Support the Food Bank at the Community Garden
Gardeners Fred and Christal spend many hours in the various gardens they manage across the neighborhood – at the Crown Hill Center, Whitman Middle School, and the Holman Grove the garden in the triangle by the Petco. We are so lucky to have them here driving the vision to make our community greener, prettier, and more delicious. All the food grown in these spaces are for passersby to enjoy. Most of the food is donated to the Ballard Food Bank. On Monday, Fred loaded up his bike trailer with over 49 lbs of food – which included 5 pounds of parsley!
Stop by on Saturday!
Saturday May 8th
12pm – 3pm
Twenty minutes, or the whole 3 hours.
What’s Growing
- Mint – planted along the wall by 14th and 95th.
- All sorts of herbs – also along the wall by 14th and 95th. Stop by for bay leaf the next time you need some!
- Lettuce
- Chard – soon to bolt. Sad to see these lovelies go but hooray for summer crops.
- Blueberries! Resplendent in the sun.
- Fava Beans – building soil and looking pretty.
- Garlic
- Peas -Hearty and strong
- Dreams of carrots and summer crops.
Donation Request
What ideas do YOU have? Recently, a neighbor reached out wanting to organize a work party to spruce up the landscaping outside the Crown Hill Center. We helped connect him with the gardeners and center to make a plan, and then we helped promote the work party. He got a couple volunteers out to weed and prepare the side of the building for summer.
Other neighbors are growing starts in their greenhouse, volunteering on Saturdays, donating seeds and other materials. One neighbor had an idea of creating a communication board similar to what you see outside a campsite – and the gardeners included that in a grant application. The dance studio needed the privet cut, and neighborhood kids helped trim those hedges. The developers across the street are working with the gardeners to print signs. We all have something to offer.
What’s your idea? We would love to hear it and help you make it happen.
It’s May!
Time to think about planting summer crops. Fred’s been thinking about efficient carrot planting techniques. One idea that he read, and decided not to try, is to lay the seed out on toilet paper and plant that as a strip. Another idea, which he is trying, is to mix 1 tsp of seed with 2 gallons of compost. They have a fine screen to sift the the compost through so there are no clumps. They spread the mix in a line, then another line 6″ away. Then, they go back over with seedless compost. It saves time planting, but you still need to spend time prepping the soil.
Donations FROM the garden
Come grab some Dahlia!
A neighbor who is moving has 2 espalier apple trees and 2 sea buckthorns. Rescue a tree! Stop by the garden or email for details.
Tip on finding plastic sheeting: Gardener Christal salvaged this plastic from the Bedrooms and More Outlet on 130th and Aurora. She said she calls ahead to let them know she is coming. She also recommends you leave the dumpster as tidy as you find it. Gardener Fred pointed out that the plastic is not weather resistant, so put them in the shade during the summer and throw away once you notice them cracking.
