Happy Spring Equinox!

We have sprung our clocks forward and today is the Spring Equinox- It’s official! It’s full on gardening season! Let your AGA community help you have a successful and regenerative gardening year. Not sure when to start those cold weather crops? Want to know when to start warm weather seeds inside? We got you, neighbor.

Support From Your Community:

2023 Wall Calendar

The AGA can walk you week by week through your whole gardening year. Never wonder again if you are on track with your planting schedule, learn some new skills, and find new ways to incorporate nature into your daily life. Our monthly QRs will take you to a special part of our website that will give you a week-by-week update on how to get that garden growing! Reserve your copy here for $10! Pickup at Rooted during business hours or at the next AGA event you attend.

Seed Library

Did you miss our AGA Seed Saver Exchange bulk seed order? Couldn’t make our seed swap? No worries! The AGA free seed library is here for you year round! To see all the seeds we have available, fill out this Google Form.

We Got Seeds

Gardening 101 Zoom

We want to support you through your garden season! Grab a bevvy and join your neighbors virtually on Tuesday, May 2nd from 6-7:30pm from the comforts of your own space for a relaxed Gardening 101 chat. Plenty of Q&A to give you the confidence you need to get dirty this spring.

RSVP On Facebook for Updates

Can’t make that event? Hit up our ‘22 zoom recording! It may answer a lot of your questions. AND you’ll see the kind of quality takes that produce this kind of reaction:

Seedling Swap

Growing from seed not your thing? Have we got a community event for you. Our AGA seedling swap/sale is EPIC and will be returning to Metropolitan Brewing this year on May 21st. Enjoy your Chicago River, locally brewed beers, and a huge selection of seedlings grown by your neighbors for neighbors. Tried and tested varieties and new weirdos will be available at the best price in town. And all your donations will help fuel support for increased nature exposure for the Avondale community! Watch Facebook for more details and pre-event swapping.

Houseplant Swap

Wanna swap houseplants? Join our AGA Houseplant Group on Facebook! In the group we’re having a mini Spring houseplant Swap! Post swappable plants in that group now thru April Fool's Day. Chat + interact with plant-neighbors and 'lurk' at plants you are interested in. As end of the month approaches OR when you see the plant of your dreams offer swap/increase interest/ask for a plant. Houseplants change hands Sunday April Fool’s Day! 10a-1p at a neighbor’s place (RSVP on Facebook for more info).

Grow With Your Community:

Seed Swap Recap

We were finally back in-person for our 2023 Seed Swap event and it was awesome. Beer Temple was a gracious host and we filled up the space with so.many.seeds! Always the last Sunday in February, the seed swap is the major event that kicks off the AGA year.

Seed Starting

We always follow up our Seed Swap with a seed starting workshop. The mission of the AGA revolves around providing support for neighbors to engage in urban agriculture. The more we share, the more we grow. Today’s new seed starter is tomorrow’s new seed saver. We love to turn folks on to new urban agriculture skills!

Missed the workshop? Hit up our YouTube channel and watch your neighbors chat about the ins and outs of seed starting (recorded 2022).

Tree Pruning

We braved the rain last Sunday and had the best time learning how to care for our tree friends. SUPER thanks to Breanne Heath for sharing her knowledge with us. This is an important skill- don’t miss it in March 2024!

Here are a few of the tips we learned: perform dormant pruning in March/April for lots of trees and shrubs. Peaches/apricots and other less cold-hardy trees: wait until after flower buds appear. Prune off the 3Ds: dead, disease, damage. Remove suckers/water sprouts. Cut near, but not in the branch collar (the "shoulder" between the branch and trunk).

Join Your Community:

Book Club

Get reading Plenty by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon to follow one couple’s adventure eating only local food, and join our April Book Club on April 26th for a discussion and happy hour. Or just enjoy our happy hour!

Avondale, AKA Fairy Town, USA

Don’t want to wait until the AGA Garden and Agriculture Fair for your next flower crown fix? Good news, AGA partners Bucket O’Blood and DMen Tap are creating Fae Days in Avondale and the AGA is providing some crown magic. See you there on April 1st!

Bonus!

There is still time to sign up for our March 23rd flower crown workshop, so you can learn how to help your fairy neighbors create their crowns. Reach out if you’re interested!

Happy Hours

We have regular happy hours in different locations throughout Avondale with different themes and demos to get neighbors connected. You should come! We are fun! The next Happy Hour will be hosted by the board gaming crew on March 31. Come see if we actually get to the games this time 😂

RSVP On Facebook for Updates

The most radical thing you can do to improve your community is talk to your neighbor

More Upcoming Events

We like to plan ahead!

• March 23: Flower Crown Workshop
• March 31: Board Games & Happy Hour
• April 1-2: Fae Days & DMen Nights
• April 2: Mini Spring Houseplant Swap (join our Facebook group for indoor plant enthusiasts for more info!)
• April 26: Book Club & Happy Hour
• May 2: Gardening 101 Virtual Chat
• May 21: Seedling Swap & Plant Sale
• May 28: Spring in the Garden aka 'CON event'
• Aug. 27: Agriculture & Gardening Fair
• Sept. 24: Harvest Fest Social
• Nov. 5: Houseplant Swap & BINGO

More Info on Upcoming Events

Avondale Gardening Alliance is all volunteer run. Avondalien's share their many talents and resources to make all this happen, including this shiny newsletter! Have a talent you want to share? Any other interests, concerns, questions, or schemes? Get in touch! Email us, we'd love to hear from you!

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Thanks for reading the Avondale Gardening Alliance newsletter! We will send out emails often enough to keep you in the know, but not so often you want to throw your phone in the street. You can update your preferences or unsubscribe at any time. Thanks for your interest in the AGA. Come garden with us!

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