Native to the Northeast coast, the beach plum (prunus maritima marsh) is a perennial fruit shrub especially supportive of bees. Learn more about its interesting history here
Heritage Beach Plum, April 2019.
CV’s beach plum as seen in 2015.
You know that MulchFest is this Saturday Jan 13th, but did you know there will be doughnuts?!??!
Free doughnuts! Plus, hot apple cider and coffee will be served during CV MulchFest, 10am to 12 noon on Saturday morning behind 195 Adams. Volunteers are especially needed from 11:30 am to 1230 pm to help move mulch from parking lot into the play area, where the chipped up Christmas trees will be used as safety surfacing for the play equipment fall zones.
Sign up to move mulch here. You don’t need to commit to working for a full hour, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm is the time we estimate that the mulch pile will be ready. Big kids can help too.
Refreshments are new this year; CV MulchFest is co-sponsored by the Children’s Committee, the Garden Committee, and the Recycling + Sustainability Committee.
Stop by! The wood chipper will be chomping up trees between @ 10 am and 12 noon.
Related stories:
This article, written by the mind behind NYC Rat Information Portal was originally published by the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in 2006. It dispels many myths,
Managing Rats in City Gardens by Caroline Bragdon
Many gardeners have had at least one encounter with rats; the typical urban gardener has probably had many. There is only one species of rat in New York City—the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus). The Norway rat is a commensal rodent, meaning it lives in close association (literally, “shares the table”) with humans. Urban gardens are particularly hospitable to rats because they provide food, water, and safety.
Rats will burrow into any available earthen space within close proximity to food but prefer fresh, fertile soil to make their nests—a garden is prime real estate to them. A rat burrow can be anywhere from one to six feet deep and will have an entrance, an exit, and maybe even an escape hole. A typical burrow will house a family of approximately eight rats. By counting the burrow holes gardeners can estimate the number of rats living in their garden.
Gardeners are usually left up to their own devices when it comes to pest control. Some people want to maintain a pesticide-free environment; others are desperate to get a bad situation under control and will try any remedy. Rats can usually be managed effectively without relying on toxic pesticides. In fact, a good rat management program focuses primarily on prevention.
LEARN WHAT RATS NEED AND ELIMINATE IT Recognizing how to make your space less hospitable can help you to devise a rodent-reducing plan. Rats must eat one to two ounces of food a day and have daily access to water. Rats will eat everything that humans eat and many things that we would never eat. They are not vegetarian; like most mammals, rats (especially reproducing females) need animal protein, fat, and carbohydrates in their diet. Continue reading
![rat_mouse_PNG2461[1]](https://cvearthlab.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/rat_mouse_png24611.png?w=300&h=211)
is On!
Due to a worsening rodent condition, we’re clearing out non-essential items from the garden. The rats are under the slide again, and it appears they are trying to tunnel under one of the raised garden beds.
All stray pots, containers and debris will be removed from the garden area. Claim your items by EOD Tuesday 7.12, please.
![Pacific_rat[1]](https://cvearthlab.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/pacific_rat1.jpg?w=300&h=225)
We hope everyone will continue to report rat sightings, suspected holes and/or signs of rodent digging to the office via management@concordvillageny.com. No rats go unreported! Thank you.
Related: And the Winner Is…; Mulch For Better Soil & Safety Surfacing
Video: Mulching In Action; Video of Mulch Dump ; Extended Mulching Clip
Peter Duffy, dad to Nora, who guessed the closest number to the actual tree count.
Congratulations Peter! A total of 60 trees were mulched onsite today as part of CV MulchFest. Peter guessed we’d get 70 trees, so he is the lucky winner of a large jar of local honey from the farmer’s market. Thanks to all who participated in the contest and in the tree drive!
Two large wood chip piles are behind 195 Adams, next to the play area fence, between the substation and the entrance to the play area. Parents and others interested in using the mulch for safety surfacing: Please help move the mulch into the play area. There are two shovels and a rake on top of the raised bed near the garden shed. If a few people grab a shovel and sling some over the fence today, we can spread it out later. Too much is never enough, don’t hesitate to move the remaining mulch. Thanks! -Denise
Click here for more photos & video.
mulching Jan 9 2015
