children and adults are invited to come in costume.

Judging will take place at 2:30 and the award of the $100 prize at 3PM.  The committee for judging will be the Loving Garland Green Board of Directors (No member nor relative of any member of Loving Garland Green may participate in the competition for the prize; however, all are welcome to bring a monster.)  We are hoping to have the front part of the garden crowded with monsters.

Organizations and business may also build monsters to bring to the garden—however those in this category will not be eligible for the $100 prize, which is limited to individuals.  Your reward will be the opportunity to advertise your business at a fun community event.

We suggest that each individual who is entering a monster to participate in the competition to donate $5 toward the Loving Garland Green Scholarship Fund.

Visitors who care to may also make donations to the Loving Garland Green scholarship fund.  We will have a scholarship donation jar.  Our members will be wearing name-tags and you may also give your donation to one of them.

 

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AND YOUR MONSTER IN THE GARDEN ON OCTOBER 29!

The Garland Community Garden is located at 4055 Naaman School Road – Garland Texas 75040.  If you can, bring a bag of leaves to help us kick off our November Leaf Gathering Bonanza.

MONSTER BUILDING RULES:

1. Monsters should be made from recycled materials.

2. Special preference will be given to monsters created from plant matter (such as spent vines and produce) that can be thrown in one of our compost bins after Halloween.

3. Monsters are to be delivered between 12:00 and 1:00 October 29—an hour before the event begins.

4. You may leave your monster at the garden or take it home with you.  If left, members of Loving Garland Green will dismantle and recycle it after Halloween.

5. One prize of $100 will be given to one entry only.

Businesses who wish to donate give away items to this community event or to donate to the Loving Garland Green scholarship fund are invited to call 972-571-4497.

For more photos of the monster, visit our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LGGurbangardens/

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Garland Community Garden – October 1, 2016.  A fitting ending for a beautiful day in the garden:  We released two Monarchs that eclosed in Nancy’s laundry basket sanctuary at the event.  One flew away immediately, but the other one lingered for a few minutes for photo ops on Charlie’s hand. 

Loving Garland Green hosted a community opportunity today for locals to learn more about the upcoming Texas Pollinator Bio Blitz that begins October 7 -16.  The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is sponsoring that event.  You can go online and register free of charge at http://tpwd.texas.gov/education/bioblitz/registration .  The pollinator bioblitz offers a great learning together opportunity for families and friends to learn more about nature and our important relationship to pollinators in particular.

During the pollinator bioblitz, participants of all ages will be encouraged to find pollinators and nectar-producing plants and record information and post photos of their findings.

The Garland Community Garden is free and open to the public from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week—no better place in the DFW area to find pollinators and plants they love.  We hope that we will see lots of photographers, young and old down at the garden taking photos from October 7 – 16.

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A young visitor looks at the two Monarch butterflies who eclosed (emerged from their pupas) today during our event. Honestly we don’t know exactly when it happened. One second there was a green pupa (chrysalis) and the next second a Monarch.  Then about two hours later there was another pupa shell and another Monarch.  We allowed about two hours for the second butterfly to dry its wings and pump up its wings before we released them.

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MORE SCENES FROM THE POLLINATOR BIOBLITZ JUMPSTART EVENT AT THE GARLAND COMMUNITY GARDEN – OCTOBER 1, 2016

 

Children play at the puddling pool—designed and built by Cheryl Andres, one of our talented Loving Garland Green members.  Butterflies assemble around puddles to fulfill their need for salt and nutrients—a behavior called “puddling.” Butterflies visit puddles more for the salt and minerals than the water as they typically receive enough moisture from the nectar they sip from flower but the sugary nectar lacks the sale male butterflies need.  We sprinkle salt on our puddling pool once in a while.

 

Kevin Keeling, one of Loving Garland Green’s board members, digs up some peanut plants at the garden.  Peanuts are not recommended for our heavy clay soil; however, if you are determined to have peanuts, you can—provided that you grow them in pots with garden soil, or if you amend the clay soil with expanded shale and add a little sandy loam.  

 

The garden is often an unexpected meeting place for people with similar life profiles: Jennifer and Juliana met today for the first time and learn that both of their sons are 17 and were taking SAT tests today.

 

 

The garden is a great place for family.  It was particularly heartening to see scenes like the one above with three generations enjoying the garden and its creatures.  Gardens are for all ages.

 

Nancy, Loving Garland Green member, and Dodie, a Garland resident, chat about gardens. 

 

 

The children as usual were as wonderful as the flowers in the garden.  Like all children, all ages, they come to the garden and the beauty and mystery of all the life around them seems to overflow their little hearts with boundless joy and awe.  They are super-aware—noting all kinds of garden activities that might escape the eyes of an adult.  For example, the little girl in the pink today noticed a bunch of ants de-wing a grasshopper.  She was very accepting of it all and seemingly accepted it as some sort of foregone conclusion in the life of a grasshopper.  Young children today are so very smart and intuitive.

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Remember to be nice to pollinators.  After all, they are responsible for one out of every three bites of food you eat.

 

Garland Community Garden – October 1, 2016 – Side view of Monarch on Charlie’s hand.