It seems raccoons could be bringing more than just their love of food to the garden. Sean Casey has alerted us that they’re have been cases of Leptospirosis reported in the new york city area. From the wikipedia entry:

Humans become infected through contact with water, food, or soil containing urine from these infected animals. This may happen by swallowing contaminated food or water or through skin contact.

As is always recommended, wear garden gloves whenever possible while working in the garden, wash your hands after working in the garden, and wash your fruits and vegetables before eating them.

Only 10 days until the winter solstice and the garden is full of life (and food!).  The weather has been mild enough that many plants are thriving without coldframes or row covers.

Debbie’s garden overflowing with gorgeous Lettuce, Kale, and Collards
in plot #23

Phoebe’s enchanted Broccoli forest in plot #25

Susan’s greens taking off inside the coldframe in plot #2

Ann’s lovely Lemongrass in plot #24

Bill R.’s Arugula has been going strong all fall in plot #27

Stacy D.’s Garlic patch & Arugula in plot #11

Sunday the Compost Committee met to review this year’s compost accomplishments and discuss goals for next year.

Here are some of the things we accomplished this year.  Way to go everyone!

1. CSA Compost Collection and Education
Thanks everyone who signed up and talked to people at the CSA!
2. Indoor Worm Bin Workshop
A terrific workshop and we gave away 6 new worm bins and some worms.  Thanks Lianna, Jules, Sarah, Stacy, Vanessa, Flynn!
3. New Signage in Compost Area
Clearer three-step process 1.)Cut compost to small pieces & remove all plastic stickers and debris 2.)Put in open bin 3.)Cover with browns
4. Started a Relationship with the Brooklyn Compost Project
5. Compost Information on Garden Website
http://eastfourthstreetgarden.wordpress.com/composting/
6. General Compost Email address
garden.composting@gmail.com
People can use this email to contact the compost committee and sign up for orientations
7. Sign on Gate
Encouraging our neighbors to compost, but not leave donations in front of garden.
8. Neighborhood Leaf Collection!
We have a lovely pile of leaves in the compost area and saving many neigborhood leaves from going to the landfills.

We have several plans for the next year so we can include more people in our composting operation, accept more donations, produce more black gold, and enrich our community.  Compost is the heart of the garden, and the garden is the heart of the neighborhood!

Here are minutes from the compost meeting on Sunday:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=d7k2n6f_168gfv5×9cx

If you have any questions or would like to become more involved in the composting efforts please email: garden.composting@gmail.com

There are many flowers and veggies growing in the garden this November.  Here are some of the highlights:

Michael S. scotch bonnet peppers in plot #1

Echinacea in the butterfly garden

Kris’s Broccoli in plot #23

Mark and Lorna’s Dalia’s are still blooming in plot #7

Masayo’s lovely mix textures and shades of green in plot #15.  The feathery asparagus foliage and curly kale are very pretty.

There 6 coldframes and 3 row covers being used in the garden to extend the growing season!  Also several gardeners are using row covers to enhance soil through the winter.  Here are some photos:

From Left to Right: Michael cold frame #21, Debbie Cold frame #23, Phoebe row cover #25

Heidi cold frame and row cover #14 (front)

Katherine and Stacy using coldframes on plots #9 and #11.

Inside Debbie’s Coldframe

Michael’s lush clover cover crop

Sunday, October 18th, is Daffodil Day in Kensington.

Join your neighbors as we plant daffodil bulbs on Church Avenue and its side streets. In the spring, watch the flowers that we planted bloom!

From 9:00 a.m. to noon, volunteers will

* loosen soil in tree pits

* plant daffodil bulbs

* go to Connie’s Cafe for free coffee and a muffin!

Wear clothing and shoes that you don’t mind getting some dirt on. If you can, bring

* a hand cultivator

* a trowel

* a bulb borer

* anything else that’s useful for digging and planting

* extra gardening tools, if you have them, for your neighbors to use.

We’ll meet at 9:00 a.m. in front of Astoria Federal Savings, at the corner of Church and McDonald avenues. Connie, the owner of Connie’s Cafe (corner of Church Avenue and E. 5th Street), has graciously agreed to donate coffee and muffins for the volunteers.

This Saturday, October 3rd, join with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and local gardeners to take the initiative on establishing a community-led leaf composting project!

Due to budget cuts, in 2008 New York City discontinued both its autumn leaf-collecting project and free compost pickups in the springtime. This was a big step backwards for the city, from the standpoint of both urban gardening and Zero Waste advocates: huge quantities of leaves (potentially soil amendments) are once again being sent to landfills.

The good news is that a group of Brooklyn compost advocates are meeting this Saturday to come up with a community-led initiative for collecting leaves to create compost and mulch for urban gardens! Read on for more info (the message quoted below has been making the rounds in community gardening circles).

Date: Saturday, October 3, 2009
Time: 12:00 Noon
Location: Ozzies’ Coffee 249 5th Ave. Bet Carroll & Garfield Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718) 768-6868
Subways: M. R to Union St Buses: B63 along Fifth Ave B37 & B103 along Third Avenue B71 along Union St.

more info

Here are a couple photos from the garden this week.  John has laid a lovely brick path over the concrete and seeded the raised area with grass.   Heidi’s tomatillo plants in the container area are all of a sudden covered with fruit!

The attractive brick path John has laid over the concrete.  Thanks John!

Heidi’s Tomatillos

The beautiful lilies Jole planted this spring have bloomed!  They remind me of exotic little orchids.  They are right inside the gate in the shade garden.  Check them out next time you visit the garden.

Thank you Jole for this lovely fall-blooming addition to the garden!