Fall 2015 - The Floyd Bennett Gardens Association, Inc. | FBGA

From the Ground Up
THE FLOYD BENNETT GARDENS ASSOCIATION
Volume 20 Issue 4
The Newsletter That Helps You Grow
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Contents
Like Us on Facebook
Youngest Polar Bear at FBGA
Plotting Along
Elected Officers Thank Gardeners
Halloween Party Photos
A Simple Starter Compost Bin
At the Garlic Festival
Ailanthus Webworm
autumn leaves provided by anyshapshot.com
Fall 2015
on Facebook
Barbara Pearson
FBGA has officially entered the world of social
media; our Facebook page is up and open to the
public. We’re hoping that this will provide our
members with a more accessible way to share their
FBGA experiences with fellow gardeners. FBGA is
also eager to share with the public information that
conveys what a great organization it is and what a fun,
healthful, generous, interesting, and all-around
rewarding experience community gardening can be.
If you’re a Facebook user, please like our page
and contribute your photos, information, and news.
We’ve had a slow start with posts to our page by our
gardeners but we’re sure that’s only because its
existence is not well-known to them. Please share our
page with your Facebook friends whether they are
gardeners or just wish they were.
Youngest Polar Bear at FBGA
Floyd Bennett Gardens Association Newsletter
Floyd Bennett Gardens Association Inc. is located in Floyd Bennett Field, a
unit of Gateway National Recreation Area.
Lynn Graham
One of our FBGA Children's Garden members,
Olivia Bradley, recently became the youngest member
of a very exclusive club, facing frigid waters without
any fear.
Olivia’s story appeared in the Canarsie Courier.
She is the youngest member ever of the 112-year-old
Coney Island Polar Bear Club. Olivia was voted in
after completing the required 12th swim during the
period from November 2014 through April 2015.
Olivia has taken swimming lessons and been on
swim teams just about continuously since she was three
years old. Her father is also a Polar Bear and inspired
his daughter to be a “crazy lunatic” just like him.
Currently Olivia and her sister and brother are
Children's Garden members and their grandmother is
an FBGA gardener.
See the full stories and photos in the Canarsie
Courier.
Editor: Barbara Pearson
Contributors: Frank Gentile, Lynn Graham, John Lunceford,
Barbara Pearson, Patricia Peterson, Shereen Rosenthal
Proofreaders: Paul Moses, Shari Romar
Photographs: Frank Gentile, John Lunceford, Olga Ortiz
Barbara Pearson, Susan Sugarman
Website: fbga.net
Contact Louis M.: fbgaweb@optonline.net
Contact us: FBGA News • PO Box 340986 • Ryder Retail Station
Brooklyn, NY 11234-9993 • e-mail fbgaeditor@gmail.com
Our Policy: All submissions to the newsletter may be edited for grammar,
spelling and length. We reserve the right to reject entries.
Disclaimer Required by the National Parks Service
The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and
should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the United States
Government. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their
endorsement by the U.S. Government.
FBGA Contacts
http://www.canarsiecourier.com/news/2015-0409/Other_News/Frigid_Waters_No_Challenge_For_Thi
s_Youngster.html
http://www.canarsiecourier.com/news/2015-0416/Other_News/NineYearOld_Girl_Makes_Polar_Bear
_History.html
Adriann Musson – President
917-446-3764
fbgapres@optonline.net
Bob Halligan – Vice President & Education
917-626-7460 fbgagardens@aol.com
Judy Tropeano – Treasurer
718-444-7210 jcricket16@aol.com
Clara Villanueva – Corresponding Secretary
718-782-5694 fbgasecretary@aol.com
Lynn Halligan – Recording Secretary & Special Events
mamaduke23@aol.com
Sylvia Tsingis – Champions of Courage Garden
718-646-5979 starcilagos@verizon.net
Lynn Graham – Children’s Garden
firecutskill@yahoo.com
Roy Brummell – Conflict Resolution
718-342-3689 roybrumm@verizon.net
Carl Arendt – Operations & Maintenance
917-681-3624 carloelba@optimum.net
Gail Schneider – Fundraising
347-533-3787 gschneider33@hotmail.com
Tom Ingram – Landscape Maintenance
917-209-6452 tomato1646@verizon.net
On behalf of the FBGA community I want
to congratulate Olivia Bradley on making
history by becoming the youngest member
ever in the Coney Island Polar Bear
Club. We are all very proud of you.
Susan Sugarman – Elections
917-817-7855 susan.sugarman@gmail.com
Tom Marange – Help A Gardener
718-382-4216 tom.jetty@verizon.net
Marie Artesi – Landscape Design
718-256-4480
Frank Gentile – Wildlife Habitat
917-701-8370 francobkln@yahoo.com
Barbara Pearson – Newsletter
Lynn Graham, Chairperson
FBGA Children's Garden
718-869-6774 fbgaeditor@gmail.com
Joe Nerone – Pumpkin Patch
718-789-2713
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garden at FBGA are unique as the seasons transition
and the temperature, light and rainfall change. So
where will our gardening take us next year?
We’re considering growing from seed instead of
only buying young plants. We’re thinking of planting
tomatoes where they weren’t this season (we’re told
this is crop rotation) because ours had a fungus. Maybe
some broccoli, yet it’s possible we’ll grow none. We
respect the garden zone calendar now that we know the
information it provides can extend the garden season.
We learned that growing plants where they aren’t
stressed by those alongside them is extremely
important (we’ve heard that’s referred to as proper
spacing). We still wonder if earthworms live in raised
beds. We need to learn so much more in our second
season.
Plotting Along
Patricia Peterson
After waiting three years we finally made it to the
Floyd Bennett Gardens Association as new members.
Our own garden plot at last!
Healthy, beautiful plants have plenty of room to
grow whether up or out, getting the right amount of
sunlight and water in soil that is good for them, helping
them resist pests and disease. What’s not to like about
a thriving plant (except for one of a multitude of robust
weeds)?
Many newcomers to FBGA are not new to
gardening; they know some plant essentials. But we
were first time gardeners and had no gardening
knowledge. Trial and error in our patch became an
enriching teacher and we kept our eyes open for
grateful viewing of surrounding gardens, gleaning
plant specifics by watching the gardens of others.
Mediterranean vegetables we like inspired our
desire to grow plants. Not all were successful or
abundant. We had a decent number of prickly
cucumbers, a lot more tasty tomatoes, a jammed chard
patch, too much lettuce in too little time yet we ate
almost every delectable leaf before they bolted (will
stagger plantings in year 2) and were delighted with
Adriann Musson’s suggestion of growing the
gradually maturing cubanelle peppers even while
adjusting to their especially mild flavor. We had too
few eggplants. Broccoli surprised us with its
prehistoric shape and blue-green leaves and the
challenge of growing it. The marigolds became flower
bushes, so possibly too much of a good thing.
Keeping up with our weeds provided us with
ample opportunities to leave our home (putting it
nicely). Back at the garden we enjoyed the sun and
breeze in great anticipation as we foraged for
vegetation we thought we were growing. Attempting
to control intruding weed growth from other plots also
took up a lot of our time. As inexperienced gardeners,
choosing the right weeding tools was difficult designs were evaluated, personal preferences
discovered. One of our initial observations in early
spring was the plot-bordering wood that could be seen
nearly everywhere, used to block off sprouting weeds
from adjacent plots. Of course it’s no use against the
tall overhanging weeds that may develop later but it
looks good and appears somewhat promising.
It’s been satisfying and encouraging to explore
gardening this season at FBGA. A garden offers
wisdom of the elements of life; that’s something to
aspire to and a marvel to see. The qualities of every
Elected Officers Thank Gardeners
This fall FBGA held elections for President, Vice
President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary and
Corresponding Secretary. The current officers ran
unopposed and will stay in their positions for the next
two years. We, your elected officers, would like to
express our thanks to all of you for your vote of
confidence. We will continue to work diligently and
with integrity to fulfill the trust you have shown us.
The next two years promise to be exciting ones.
2016 is our 20th anniversary as an organization and we
are planning a big celebration of this event. We would
welcome your help and contributions.
FBGA is a great organization because of
gardeners like you. The more involved you all become
in FBGA the better the organization will be. We urge
you all to share your ideas, concerns, and comments
with us, whether by email, phone, or in person. We
will give each email, phone call, or personal comment
serious attention.
Once again, please accept our heartfelt thanks for
your continued support.
Sincerely,
Adriann Musson, President
Bob Halligan, Vice President
Judy Tropeano, Treasurer
Lynn Halligan, Recording Secretary
Clara Villanueva, Corresponding Secretary
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It WAS a
Happy
Halloween
at FBGA
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A Simple Starter Compost Bin
John Lunceford
We were very excited to get our garden space in
the 2014 season. We had lived in Maine for 3 years
between 2006 and 2009 before moving back to
Brooklyn. While in Maine we had a large garden and
we enjoyed getting our hands dirty again. In 2014 we
had a pretty decent crop out of the efficient space, and
frankly it’s always better to get more efficient.
In 2014 we were focused on getting the garden up
and running with the layout, decorations and plant
combination. In Maine we had an active composting
heap and this year we decided to try bringing the
composting process into a scaled down environment.
This would allow us to know where the soil came from
and to begin experimenting with what will enrich our
soil to help our plants grow.
The following are needed to create a personal
composting environment:
 one large rubber storage tub such as you'd buy
from Home Depot or Lowes
 a drill with a 1/8" bit to make holes for drainage
 bungee cord that is long enough to lock the top to
the tub
 a can-do attitude
Preparing the bin involved drilling holes in it: a
dozen in the bottom of the tub to prevent pooling of
water and then 6 holes on each side and 4 on each end
under the lip of the tub to allow for air circulation
while not allowing water into the tub.
In preparation for our personal composting at
FBGA, we began gathering kitchen scraps in a pot
with a lid, but you could use a bucket or bag. We
preferred the pot with a lid because it kept any possible
vermin out of our scraps.
For a few weeks we brought our pot of kitchen
scraps to the garden. Each addition to the bin involved
removing the bungee and lid, emptying the pot into the
bin, and stirring the existing contents with the new
contents. Then, with our hose, adding water to the bin,
making sure it was moist but not muddy, and replacing
the top and the bungee (the little critters will get in
without the bungee.) We also made sure to regularly
remove any precipitation from the top of the bin so that
there were no pools of water for mosquito breeding.
After 4-6 weeks we already started to see the
results with beautiful, fine soil to add to our planting.
We were only able to use our compost for re-plantings
because of the timing, but this time of year gives us the
opportunity to build up a stockpile in preparation for
spring. We can't wait to use our compost in 2016!
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- garlic you grew is used to your soil; and don’t forget
to rotate the garlic patch to protect against garlic bloat
nematode.
If you don’t already, you’re likely to find that
once you start growing your own garlic, you just can’t
stop. And you’ll also find that the Garlic Festival is
always worth the trip.
At the Garlic Festival
Shereen Rosenthal
FBGA members and friends journeyed once again
to the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in Saugerties,
New York on Saturday, September 29th. The weather
was great and the garlic was plentiful!
The Garlic Seed Foundation was an important
presence at the Garlic Festival. It is a not-for-profit
clearinghouse for research and information about
garlic for aficionados and small farmers. They attend
garlic festivals all over the country, lending speakers
and general expertise. At their table were articles,
brochures, informative flyers (see below) and books.
You can join the Garlic Seed Foundation (which I just
did) and get even more info on all things garlic in their
newsletter which they produce four times a year.
Note: While it’s true that softneck garlics are usually
not grown as successfully as hardnecks are here in
Brooklyn, I grow a variety named ‘Kettle River
Giant’ which doesn’t just survive, it thrives, including
winter 2014-15. Very large bulbs, good taste, and the
longer storage life of a softneck have convinced me to
grow it almost exclusively (I do want at least one
hardneck for the scapes) when I plant my garlic
(because I just can’t stop) in Fall 2016. Ed.
Ailanthus Webworm
Frank Gentile & Barbara Pearson
The Ailanthus webworm (Atteva aurea) is a
species of ermine moth native to Florida and Central
America. It is becoming more common here in the
northeast due to the widespread presence of the tree of
heaven (Ailanthus altissima), an invasive species of
tree from China that is related to the webworm’s native
host trees. Tree of heaven is sometimes confused with
the native sumac (Rhus sp.) because of the similarity
of their pinnately compound leaves but when in flower
they are easily distinguished. There is a lot of sumac
growing on the eastern side of Flatbush Avenue near
the main entrance to Floyd Bennett Field and also
along the Belt Parkway. You can thank the handsome
devils in the picture below, who showed up on some
milkweed at FBGA, for these random entomological,
botanical, and local facts being brought to you.
Reprinted with permission of The Garlic Seed Foundation
The folks from the Garlic Seed Foundation had
some interesting things to share, such as: don’t cook
garlic first in your stir fry or sauce, put it in later for
more flavorful dishes; planting garlic in the spring
may not lead to large bulbs, but the leaves are very
flavorful and can be used in soups and stews; we
should buy bulbs from local growers (northeastern
U.S.) because those grown in other regions are
accustomed to different climates. And of course they
confirmed much of what we already knew: our region
does better with hardneck garlic than softneck; always
try to save some of your best garlic to plant in the fall
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Svetlana
Khramova
has
donated and planted over 60
Asiatic lilies of various colors
(pink pictured), creeping
phlox, and many black-eyed
Susan plants in the Habitat.
The mass-planting of lilies
makes an impressive show.
Thank you Svetlana!
FBGA welcomes and appreciates your
donations of plants, tools, supplies,
and time. If you have something you
wish to donate, contact any elected
officer or committee chairperson to
discuss. Please do not plant anything
on the grounds of FBGA without
being instructed to do so by either an
officer or committee chairperson.
Thank you.
You are the News
From the Ground Up is for and about
members of FBGA. If there is a story you
want to tell, write an article or talk to one of
our reporters. Tell us what’s so wonderful
about that plant you love to grow; impart
your knowledge and techniques; send a
photo to share a garden moment that you
experienced but the rest of us may have
missed. Community service hours can be
earned for material we use in the newsletter.
Email fbgaeditor@gmail.com or contact
one of FBGA’s officers or committee chairs
and tell us your news.
A beautiful harvest from the garden of Olga and Victor Ortiz.
One of the things I love to do at FBGA is walk up and down the aisles seeing what fun people have with their
gardens. It seems gardener John Lunceford does too. He submitted these and many more fantastic photos he
took at FBGA. Look for them on our Facebook page and in the winter edition of the newsletter.
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