Blog Posts

RIGC Board Members Meet Up Virtually

4/6/2020

Thanks to a garden member's generous sharing, the RIGC Board met and saw each other live as planned on April 5th. They will be able to meet again on Sunday, May 3rd.

Here they are pictured as the rest of the world all seems to be pictured these days: on a zoom platform in early April. RIGC volunteer Board members very much miss seeing you all. Please take care and stay safe!

Message from our RIGC President

3/25/2020

Dear RIGC Members and Associates,

As bad as things are during this outbreak, this may still be to some extent, the quiet before the storm and NYC is in the eye of the storm, but like all storms, this too shall pass. Meanwhile, we strongly encourage all members to stay home.

Watch the NYS Governor's daily updates on TV. Sign up for RIOC advisories. Visit gardens around the world on virtual tours. Write a blog post on your favorite plant or collect old photos of your own garden for our website and send these to me at rigcpresident@aol.com and to rigardencluboutreach@gmail.com.

Staying home is your best course of action to protect yourself and others. This virus will sicken persons of all ages. In addition, it also remains crucial to have an abundance of caution if you are older or have health issues. Based on our surveys, the biggest portion of our club are people over 70, and the second biggest group are over 60.

We all need to take care of one another by the warm embrace of keeping our distance from one another. Things are changing daily. The "elbow bump" was briefly very popular but is now passé, replaced by 6' of social distancing and lots of hand washing.

Since you are not in the gardens to take care of your plot, you might be worried what your garden will turn into without you; yes, there will be weeds, but so be it. Like everything else, the RIGC Standards Committee is also on hiatus at this time. (And actually our lives would be a lot better if our only worry was about getting an LOV. )

Take care of yourselves, be well, and I look forward to seeing everyone again when this is over.

- - - Neal

Neal Weissman, PRESIDENT
Roosevelt Island Garden Club
rigcpresident@aol.com

A Brave New Spring by Iliada Bass

3/20/2020

With all the escalating news and all the twist and turns around our jobs, kids’ schedules, our lifestyle and the entire economy, it’s easy to forget that, in our gardens, a whole entire new season is quietly brewing and slowly emerging, about to burst into a riot of colors, scents and indescribable beauty.

I am amazed and humbled every early March, a lot of times February, by the brave little crocus showing up in full color, delicate, and perfect in their tininess, pure and unapologetic, nor proud. Especially when they pop their beauty above snow, gorgeous and carefree against frost and frigid winds, there for whoever or no one to see them, it makes you wonder… are they aware how humbling that is for humans? Who of us is capable of standing up so fragile, vulnerable, so carefree and giving in the midst of winter and look so gorgeous in the process?

Or hellebore - grand dames of winter gardens - so poised and elegant. The rosemary has been standing there all along, green and fragrant - just in case you need it, and the sage, wilting a little, but still there, with so much to give. Other herbs start sprouting their leaves - oregano, parsley, and the chives are taller by the inch. As you pass, or lean to touch the fresh green, short whiffs of herbs mix with the smell of the earth and you just have to dig your hands in the soil - the full signal of spring.

A few days ago, the daffodils were coming up all green, with barely a tinge of yellow in the slim buds. What a shock to see so many in bloom today, already double height, their sway as legendary as once portrayed by poets - and little do they know or care about that… Last week, one hyacinth bud was barely out of the soil, it’s tight geometric perfection giving away a hint of pink. This evening, three of them standing tall, still opening and growing, fragile and unformed, still gathering their pink together. The irises are sending their swords up, the columbine’s delicate leaves have been silently confronting February, the strawberries are sending off their offsprings underground in all directions, lupines grow their clusters with decorum.

What a gift!
Never the smell of parsley and its baby sprigs were more enchanting. The garlic and oregano are throwing all their might in every tiny leaf, - each, a powerhouse of beneficial engines running high, pushing to grow. Add to this the general non-stop chirping, the tiny buds of growing colors on the trees and the clouds moving at speed only God knows where, and you completely forget of crisis, of all our human limitations and made-up solutions that only take us that far…

When every day, right in our face, we see and hear the lesson: life is more beautiful without all those agendas and our little ulterior motives; just live and be happy, enjoy what’s around us, forget repeating ourselves how we’re mastering nature and universe - we’re not, we never did, we are just part of it. And we should be grateful to learn from all our fellow living things in the garden how to be simple, and ourselves, and simply give the best we can, ideally - unconditionally.

What does social or physical distancing mean in a garden?

3/14/2020

Go to the CDC page : PREVENTION OF CORONA VIRUS DISEASE 2019

Anyone of any age with an underlying health condition or those who have been exposed to known cases of COVID-19 virus or those who are exhibiting any symptoms of sickness like fever or dry cough should always stay inside.

Individuals who do go outside for mental health and exercise should follow these crucial guidelines to stay safe in this serious time of global pandemic.

Stay 6 - 10 feet from others at all times.
Take a different pathway if it looks like you must cross near someone.
Use clean gardening gloves at each visit. Disinfect tools and items used before and after use - even when using gloves.
Keep the gates locked at all times. Avoid any direct contact with the gates and wash hands before and after all visits.
Take any trash out on your own to AVAC. Do NOT leave any items in any common trash cans for others to dispose of.
Never congregate in groups. Limit time spent in your garden out of courtesy to others.

update 3/22 re: organic materials from the garden

The branch pile and new materials area of the communal compost system are closed and at capacity.
Leave any clippings of any kind neatly in your own garden.

2020 Arrives for Roosevelt Island Garden Club

1/26/2020

Your 2020 RIGC Executive Board met for their first meeting on Tuesday, January 21st with a full quorum and two new members. Our 2020 Secretary ,Robert Ostergaard, has created a great new online registration packet for everyone!

Find your email and start by reviewing the RIGC Rules & Regulations and the RIGC By-Laws. Then click on the registration button and simply fill in all the blanks. Your final registration step is to write a check, place it in an envelope with a stamp, and mail it to: Roosevelt Island Garden Club Attn: Treasurer . P.O. BOX 127 . New York, NY 10044

All registration materials are due by February 29th! As you write your registration check, consider adding a tax-free donation. Your donation will go toward projects such as border replacement, improving disabled gardeners’ access to plots, landscape enhancements, and managing unexpected needs.

Meanwhile in the garden, mild temperatures made for beautiful weather in late January and there is no better way to celebrate a new year than by sifting new compost. The communal compost piles have been heating up well all during this winter season and some compost is now ready to be sifted. Anthony, Jenna, Aiesha, Akylbai, Julia, and Jérôme were all out recently sifting and chatting.

Welcome to the new 2020 RIGC year! Stop by the composting area this spring to speak with Anthony Longo or another compost committee member and find out more! "At RIGC, what comes from the ground, returns to the ground." Doesn't our logo say something about that idea, too? "In Earth We Trust!"

2020 Mulchfest Extravaganza with RIGC

1/4/2020

Have you ever wondered what really happens to the holiday trees you ask the maintenance to take out of your apartment? Well, New York city has a program called Mulchfest and you can take your tree to a chipping day or a drop off site across the boroughs in early to mid-January. In Manhattan the city picks up the trees left on the street on certain days. These trees are chipped and used for mulch to feed city tree beds and also parks and also to create NYC Compost.

This year RIGC member Anthony Longo continued a longstanding practice of picking up all the Roosevelt Island tree sale trimmings and composting them in our garden bins. This has been happening for at least 5 years. In addition, Julia Ferguson and Jerome Dutilloy took this RIGC dream a step further and picked up 27 trees from neighbors and building staff around the Island. On Saturday, January 4th, they transported these organic resources to the Astoria Park Mulchfest Chipping Site and saw them all mulched for NYC parks! Trees in landfills turn to greenhouse gasses, but chipped trees are returned to feed the soil and close the natural loop making for almost zero waste in a natural cycle created by the earth!

RIGC members are actively working to connect with RIOC and plan for 2021. Maybe we can get a drop off site or a chipping day on the Island for more convenience.

Honoring Geof Kerr for his Service as RIGC Treasurer

12/19/2019

On December 19th, several RIGC members were able to present Geof Kerr with a beautiful framed painting of the gardens by RIGC member artist Peggy Roalf. Geof has been our well-beloved and amazing treasurer for the past 5 years. Geof helped us to get our 501c3 status and worked to arrange for a mini-audit or compilation of our books a few years ago. Geof quietly and professionally handled our taxes and insurance annually. By guiding and advising the Board, he has carefully built up a very steady practice of RIGC book keeping, budgeting, and reserve building for this group to become the healthy volunteer non-profit organization that it is today.

This year Geof Kerr decided to retire from the RIGC Treasurer position and also to give up his plot and become a Legacy Gardener Associate. The Board wanted to present him with a gift as a symbol of our appreciation and was able to find this December date for the small gathering at Island House. Geof will be sorely missed, but we look forward to seeing him on his bike and in the gardens!

2019: A Long Season of Free Garden Classes at RIGC (4th-8th Graders)

11/17/2019

Thanks to Laura, a new RIGC Associate, we were able to offer free gardening experiences for 4th to 8th graders almost every Sunday afternoon from June through mid-November. The older elementary and middle school students live on Roosevelt Island and have parents on the RIGC waitlist. They are interested in being outdoors and learning by doing. We started with 4-6 students regularly until it became colder and numbers changed. Pretty much rain or shine, we listened and watched for eco-systems in the garden, made scavenger hunts, planted seeds, observed the changing seasons, harvested vegetables, raked, dug, watered, swept, sifted compost and created games. In the end we built a raised bed for the 2020 season. Watch for class announcements and sign up in the new gardening season!

NYC Compost Official Pumpkin Smash on Roosevelt Island 2019: Third Annual Event is Best Day Yet!

11/2/2019

by Christina Delfico of iDig2Learn

Partners rallied for the best Roosevelt Island Pumpkin Smash ever! Nearly 300 attendees came through to enjoy the day.

Manhattan Park's lower lawn was perfect. And this year Anthony Longo and his son AJ added a Pumpkin roll for the littlest smashers and a tumbler too, both huge hits. Julia Ferguson from the RI Garden club was on hand with the popular compost process and decomposer demonstration table. We also added delicious homemade layer cakes created by local Andrea Jackson of Your Favorite Cake.

So much gratitude for all the new and returning volunteers that went above and beyond including Aiesha Eleusizov, Akylbai Eleusizov for his photos as well as the Girl Scouts and the UN International School 9th and 10th grade volunteers. Thanks to returning help from Levka Starkova, Kim Massey, Karen Lee, Max, Niti Parikh, Danika, and all the attending smashers. It was wonderful to see Ms. Lauraine from PS 217 and her whole family, Mr. Barnes from Coler, Jeff Escobar and his family, Jennilie and Rob from Open Doors, and many more friends from the neighborhood.

If you want to smile, check out the photos below by Akylbai Eleusizov.

Thanks to all our generous partners Susan Rosenthal, Jessica Cerone, Erica Spencer-EL, Mary Cunneen, Fernando Vargas, Michelle Edwards, and the entire RIOC team, Gil Lopez and Bella Rabinovich, Devin Reitsma, Alvin Ulloa, Shakara Petteway and all the Big Reuse folks, Gina from DSNY, Brian Weisberg and the team from Manhattan Park, Sherene Steer-Ojelabi of NYC Ferry, Julia Ferguson of the Roosevelt Island Garden Club, Anthony Longo of GRIN, NYPL Ms. Jen & the Roosevelt Island branch, Angel and Lauren of Gristedes, Israel and David from Wengerd Farms, Chief Brown, Officer Wong and Arce and the PSD team, Kareen and team from Motorgate, and island news outlets including Rick O'Conor from The Roosevelt Islander, David Stone from The Roosevelt Island Daily and Briana Warsing from The Main Street WIRE plus island and Upper East Side groups who spread the word to make a great day.

And a big thank you to all the building managers shared the event with their residents in an effort to support sustainability and remove wet waste from their buildings and return food scraps back into the soil!

And to all the teams from the offices of the elected officials Senator Serrano, Assembly Member Seawright, Comptroller Stringer, Manhattan Borough President Brewer and City Council Member Kallos.

This annual Pumpkin Smash event is a fun way to convey that food scraps are not trash and keep our island clean and green.  NYC Compost Hosted by Big Reuse will process the pumpkin bits into compost just like they do with islander food scraps every Sat from 9am to 2:30pm at the Food Scrap Drop Off green bins next to the farmers market. To date Big Reuse has helped Roosevelt Island divert over 100,000 pounds of food scraps from landfill. Congratulations! We will share weight totals diverted from landfill when we have them.

Best Gardens 2019: A Collection From All Around

10/26/2019

Halima Aouchette, RIGC Standards Chair, presented
seven
Best Garden Certificates 2019
this year at the Fall General Meeting.

These were the result of regular active and exceptional gardening seen during the five Standards Committee visits across the 2019 season.

Congratulations are in order for all of the following gardeners.
A-01 Beverly and Zachary Schutes
B-26 Kwasi Long and Judith Abebe
C-16 Leonid Drozner
C-48 Robert Ostergaard
C-53 Stephane le Pichon
C-55 Mamta Gupta and Talat Kazuma
D-07 Vera Johnson

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