Speaking of Green, just this morning I released the second Monarch I rescued. The first one was a male and this one a female. I took her out into the sunshine in my garden so she could finish drying her wings before taking off. (Her former homes--the laundry basket and pupa are nearby. Now she is ready for a vacation in the Mexican Highlands.) Many folks in Garland rescue Monarchs and have butterfly gardens. We understand the importance of pollinators because many of us have never strayed too far from our agrarian origins. In fact, some of our schools such as Beaver Technology Center were built on farm land donated by the farmer owners. Education, Agriculture and Nature all go hand-in-hand. Although today in Garland, it's urban agriculture that we practice and teach our children.
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Just look at this schedule for tomorrow, October 17, 2015! And this is just an example from one day in our community.
LOVING GARLAND GREEN PLANT AND SEED SALE and MORE AT THE GARLAND COMMUNITY GARDEN
Visit the Garland Community Garden on Saturday October 17 from 10 to 3 PM. The garden is located at 4022 Naaman School Road. Even though our garden, like all gardens in our area is in the throes of shutting down, there are are still many interesting plants and things to see.
- Seeds for sale—from tropical milkweed to Okra. All seeds packets are 2 for $1.00
- A few plants (about 50) while they last. Kale and Blackberry plants.
- Lovely bird feeders for $2.00 each. These bird feeders are handmade by members of Loving Garland Green from pinecones. Buy several and hang them from the trees in your yard. The birds will love you.
- An opportunity to explore the garden with a member of Loving Garland Green
Find out if it’s possible to grow sweet potatoes from a pot at the Sweet Potato Demonstration at 11 AM
We will harvest a pot of sweet potatoes. No one knows what we will find. Since this is the first pot I have ever tried to grow sweet potatoes from, you can see first hand how well they have or have not done. One of our board members, Jane Stroud, has been very successful at growing sweet potatoes from plastic storage bins.
You'll also learn a few of the important steps to harvesting sweet potatoes.
Walk barefoot on buffalo grass.
This year members of Loving Garland Green have successfully grown a patch of Buffalo Grass—the only turf grass native to North America. We invite visitors to take off their shoes and walk across our tiny lawn. The grass is soft and feels great to the bottom of even a tender foot.
Visit two hugelkulturs and look at a giant one in the process of becoming.
Taste some Malabar Spinach for free. If you’ve never eaten Malabar Spinach, you don’t know what you are missing. A member of Loving Garland Green will take you to a patch of it that is located in our Keyhole Garden.
Purchase a giant leaf of Indian mustard for 50 cents. If you are really feeling adventurous, while you are at the keyhole Garden you can purchase a giant leaf of Indian mustard—that’s all you will need to spice up your favorite casserole.
More to see: Hops, our version of a Native American Medicine Wheel, the Loofah Tunnel, a pawpaw tree, grasses in our Blackland Prairie, and a puddling pool for male Monarch butterflies in our children’s garden. You may also see a stray Monarch or two.
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Mark your calendar for the annual Fall Trash Bash, scheduled from 8:30 to 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 17. Keep Garland Beautiful invites residents and groups to help pick up litter from Garland’s streets, waterways, parks, schools and vacant lots. After the cleanup, a Volunteer Appreciation Picnic will be held from 11 a.m. to noon at Granger Recreation Center Annex, 1310 W. Avenue F.
The Fall Trash Bash is sponsored by Keep Garland Beautiful, the Citizens Environmental and Neighborhood Advisory Committee, and the City of Garland’s Environmental Waste Services and Stormwater Management departments. Registration is required to participate, and trash bags and gloves will be provided. Register and find more information by emailing Barbara@brpowers.com.
Loving Garland Green will participate in the event. Prior to beginning our event, several members will pick up trash in the riparian area between the Spa and the City property where the Garland Community Garden is located.
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Garland’s Gone Camping
Grab your tent and sleeping bag and head to Audubon Park for a night under the stars with family and friends. Enjoy a night hike, games, s'mores, a campfire, and an outdoor movie. Dinner and breakfast provided.
Date:
Oct 17, 2015 Starts Saturday at 3 p.m.
Address:
Audubon Recreation Center Audubon Park 342 W. Oates Rd., Garland, Tx 75040
Main Phone:
972-205-3991
Website:
http://www.garlandparks.com
Email:
parksandrec@garlandtx.gov
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Autumn Fest 2015 in Historic Downtown Square Garland Texas, Saturday Oct. 17th, 2015 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. This event will have fun for the whole family with vendors, games, activities for the kids, entertainment and a whole lot more. For more vendor information please contactkirk.eventive@live.com or visit eventivemarketingsolutions.com.