Community Gardens!

     Last Sunday a group from the Tennessee Valley Community Garden Association toured several member gardens...here's a quick peek.
    First up was the UAH Garden, spearheaded by Claire Heardy.  This is a "claim it and work it" garden, open to students, faculty and employees of the University.  Several folks grabbed a plot and have already started growing this year and it's going to be quite pretty once everything grows up.

There's a very attractive layout and there's even  a picnic table to rest for a bit.

  Then it was on to the CASA Community Garden where Karen Voelker explained that the food from this garden, grown by volunteers, gets delivered to the elderly, homebound clients of CASA.  They are always looking for more volunteers and it is a great way to learn more about gardening from the pros!



       We swung across to the 305 8th Street site.  This is a group home for developmentally disabled adults and they've started growing food for the table, mostly salads. 

    Next on the tour was the Lowe Mill garden, Flying Monkey Community Garden which is growing by leaps and bounds even moving into the interior courtyard.  There's some fun ideas here, which is no surprise given the artistic community there.  They are hoping to start a farmer's market in time. They, too, are always looking for more dirty hands!

    I dropped off the tour here and  Lee took the rest of the tour, since he'd been pruning a new orchard in the morning.  They first went to Howe Street, where a new community garden is taking shape, we spied this one on our last alley tour.  The early succession planting has begun way in the back.  Can't wait to see this one growing this summer!

     A quick trip up the mountain to the Monte Sano Community Garden.  This garden is a rented space garden, with each gardener taking care of their own plot and helping with the common areas.  This is one of the most well organized gardens, with a very effective use of space.  Notice the deer fencing. 

     The final stop before dark was a neighborhood effort in north Huntsville that is growing great!  Eric has a plot behind his house where he's growing for himself and others.  It's looking really good.

    His neighbor, Bill, is also going large.  The fall/winter garden you can see way at the back will be overtaken by a larger summer planting that's being prepped now.   You'd be lucky to live close to these folks.

    That's it for this tour... If you are involved in a community garden project of any kind, contact Tennessee Valley Community Garden Association or if you would like a consultation on your garden project large or small call us.



Newest Member of the Order of the Green Tie!

Congratulations to the Green Volunteer of the Year....Lee McBride!

Let's see....in addition to the Green U exhibitor committee and helping with the farmer's market, he volunteers with CASA community garden and serves on the CASA board, works with folks at Morris, Westlawn, Butler schools garden / agriculture programs.    The North  Alabama Food Policy Council, the Food Bank, numerous churches and assorted neighborhood community gardens and farmers and farmer's markets also benefit from his energy and passion for local food production.  Thru his own Gift of a Garden , anyone who truly needs and wants a garden can get one. 

I also can't resist mentioning that he recently gained certification as an Alabama Certified Landscape Professional as of now, he's one of 25 folks in the entire state who have demonstrated knowledge in all categories of the cultural practices that comprise commercial horticulture.

I'm so proud of you!

Green Drinks on Monday!

Join us on Monday night at 5:30 at 501 Franklin for Green Drinks.  Mingling begins at 5:30, at 6:30 Lee McBride of Foodscapes, Inc. will speak on area food security and, of course, creating your own vegetable garden and then Paul Wieland will be discussing his recent book concerning utilizing opportunities in space to directly address societal issues including energy and environmental issues.