This summer there is one more reason to stop by the garden. On Mondays and Fridays around 2pm, we will be offering basic gardening skill-shares. Come by for all of them, or only a few. These will be very basic and hands-on, so don't be afraid to come by and get your hands dirty regardless of your skill level. The topics and descriptions of the classes are as follows:
1. Uses and maintenance of common garden tools. Learn to identify the proper tools for the job, call them by their correct name, utilize them in an effective and safe way, and the guidelines of cleaning, sharpening, and storing them correctly.
2. Starting seed in the greenhouse. Learn how to start a few different kinds of seed and the
specifics of how to plant them for the greatest chance of germination.
3. Transplanting. Learn the most effective and gentle way to transplant, as well as the appropriate time to move the seedling from the greenhouse to the ground.
4. Direct-seeding. Learn the best way to direct-seed, and how to identify the plants that like to be direct-seeded from the plants that like to be started in the greenhouse.
5. Vertical gardening. Learn how to grow plants vertically and beautify the spaces and structures around the space, by creating pockets for the garden fence and choosing appropriate plants such as
succulents and herbs.
6. Propagation. Learn how to start new plants from a 'mother' plant, by utilizing the proper skills to encourage the new plant material to set roots and grow.
7. Maintaining and using compost. Learn what materials are needed for a successful pile, and the attention required to keep the pile decomposing. Visit the garden's hot piles and worm bins, and learn how and where to use the compost when it's ready.
8. Making and applying natural pesticide. Learn to identify common garden pests and how to deter them using a solution that will not harm the plants.
9. Making and applying worm tea. Learn the fun process of making tea from worm castings and how to apply it as a
foliar spray.
10. Irrigation. Learn to care for plants by watering them appropriately via hand watering and the drip system. Learn how to set the drip system to
specific days and times.
11. Caring for perennials. Learn how to cut back, water, and harvest perennial plants.
12. Harvesting. Learn when and how to harvest a plant, depending on its life cycle, how it grows, and the part we eat.
This past Thursday and Friday, 33 individuals who attended the most recent Project Homeless Connect event attended a follow up party at either the Bayview Roots Garden or Growing Home Garden. Participants enjoyed lunch and garden skill shares. 
We've started offering a free yoga skill share at the garden every Wednesday at 2:30pm. We have a few mats at the garden that can be used or you are welcome to bring your own.
We just put up a sign to let people know which days during the holiday we will be closed. December 14th we will be closed, because we will be helping out at the Project Homeless Connect Event at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. We'll be handing out fliers and talking to people about the garden parties we will be hosting on December 15th and 16th. 
A special thank you to everyone who has dropped off hoodie donations at the garden for our Hoodies for the Homeless drive. The hoodies will be given away at the Project Homeless Connect event. Our regular volunteers from the SF Friends School 3rd grade delivered 68 hoodies and an addition 43 have been donated by facebook friends and neighbors.
Today at the garden, we took advantage of the beautiful day and planted some more fence pockets. Because some of our larger succulents have been removed from the pockets (hopefully getting planted in other gardens) we got smaller succulents that are more difficult for those who pass by to remove. We collected some more large tin cans that we painted and will be drilling water holes in on Wednesday.
Check out the different types of pockets and succulents that we planted today.
We're experimenting with different sizes and materials to see what kind of pockets the plants like the best.
Can you find Carole, one of the peer mentors in this photo?
One of the favorite volunteer tasks of our gardeners is watering. So, we've converted our south lot into perennial flowers that don't mind lots and lots of watering.
Above, Gloria is showing me the kinds of cut foods that the worms enjoy.
Visitors and new volunteers are welcomed at the garden anytime we are open. Above, you'll see someone passing by and chatting with volunteers who explain what they're planting.
Today at the garden, we had the final harvest of our tomato plants. Some members of our garden community wished we could keep the plants in the ground until every single tomato turned red. However, today because of the spread of three common types of mold and fungi, we needed to pull all the remaining plants before the fungus was able to spread to other plants in the garden.
You'll notice from the photo on the left that many of our plants had several branches that had dry wilting leaves. A majority of the tomato plants looked very similar to the one in the photo.
In the photo to the left you can see white mold that had not only infected our tomato plants, but had also spread to the tomatillos.
