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April Garden Newsletter

April Garden Activities

Happy National Gardening Month! It has been lovely to see so much green popping up and the vibrant colors of our spring flowers. We have also been enjoying watching our seedlings continue to grow bigger and stronger. Here are some ideas of April tasks:

• Weeding—as the rest of the environment is looking especially green, so are the garden weeds. It is a good time to work on weeding to get them removed while they're still young. 
• Prepare soil—to prepare for planting, soil may be loosened with a shovel so that roots can easily spread down. You can also spread organic matter such as compost to improve nutrient availability. 
• Planting spring crops—some cool season crops can get direct seeded this month including peas, radishes, spinach, turnips, swiss chard, kale, kohlrabi, and lettuce.
• Plant potatoes—once the water is turned on, potatoes can be planted along with other spring crops.
• Seed bombs—try out this fun craft from Epic Gardener to create an easy way to spread pollinator-friendly seeds.

 Seed Starting Basics Garden Talk

Community gardeners are invited to join in this informative and fun Garden Talk that will teach you seed starting basics with opportunities for hands-on practice. This Garden Talk will be lead by James park gardeners, Elizabeth and Steve (88N). A limited amount of seed starting supplies will be available for participants, however you are also welcome to bring your own materials. 

This event is in partnership with Ridgeville Park District. Please register here. 

Important Dates

April 15: Water is requested to be turned on (or around) this date

April 20: Earth Day Fest at Ingraham Park 

April 22: Garden Talk on Seed Starting

May 4: First day of Downtown Evanston Farmers' Market

April's Featured Vegetable: Ramps

We couldn't help but feature ramps this month as they are a signature sign of springtime. Check out local farm stands or farmers' markets to get your hands on some of these tasty alliums. Here are some ideas of how to use those precious ramps:

• Pickled ramps recipe from Food and Wine
• Ramp butter from Nerds with Knives
• Sautéed ramps (tasty paired with eggs and potatoes or use in any dish as you would garlic and onion) 

Eating Seasonally

As the growing season starts to pick up, there are a few more seasonal vegetables to enjoy. Check out this resource to find which vegetables should be in season based on location and month. 

If you aren't growing these vegetables in your plot, you may also find them at farm stands and farmers' markets. In April you can find some of the following:

• Asparagus
• Lettuce
• Sorrel
• Green garlic
• Mushrooms

Earth Day Fest

Join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Evanston Ecology Center with the Earth Day Fest, a free event that honors our beautiful planet and its inhabitants. While the Ecology Center is currently closed for upgrades, we're not letting that stop us from throwing a party on Sat., April 20, from noon to 3 p.m., at Ingraham Park. 

The City's Parks and Recreation Department, with support from Public Works and the Office of Sustainability, has organized an amazing lineup of games, activities, resources, tree plantings, and volunteer opportunities.

Thanks for reading,

Evanston Ecology Center Team