The February 24 meeting was a bit of a slog, mostly date-fixing and event planning. First, here’s list of the upcoming dates so you can easily mark your calendars. Meeting “minutes” follow. Please let me know if I got my wires crossed anywhere. I’m not the best note-taker. – Bev

Calendar

Wed. March 9, 6-8:30 pm. Adopt-A-Park Training and Annual Update. Spectator Auditorium, 44 Frid Street, Fran will be attending on behalf of the group, but all are welcome

Sat. March 12. 10 am . Group visit to Park Row boulevard garden site. Take measurements, photos, get ideas. Meet at Park Row and Cannon (two blocks east of Ottawa St. Lunch after ?

Wed, March 23. 7:30 pm. Regular meeting of Garden Club. ARCH room (Main just east of Kenilworth, north side)

Thursday. April 7, 7 pm, Native Plant Teach-In for group design of Park Row Pollinator Gardens. Experts from RBG will be on hand to help us plan the gardens. Perkins Center Auditorium. Free, open event (donations appreciated).

Fri. April 15, 6 -7:30pm. Pipeline Trail Cleanup #1. meet behind the Dairy Queen at Main /Ottawa.

Fri. May 6, 6-7:30. Pipeline Trail Cleanup #2 (for Janes Walk). meet behiind the Dairy Queen at Main / Ottawa

Sat. May. 28. Garden Day. 10 am – 3 pm, parking lot of Crown Point Community Church. Plant sale, compost pickup, rain barrels. See web site for details. www.crownpointgardens.wordpress.com

Sat. June 18. Planting Day at Park Row. 10 am to finish, probably 3 pm

Fri. June 30, evening. Members’ Garden Crawl. BBQ follows.

Meeting Notes.

1. Attendance: Elizabeth, Hannah, Cathy, Susan Noakes, Anne V. Jen B. Susan Nagy, Kathleen, Fran, Matt S.
We welcomed first-time attendees Matt and Hannah

2. Door prize tickets were distributed. Thanks to Hannah and Bev for provided prizes. We took a collection for the general coffers: $21.50 was donated by attendees.

3. Reports. Bev gave brief reports on our table at Seedy Saturday and our Bee Box workshop in January. For income info see the financials section.

4. Finances. Bev reported on our current financial status. Members agreed to continue the current practice of keeping a spreadsheet with regular reports. (Bev has added a financials page to the web site here: https://crownpointgardens.wordpress.com/financials-2/ which will be kept current. Our Balance as of Feb. 29 , 2016 is $277.41

5. Bookmark/Promo. There is money (from the Garden Day small grant) available to update and reprint the bookmark promo. Kathleen volunteered to coordinate this.

6. Projects

Pollinator Garden on Park Row
– site visit on Sat. March 12. at 10 am. Meet at the corner of Park Row and Cannon. We will be measuring and making decisions on garden shape and size. Bev volunteered to produce a scale drawing based on our information.
– design process. We will be designing the garden(s) together, on Wed. April 7 at 7 pm at the ARCH (see “Teach-In” on dates list) Gardening staff at the RBG will be there as native plant resource people.
– next steps after design: info flyer for neighbours; walkabout and delivery to neighbours; plant sourcing/ordering; rototilling (we will be hiring for this, not using City);
– planting day is June 18th, 10 am. Sue Nagy has booked the Adopt-a-Park trailer for the day; woodchip mulch sometime in July once plants are established.

Garden Day May 28
Bev reported. Our small grant application to the Planning Team was successful. The $200 budgeted for insurance was changed to $200 to cover printing of new promo piece/bookmark) We should raise enough money to cover our expenses for Best Flowers Forward this fall. Fran offered to provide food/snacks for the volunteers on the day.
Plant Sale: Bev outlined the protocol for plant donations and discounts for members who donate. Bev will confirm that Rev. Jason is okay with us using the church’s tables and taking sidewalk space in front.
Compost: Elizabeth reported that the City is still deliberating. There have been several requests for compost deliveries. We do have a backup plan if the City option fails: Ben Babcock can bring 2 yards of compost from London Brothers. Our grant will cover this added expense. Bev volunteered to buy bags. Rev. Jason has requested that tarps be used so compost remains don’t mess up the parking lot– he will supply
Rain Barrels: Bev reported. The Scout group at Delta was given a proposal to be the Rainbarrel.ca partner and receive the fundraising benefits. The leader’s timeline for a decision was very long so the Crown Point Planning Team was presented with a similar proposal at its Feb. 22 meeting. The CCPT agreed to take on the rainbarrel project, with Sean Hurley and Fatima Mesquita as leaders. There is now a Crown Point event page at www.rainbarrel.ca/crownpoint/ Bev has let the Scout group know that their help on the day would be welcome but we no longer need a partner for rain barrel sales or administration. We will be offering delivery to neighbourhood residents (by donation).

Pipeline Trail & Garden of Useful Delights
Elizabeth reported on Pollinator Garden on the Pipeline. There has been a “donation” of a (broken) rustic bench. Jen suggested that this was given in good will and we should accept this kind of neighbourhood involvement. She suggested that we tuck it in with some tall growing plants so it won’t actually be used or become a prominent feature.
Garden at the Kenilworth Node may happen in the fall but more likely in the spring of 2017. Good news is that Tim Hortons owner seems to be on board. City challenged by the garden concept– doesn’t fit any existing model.
We need to approach Nadine and Dorothea re: water use again this year. Jen offered to buy them each a gift certificate to thank them for their generosity in 2015. She will get two $25 gift certificates from Harpers Garden Center.

Project Requests and Opportunities
– Bev noted that First Ontario Credit Union can make approx. 8 of it’s employees available as volunteers for a community event. Help on planting day at Park Row will be requested. (Bev)
– Crown Point Community Church has requested our help with the garden beds in their parking lot, adjacent to the sidewalk on Ottawa Street. Hannah and Anne volunteered to take on this project in coordination with Rev. Jason. Ongoing watering and weeding are main challenges. The church has an outdoor spigot (indoor access to turn it on) that we may use, bring our own hose. The church will pay for plants.
– the green patch at the back of the Surplus store was discussed. Rev. Jason has permission from the store to use this for a gardening project. Anne and Hannah volunteered to help with this Church project.

“Pop Up” info tables at four corners of Crown Point, in May. This is a Planning Team idea. When we get more information we can decide if we’d like to staff a table. Timing would be in May. Elizabeth will follow up.

100-in-1-Day is on June 4. The Pipeline Trail team (Crown Point Planning Team) will doing at least one “intervention”. Given the overlap in our membership we decided to not do a 100-in-1 event this year but participate in the pipeline event(s).

Adopt-a-Park Cleanup dates were scheduled. See calendar listings above.

OPIRG McMaster has $1,000 grant available for climate-change related project. Info received from CPPT staff Lena. No expressed interest in this.

Fun Times.
Garden Crawl (cross between a garden tour and pub crawl) was scheduled for Thursday June 30 (July 1 is holiday…)
Road Trip to Shared Harvest Farm and Potting Shed Garden Center in Dunnville. Anne V. will coordinate with Shared Harvest for best dates. Looking at possible Friday date right now.
Road Trip to Buffalo Garden Walk on either July 30 or 31. Bev will look into cost of charter bus or large passenger van rental.

Notices / Coming Events

– Beautiful Alleys cleanup day is Saturday April 16. Volunteers are needed for the City-wide alley cleanup effort 11 am to 3 pm. Contact Carlos Pinho, via FB page

– A tree will be planted in Crown Point in memory of Kate Andrus. See Bev if you’d like to help out.
– Monarch Awards. Plans for an “alternative” garden awards program are underway with support from EH, HNC, and the RBG, along with community volunteers. The Monarch Awards will recognize gardeners (in wards 1 to 4) who plant for sustainability, diversity, and benefits to nature. Our help (to find and encourage entries) will be most welcome. See Bev for details.

– Seed starting seminar. Sat. April 2, 10 am – noon-ish: Perkins Center Auditorium, Free but pre-registration is required. email Beatrice bekoko@environmentHamilton.org Part of EH’s “Pollinating Change” series. Bev is presenting. Focus on low-cost, low tech ways to get a head start on the season with indoor seed starting.

Meeting adjourned at about 9:30. Next meeting is Wednesday March 23, 7:30 pm at the ARCH.