27 Jun
I’m finally done preparing the beds in my Sholom Community Garden plot, which makes me want to cry tears of joy. A couple weird things I’m trying include artichoke, celery, and uchiki kuri.
I’m loving watching all the different gardens come along. There are so many ways to make a garden grow!
13 Jun
The last two weeks have been insanely busy. My front lawn garden is featured in the West End Garden Tour, which I’m really excited about, but it means that the garden needs to be in show-off mode.
On top of that, I just found out about Sholom Community Garden right in my neighborhood, which, of course, I joined immediately. As I discovered last year, my yard gets about 4 hours of decent sun…not enough to justify oodles of sun-loving plants like tomatoes and peppers and eggplant and okra. As such, this year I reluctantly resigned myself to mainly leafy greens and herbs. Don’t get me wrong, the leafy greens and herbs are excellent, but for me they’re a bit of a consolation prize.
Shalom Community Garden
Well, the Shalom Garden has now opened up all sorts of crazy tomato and pepper possibilities, and because they let us start planting on June 1st, I’ve been rushing to prepare the bed and plant so I can gorge myself to my heart’s desire later this summer. The one major hurdle to this is that the soil is dense sand and rock and, in some spots, clay,which is exhausting to work through. A 15 by 15 space of full sun seems absolutely ginormous to me. I think I’ll be able to plant basically everything I could want! And even some stuff I don’t want!!!
In any case, my schedule the last couple weeks has mainly been waking up, rushing a watering can to the Garden before work to water seedlings, going to work, going home, and working in the garden until dusk. Then sleep and do it again. Mind you, I’m not complaining, but I am very excited for the point when the garden isn’t such a helpless baby.
My 15 x 15 plot of veggie heaven a couple days ago
My veggie plot as of today!
By the way, if anyone out there is interested in getting a plot, fill out the Sholom Community Garden Application here. Plots are still available!
26 Apr
May 14: Kick off gardening season at “Blooms Day 2011″ – Minnesota Master Naturalist. This looks great:
Blooms Day 2011 offers nearly everything a gardener needs to prepare for spring: free workshops, speakers, exhibits, one-on-one yard and gardening advice and a huge plant sale. Join Metro Blooms:
Saturday, May 14, 2011
8:30 AM to 2:00 PM
Kenny Community School
5720 Emerson Avenue South, Minneapolis
This year, the event will focus on unconventional gardening — what gardeners can do differently to hone their skills. “We’ll look at Feng Shui garden design, composting with worms, drip irrigation, container gardening and more,” said Blooms Day chair Doris Phillips.
Keynote speaker Don Engebretson, The Renegade Gardener, will share advice for embracing our cool climate with plants that are great for Minnesota. His talk–”Really Cool Plants for Northern Gardens”–starts at 9 AM. He’ll stay for an hour afterwards to answer questions.
Other highlights include:
Minneapolis Garden Awards at 9:30 AM Celebrate the 2010 winners for best boulevard, residential, business, apartment/condo, congregation, raingarden, container garden and butterfly garden.
30-minute workshops from 10 AM- 1 PM
The Feng Shui Garden: Planting by Design
Stop Garden Hose Fatigue with Drip Irrigation
Vermiculture: Coming to Terms with Worms
Follow the Permeable Path to Beautiful Landscapes
Metro Blooms’ Favorite Raingarden Plants
Neighborhood of Raingardens
• Plant sale Favorite natives, donated plants, fruits/vegetables, and more! (Donated thinnings from your garden are welcome.)
• Metro Garden Expo Meet with several local garden organizations and learn what new services are being offered
• One-on-one yard, garden and plant advice from Master Gardeners and Metro Bloom Landscape Designers
• Free refreshments donated by Woullet’s Bakery, Bruegger Bagels, French Meadows Bakery, Sodexo and Kowalski’s
This event is planned and run with volunteer support. To volunteer and/or donate plants, contact Metro Blooms at info@metroblooms.org or 651-699-2426.
15 Apr
The Summit-University Planning Council is in the running to win a community orchard for the empty lot/burgeoning community garden at Victoria & Concordia Avenues.
The proposed orchard site is a previously vacant lot that is being developed into a community green space. A community orchard will serve as a community asset and gathering place, helping neighbors and other community members build stronger relationships with one another, grow healthy food and beautify the community. It will enhance the green space currently being developed, providing a strong focal point for the neighborhood. It will also help to foster interest in community gardening, as well as education on nutrition and local food production.
Voting starts Friday, April 15th at www.communitiestakeroot.com. Anyone and everyone can vote once per day –so “vote early and often!” Please pass the word along to your networks!
Communities Take Root: Program Overview/Facts
• Communities Take Root is a program created by Edy’s Fruit Bars that helps
the brand give back by providing fruit orchards in deserving communities
across the U.S. Our hope is to not only beautify these neighborhoods, but to
encourage healthy eating and build strong community relationships.
• Edy’s Fruit Bars has partnered with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, an
international nonprofit organization dedicated to planting fruitful trees and
plants in places that best benefit communities across the world. Their hope is
to help alleviate world hunger and global warming, while strengthening
communities and improving surrounding air, water and soil. The Fruit Tree
Planting Foundation will be responsible for sourcing the plants and trees, and
helping to plant the winning orchards.
• People of all ages are invited to cast one vote per day from April 15 through
August 31st by visiting www.CommunitiesTakeRoot.com.
• The 20 locations with the most votes will win a fruit orchard provided by
Edy’s Fruit Bars and planted by the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. From June
through September, we will announce 5 winners every 1st of the month.
• 120 organizations are participating in Communities Take Root this year,
including city parks, community gardens, educational centers, YMCA’s, local
food banks, and other deserving establishments.
• 2011 is the second year of the Communities Take Root program. Edy’s Fruit
Bars has already planted 25 orchards in communities across the US, and will
award 20 more as part of this year’s campaign.
11 Apr
Go to the Saint Paul Pizza Luce tonight to support a Community Garden with this fundraiser!
Or get information on Saint Paul Community gardening here, and in Twin Cities, generally, here.
In other news, on April 15th the Minneapolis City Council will be voting on the Urban Agricultural Policy Plan, that will greatly expand the ability of residents to create, and participate in community gardens by changing zoning restrictions to be more accommodating and making public land more available for growing food. Be sure to stalk your city council members!
