Community Garden Harvest 2010

Community Garden 2010

everyone helped out

We built key hole style garden beds.

Things grew and grew...

Beyond our wildest imaginations!

garden meeting

Our first pot-luck!

Community Garden Pot Luck

Last Friday we celebrated our community garden with a pot luck. The New Westminster Community Gardening Society is in it's first year. We have successfully started two community gardens this year. After many meetings, fund-raisers and the hard work of many individuals the dream of a community garden is a reality!

The design came together under the supervision of some innovated individuals, this garden has 15 plots and the plan includes another 15 for next year. We also plan to have fruit trees and an herb garden.

We have been sharing tips and I have already learned a lot from the more experienced gardeners in the group.

We enjoyed all these different foods, the mayor Wayne Wright also attended! The pot luck was held in the church hall, this garden is on the front lawn of the church!

Garden Tips

From my community Gardens Group this message came through last week and I thought I would share it :)

As some people are still planting and others are harvesting, making
way for more crops;I though I'd give a quick breakdown on what's
perfect to plant at the moment.

July
Direct Seed - Kolrabi, Asian Greens, Beets, Carrots, Scallions,
Turnips
Transplants - Late Cabbage, Cauliflower,

Aug
Direct Seed - Arugula, Carrots, Corn Salad, Overwinter Onions, Radish,
Spinach, Turnips
Transplants - Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts

Sept.
Direct Seed - Corn Salad, Garlic, Rutabagas, Spinach
Sow Lettuce under cover

Happy growing
-Rob

free water

Our rain barrel is full! Well it was at least the other day when I went to water my garden! I purchased it from the city last month and hooked it up to the front drain pipe of my house. I didn't think too much about it after that. Our family went on vacation for a few weeks, I guess it has been raining a lot in those two weeks because when I returned home this week and decided to turn the taps on this barrel we had water! LOTS of water! The pressure was akin to the backyard hose!

The city of New Westminster is selling rain barrels for $75 each. A good investment when you factor in the savings from using the hose to water the garden, unlimited recycling, and no chlorine in this water to boot!

I am thrilled as I have only barely started my garden, knowing we would be out of town I selectively planted a few things and lefts most of plants in containers, dreading the cold nights or droughts that may affect them in my absence.
Thanks to my wonderful friend Jenny, and the plethora of rain, all my plants have survived! (with the exception of one small catnip plant that a neighbourhood cat likes to remove from it's container every night!)

My previous gardening experience has been limited to the rooftop gardens I have had while living down town. This is our first year in a house and the possibilities are exciting and a little overwhelming!

I have been dreaming and planning for the warm weather, and now it is here and I need to get our and plant! I read recently that gardening is the number one hobby in Canada ( they must not have asked the hockey fans) I also read that younger people are coming to gardening, but that it is a harsh reality to encounter, as we are used to an instant gratification that does not come the day the seeds are sown, but weeks and months later.

I plan to grow vegetables and flowers, I have two strawberry plants and a raspberry stalk that has already flowered! I have a bunch of herbs, and a backyard plot that is currently overrun with lemon balm and some other interesting looking "weeds" that I will examine further before planting back there.

Gardening is a lot of work and so rewarding! There is nothing like fresh vegetables from your own garden! My basil is already needing some pruning so we will be making pesto this week for sure! I am looking forward to getting into the garden and growing Kale, peas, carrots, chard, beans, peppers, onions and potatoes, it may not sound exciting, but really I can't think of anything I would rather be doing!

Now I am off to water my raspberry stick, um I bean bush!

diggin in

We are famous! Well I never post pictures of myself or children online, even facebook. Recently things have changed! We are on the cover of the local paper! Here!

I have been volunteering with the local community garden society. I strongly believe in their mandate. To bring people together in the community around growing food!

The community gardening society has been successful in securing our first plot for a garden and it is just steps away from my house! There are a number of initiatives under way in the city of New Westminster. Including the community gardens, farmers market, community kitchens, an environmental partners organisation, and a food security group.

Knowing where our food comes from and how to grow food is becoming more important to many people.
To be sustainable we need our food source to be local and to take personal responsibility for food choices.

Every thing you can grow yourself bring you one step closer to nature and you will reap more then a few herbs and vegetables. Growing food is more satisfying then you can imagine! Why not try something new this year and grow your own?

Roof Top Garden

It's that time of year again, time to get dirty and sow some seeds.
My youngest daughter has started a roof top garden at the local community centre.

We have planted radishes, peas, beans, lettuce, mustard greens, beets, and flowers! Things have already started to sprout and this weekend we spent some time thinning the radishes and replanting some.

When you live in the city you have to take opportunities to be in nature and the roof top garden is a special oasis hidden away from the hundreds of people who pass by daily.

In some large cities in China and Cuba food must be grown in the city because there is no other option. We are looking forward to the farmers markets that will be starting soon! Until then it's the roof for us!