Author: corspringsgarden

Folks, we are full:  ALL our plots have been rented for the season.  We have happily growing plants and gardeners… The weather is delicious and it is so beautiful in the garden.  Come visit and see the tomatoes ripening, cool-season baby lettuces sprouting, bold cabbages emerging…. beautiful flowers all around, and butterflies…  We hold yoga in the garden twice a month, with gatherings after.  We do planting and maintaining in the general areas together.  We are very grateful for the talented and dedicated new crop of gardeners we have gathered this season.  Welcome to all of you!

We welcome our enthusiastic and knowledgeable new gardeners who have already made a difference!  People are busy preparing and planting their plots, nurturing seedlings and new relationships.

Our first Yoga in the Garden was on Sunday, October 13.  See the event on the front page of the Coral Springs Forum.  And see the photo below!

This coming Sunday, October 27, we will have our next Yoga in the Garden, at 9:30, followed by garden work and a potluck.  See you in the garden!

And here we go again!  The 5th year of the garden. Wow!  If you would like to find out about having a garden plot and you haven’t yet spoken to any of the garden coordinators please email us your information and interest at contac@cscomgarden.com, and we will get in touch with you.  If you are already on the waiting list, we will be contacting you soon.  If you have spoken to us and are signing up for your plot – for the first or repeat time – you can download the new contract by clicking on the page at the top of this blog.  Please send the contract and a check, following the directions in the contract.

We will be letting people know when we will be meeting and orienting new and “old” gardeners in the next few weeks.

If you are interested in volunteering in the community garden, please also send us an email letting us know. 

Thanks!

Come join us in the garden for a celebration gathering.  Bring a chair and something for the potluck.  3 to 5 pm.  See you there!

On Saturday morning, Feb 2, Mckay Showalter, of Coral Springs Troop 27, did  the Eagle scout project he’s been designing, planning and gathering materials and support for, with the support of his Scout Troop and their families, the Rotary Club, and members of the garden. This is a win for him,  for the scouts doing their community service, the families who came out and participated, and of course for us!  Approximately sixty people attended!

They cleared the path of weeds and big sticks and stones, and smoothed it

and cleared and smoothed…..

Good thing many hands make light work!

They put down a liner

.

Then gravel

And voila! A gravel path!

Thanks, everyone!

Thanks, McKay!

Come Out and See What’s Growing! 

It’s early yet, but 2013 is looking like an abundant (and fruitful!) year for our garden club.  In fact, we just donated our second round of fresh produce to the Pentecostal Gospel Temple Ministries in Margate. According to devoted volunteer and rotary garden club member, Lee S. the church’s food pantry was delighted to receive 44 pounds of assorted fresh veggies; these included huge heads of broccoli, kale, string beans and collards. He said a line of folks had already formed when he drove up with the goods.

At its inception 4 years ago, our garden did not yet have the concept of donating. The community area concept sort of grew along with us, or maybe helped grow us…..  Today, we can proudly say we’ve met the goal of donating twice. We look forward to returning to the food shelter with our new bounty once it’s harvested. Lee says he’s excited to see what comes up from the watermelon, zucchini and squash seeds just planted. 

If you have a well-maintained garden plot, by all means bring a friend and show them around. They’ll be amazed at the waist high crops that include everything from big plump tomatoes, to heads of cabbage big enough to hide in. Gardener Lee says he cooked up his cabbage harvest last night and it was to die- for-good. Another gardener mentioned being delighted by her haul in okra—especially after a visit to the grocery store confirmed that less than a pound of okra costs over $4!

Yes, indeed the mindset of a community gardener is perhaps the most perfect one to have in times of climate change and economic uncertainty—and it sure is wonderful to eat too, not to mention pretty to look at. Stop by some time to admire the brightly colored flowers that border the garden; water a friend’s rosebush or simply pay it forward with a little weeding. Once you pay your annual dues and get the combination to enter the garden, the rest is a snap(pea) ; )!!

Find Out How to Be a Part of our 2013 Goals

Since our goals for the new year include creating a nice, meandering gravel pathway, gazebo for shady meetings, and 4 or 5 new plots, your interest in our garden is more than welcome. For more information, click the contact link. Now go and peace to love and serve your garden bed.

We had a great turnout, greeted some wonderful new gardeners, built seven more garden plots and did some garden maintenance.

Signing up new gardeners!

Doing some maintenance:

Building new plots!

Look at all these new plots!

Resting and socializing….

Next gathering and sign-up is September 21, 5 to 7 pm.  See you there!

The 2012/2013 gardening season is almost here! Hard to believe this is already our fourth year! We hope you have been having a good summer, and getting some time to rest.  We had a great activity day with our Boy Scouts troop last month – and Jen’s Max who worked his heart out: some serious mulching of the paths was accomplished.  The garden is looking beautiful! Obviously, things get slower – and weedier – in the summer.  We give our plots and ourselves a break from the heat… but, some can’t stay away for long….  We have been learning more about what thrives in the heat, and what is perennial in our climate, such as Okinawa spinach, calaloo and katuk.  Still the main season begins now.

It is time to renew garden plots.  We will also be building some new plots and welcome new gardeners.  We keep growing! See the new contract by clicking on the tab of the page above.  And see our facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/107678445929613.

More gardeners are moving beyond their boxes and joining those who are developing the potential of the whole garden – and even beyond the fence to our beautiful trees to the west and the view of the water to the north – as a place for themselves, families, friends and local community.  Rosa regularly brings children and families to the garden and has brought to us a beautiful edible and educational area on the east side. Satya discovers and shares amazing and beautiful plants: the winged Asian beans and gourds she planted on the west fence are abundant!

Anne shares insights from her decades of organic gardening.   Carolyn quietly shows up and instantly sees and does what needs organizing on gathering days.  The row crops Lee planted produced much food for donation last year as did the circle garden lovingly tended by our Girl Scouts troop and other gardeners.   Paul has contributed hours of weed-whacking, and Hector started helping from when he first came, even helping build his own garden plot last year. You can’t keep Jackie away from beautifying the entranceway and collecting, planting and giving away seeds and plants. Judi and Marga, along with some Permaculture Miami friends, put in the Banana/Papaya circle garden, possible partly through generous donations from Carol and Rosa.  And Steve keeps track of our plots, our gardeners, our needs and our money!  And Jackie, Steve, Judi and Lee spend many hours a year keeping the garden on track and running.

We will be meeting in September to sign garden contract plots, go over guidelines, sign-up for work details, share ideas, information, seeds and seedlings, skills and talents, food and fun.  Our first gathering is Saturday, September 15 2012, during the day, times to be announced, and it will include plot-building. Our second gathering will be Friday evening, September 21.

See you in the garden!

Your garden advisory committee: Jackie, Steve, Judi and Lee

We are entering our fourth year!  So stay tuned…
Also, notice our links to various gardening calendars – what to plant when:  It is time to start planning for the Fall Season!