Join us on July 27th, 2020 for a "Plastic Free Month" Celebration! 
The Community Garden Gathering will include tours and information about the community garden, as well as make and take activities. 
Reduce the number of plastic bags in your home by using reusable grocery bags.  Have an old t-shirt that you don't wear anymore but can't part with?  Make it into a reusable bag!  Demonstrations and instructions for making a new sew reusable t-shirt bag will be provided!  Don't worry if you don't have a t-shirt...be got your back and have unused fundraiser t-shirts. 
It's not too late to plant start a garden.  Eliminate plastic seed starter container use by using ice cream cake cones that can be planted right into the ground or planter!  Make and take a seed starter at the garden event! 
​Other gardening and nutrition information will be available.  
This is a free event, open to the public.  Stop by Schuylkill Haven Community Garden, Bubeck Park, any time between 2:00pm-6:00pm.

Vision was awarded a hydroponic growing system from Lettuce Grow. 
Our Haven Community Garden manager, Hannah Burke, is learning how to grow produce without soil! 
Check out videos of set up and stop back periodically for updates.

Despite all our worries and fears, time marches on. In fact, tomorrow is the first day of Spring and a great way to celebrate would be by planting something. Need an idea of what to plant?

Why not go big and plant a tree! The Sweet Arrow Lake Conservation Association and the Schuylkill Conservation District are teaming up for their Annual Seedling Sale. Although several events at Sweet Arrow Lake are cancelled, this one appear to be happening as scheduled. Orders can be placed until Wednesday, April 1 (or while supplies last so don't delay in placing your order). Seedlings can be picked up at Sweet Arrow Lake County Park clubhouse parking lot on Saturday, April 25 between 9 am and noon. Seedlings are sold in bundles ranging of either 5 or 10 and cost $10 or $11, depending on the type selected. Gardeners can choose from:

• Concolor Fir
• Norway Spruce
• Scotch Pine
• Eastern Red Cedar
• Pin Oak
• Winterberry
• White Flowering Dogwood
• American Sweetgum
• Red Maple
• Osage Orange
• American Beech
• Elderberry
• Ginko

You can get an order form here.

Do trees sound too ambitious? How about some super easy to grow seeds -- fun for adults and home from school kids who are bored. I recommend marigolds which have the double bonus of being small (a rinsed out yogurt container makes a perfect sized flowerpot) and they sprout quickly. A few other quick sprouters are beans, basil, lettuce and radishes. Or have fun by decorating a container with a smiling face and plant grass seed that sprouts into "hair".  Of course, these all have to kept inside in a sunny window. It isn't warm enough for an outdoors garden yet.

Not confident in your skill with seeds? I'm sure I'm not the only gardener who is distracting herself by repotting  houseplants resulting in quite a few "extra" baby houseplants crowding my windowsills. Know a gardener? Ask them to drop a baby houseplant (or seeds harvested last summer) outside your door for you to enjoy.

I have hundreds of marigold seeds. Are their any Schuylkill County folks (especially those with children at home) stuck inside who would like a package of seeds from me?

With the uncertainty of recent days, I'm reluctant to tell you about upcoming events in the community because of the chance of cancellations. So what can today's post be about? How about some fun you could have without having to worry about crowds...or any people at all?

With the weather improving, perhaps you'd like to venture outdoors and snap some photos of the beauty of our county for this year's Pennsylvania Magazine Photo Contest. Each entrant can submit up to 15 photos taken between January 2017 and now. Photos must be taken in Pennsylvania.

There are three categories:

• PA Fairs and Festivals
• Wildlife (plants, animals & other items of the natural world)
• Scenics

Why not capture the beginnings of Spring (I saw my first robin on Tuesday!). Whether you like to snap shots with your cellphone or you have an expensive camera and all types of lenses and special equipment, this contest is for you. You don't even have to submit print copies -- digital images are just fine.

​You can find the rules here. There is NO ENTRY FEE. There will be three winners of cash prizes (as well as a Pennsylvania Magazine t-shirt and subscription) and the possibility for a Honorable Mention. Winners will be selected in May but you still have time to submit your best work before the deadline of April 15. So start looking over past photos or shoot some new ones.

I'll try to keep you updated on any cancellations of local events I hear about. Keep safe.

Performance artists amaze me. As a child I loved ballet lessons, everything except the recital at the end of the year which I HATED. The idea of performing in front of an audience terrified me. If you are not as audience-averse as I am, you may want to throw your hat in the ring for this year's Schuylkill Free Shakespeare play, "Midsummer Night's Dream". Auditions will be held at the Schuylkill Council for the Arts, 1440 Mahantongo Street, Pottsville on March 14 and 21 from 10 am to noon. For more information about the auditions call 570-516-8537.

There are several other upcoming opportunities for art lovers. There will be an art auction (all media and prices) at St. Nicholas Hall, Route 901 on Saturday, March 14 from 7 pm to 10 pm. Admission is $20 and includes door prizes, light refreshments and coffee. A cash bar will be available. Major credit card accepted. For information call 570-617-8869.

Quite a different type of art will be on display at the Pottsville Library as they team up with Schuylkill Women in Crisis (SWIC) to present "Art as Healing", art created by women and children served by SWIC. The exhibit will be available several days: 

• March 9 from noon to 8 pm
• March 10 and 12 from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm
• March 11 and 13 from 8:30 am to 5 pm
• March 16 from 8:30 to noon

Movie lovers can head to the Walk-In Art Center, Parkway, Schuylkill Haven for "All Things OZ", a display arranged with the help of a New York museum dedicated to The Wizard of Oz. Opening is this Saturday, March 7 from 1 pm to 5 pm. The display will be available for viewing through April and includes pieces related to the books of L. Frank Baum, the Judy Garland movie, The Wiz, Broadway's Wicked and more.

My teenage son loves to cook (Italian Wedding Soup last night for supper) and, as a parent who loves to encourage -- and loves coming home to supper on the table -- I'm happy to buy whatever ingredients he needs to make his creations. But I can still remember a time years ago when I painstakingly planned out my menus for the week and my grocery list to match my tiny budget.

If you are a parent or grandparent who wants to feed the children in your life healthy foods but feel restricted by a small budget, help has arrived! A free program is starting March 5 at the Minersville Library to give you tips about Healthy Cooking on a Budget. The class will include recipes, meal planning, getting the best groceries for your money, food labels and more. The classes will be held from 1 pm to 3 pm on March 5, 12, 19, 26 and April 2 and 9.