VISTA Matters is the weekly community newsletter for garden members. Included are key dates and communications necessary for all members to know and be involved. 
VISTA Gardens News - June 8, 2017
Education: Pile On!

If you have ever dreamed of working the compost piles and learning first hand about the process, then two upcoming Saturdays are for you. 

Not a dirt dreamer? No worries, there are plenty of other opportunities to learn and contribute, like organic waste pick up, data collection, sign production, partner outreach and more. 

So, come out to meet Josh and the compost crew. They love to spread their compost passion (comp-assion?!).

Date: Saturday, June 17 AND June 24
Time: 9:00  - 11:00 AM
Location: VISTA Gardens, compost corner
So. Much. Rain. 
It is undeniable that Hillsborough County, along with much of the country, is in need of significant rainfall. However, our garden beds would have preferred it to not have come all at once!

Too much rain can negatively affect your garden production unless you take action to mitigate damage. Follow the link below and read the article (from Australia, ace!), "Managing excess moisture in the vegetable garden", for tips and tricks to keep your garden healthy and happy. 


(P.S. Check out the blog overall, it has some good posts.)
Greg Williams (Shirley must be hiding behind him!)
Member Spotlight:        Greg & Shirley Williams

1. Please share your bed address.
#6 Asparagus Ave. 

2. What interested you in starting your garden?
As owners of a local nature shop we've always been interested in nature and the outdoors. When Bill West asked us if we could be a temporary distribution point for vegetables before VISTA Gardens was actively growing, we said "absolutely". We signed up then and have enjoyed just being at the garden with our fellow gardeners, and growing our own produce. In fact, we now hate buying produce in the grocery store.
 
3. What do you like to grow? What are your "go to" plants?
Our favorites are tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and arugula.  We like salad!

4. What's your favorite activity/time of day at the garden?
My favorite time there is in the mornings. It is a little cooler and a nice way to start the day.

 5. What is one thing you'd like us to know about you?
Last year we sold our nature store, Wild Birds Unlimited, but we are still active at the store.  We enjoy having more time with our grandson, camping and working in our native Florida yard.
Watch Now:
Tampa Heights Community Garden featured in  Aetna Foundation video

Tampa Heights Community Garden is featured in a recent Aetna Foundation video, "Healthiest Cities". Their segment begins just past the 1:30 mark. 

The Coalition of Community Gardens, with Hillsborough County and City of Tampa, have partnered to improve the health of our community by building community gardens in food deserts using the Healthiest Cities/Counties Challenge Grant. 

Interested in getting involved? Simply reply to this email. Include your name and contact information and we will get you in touch with Kitty Wallace, featured in the video. 

Ongoing Activities

Saturday Work Parties
Fulfill your community volunteer requirement by joining fellow gardeners on Saturday mornings to tackle the maintenance needs of the garden at large. It's a fun time and you get some exercise and the garden stays looking great. Keeping the garden regularly maintained prevents us from major intermittent workload.  The party starts at 9 a.m. every weekend, weather permitting. 

Compost Thursdays
Committee members meet at the garden Thursday's at 8 a.m. to turn the compost. Please join the team if you would like to learn more about composting.

Compost Materials Needed 
General reminder: To produce high quality compost the community needs to provide a steady supply of material. Please bring your garden or vegetable waste to the garden, don't let it go to the landfill!

Keep in touch with VISTA
We are working hard to streamline communications to ensure you receive the right content in the right place when you need it.
1. Facebook: Like "VISTA Gardens" to receive updates on key activities throughout the week
If you do NOT use Facebook please reply to this email and you will be added to a separate email distribution list. The team will do its best to email any time sensitive updates requiring community attention to this list when a post is made to Facebook.
2. Tuesday email: Summarizes key activity and news for the upcoming week
3. Monthly newsletter: More detail into topics of interest and education (see link above!)
4. Web site: Our address is vistagardentampa.org (note: no 's' in garden). A repository of membership information, detailed education, links to articles on shared topics of interest. Plus much, much more. 
VISTA Gardens | [email protected] | vistagardentampa.org
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