Historic Kenwood Garden Workshop News
What We are All about
The Historic Kenwood Garden Workshop is a casual group of serious & seriously fun people. All our efforts are completely volunteer. We welcome members from the immediate neighborhood and beyond. We help to nurture the neighborhood by undertaking philanthropic projects, making the area an even more beautiful place to live and work and enjoying each others company, food, stories and friendship. For more information, please e-mail HKGardens@msn.com .
Planting Seeds
Neighborhood lore says that in the 1920s and 30s a group informally known as the Kenwood Workers would pitch in and help each other with gardening and working in yards and fields. Of course, most of that was more agricultural than aesthetic. In the more resent past, the neighborhood has had various incarnations of Garden Clubs, some of whom enjoyed meeting and studying up on gardening (things like Florida-friendly planting and zone-appropriate landscape ideas); others preferring to spend time going to local plant shows. A couple of year ago, a group of neighbors got together and decided to incorporate the best of old and new ideas: The Historic Kenwood Garden Workshop would become a monthly meeting of folks interested in gardening and improving the neighborhood by offering helping hands to neighbors wanting to improve their landscaping; raising plants to sell as fundraising for charitable works; and spreading the word about gardening as a community activity by reaching out to the neighborhood, the local community, and the community at large.
Nurturing
So, in the fall and winter, when most folks are thinking about holidays and vacations, HKGW members are emailing each other like crazy, starting cuttings and gathering seeds, attending workshops on propagation, researching new and unusual plants, and making contact with community groups who may need some volunteer help for the season. Yards and potting tables and garages and shared extra lots start to look like, well, nurseries.
Watching Things Grow
As potted things take root and the spring approaches, the Workshop is hard at it. Monthly meetings (which often become every-other-week events!) are dedicated to the weeding, edging, planting, paving, painting, sprinkler installation, fence hoisting, mulching and anything else that can help a yard look its best. Workshop members put their names in a pot - terra cotta, of course - for the chance to choose the next project. On a sunny May weekend, the Workshop gathers en mass in a local parking lot and takes donations for the frangipanis, hibiscus, fire spikes, angel trumpets, bromeliads, Mexican daisies, various succulents, orchids and whatever else it has successfully tended in the prior months. In a few short hours, a season’s worth of lovingly cared for plants has found homes throughout the county.
Oh, and before I forget, last year the Workshop undertook a different type of cultivation to keep things moving. After a series of writing workshops, facilitated by professionals donating their time, the group produced Dig In: stories and servings from the Historic Kenwood Garden Workshop. This recipe/storybook, featuring photos, stories, poems and recipes provided by members, inspired an evening of tastings and readings to help spread the word about the Workshop’s efforts in the community. All the profits from this volunteer event were used to support area agencies in meeting holiday needs of their clients. And the book was named the 2006 Project of the Year by the city of St. Pete!
Reaping Rewards
By raising money from the sale of homegrown plants and the creation and sale of a recipe/storybook - all completely planned and executed by volunteers - The Historic Kenwood Garden Workshop helped grow the community by providing
- 100 filled backpacks for back-to-school needs for kids K-12
- 20 complete Holiday meals for area seniors
- $650 of Christmas giving for youngsters in the care of the Guardian Ad Litem program
- $1000 in gifts and supplies to young people affected by HIV
- Assistance in maintaining plantings of neighborhood corners
- Yard makeovers and spruce-ups which are visual reminders of the importance of nature in our living spaces
We have partnered as volunteers with local agencies including
- AIDS Service Association of Pinellas, Inc (ASAP)
- Daystar Life Center
- Pinellas County Urban League
- The American Red Cross
- The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast
- The Ronald McDonald House at All Children's Hospital
So, whether you’re a gardening novice, a serious plant person, or just someone like me, I recommend you talk to a neighbor or two who belongs to the Workshop. Once you do, I bet I’ll see you in a couple of Saturdays! I’ll be the one wearing the T-shirt that says “There Grows The Neighborhood.”
STAGHORN FERNS
The garden workshop usually has a topic or plant that is researched and discussed informally at monthly meetings. In June Staghorn Ferns were the topic of conversation. CF Hawkins the leader of the group presented do and don'ts and methods of mounting these beautiful epiphytes.
In researching and after spending years of growing this beautiful tropical there are two points that stand out among all the rest.
> Most people over water their Staghorn
Given that these plants originated in Jungles of Africa and Madagascar and Australia it was very unlikely that there was someone to give them a drink from the hose. Staghorns like other epiphytes get their food and water from the air and the moisture in the air. This doesn't mean that you never have to water--it just means that if the humidity is high, and we are getting some rain, watering will not be necessary. The bigger the plant the longer it takes it to dry out, so keep that in mind. Place the plant in the dappled shade of an existing tree to replicate the sunlight in its homeland jungle and it should be very happy.
> Improper Mounting can shorten the life of your plant
In their natural setting Staghorns grow vertically. That is why potting in most incidences does not work for very long. The plant will stay too moist and the fronds will not develop properly. Creativity can be key when mounting your fern as long as the vertical element comes into play. After choosing which type of base you want to use-- whether it be a board, a wire basket, or something a little more unconventional like a fish basket or a antique mailbox, just make sure it is large enough. Staghorns can get very big within just a couple of years if the conditions are ideal, which they usually are here in St. Petersburg ( watch out for the occasional frost ). When you mount or remount your fern the plant should look too small for the vessel you choose. Sphagnum moss is the perfect medium to put with your fern. The moss will keep the newly "planted" fern from drying out too quickly and provide some extra nutrients. ( later when established a natural fertilizer like fish emulsion is the perfect balance for the established plant ) Besides thinking big to ensure a long life, think heavy and strong. A mature Staghorn can weigh a lot. After a rain it can double its weight so think ahead as to how you will secure the fern as it starts to mature. Another very important factor is how you secure it to your vessel in the first place. A strong fishing line or a chicken wire base is recommended. Although not the most attractive thing when first mounted --as the plant grows you will not be able to see what has been used to secure the plant.
If you have questions or would like to join a fun and exciting group of gardeners call CF at 321-2081 or email us at HKgardens@msn.com
What a difference a day makes!
The garden workshop loves to work. Bill and Sue Heyen are two of the most dedicated people in our neighborhood, so it wasn't a surprise when an excited group of fellow gardeners jumped at the chance to help them out in their garden. At a previous meeting, Bill and Sue's names were drawn as recipients of a garden makeover morning. Since Sue's back surgery a couple of years ago the amount of time she has been able to spend in the garden has been limited. With Bill's dedication to getting street signs painted, corners planted, trash collected and the many other neighborhood causes he takes on--their garden needed some TLC.
We trimmed, weeded, removed, planted, pressured washed, replaced fencing and more all within a few hours. The transformation was unbelievable as were the smiles from the workers and homeowners who were pleased with their accomplishments. Join us sometime--who knows, your name may get drawn for something just as wonderful.
The Historic Kenwood Garden Clubs "Day of Work"
Check out a new photo album upload in the Photo Library Section of the Historic Kenwood Garden Clubs Day of Work At Kathy Young's Project Home.
Historic Kenwood Named As One of Top 10 "Cottage Communities"
 A lifestyle magazine has included Historic Kenwood in its survey of the top ten "cottage communities" in the nation.
The story in the July issue of Cottage Living magazine defines "cottage communities" in terms residents of HK will readily recognize: "places with porches and gardens, parks and playgrounds; streets where you can stroll to locally owned shops and restaurants; areas with architecture that makes your heart skip a beat; places where neighbors know your name and are trustworthy, dependable, and free for a cookout on Friday night."
Click here to read the web version of the story.
The print magazine is on newsstands now. Cottage Living, an imprint of the Southern Progress Corp. empire (itself owned by Time, Inc.) that publishes Southern Living, Sunset and other lifestyle magazines with a Southern theme, reaches out to a high income demographic. The magazine has a circulation of nearly 1 million, while the chain as a whole reaches nearly 50 million paid subscribers annually.
In particular, the story singled out HK for its comeback from the early 1990s, when many of the homes were boarded up and crack ruled the streets, to an upscale community where real estate values have soared.
In 2004 the St. Petersburg Times profiled HK in its series on rising home prices in Tampa Bay.
Posted June 29, 2006
Editor's Note: The Tampa Tribune ran a story on the top 10 list Saturday, July 1, 2006. Click here to read the story.
The Endless Summer, 2006: 2nd Annual Front Yard Landscaping Contest Now Accepting Entries
 It's no secret that Mother Nature has been a bit stingy with the rain this year. Heck, a quarter of an inch just isn't Florida-like, even for this time of year.
But when the rains do arrive, is what you want growing on your front lawn -- or what passes for it -- just more of those white topped weeds that break when you try to pull them out of the ground? If you try, that is.
Are those fruit trees which Ma (or Grandma) planted oh so long ago little more than jungle gyms for the fruit rats? When the winds blow and the sand flies about in whirwinds, do you wonder if you're living in the Sahara Desert instead of the Sunshine State? [Actually, Florida's latitude is the same as Africa's mighty expanse of sand, but at least we're supposed to get rain, and lots of it.]
Think you'd like to do something about it but just don't have the time?
LET HKNA MOTIVATE YOU!
Following last year's wildly successful debut, your Neighborhood Association is holding another Landscaping Contest for residents of Historic Kenwood. (See the articles and pictures from last year, including the winners, in the Arts and Living links at the bottom of this page.)
Enter and maybe, just maybe, you'll walk home with one of these cash and merchandise prizes:
First Prize: $500
Second Prize: $250
Third Prize: $150
Entry Rules
1. Open only to residents of Historic Kenwood. (Click on the land use map link on the Home page for the legal boundaries.) 2. Take your “before” photos. Digital photos strongly preferred, see below. Please do not submit more than two (2) photographs.
3. Submit your information by one of the methods below (e-mail strongly preferred).
4. Enter by July 1.
5. Complete all landscaping by September 1.
6. Awards (c'mon, everyone gets something) will be announced at the October 5 General Meeting.
How to Submit Your Entry
1. E-MAIL: Did we say that e-mail is the best way to submit your entry? Send your date stamped digital photo to Webmaster@HistoricKenwood.org. Include your name, address, and the best phone number where you may be reached. [If you don't know how to turn the date stamp feature of your digital camera on, it's time to find that user manual.]
2. DROP OFF: Bring a neat, nicely printed 4x6 (no larger) photograph to the June 1 General Meeting. On the back of the photo, using an indelible marker (like a Sharpie). write your name, address, best phone number and your e-mail address. [A thin-point Sharpie works best. It won't bleed through.]
3. "SNAIL" MAIL: That's what even the Post Office calls the old-fashioned method of delivering mail by hand. Send a neat, nicely printed 4x6 (no larger) photograph (with your name, address, phone and e-mail written on the back) to:
Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association
P.O. BOX 15134
ST. PETERSBURG, FL 33733
If you choose to drop off or “snail mail” your photo, please make sure it is printed on quality photographic paper. Digital photos may be easily and cheaply printed at drug store chains and photo processing centers around the city. You can even send a print request over the Web from your favorite Wi-Fi spot. (Starbucks anyone?) Please also e-mail your photo to Webmaster@HistoricKenwood.org. This will make it easier to display all the “before” photos on our Web site. Questions? Please contact HKNA President JIM LONGSTRETH at 643-7512, or any Board Member. Their phone numbers and e-mail addresses are on the Links page. Follow the entries as they are submitted in the Photo Gallery section of our Web site.
Posted May 8, 2006
Previous Stories in Arts and Living
About Arts and Living
Historic Kenwood is an eclectic group of people drawn to the neighborhood for a variety of reasons. However, the group does share some similar passions. Home renovation and the "arts of living" in all forms are featured on this page.
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