Community Gardens: Nourishing the Body and Soul

 

COMMUNITY GARDENS:  

 Nourishing the Body and the Soul 

Thursday, December 3, 2020 

7:00PM - 8:30PM 

Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88667421907  

Learn WHY Community Gardens are important and HOW to manage them. 

Mary Ellen McGuire, pastoral associate at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Chapel  Hill, will discuss why community gardens are an important part of creation care. 

Managers of three local gardens will talk about how to manage and maintain  community gardens. 

 

• Paul & Pat Kelly, Franciscan Community Garden in Raleigh 

• Bob Weickert, San Isidro Labrador Garden in Chapel Hill 

• Deborah Gorman, Koinonia Garden in Chatham County 

Matt Jones of the NC Cooperative Extension Service will explain the services and  resources available through this agency. 

This event is co-sponsored by Orange-Chatham Interfaith Care for Creation  and Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle.

Back to the Garden

Officially we're back to the garden, now that North Carolina is in Phase 2 of Coronavirus Response. We are open with social distancing, masks, and bring your own gloves and water.

Fortunately, we've been able to keep up with some maintenance and planting in the garden so that we weren't totally overrun by weeds. The Shelter in Place time allowed more than enough time to start seeds at home for transplanting into the garden. What started as some broccoli and tomato seedlings kept multiplying by twelves into the hundreds, and also allowed the advantage of staying safe, getting plants without having to go out and shop. 

So here we are. Saturday we harvested broccoli and turnips to share with CORA, and planted sweet potato slips. 

The garden is large enough to allow for plenty of space for working without being too close to other gardeners. All in all, there is much to be grateful for.

Community Gardening in the Time of COVID-19

Like everything else this spring of 2020, our garden plan has been upended. Fortunately we began planning this year's garden during the winter. In January we placed some orders for seeds and supplies, including 90 peat pots, thinking we might start more of our own plants this year.
We planned to add more perennials this year, and we ordered and planted early. We added more blueberries and a fig tree in February. In March we planted asparagus, potatoes and peas, which all went in before more stringent stay at home orders took effect. We are thankful for that.
Tomato and broccoli plants were started in March.
Now more and more seeds are being planted, and soon all available window and porch space will be filled with plants, which is a great activity to fill the long hours of stay at home time.

Coronavirus Advisory

Presently there is a Coronavirus Emergency in effect in the State of North Carolina.
In view of that, as a precautionary measure, we will not be having our regular garden work times on Saturday March 14 or March 21. This is to promote the health and well being of our garden members, volunteers and our community.
We will update when it is safe to resume regular open hours at the garden.
Be well.