Kick Off the Spring Season at the Edgewood Community Garden on April 12th!

 

Gardens beds are resting until April 12th

We are hoping to turn the beds one more time before the annual planting day on Saturday, April 12th.  Is anyone available for an hour or 2 next weekend? (April 6th)

See you in the garden!

So begins our 3rd growing season. I believe everyone can agree with me that this winter has lasted too long and we're ready for any and all signs of spring, even including rain (anything but snow). I am here to let you know that the hope of spring has arrived! With temperatures rising into the 60s and weather reports absent of snow - the land is ready to be worked again. Join us on Saturday, April 12th at 10:30 am to clean the garden beds, plant and build trellises to support cucumbers, squash and tomatoes. So, should you want to sit back and socialize, build or plant something, or simply get your hands dirty and smile - come on by and say hi. See you in the garden!

Spring forward!

We are busy planning for the annual planting day at the Edgewood community garden day that will take place on Saturday, April 12^th from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm.  The community garden is free and open to Edgewood neighbors and friends.  We plant vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers.  In the past, we have grown:

· Pumpkin
· Squash
· Peas
· Green Beans
· Watermelon
· Tomatoes
· Thyme
· Basil
· Kale
· Broccoli
· Arugula
· Garlic
· Onions
· Peppers
· Corn

And more varieties to come!

The Edgewood garden team found ourselves discouraged by the perceived constant vandalism we saw in 2013.  However, we feel encouraged for 2014’s harvest season because we have connected with more people in the neighborhood, including the residents of Edgewood Terrace, and learned from others some ways to deter vandalism for the coming year.  What is the best ingredient to do this?  Visit the garden as often as possible!  The more the traffic to the garden, the more people will see that people are active in this endeavor.

We will expand the community garden from 10 to 11 plots, DC’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) will replace the mulch like soil in the tall-standing raised beds with more appropriate soil, we are busily applying for funding to purchase a tool shed so our gardeners have access to the tools they need any time they want to harvest, weed and dig in the dirt, and DPR might have a composter to give to us!  There are so many things to look forward to in the 2014 garden season and most of all, we look forward to sharing this new harvest season with new and old friends.  

Volunteer!

We welcome interested individuals to join us to volunteer in the garden. Come once to try it out or come regularly - volunteers are invited to roll up their sleeves and join in!

Garden work varies almost as much as the weather and as a Drop-In Volunteer, you may be asked to do anything from planting seeds, weeding and watering, to painting or building. Our team is always available to offer guidance and answer questions along the way.

If you're interested in finding out more about volunteering in the garden, contact Karin at: karinbleeg@edgewooddc.org.

Spring is HERE!

I haven't visited the garden in a while and not for any particular reason, only I probably formed some sort of fatalistic attitude that there was nothing in the garden worth seeing.....DUMB.  When I arrived there, I was immediately welcomed by the blooming hycianths we had planted as only bulbs, ugly bulbs, in October!

This welcome got me excited and energized for the new season to come on Saturday, April 27th.  If you aren't on our mailing list, feel free to e-mail karinbleeg@edgewooddc.org and I will add you to the list and then,  you can be informed of future garden events!  Our goal this year will be to have on-going programming for those interested in gardening, community fun and any other activity that you feel is important and want to do. To that end, we will also be distributing an activity calendar at the April 27th Planting Day and it will be posted on our Facebook page. We look forward to seeing both old and new faces on the 27th!





I miss gardening.  I have discovered that gardening is the perfect metaphor for life in general - you cannot control what will or will not grow.  I have discovered recently even when you think that tree won't grow any leaves and grow bigger and fuller next year, it comes back - you'll see the growth.  That hydrangea you haven't seen in almost a year?  Yup, it comes back.  Just have faith.  Faith and patience.  Oh, and don't cut back too much or really, don't try to assume you know how to control the outcome at any point...at least for me, the novice gardener, I try to reach out to a lot of people and blogs and books to figure out what I have been doing wrong and what I could be doing better, or simply, improving.  It isn't all doom and gloom in the garden - it isn't a prize you win or lose - just go take a look outside at some of the sprouts - small or big - are coming out of your plant or soil this very instant! It is MAGIC.  Whether or not that sprout turns into something more - it's something - take the time to appreciate all that it took for that seed to push out of its shell and push up through the soil for you to actually see it?!  That is magic.  To me, it is amazing that anything can grow under such weight of soil/water and the pressure from the world that wants you to produce something, anything.

Remember this year - whether it is hot, cold, wet - growth will come - metaphorically or not.  Just take a look at this motherload of goodies I grabbed a week ago!

Community and Food

I've been thinking about food and politics lately and who can really help it - election year, politics and living in this town, go together like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  As of 2010, DC has 36 community gardens and according to the Neighborhood Farm Initiative's database, that number has risen to: (insert number when Jill sends this to me).  Mayor Vincent Grey announced a "Sustainable DC" initiative in 2011, that would focus on improving various environmental issues in our area within "one generation", 20 years.  One of the Mayor's goals is: to increase the percentage of food consumed by DC residents, to be produced within a 100 mile radius to 25% by 2015.   A report was supposed to be released spring 2012 by the DC government to outline their goals to reach their goals, based upon the meetings they held with community members and groups since announcing the initiative.  

However, to date, a report has not been released.  In fact, there are several examples of there being more talk, than action.  Last spring, there was a call by the DC government's green initiative for proposals to fund efforts to increase local food production.  What is the status on that?  *birds chirping*  Further, if you visit the Department of Parks and Recreation, you'll find information on programs and services they offer to create community gardens; their website reads, "The DPR Community Gardens Program seeks to give DC residents the skills and opportunities to develop urban gardens in their area". I searched for a link to such programs and I could not find a single one.  

I am particularly troubled by DPR's use of words such as, "to give skills and opportunities" because while my friend and I began our efforts in starting a community garden in the Edgewood neighborhood earlier this year, we were not given much support.  In fact, when we submitted out application to DPR for a permit to install a community garden, it was rejected.  Our goal in starting this was to insert access to locally grown and organic vegetables and fruits to the Edgewood neighbors for free.   When we submitted our application, the area was considered a food desert.  Based upon the Mayor's initiative to increase local food production and DPR's mission to provide skills to develop such opportunities, it was surprising that we received an immediate rejection.  However, after some nifty letter writing to DC government officials, we were able to move forward.  

My point in calling out DPR is not to belittle their own pressures they experience every day.  My point is, when we received our rejection, we did not receive any suggestions in how to resolve the reason why we were rejected: water access.  If we were given support and assistance in that moment, we would not have lost time in planning for the community garden - its programs, engaging the community.  And most of all, if there was a a clear step-by-step guide on the paperwork needed for a permit to begin an urban farm/community garden and a liaison between those interested in starting these gardens and the Mayor's office and DPR to answer any questions or concerns, so we may submit a successful application and decrease the administrative time spent on resolving any issues found.  Also, it would behoove the Mayor's office to provide a resource center that provided funding options and gardening, networking with area community gardeners, etc. in order to achieve one of the DC FEED Act's goals, "to improve access to healthy foods in low-income neighborhoods".

I'm grateful that there are written and approved policies in support of increasing access to locally produced produce, but the support system needs to be put in place to make this a reality in the time period the Mayor has established - 2015.  That's 2 years away.