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Frank St. Gardens 2025 Plant Caregiving Activities Anticipated by Season

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Early Spring<

See “Anytime” Activities at bottom of this doc

Dates are approx.
If an Activity doesn’t get done in the week planned, carry over to next & future weeks.

Note: If special projects are initiated such as “Hummingbirds” or “Food” it will change some of these plans and create different Aciivities, e.g. plants may need to be moved to make space for new plants that are wanted.

Apr11 note: Loss of 306 Frank throws a wrench into plans. We desperately need new garden space to move plants to.

???April 6 -- May 1 Sign contract deal with Mr. MacLeod (O’Connor/Frank) IF we want a new garden here

(Create new sign) to identify Electro-Pulse (Pollinator Garden) or (Bee Butterfly Garden) including “Volunteer” and Contact info
Print, Laminate, & Put up the sign when ready.

April 13–19 Rake off matted leaves from shade bed at 306
Start removing visible plants from 306. Some can go under Crabapple in bed#3 after we
remove the Artichokes

Uncertain, Dig out composted soil At 306 compost pile

Divide Sneezeweed clumps Bed#3 west point. Probably just re-plant the newly divided clumps approx. where they are.

April 20–26

Probably April 19 or 20

Remove Goldenrod clump at corner of Bed#4 east end

April 26
(Earth Day Table) (Rain date 27th)

April 27—May 3
Remove 306 plants as they become visible
If we get this new garden, Remove grass MacLeod

May 4–10

Spring Seeds
(dates overlapping with Transplant new plants)

May 18–24 & May 25---31
-- Please MARK planted areas with string & marker signs so we know they are there.

Seed Suggestions:
*** Scatter clover seeds Glad/Lyon on lawns
Forget-Me-Nots Buy seeds, plant them everywhere in partial shade.
Calendula
Note: I have Calendula seeds. However at 295, left of front steps, there will be a million Calendula sprouts (some of them are overwhelming 2 Prairie Smokes which should be moved somewhere else as soon as they become visible)

Excess Calendula sprouts put in Pots until needed

*** bed#3 NW corner a small patch (where tall cutleaf coneflower used to be)
maybe – East end of bed#4, replace the clump of common goldenrod

???*** _IF_ we start new garden O'Connor/Frank (MacLeod's),
a border (12”--18” wide) of thinly scattered Calendula seeds, as well as sprouted Calendula on all 4 sides.

Cosmos
353-357 Centre --- Maybe a few at back. Do not plant Cosmos in front– they get too tall and will hide other plants.

IF MacLeod, a good patch (somewhere near Centre, not on the edges)
IF/WHEN new bed at Electro-Pulse
Don’t need new Cosmos seeds in the original 4 beds

Amaranth We won't need much seeds, I have several started in pots
Could be a plant in bed#3 in front of the Wild Bergamot.
We have no other place for Amaranth in the 4 original beds.
353-357 We may not have room here, since 306 plants will probably land here and some may want to plant food.

???*** _IF_ we start new garden O'Connor/Frank (MacLeod's), plant 2 Amaranth on each corner, allowing space for them to expand 18 inches around

???295, not sure we have enough space due to possible incoming from 306

(Transplant New Plants) – and “good plants” re-seeding themselves that we want to move to better locations
Probable some new plants each week from May 18 -- June 21. Other new plants may arrive sporadically throughout the season – if we have a place to put them.

Note: some plants or seeds already in garden don’t sprout til first week of June so we don't want to dig them up in the process

There’s very little space for new plants in the original 4 beds.
353-357 centre yard can take a number of new plants. But may be taken up by 306 refugees or food plants.
295, not much space. ..
IF we get new MacLeod garden O’Connor/Frank, a number of plants under 36 inch height can go here

IF/WHEN Electro-Pulse (Glad/Lyon) we may create a new bed along the wall, then new plants here.

May 11-17 (Watering) All Sites may start about now, depends on weather

May 18--24 (Transplant) + (Plant Spring Seeds)
May 25–31 (Transplant) + (Plant Spring Seeds) + (Potting)
June 1–7 (Transplant)

Plant Control & Weeding begins
1. “Weeds” unwanted – remove --- Burdock, Curly Dock, Evg. Primrose,
2. Good plants growing in the wrong place – move to a patch of the same, or Pot, or throw away --- Sunflowers, Milkweed, Cosmos, NE Aster, other Asters,
3. Plants we want to keep some, , but must be controlled – Creeping Charlie, Dandelion, Vetch,

>p> Chop thrown-away plants into small pieces and use for mulch.

(Potting) = plants to keep for later, for plant sale, or giveaway. We may not have a place to store potted plants.
WATER potted plants every 2-3 days when not raining

June 8–14 (Transplant)
(Plant Control/Weeding) (Potting)
(Remove stalk pile from Bed#1
– put in waste bags on street

June 14--21 (Transplant) (Plant Control/Weeding) (Potting)
June 22-28 (Plant Control/Weeding) (Potting)
June 29---July 5 (Potting) Plant Sale at Bank St?

Ongoing & Anytime tasks 2025

Ongoing Tasks:

There are normally a few slow weeks later in season when the garden of plants doesn't need much help. This is a great opportunity for a very important Activity: Stop -- Observe the natural life -- Just be. Feel the vibes of plants and bees to know you.

* Watering. all sites,
For Gburger & Electro-Pulse, get persons who live near those sites. Gburger needs water more often due to shallow soil depth.

*Pickup Litter (all sites)
* Stake up fallen plants
* Fallen Signs, Missing Signs – Drive them up or Replace

*Plant Sales
When we have extra plants in pots, and no new garden spaces, have plant sales at corner of Bank. Offer Potted plants for sale at Herbwalk and other Events.
When a date is set, a number of volunteers are needed to set-up and staff table.

Anytime Tasks:

* Plant Inventory of all plants in all sites. Species and location. Would be great if this can be charted in a graphic format. Otherwise just make a list.

* Research our Plant List for Butterfly "Host Plants" & note which butterflies use which plants

* Talk to homeowners/ property owners on Frank Street between Bank St. & Rideau Canal, encourage planting flowers, offer help if we are prepared to help. We may have potted plants to offer them.

* Find a black plastic compost bin -- or build a small nice looking compost bin -- at Bed#3 or 295 or 306

* Attach/mount metal signs that Carlos has

??? Date Unknown: Build raised beds at 295

Look for older volunteers with gardening experience and willing to work with a group

Go help gardeners at Purcell, 755 Somerset, possibly Dundonald