Rotary Community Garden and Food Forest of Coral Springs

We will see you on the 14th with starter plants, seeds, and hand made items for donations to support our community garden projects. It is unfortunate that Tropical Storm Eta has forced us to change the date of our fundraiser. We would like to take this opportunity to share some tips to keep your plants safe during the storm.

1. Mulch under your plants to prevent soil from splashing on them.
2. Do not cover them with plastic – it may become too humid for the plant
3. Give plants support from the wind with a trellis or stake.
4. Make sure there is good airflow around your plants so they can dry quickly.
5. If your plants are in containers, put them in a place safe from heavy rain and wind.

Stay safe and we will see you next week!

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/the-forum/fl-cn-coral-springs-plant-fundraiser-20201022-pt3s5s7plvbsrce437mchk4udm-story.html

As of today, all the garden boxes have been rented for the 2020-21 season! It is going to be an exciting year for our new gardeners and those who are returning to grow their favorite veggies, herbs and flowers. Volunteers are always welcome and our workdays are the first Saturday of each month. For those who are interested, we have a waiting list, and if for some reason a gardener leaves or can no longer participate, we will contact those who are waiting. A big shout out to the volunteers who worked to kick off the season, especially Satya!

Just walking around in the garden and food forest I noticed bunches of bananas growing! They are still green, but when they ripen, they are delicious! Click here to learn more about growing bananas in South Florida. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/indianriverco/2020/06/03/growing-bananas-in-florida/

You can find the Garden Box Agreement on this site or the Rotary Community Garden and Food Forest of Coral Springs Facebook page. Looking forward to seeing you in the garden!

Recently, the IFAS Extension of the University of Florida offered a free online class about urban farming and a few of our community garden members signed up for this wonderful opportunity. It is completely online due to the Covid-19 virus, and the presenters have done a fantastic job of presenting the information in a variety of visual formats. There are 6 sessions and session 3 begins tomorrow. Topics covered in the class include models of urban agriculture, obstacles and challenges, and how to do direct marketing as a small farmer. This information will help us in planning exciting activities and events for our Community Garden and Food Forest. If you see Satya, Judi, Anne or Jackie ask them about the workshop. They will be happy to share!

Sapphire Showers is one name for this beautiful plant because of the multitude of cascading blossoms that cover it. It is a butterfly attractor and lately has been feeding some Queens. It also goes by other names such as Golden Dew Drops, Golden Berries and it’s Latin name Duranta erecta. It can grow over 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide and will bloom off and on during the year. When the blooms are gone, yellow berries will take their place. After trimming the berries, blossoms will appear again after awhile. The pictures do not do it justice.

We mourn those who have died, and think about their loved ones. We think about those who are struggling with prolonged and serious illnesses from the virus, and with economic stress.

The COVID-19 quarantine has brought shutdown of other outdoor places. So people have been absolutely delighted and really appreciative to discover our oasis. Many comment on the peace and serenity they experience here.  

Also, the pandemic is helping more people than ever realize the importance of learning about growing food sustainably, and they are excited to learn how much abundance of beautiful plants we can grow here sustainably.   

In the vast majority of cases, people are being respectful and following guidelines.

Many also wanted to help out in the garden once we are more fully open again.  

When tragedy struck our community with the Stoneman Douglas shooting on Feb 14, 2018, it also struck our garden personally, as one of the seventeen who perished was the daughter of one of our gardeners.

Out of this enormous, tragic loss came the memorial garden, to honor Helena’s life and the lives of the others who were killed. It is also dedicated to the 17 physically wounded, and all those wounded in any way. It is a sanctuary for the community.

For our opening event, in November of 2018, we held a a community tree planting, planting 17 bamboo trees in memory of the 17 who were murdered.

A community of gardeners and many other volunteers built the labyrinth the following year.  We are slowly completing the sustainable landscaping around it. The Helena Freja Ramsay Memorial Garden, is also dedicated to the 17 physically wounded, and to all those wounded in any way. It is a beautiful, serene, replenishing place to just be.