The Posse savors success, dirt, and cookies

Last Tuesday night found the Garden Posse digging industriously away at the triangle of North Lamar. After a summer of insufferable heat and drought, members of the Posse were heard to remark that the seasons were finally changing. It was a good time to come back to gardening. 

The triangle we chose for gardening is pretty large, and the posse member who picked out the spot would eventually like to turn it into a community garden. But big ideas start small and guerrilla-style, and we decided to dig two 4' x 6' beds on the side of the triangle closest to Lamar. The Posse got to it with pick-axes and shovels, then raked out the grass. Shoal Creek Nursery donated a bunch of broken bags of soil and compost, which we used to amend the soil. Vegetable transplants were not yet in the nurseries, so we're starting these beds from seed. The prospect of growing a garden straight from seed, with visions of little green sprouts springing up, excited the Posse. We planted a great variety of fall vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, bak choi, kale, and more. Hands got dirty. 

We did it all in an hour and a half. This is the amazing thing about guerrilla gardening - it's very fulfilling and it doesn't even take very long. We had plenty of time to celebrate Posse'er Carly's first anniversary of being in Austin, complete with freshly baked cookies and champagne. Yes, that's right. Membership in the Posse gets you cookies and champagne on special occasions.* 

Long time Posse friend, cookie baker, and new member David will be taking care of the North Lamar triangle garden, and alert us to any sprouting action. In the meantime, we're getting excited for our benefit concert on Sunday, September 27! (10 days away!) We'll be sharing more enticing details soon. But in the meantime, look for our posters posted around town, featuring our beautiful new Garden Posse logo! Check it out! (Exclamation points convey our excitement!)

All credit for the logo goes to Carly. 

* no guarantees on the cookies and champagne.

First dig of the season!

We are meeting on Tuesday, September 15, at 7:30 pm for our first dig of the season!

We've located a large triangle of open public land right off North Lamar, which is prime for a few veggie beds. It's at the corner of North Lamar and West Crestland Drive. Here's a map.

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You'll see that there are two triangles on W Crestland - make sure you're at the one closest to North Lamar. 

Please bring all the helpful gardening tools you might have: Shovels, trowels, picks, rakes, garden gloves, whatever ya got. Donations of fall seeds and plants are very welcome. And don't forget your flashlight! (Guerrilla gardening is about doing things under the cover of night. Or at least the cover of deepening evening light.) We hope to see new faces this season!

Want an even easier way to stay updated with Garden Posse events and guerrilla gardening around the world? Become a fan of the Garden Posse on Facebook! Being a fan is also an easy way to ask us to come garden in your neighborhood. We'd love to, thanks. Tell your friends!

 

Garden Posse benefit show lineup!

On September 27, from 1 - 8 pm, we are going to have a rocking party!

10 bands! 7 hours! Win a garden in your yard from the Garden Posse!

United States Art Authority (attached to Spiderhouse)
2908 Fruth St. Austin, TX
(Guadelupe & 29th)

Check out the lineup:

OUTSIDE STAGE

1:30 - 2:00 Boone Graham

2:45 - 3:15 Stephen's Island Wren

4:00 - 4:30 Lady Maybe & The Sometimes Friends

5:15 - 5:45 Dana Falconberry

6:30 - 6:45 Raffle Winner Drawing

6:45 - 7:15 Danny Malone


INSIDE STAGE

2:00 - 2:45 Marcus Rubio & Gospel Choir of Pillows

3:15 - 4:00 The Great Nostalgic

4:30 - 5:15 Cartographers

5:45 - 6:30 One Hundred Flowers

7:15 - 8:00 The Lovely Sparrows

Dead of summer posse update

When you look outside of your hopefully air-conditioned home, what do you see? Brown trees, dead plants, even succulents wilting in the sun, and emergency drought conditions. It's a depressing scene, we know. Most of our hand-watered guerrilla gardens couldn't make it through this extremely harsh summer. But the Garden Posse holds on to the hope that someday, this too, will pass, and we can look forward to the long season of growing ahead and establish new gardens. Depending on the weather, we will start gardening again Tuesday nights in September. 

What we are REALLY excited about, is a big deal event coming up in the fall! 

GARDEN POSSE BENEFIT SHOW AT UNITED STATES ART AUTHORITY!

September 27 (Sunday, 2 - 7 pm)

Mark your calendars for this one, it is going to be big. 10 bands, 2 stages, and possible gardening/ plant giveaways! It's celebrating our one  year anniversary (which is this week, actually, but Sept. 27 is a only month belated), and raising money for the Garden Posse, so we can do bigger and better things. Please come out and support us that day, and if you  is interested in getting involved with organizing the event, please let us know. We're working with a booker, but we could use help finding businesses to sponsor the show. 

Details about regular Tuesday night activities are listed on our google calendar. Please email gardenposse@gmail.com if you would like to be invited to the calendar and receive weekly updates. It's supposed to be public, too, so if you are savvier that I, you could probably search for gardenposse@gmail.com Google calendar. 

Our website and logo are in the works, so stay tuned!

Photos from the Paradise Garden

If you are not currently located in Texas, you might not realize how amazing a green garden is this year. Gardens are fried to a crisp if they go a few days without water. Pastor Ealey's only trick is to water in the early morning and night, every day. And now his church has a thriving garden. Not to mention a continually expanding watermelon patch. 

Pastor Ealey has named each of his seven watermelons. I believe this one's named Ernestine. 

We planted some beans around a tree trunk. It's taken over, and shades the herbs underneath.  

Here's Pastor Ealey, showing off his garden. 

Check out the garden if you are on Webberville Road. But don't touch Pastor Ealey's watermelons!

Message from Pastor Ealey, keeper of the "Paradise Garden"

Yesterday, members of the Garden Posse joined the Webberville Road Baptist Church for a potluck get-together. It was so wonderful to meet the congregants, share a good meal, and talk about gardening. But the real star of the potluck was the garden itself - the "Paradise Garden" is thriving! Even in this heat, it is looking glorious. The tomatoes, pepper, and basil are green and without a sign of wilt or pests. We planted two watermelon transplants, and now there is a watermelon patch with seven - count 'em, seven - watermelons on the vine!

We received this email from Pastor Ealey, for whom the watermelons have become his pride and joy.

Seven is the number of perfection,thank-you,thank-you,thank-you,thank-you,thank-you,thank-you,thank-you.

The paradise garden Potluck was fun and went well. I learned a lot about the plants and I plan to weed a little and keep some basic definition among the different vines.... I hope we can help you in some way. You envisioned a garden and it is happening. Our esteem level is soaring. Some of my old folks are inhibited and this helped them get out of the box. This will motivate more initiative efforts and enhance fellowship experiences.... I have met most of my goals the biggest challenge has been to develop things structurally around here. What you have done helps a lot. I heard a couple of people say. I have tried many gardens,and they did not turn out like this, "I think I will try another one at home."

Let me know If you get this email. We keep you in our prayers,and give glory to God.

Sincerly,Pastor Ealey

This is what we had hoped for when we planted the garden, and we are overjoyed to know that it is inspiring people to start their own gardens.

Photos will be on their way...... and don't forget, planning meeting tomorrow! Clementine's on Manor Rd, 7:30 pm.

Potluck this Sunday at 1 pm

We will be having a potluck this Sunday, July 19, 1 PM at the Webberville Road Baptist Church to celebrate the success of the "Paradise Garden." Please come meet the people who benefit from the fruits of the Garden Posse's work! We would love to see everyone come out. Bring a dish to share.

Webberville Road Baptist Church is located at 1405 Webberville Road, next to T.C.'s Lounge. The church is set back from the road.


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