Newsletter 6.30.2020
 Connecting children to healthy food and natureVirtual Bountiful Garden Tour FAQ We are thrilled to have launched our Virtual Bountiful Garden Tour! Since this is a completely virtual fundraiser, there can be some confusion. Here are some common questions and helpful answers! How old do I have to be to enter the Virtual Bountiful Garden Tour event? All ages are welcome! We have a special category for children (ages 18 or under) and their gardens / plants called “Children GROWers”. Entries can include vegetables in containers or gardens, fairy gardens, flowers, herbs, house plants, etc. This entry is $5 and the winner will receive a gift of local goods. Do I have to have a garden to enter? No. You can enter your own private garden, container or ground. However, if you don’t garden or don’t wish to enter your garden, you can enter a local nonprofit or community garden to promote those community assets. We are welcoming of all plants and gardens. Container or a full garden in the ground, we love them all! Here are the categories that you can submit into:Private Flower or Non-Fruiting Perennial GardenPrivate Vegetable GardenChildren GROWersNon-profit / Community GardenMore information about the qualifications of each category can be found on our website. How do I enter? Entering the Garden Tour is easy! Simply go to GROWLaCrosse.org/garden-tour, fill out the google form of your submission information. Then head over to the payment link and submit your payment. Complete your entry by emailing up to three pictures of your garden to Bonnie@growlacrosse.org. How do I qualify for a garden photoshoot? We have a photoshoot package that you can also purchase when submitting your garden! Our marketing intern Jessica will come to your home garden / community garden and capture the beauty of not only your plants, but your family! You must live within 20 miles of one of our GROW gardens to qualify for a fun 15 to 20 minute socially distant photoshoot. If you have any questions on if you qualify, just send an email to jessica.r.parente@gmail.com. My garden won’t be in full bloom until July, is that too late? Not at all! Submissions will be accepted now through July 31st. That way you can capture your garden during its prime. Watering and Weeding Tips This summer has already seen intense sunshine, and intense rain. Here are some watering and weeding tips to keep your gardens happy and healthy all summer long! Watering 1. Low and Slow: Make sure you water close to the soil and roots of the plants, and go around the plants slowly so that they get as much water as possible! 2. The Soil Test: To make sure your plants are getting enough water, push one of your fingers into the soil. If your whole finger is covered with wet soil, your plant is in good shape. If not, water it some more! 3. Prime Plant Time: Your garden takes the middle of the day to do its own growing and harvesting. Let your garden rest and have its own time in peak hours of the day (11am-3pm), and make sure to do your watering and weeding either before or after that time frame. Weeding 1. Root Down: Weeds will keep growing back faster if the roots are left behind. Try to pull from the roots to get the whole weed. 2. Rain is a Good Thing: The best time to pick weeds is after rain. The soil is looser due to the moisture, and the weeds will come out much easier. 3. If You Don’t Know, Let it Grow: Sometimes weeds can be tough to recognize. If you can’t identify if it is a weed or a sprout that you planted, keep an eye on the plant until you can recognize what it is. We hope these tips and tricks help. Happy gardening!   Intern Spotlight Meet our Summer 2020 Marketing Intern Jessica! Jessica Parente is a rising junior at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee where she is majoring in Communication Studies. Jessica will not only help manage the social media platforms we use, but also help run the Virtual Bountiful Garden Tour. Throughout the summer, you’ll see her with her camera in the gardens helping capture all of the growth and hard work of our staff and volunteers. She is very excited to be a part of the GROW team and see how her photography can help capture GROW’s mission and share that to the community! Hometown: Middleton, WI Major – Minor: Communication Studies – Photography Year in school: Junior What are you most excited for when working with GROW?: “I am most excited for capturing the growth and beauty of the gardens, and contributing to their growth by being hands on and doing some gardening as well!” We are thrilled to have your on our team and can’t wait to see all that you accomplish this summer season!  Thank You WisCorps for helping GROW! This month, we have received the generous help from WisCorps in our gardens. They have helped us with garden upkeep like weeding, mulching, and watering. We appreciate your hard work and dedication to making our gardens look as good as possible!    Donate |