Here's an update on Madison Square Garden, the Unity Garden at Madison and Walsh streets:
Martin's Greenhouse on Western Ave . donated some flowers and vegetable plants, and we planted both over the weekend.
There's two new honeydew melon plants, to add to our expanding fruit selection: strawberries, raspberries, cantaloupe and watermelon are all planted and growing too. One neighbor to the north said they'd try to get us some grapevines, so I'm thinking about where we'll put them.
And when I explained to one of the kids that if we planted an apple tree this fall, it would take a few years before we'd have any apples she said: "Well, then you better hurry up ... ."
Six of the eggplant were put in, thanks to help from the same Madison Street kids. They're in a section where we added more tomatoes and a few peppers too. Last weekend, the children planted pumpkin seeds near one of the corn plots, and we're waiting to see how they're going to do.
As for the corn, neighbor Linda said she can't believe how tall it's getting. She helps to lead the small Grace Bible church on the block in McKinley and said her members are helping to keep an eye on the garden, too.
It's great to see how the garden builds community: Neighbors stop by, cops and firefighters and bus drivers wave, people on bikes say hello. Steve came by Saturday and said he's sorry he doesn't have time to garden with us, but he promised to bring us his grass clippings. Perfect!
Valjean helped me to weed beans and potatoes on Saturday, and we harvested mustard greens and collard greens. The first official tomato has been picked too. OK, not the first -- there were two others -- but it was the first that the children helped me to find and then took home with them.
I told one of the kids that Valjean sure has a green thumb, and the girl's eyes got big and she said: "Really? What HAPPENED?"
So we had to explain what that means ... It was one of the best things I've heard in a long time ...
Elsewhere in the garden are zucchini and acorn squash plants that have really taken off, and a plot of cucumber hills. I've seen fuzzy baby cucumbers starting to grow, and it looks like there will be zucchini before long too. The marigolds seem to be keeping the rabbits away. So far. We'll see.
Okra was an afterthought, but we put in a row and they're coming up nicely. They're in the same place you'll find spinach, carrots and radish rows. And I'm told now that some of the onions were really garlic plants. So I guess we'll just find out, because I forget which came from where ...
With the flower donations, we were able to clean up a little on the southwest corner at McKinley, plant a small border and create a container planting for the newly painted picnic table.
And with more rain forecast (!) it looks like Monday will water itself again.
Regular volunteer times are 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 4 to 7 p.m. if you'd like to come by.
Have a great week,
Laureen
The Unity Gardens are 501(c)3 Non-profit. Initiated in the South Bend area with a goal of community building through a framework of Gardens. The gardens not only provide healthy food for anyone, but also educate the community on how to grow, and eat healthy food. Checkout our new website at www.theunitygardens.org
Showing posts with label Madison Square Unity Garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Madison Square Unity Garden. Show all posts
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
An e-mail from Laureen the garden leader at the Madison Square Unity Garden. Laureen bought a piece of land in her neighborhood to put a unity garden, then paid the city to install water on it . All to make her neighborhood a better place .
Awesome day in the garden. Planted the tomatoes, peppers, onions, beans, cucumbers and squash. Placed the signs. People stopping by and wanting to get involved -- one of them was Muhammad Shabazz, who said he helped with the seed starting and master gardening at Potawatomi?
Too cool. Having one of my volunteer times from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sundays (the other is Saturday 9 a.m. to noon), and starting tomorrow because people want to be there. A neighbor north of Madison, Valjean and her 12-year-old grandson, worked in a steady rain helping me to prep soil and plant.
She can see the garden from her house to the north -- which is exactly where I want more neighbors to come from, and remembered me giving her father veggies last year. Knows gardening from life in the country in Virginia, before life took a turn and she lost her house and 10-acre land.
That woman looked and sounded like the earth heals her soul. And here she was in the rain, teaching her grandson how to garden. Really good day.
I'm going to try and start taking some pictures -- my digital camera is really old and I don't use it much but I can try.
Awesome day in the garden. Planted the tomatoes, peppers, onions, beans, cucumbers and squash. Placed the signs. People stopping by and wanting to get involved -- one of them was Muhammad Shabazz, who said he helped with the seed starting and master gardening at Potawatomi?
Too cool. Having one of my volunteer times from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sundays (the other is Saturday 9 a.m. to noon), and starting tomorrow because people want to be there. A neighbor north of Madison, Valjean and her 12-year-old grandson, worked in a steady rain helping me to prep soil and plant.
She can see the garden from her house to the north -- which is exactly where I want more neighbors to come from, and remembered me giving her father veggies last year. Knows gardening from life in the country in Virginia, before life took a turn and she lost her house and 10-acre land.
That woman looked and sounded like the earth heals her soul. And here she was in the rain, teaching her grandson how to garden. Really good day.
I'm going to try and start taking some pictures -- my digital camera is really old and I don't use it much but I can try.
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