LIFE GOES ON! AND WE ARE HAVING AN EVENT IN THE GARDEN TO PROVE IT!-- GET TOGETHER WITH US at the Garland Community Garden! - Sunday September 19 from 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Mark your Calendar! Note: The Garland Community Garden is on City of Garland Property and as such, we are subject to rules and regulations that govern the parks in our city. Therefore, any rules that apply to our parks also apply at the garden. The garden is located at the junction of Naaman School Road and Brand in Garland Texas.
AGENDA FOR THE EVENT
FOR THE FIRST HOUR:
1. Welcome by current Loving Garland Green President Elizabeth Berry
2. Introductions and garden tales
As we go around and introduce ourselves, people will have the opportunity to tell us about their gardening experiences for the past year, what/if they have planted a fall/winter garden, what grew well for them this past year, etc.--anything garden-related they want to talk about, perhaps even the story of how you started gardening in the first place. If you are new to gardening, that’s great too! This event can be your new beginning.
[Depending on the number of people, we may have to limit these introductions to five minutes or we may vote to break up into smaller groups for longer discussions.]
3. Plant and seed exchange
Those attending are invited to bring seeds and plants to share/exchange with others. For example, at the moment Loving Garland Green has 10 small jujube trees that we have dug up that have spread out from our Jujube tree in the front of the garden. Many are not familiar with the jujube. Its delicious fruit is similar to the date. The tree is very drought tolerant and grows fast and well in our area. In addition to the tree, we will have some of the fruit for people to sample if they like. The other very special plant item that we will be offering are native milk weed seeds--not always easy to find but we will have more than enough for all.
Save seeds now from any vegetable that grew well in your garden this year and bring them to share with others. Nothing is more reliable than seeds from successful plants grown in the area where they will be planted the next season.
4. Announcement of upcoming Sweet Potato & Luffa Shucking Event - October 24, 2021
We will close out the first hour by telling people about our next garden event.
Most every year except for 2020, Loving Garland Green has hosted this event around the third or fourth weekend in October. In 2021, it will be held on Sunday October 24 from 1-3PM in the Garden. Children are especially welcome to this event where we dump all our large sweet potato pots (7 pots this year) and let the kids (gloves furnished) dig through the soil to discover sweet potatoes. Note: Process is subject to change due to COVID restrictions. For example, we may have adults rake through the soil and hand sweet potatoes to the children. Luffa Shucking will be led by one of our members, Charles Bevilacqua. Charlie is the one who built our luffa tunnel, a favorite with the children. He will demonstrate how to peel a luffa and reveal its bath/kitchen sponge. Those who want will be given the opportunity to try their hand. Needless to say, there will be plenty of luffa seeds to give away so that others can grow their own sponges next year.
SECOND HOUR: Planting a Fall/Winter Garden
The second hour of the event will be a real community planting. Before the event, members of Loving Garland Green will set up two approximate 3 feet by 6 feet raised beds. A secret admirer has left us two lovely metal frames for raised beds. [Note: Our garden has a magical effect on people. citizens of our community, like fairies in the night, often leave us presents such as garden pots, plants, and tools. So, it was with these two frames. We don’t know who. They just magically appeared one day.]
One of the beds will be planted with transplants of Kale, Swiss Chard, and perpetual Spinach. The other bed will be seeded with root crops such as turnips, beets and carrots.
These two beds will be dedicated to the Good Samaritans of Garland and we will have a sign between the beds indicating this dedication.