Elois, Aileen, and I went to the Community Garden this morning. It's located adjacent to our library parking lot, surrounded by a chain-link fence, inside the Bert Harsh Park. And once again, we walked the seven long rows and stared at the five huge black pots. Here's what we found:
Row 1 - spinach and zinnias
Row 2 - yellow squash and eggplant
Row 3 - zucchini and yellow squash
Row 4 - tomatoes
Row 5 - carrots
Row 6 - turnips
Row 7 - beets and beans (the running kind)
Pot 1 - peppers (bell, I think)
Pot 2 - peppers (hot)
Pot 3 - cucumbers
Pot 4 - English peas and basil
Pot 5 - cilantro.
Well, how about that? And people are already coming to the Community Garden and picking the greens and squash. Aileen and Elois are patiently waiting for the beets to be big enough, but I bet they will have to be out there fast to get some.
Everyone is so excited about this corner of the park. If you're driving by, just park on the side of the street and take a look. Or better yet, come inside the fence and take a walk. You'll be amazed at how lush everything looks.
And thank you to all the fellows who tend the garden. You are are taking care of a great show and resource!!!!
Showing posts with label community garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community garden. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
CHECKING OUT THE COMMUNITY GARDEN
It seems we just cannot stay away from the outside, what with all kinds of plants and flowers popping up everywhere.
This morning Elois, our reference librarian, and I walked out to the community garden, which is in the Bert Harsh Park adjacent to the library. We decided we'd go peek at the garden and see if we could identify what has been planted. Now, I say "we," but I really meant Elois. I've been told I can't tell an honest flower from a weed. I thought if I took Elois with me, maybe she could tell me what is in the garden.
The community garden is located on the southside of the park with Fifth Street Southeast to the east and Fourth Avenue to the south. It's a plot of ground that holds seven, long, raised beds. At the north end of the raised beds are five, huge, black plastic flower pots. When I looked in the flower pots, I didn't see anything planted, except in one someone had stuck a very large feather. Elois said it might have been from a buzzard. Goodness knows, we have lots of those birds around here!
We decided we'd check each raised bed to see what we (meaning Elois, really) could identify.
We called the beds by number, with number one being the closest to the west fence, and we started checking bed seven first.
That bed had been planted much earlier with collards, and it was obvious that someone had already been through and picked off the lower leaves. We knew it wasn't that Easter bunny that visited us, so we imagined maybe the garden caretakers were involved with harvesting as well as planting.
Bed six was covered with tiny little green leaves, each plant with one leaf on each side of the stem. Elois said she thought that was squash, maybe yellow squash. Down the center of the raised bed we saw, spaced wide apart, taller green plants that Elois said might be eggplant.
Moving to bed five, Elois said that bed looked like it was planted with squash also, but she wasn't sure what kind. Or maybe zuchinni, she said.
Bed four had nothing but long rows dug in the rich, dark dirt. It was obvious there were plenty of nutrients in the soil. Even good enough for lovely, long earthworms. We'll check for them later also.
We didn't see anything planted in bed three either, but we feel something will be there eventually, unless it's hiding way down deep where we couldn't see it.
Elois checked bed two and decided that some little green plants she saw had to be volunteer running butter beans from last year. And she felt they had planted radishes also.
But when we got to bed one, where wide-square fencing wire hangs on rebar poles, Elois was sure the running butter beans were set to grow and climb. And she hoped, really hoped, that she saw the beginnings of beets. Even as we walked away, she said again she sure hoped those were beets.
Our last effort was to look around the sign on the southside of the fence to read what is printed. And I quote: "Community Garden, partnership with Healthy Colquitt Coalition and Moultrie-Colquitt County Library. Built, planted and cared for by Mike Floyd, Jim Milsap, Charles Sims, Bryan Gordon, David Russell, Doug Turner, Terry Leverton, Jacob Russell, and Mark Wise."
As Elois and I walked back to the library, we decided that every two or three weeks we are going to come back to the community garden and see how things are growing. Maybe our puzzle will be solved when tiny little plants are big enough for us to really identify. And we might take a plastic sack each and see what we can harvest. Elois said the carrots she harvested last year were the sweetest carrots she'd ever eaten; she put them in her stew, she said.
I wonder if I'll harvest something this year. Just being able to visit the garden will be the highlight of my day. I bet that's what our little Easter bunny would have said, too.
This morning Elois, our reference librarian, and I walked out to the community garden, which is in the Bert Harsh Park adjacent to the library. We decided we'd go peek at the garden and see if we could identify what has been planted. Now, I say "we," but I really meant Elois. I've been told I can't tell an honest flower from a weed. I thought if I took Elois with me, maybe she could tell me what is in the garden.
The community garden is located on the southside of the park with Fifth Street Southeast to the east and Fourth Avenue to the south. It's a plot of ground that holds seven, long, raised beds. At the north end of the raised beds are five, huge, black plastic flower pots. When I looked in the flower pots, I didn't see anything planted, except in one someone had stuck a very large feather. Elois said it might have been from a buzzard. Goodness knows, we have lots of those birds around here!
We decided we'd check each raised bed to see what we (meaning Elois, really) could identify.
We called the beds by number, with number one being the closest to the west fence, and we started checking bed seven first.
That bed had been planted much earlier with collards, and it was obvious that someone had already been through and picked off the lower leaves. We knew it wasn't that Easter bunny that visited us, so we imagined maybe the garden caretakers were involved with harvesting as well as planting.
Bed six was covered with tiny little green leaves, each plant with one leaf on each side of the stem. Elois said she thought that was squash, maybe yellow squash. Down the center of the raised bed we saw, spaced wide apart, taller green plants that Elois said might be eggplant.
Moving to bed five, Elois said that bed looked like it was planted with squash also, but she wasn't sure what kind. Or maybe zuchinni, she said.
Bed four had nothing but long rows dug in the rich, dark dirt. It was obvious there were plenty of nutrients in the soil. Even good enough for lovely, long earthworms. We'll check for them later also.
We didn't see anything planted in bed three either, but we feel something will be there eventually, unless it's hiding way down deep where we couldn't see it.
Elois checked bed two and decided that some little green plants she saw had to be volunteer running butter beans from last year. And she felt they had planted radishes also.
But when we got to bed one, where wide-square fencing wire hangs on rebar poles, Elois was sure the running butter beans were set to grow and climb. And she hoped, really hoped, that she saw the beginnings of beets. Even as we walked away, she said again she sure hoped those were beets.
Our last effort was to look around the sign on the southside of the fence to read what is printed. And I quote: "Community Garden, partnership with Healthy Colquitt Coalition and Moultrie-Colquitt County Library. Built, planted and cared for by Mike Floyd, Jim Milsap, Charles Sims, Bryan Gordon, David Russell, Doug Turner, Terry Leverton, Jacob Russell, and Mark Wise."
As Elois and I walked back to the library, we decided that every two or three weeks we are going to come back to the community garden and see how things are growing. Maybe our puzzle will be solved when tiny little plants are big enough for us to really identify. And we might take a plastic sack each and see what we can harvest. Elois said the carrots she harvested last year were the sweetest carrots she'd ever eaten; she put them in her stew, she said.
I wonder if I'll harvest something this year. Just being able to visit the garden will be the highlight of my day. I bet that's what our little Easter bunny would have said, too.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
We went to the garden this morning
That's right! We did! Miss Elois and me!
I'm sure if you've come to the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library you've seen the garden growing at the south edge of the Bert Harsh Park, that park on the library's corner with a black chain fence around it.
This morning I asked Elois if she'd go to the garden with me and tell me what's growing there. I had an idea I'd know some of the produce, but not all of it. And I was right!
Miss Elois took a pair of scissors with her so she could cut a bunch of zinnias for Irene in the Odom Genealogical Library. I managed to talk her into cutting lots of zinnias so we could put them in the public library also.
Well, it didn't take long for Miss Elois to let me know what she saw growing! Besides the zinnias, there were yellow crook-neck squash, tomatoes, carrots (and Elois says they are sweeeetttt!), butter beans, snap beans, okra (standing tall!), peas, and a few collards (they must go fast!).
Elois noticed how there were lots of squash and carrots ready for picking. Before we left the garden, she already had plans to come back and harvest some of the produce. But in the meantime, she cut enough zinnias for four vases, three of which are now in the front foyer of the public library.
This is the Community Garden, grown in partnership with the Moultrie Library and the Healthy Colquitt Coalition. It's carefully tended to by a group of men who live nearby. And I must say, they do a fine job of weeding, watering, and taking care of the six or seven long raised beds of produce.
Occasionally, when going home in the afternoon, I see people picking the produce. Sometimes it's a couple of women, sometimes a mother and her children, once three men pulled carrots and stuffed them into black plastic bags. And I've been told that occasionally the produce is picked and taken to the Colquitt County Food Bank here in Moultrie.
I know...all the time you thought the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library was just a place for books and stuff like that. Well, surprise! We're more than meets the eye.
Come check out the Community Garden. It's lovely! And it's right here at the Moultrie Library.
I'm sure if you've come to the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library you've seen the garden growing at the south edge of the Bert Harsh Park, that park on the library's corner with a black chain fence around it.
This morning I asked Elois if she'd go to the garden with me and tell me what's growing there. I had an idea I'd know some of the produce, but not all of it. And I was right!
Miss Elois took a pair of scissors with her so she could cut a bunch of zinnias for Irene in the Odom Genealogical Library. I managed to talk her into cutting lots of zinnias so we could put them in the public library also.
Well, it didn't take long for Miss Elois to let me know what she saw growing! Besides the zinnias, there were yellow crook-neck squash, tomatoes, carrots (and Elois says they are sweeeetttt!), butter beans, snap beans, okra (standing tall!), peas, and a few collards (they must go fast!).
Elois noticed how there were lots of squash and carrots ready for picking. Before we left the garden, she already had plans to come back and harvest some of the produce. But in the meantime, she cut enough zinnias for four vases, three of which are now in the front foyer of the public library.
This is the Community Garden, grown in partnership with the Moultrie Library and the Healthy Colquitt Coalition. It's carefully tended to by a group of men who live nearby. And I must say, they do a fine job of weeding, watering, and taking care of the six or seven long raised beds of produce.
Occasionally, when going home in the afternoon, I see people picking the produce. Sometimes it's a couple of women, sometimes a mother and her children, once three men pulled carrots and stuffed them into black plastic bags. And I've been told that occasionally the produce is picked and taken to the Colquitt County Food Bank here in Moultrie.
I know...all the time you thought the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library was just a place for books and stuff like that. Well, surprise! We're more than meets the eye.
Come check out the Community Garden. It's lovely! And it's right here at the Moultrie Library.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The community garden at the library
If you've been past the library lately, I'm sure you've noticed the great garden growing in the corner of Bert Harsh Park, which is adjacent to the library's parking lot.
Lots of us have watched with interest the placing of boards to mark the seven long, somewhat narrow garden plots. We also watched as tall bamboo tepees were set up. We just knew they had to be for beans or some climbing
vegetable.
This past week, after only a couple of months of growing, one long bed was stuffed with the most beautiful, colorful zinnias you have ever seen. Our director had been invited to cut some of them to place in the library, and she did. Gorgeous colors!
So who's responsible for this amazing garden?
In talking with Dan Jeter, I found out that it started as a partnership with the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and the YMCA-USA (which I now understand is being called the "Y"), through a national grant for "Pioneering Healthier Communities." The partnership views obesity, lack of exercise, and lack of nutritious foods as an epidemic, and most always fresh produce is missing in those people needing it the most. Gardens are used to teach people not only how to grow a garden, but how to eat healthy foods. Thus the "Healthy Colquitt Coalition" was formed here in Moultrie.
With the help of David Russell, Greg Keith, Dan Jeter, and Warren McKinney, a group of seven men from Turning Point, who wanted to do a community outreach project, placed the wooden frames, hauled in mushroom compost, and planted the seeds. Occasionally as I drive past, I see the men working in the garden, weeding, watering, and providing lots of TLC.
There are not only zinnias in the garden, but green beans, butter beans, summer squash, tomatoes, and
zuchinni.
What's going to happen with all that produce? you ask. Well, Dan Jeter said that David Russell has harvested some to take to the Crossroads Mission. And Dan's sure that the Hope House Kitchen and the Food Bank will benefit from the harvest, especially when all those tomatoes start coming in real fast.
Dan said he also hopes there will be other gardens springing up all over town. We know there are plenty of plots of land just waiting to be covered in gorgeous vegetables, like the ones coming along in Bert Harsh Park.
As Dan and I talked, we laughed to think there might even be a "Tuesday Vegetable Night at the Library," a time when you can check out a book and get a few squash for a meal. Who knows? The possibilities are endless....
Lots of us have watched with interest the placing of boards to mark the seven long, somewhat narrow garden plots. We also watched as tall bamboo tepees were set up. We just knew they had to be for beans or some climbing
vegetable.
This past week, after only a couple of months of growing, one long bed was stuffed with the most beautiful, colorful zinnias you have ever seen. Our director had been invited to cut some of them to place in the library, and she did. Gorgeous colors!
So who's responsible for this amazing garden?
In talking with Dan Jeter, I found out that it started as a partnership with the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and the YMCA-USA (which I now understand is being called the "Y"), through a national grant for "Pioneering Healthier Communities." The partnership views obesity, lack of exercise, and lack of nutritious foods as an epidemic, and most always fresh produce is missing in those people needing it the most. Gardens are used to teach people not only how to grow a garden, but how to eat healthy foods. Thus the "Healthy Colquitt Coalition" was formed here in Moultrie.
With the help of David Russell, Greg Keith, Dan Jeter, and Warren McKinney, a group of seven men from Turning Point, who wanted to do a community outreach project, placed the wooden frames, hauled in mushroom compost, and planted the seeds. Occasionally as I drive past, I see the men working in the garden, weeding, watering, and providing lots of TLC.
There are not only zinnias in the garden, but green beans, butter beans, summer squash, tomatoes, and
zuchinni.
What's going to happen with all that produce? you ask. Well, Dan Jeter said that David Russell has harvested some to take to the Crossroads Mission. And Dan's sure that the Hope House Kitchen and the Food Bank will benefit from the harvest, especially when all those tomatoes start coming in real fast.
Dan said he also hopes there will be other gardens springing up all over town. We know there are plenty of plots of land just waiting to be covered in gorgeous vegetables, like the ones coming along in Bert Harsh Park.
As Dan and I talked, we laughed to think there might even be a "Tuesday Vegetable Night at the Library," a time when you can check out a book and get a few squash for a meal. Who knows? The possibilities are endless....
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