<![CDATA[AHWATUKEE COMMUNITY GARDEN - Garden Updates]]>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:11:32 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[May 20, 2025]]>Tue, 20 May 2025 07:00:00 GMThttps://acgarden.weebly.com/garden-updates/september-08th-2023Hey Garden Friends! 
Yes, the desert heat has arrived—but so has our summer spirit! While the temps rise, so does the energy at Ahwatukee Community Garden, and we’re not slowing down one bit. In fact, we’ll be open and thriving all summer long!  So whether you’re a seasoned gardener, compost-curious, or just looking for something refreshing to do, we’ve got something for you!
We’re especially excited to announce some cool summer workshops coming your way! 
 Join us for a Foraging Day with Cactus Kelly,
 Learn cooling breath techniques with a certified yoga instructor,
 Explore medicinal herbs to beat the heat naturally—just to name a few!
 Keep your eye on our website and socials for all the workshop details and updates:
 Instagram: @ahwcomgarden
 Website: https://acgarden.weebly.com
If you have an idea for a workshop or a talent you would like to share- please let us know!  We love to learn new things and get community together. 
If you haven’t visited in a while, you’re in for a treat...
We’ve added 18 brand-new raised beds, each one a tiny powerhouse. These beds are more than just dirt and dreams—they’re living ecosystems complete with in-bed worm bins!  These bins turn your food scraps into super-soil right inside the raised bed, helping our plants grow stronger while cutting down on waste. Plus, we've installed solar-powered sonic devices to keep the sneaky snackers (ahem, critters) away without harming any of our desert neighbors.   A big THANK YOU to the ABM crew for all of your hard work helping us get the new raised beds installed with the waterlnes and tons of dirt and compost! You guys are the best and the entire community appreciates you all! 
 On the east side, the garden planted five weeks ago is bursting with cucumbers curling gracefully over the trellises like little green gymnasts.
 To the west, seeds planted just two weeks ago are already poking their heads up—getting ready for what we think will be one of our biggest harvests yet!
 And in the west orchard? Three additional beds are producing loads of fresh food, and we’re just getting started.
 Oh, and here's a game-changer for summer: we've added shade cloth over the entire main garden area! This not only protects our plants and helps them thrive through the intense heat, but also keeps us gardeners cooler and safer from the harsh Arizona sun. 
But wait, there’s more (and it’s soil-fully satisfying)…

 Let’s Talk Compost!
Our community compost program is going strong—thanks to YOU! We’ve now collected nearly 6,000 lbs of veganic food scraps, turning them into rich compost that feeds our garden beds instead of rotting in landfills.  That’s nearly 2.4 metric tons of CO₂ emissions prevented—the equivalent of charging 300,000 smartphones or planting 40 trees! 
Want to join in? It’s easy! Pick up a FREE collection bucket at the garden and bring it back on Sunday mornings by 8:45 AM. Volunteers process the food scraps into our compost piles between 7–9 AM. To keep the park and garden clean, safe, and pest-free—and to avoid bucket blow-ups in the heat—please only drop off on Sunday mornings during those hours.
 YES, PLEASE! (veganic only):
  • Fruit & veggie scraps 
  • Coffee grounds & filters 
  • Tea bags (no staples) 
  • Crushed eggshells 
  • Plant trimmings & dead flowers 
  • Shredded paper, paper towels, and napkins (unbleached & food-soiled only) 
 NO, THANK YOU:
  • Meat, dairy, or bones 
  • Oily or greasy food scraps 
  • Plastic, metal, glass 
  • Pet waste or litter 
  • Citrus peels in large amounts 
  • Baked goods or bread 
  • Biodegradable plastics or compostable “green” bags 
  • Corn cobs  (too woody and slow to break down)
  • Avocado seeds & peels  (thick, tough, and take forever to decompose)
 Why not citrus? While small amounts are okay, large quantities of citrus peels (like orange or lemon rinds) can throw off the pH balance of our compost and break down slowly. They can also be too acidic for the worms and microbes that help create healthy compost. If you’re juicing or peeling citrus often, try to spread it out over time or skip it altogether.
Thank you for helping us nourish the soil and protect the planet and turn waste into wonder! 
 Calling All Creatives!
Got a knack for design or connections to a local sign company? We’d love your help bringing some educational magic to the garden!  We’re dreaming up a set of fun, informative signs that can teach visitors what we’re growing, how we’re growing it, and the cool techniques we use in our community demo garden—from worm-powered beds to trellised cucumbers climbing to the sky. If you’re a sign-making wizard (or know someone who is), let’s team up and make it happen! Whether you're a graphic designer, sign printer, or someone who loves creating beautiful, functional displays—we’d be thrilled to collaborate.  Drop us a message and let’s grow something great together! 
Whether you’re coming to volunteer, drop off compost, or just say hi, we invite you to stop by any Sunday morning from 7–9 AM. Volunteers always get first dibs on the harvest, and trust us—there’s nothing better than starting your day with sunshine, smiles, and fresh veggies. 
Plus, ACG is fully ADA accessible, with wide walkways, raised beds designed for all abilities, and two comfy ADA picnic tables perfect for relaxing in the shade after a morning of garden joy. 
Come dig in, meet your neighbors, boost your health, and help our planet—all before breakfast. 
See you Sunday?
With gratitude and green thumbs,
 The ACG Team
P.S. Don’t forget your hat and water bottle—we’ve got plenty of dirt, shade, and community waiting for you. 

]]><![CDATA[Ahwatukee Community Garden Spring 2023 Teamwork]]>Wed, 29 Mar 2023 22:35:07 GMThttps://acgarden.weebly.com/garden-updates/ahwatukee-community-garden-spring-2023-teamwork
Greetings, gardeners and Garden friends!

 Have you seen what’s happening at the Garden lately?

Last week, the troop continued their efforts in transforming the pollinator garden. Digging trenches, filling planter barrels, painting a bee tower. This is going to a very special place!!

And our garden team is building even more beds – one on the upper deck of the tree grove, and the other will be the container bed/work area.

It’s thrilling to see all the work going on and the progress being made all throughout! And always great to see new friends getting involved!

Come by and join your community at the Garden, Sundays from 8AM to 10AM. There’s PLENTY to do! Here's a sample:

* Please sign in and write your name on a label.
* Continue setting up the container bed/work area.
* Fill barrels and other containers with soil.
* Thin plants as needed.
* Weeding in all beds – with guidance on which are weeds and what are intentionally planted flowers to deter garden pests. It’s sometimes hard to know the difference.
* Supplemental watering where needed.
* Prep long garden bed for flowers.
* Plant more seeds.
* Signage.
* Add more pavers to the melon patch.
* Tend to weeds in soup garden; harvest thin plants; pick lettuce.
* Pull mint in the herb garden.
* Clip sunflowers – take some home! We’ll be clipping it periodically.
* Continue sprucing up the Garden premises in general.
* Everyone, please sign out in the Garden logbook before leaving. Enter your name, what you did, and note anything that needs attention. Comments and suggestions are always welcome!

See you at the Garden!

]]><![CDATA[Survey for All Our Gardeners and Garden Fans]]>Tue, 03 Jan 2023 06:03:59 GMThttps://acgarden.weebly.com/garden-updates/survey-for-all-our-gardeners-and-garden-supporters
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​HAPPY 2023!!!

Thanks to all our community for your continued interest in revitalizing the Ahwatukee Community Garden.

There is much to do to get the Garden ready for the Spring – we’re looking to revamp the grounds a bit and to develop a PLAN (short, mid, and long-term) for the beds, for the grounds, and for what the Ahwatukee Community Garden will be all about going forward.
 
We can’t do it all at once, so you will be instrumental in setting our priorities. We’ll (re)start with the basics and build from there.
 
Thanks to Linda’s efforts on our annual fundraising campaign AND OUR AMAZING FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS, we get to build on a solid foundation. Our challenge now is to plan and use those funds wisely.
 
We invite you to join in wherever you can. I can tell you, it’s very satisfying to see positive results from even the most modest contributions of time and talent. And let’s not forget that it’s FUN and rewarding to work together!
 
Please take a few minutes to complete our survey HERE.
It’s not long.
 
Thank you for being part of our community!
 
SEE YOU AT THE GARDEN!


BETINA FRISONE
Garden Coordinator
]]><![CDATA[Thank You for Our Fundraising Success]]>Fri, 30 Dec 2022 04:15:47 GMThttps://acgarden.weebly.com/garden-updates/thank-you-for-our-fundraising-success
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Dear Garden Friends,

Thank you for making this year's fundraiser such a success!
​
Here is what was donated:
Crowdfunds raised: $2001
Strong Start Grant: $100
Challenge Grant: $300
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Grand Total: $2401

On a personal note, I am so excited for the future of the garden. When I visited earlier this month, there was a large crew working.  Betina is doing a wonderful job reorganizing, and I am so thankful to be able to pass the shovel when the future looks so promising. 
I am able to ditch my cane most of  the time, now, and my last Physical Therapy is tomorrow.  So as gardener emeritus (is there such a title?) I will be coming by the garden only to visit, but I would like to help on the education committee, since that was what I originally only intended  to do 10 years ago, LOL. 

Linda Rominger
2022 fundraiser director
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]]><![CDATA[2022 Ahwatukee Community Garden Fundraiser]]>Fri, 11 Nov 2022 23:56:55 GMThttps://acgarden.weebly.com/garden-updates/2022-ahwatukee-community-garden-fundraiser
Hi friends,
​
​Here is information on this year's fundraiser:

https://donate.seedmoney.org/faq

We can receive donations here starting on Nov. 15, 2022:

https://donate.seedmoney.org/7794/ahwatukee-community-garden

Thanks for supporting your local garden!

Linda Rominger
2022 Campaign Leader
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