Sunshine Community Gardens

6 August, 2020

www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org

Gardener's Picture page

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Sunshine Loses a Great Gardener and Supporter

Berkley Bettis

With heavy hearts we report the passing of long-time gardener Berkley Bettis. Berk had been in the hospital with an illness and was sent home. He was readmitted on Tuesday and put into hospice care shortly before his death on Thursday, July 30. His illness was not related to COVID-19.

Berk was an important part of the character of the garden. He grew sunflowers that provided food for the Monk parakeets and stems that he would turn into walking sticks, or "Sun Sticks" as he called them. He would give each walking stick a name according to what or who it resembled and sold the Sun Sticks at the Spring Plant Sale. He donated the proceeds of the sales to the garden, which totaled hundreds of dollars over the years.

Berk was the one to engrave S.C.G. on all the wooden tools and wheelbarrow handles to reduce their probability of walking off. We can see Berk's work each time we use a wheelbarrow or tool from the tool shed. Berk and Dorothy were also active in recording the opening of the Plant Sale each year and in contributing pictures to the web site. Berk also mastered a drone five years ago to produce a video of the garden. We will miss him greatly.

No services are planned at this time. Sunshine Gardens will be making a memorial donation in Berkley's name. Individual donations may be made to Central Texas Food Bank/Donations/Tribute page. Notifications may be sent to Sunshine Community Gardens, PO BOX 302349, Austin TX 78703. We will make sure the notifications get to Dorothy.

The above remembrance of Berk submitted by Carol Limaye

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Are You a Star Gazer? Check out the Perseid Meteor Showers Happening Now

In 2020, the peak mornings for the Perseid meteor shower - August 11, 12 and 13 - will feature meteors under moonlight. EarthSky.org has an interesting article on the Perseid Meteor Shower.

Has anyone tried to view a meteor shower from Sunshine? A location away from city lights is preferred, but it is fairly dark in the Garden from Midnight to Dawn.

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Unsolicited, Unidentified Seeds in Mail

Don't Plant Them

Ila Falvey receives notice about seeds from China and shares info with Sunshine Gardners.

There has been a news story going around that some residents are receiving packages in the mail from a source in China. The packages are marked as "jewelry" or some other object. When you open it, it contains an unmarked packet of seeds.

Here is the blog post about it. The USDA, Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller, and Dr. Ong at Texas A&M are all on the case. The major concerns are that these seeds are from invasive plants, and not understanding how people are being targeted for the mailing.

If you receive one of these packages, or knows of someone who does, please do the following:

1. Do not open or plant the contents. Keep contents contained in their original sealed package.
2. Report it via email to: Carol Motloch USDA-APHIS-PPQ State Operations Coordinator, carol.m.motloch@usda.gov
3. Your email should include your email and phone number, a description of the package contents, and label, and photos of the contents, package, and label if you can.
4. Put the seed and packing materials in a ziploc bag to safeguard the items. You will be contacted by USDA and given further instructions about collection.

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Austin Organic Gardeners August Meeting

August 10, 2020 @ 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Join us online via Zoom as we continue to celebrate 75 years of resiliency. Tiffany Washington from Dobbin-Kauv Garden Farm will be our guest speaker. Tiffany is a service disabled combat veteran battling PTSD, mother of four, and owns the only Black-owned farm in Austin. Her small, urban farm is in the middle of East Austin - the neighborhood she was born and raised in. She will be sharing her story about why she is a food justice warrior, protecting her childhood home by planting a nutritional defense for her community. You can learn more and support Tiffany's farm here.

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Weeder Content

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