If you have driven past the Abington Community Garden recently, you'll have noticed that the plots are beautiful and the plants are thriving.  A total of 107 plots were rented this season.  Unlike last year, we've had an abundance of heat and sunshine and the plants are loving it!

     Our Penn State Master Gardener, Donna Zagrapan, will be presenting two educational seminars inside the garden:  on Saturday, July 21 at 11:00 AM, Donna will present "How and When to Harvest" and on Saturday, August 7 at 11:00 AM, she will lead a discussion on "Weeds--How to Recognize One".  Can you tell a weed from a newly sprouted carrot seed?  Do you know the best time to pick your broccoli?  Come join us in the garden and learn some of the fundamentals.  The seminars are FREE but you need to email Barb Grabfelder at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to make a reservation. 

     The Abington Community Garden will sponsor a FREE educational seminar on Friday, April 23, 2010 at 7:00 PM at the Abington Community Library.

     "Late Blight and Other Diseases" will be presented by our Penn State Master Gardener, Donna Zagrapan.  Donna has loads of information to share with us on last year's "Perfect Storm" by Mother Nature; exactly what happened to our gardens; will it happen again; what can we do?  She'll also discuss other diseases that can attack your garden and offer suggestions on how we can combat the disease and still be true to organic garadening.

      There is no charge for the seminar and it is open to both garden members and non-members.  Space is limited so you need to call the library (587-3440) now to reserve your seat.  Please come out and join us!

     Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 growing season.  Three different plot sizes are available:  a small plot measuring 10' x 10' rents for $15; a medium plot measuring 10' x 20' rents for $30; and a large plot measuring 20' x 20' rents for $50.  The fee covers the rental of the plot for the season, water, compost materials, and a fenced-in, sunny location. 

     For more information call Garden Coordinator, Barbara Grabfelder at 586-8841.  Applications for the 2010 season can be downloaded from this LINK or from each of the four member municipalities: Clarks Green, Clarks Summit, Glenburn, and South Abington. 

Please mail the completed application with the appropriate fee to Abington Community Garden, 507 Gladiola Dr., Clarks Summit, PA 18411.

     The Abington Community Garden was honored recently with two awards:  The Countryside Conservancy's 2009 Stewardship Award for diligence in preserving and improving our lands for the generations to come, and the Abington Journal's "Best of the Abingtons" award for the best non-profit project. 

     The Abington Area Joint Recreation Board is proud of the work that is being done at the garden and looks forward to another bountiful season.  Plans are under way again this year to distribute any extra vegetables to the local food pantries and homeless shelters. 

     A work day was held on May 2-3 and over 55 gardeners helped dig a trench to bring water to the left side of the garden.  Work was also done on laying landscape fabric and wood chips on the pathways.  The gardeners have  planted their "cold weather" crops such as broccoli, cabbage, snow peas, and onions but the ground needs to warm up before the other vegetables can be added to the garden.

Applications for the 2009 Community Garden are now here. The forms are available in both Microsoft Word format here and Adobe PDF format here. To view PDF documents the free Adobe reader can be found here.

GARDEN SEMINARS -- BACK BY POPULAR REQUEST...The Abington Community Garden will again partner with the Penn State Master Gardener Program and the Abington Community Library to offer two gardening seminars over the winter months.  Both programs are free to the public but seating space is limited so registration is required.  Call the library at 587-3440 to make a reservation. 

Gardening Seminar Schedule Follows:

         March 16, 2009 (Monday) - "Preserving Your Harvest" - March 16, 2009 at 7:00 PM in the Ryon Room of the Abington Community Library.  You've done the planting, you've tended the plants, and now they've matured and are ready to be harvested.  NOW WHAT?  Come and learn how to preserve those vegetables!  Learn the basics of freezing and canning so you can enjoy the vegetables all winter long.