Gardens are Springing into Action!
New Gardens sprouting!
On Friday (April 27th) the Frog Island Community Garden celebrated its official opening! Director of the Department of Public Works, Bill Bohlen, and Mayor Pro-tem Trudy Swanson announced the dedication of the day as the commencement of the Frog island Garden. Gardeners celebrated with a bbq and tree planting. The Frog Island gardeners have also completed the first half of construction of their wattle fence, more work days to complete the fence and build beds to come soon! For more information contact "amanda betzler"
The Daycroft Montessori Learning Garden began construction on their first eight raised beds Saturday, April 28th. Garden volunteers are excited to get the first stage of the garden built for the upcoming summer camps to use and enjoy! For information contact Terri Fisher
The Saline Community Garden project is well underway and celebrated the Saline Community Garden Grand Opening on Sunday, May 20 from. Community members joined in enjoying the opening of this wonderful community-building project. For more information about the garden and upcoming events and classes, please visit the website: www.salinegarden.org or contact Calesta Harrison, calesta@toshoklabs.com or 786-3711.
Willow Run Alternative High School constructed the frame of the long awaited greenhouse this winter and building on the students’ enthusiasm has started an after school garden club. Recent news has informed us that the high school will be moved again next year, but the greenhouse will be coming with! The garden club has been actively clearing the area around the greenhouse and planning for next year’s move. For more information contact Terry Carpenter CarpenterTerry@wrcs.k12.mi.us.
Genesis Christian Academy begin construction in early May, clearing and digging up the ground preparing for this summers garden. Big plans are in the works for an education garden complete with butterfly habitat! For more information contact Jackie, jmims_hickmon@yahoo.com.
Cultivating Community is moving steadily ahead with plans for an East Quad student garden. Cultivating Community has partnered with the director of the Residential College and students who have initiated a Sustainability Forum and a Beautification Forum to discuss improving the East Quad environment. Cultivating Community hopes to solidify garden plans over the next year and break ground in early spring 2008.
Paddock Elementary School Garden is swinging into gear! Gardeners are planning to till an area roughly 80X30 and have about 7 families/individuals who are interested in working the plots. More meetings to plan and work days to come! For more information contact Liz Sutherland, Sutherland@milan.k12.mi.us.
Girl Power is ready to jump into planting a garden this season. Coordinators, Kim and Deb, and students are working to get things off, or into the ground, in these next couple of weeks. For more information contact Deb Kelso, Deb_Kelso@ml.com.
Existing gardens continue to grow!
The Rec Park Community Garden will enjoyed their opening day on May 19, intentionally coinciding with Ypsi Pride Day. The garden has expanded by nearly 1/3 this season and already has filled all of their plots! Volunteers are still welcome to get involved with the Plant a Row for the Hungry plot and general upkeep. Contact Lisa Bashert. 483-6420 or wombbat@umich.edu
Midtown Community Garden will participate in the Midtown block party on June 9, 12-3. Contact Leslie Chase lesley@ypsisoaplady.com or 480 1005
Chidester Place community gardeners expanded their garden plot earlier this spring, making space to grow more veggies and flowers. Garden volunteers have also begun pulling weeds, refilling raised beds, and planting early season crops. Gardeners are hoping to grow enough to bring some to the Ypsilanti Downtown Farmers’ Market this season. For more information contact Gloria Pressley, 484 3758.
The West Middle School Community Garden has begun spring work building additional raised beds (to level out part of the garden), relocating their herbal demonstration plot to the south end which is currently a grassy area, and clearing weeds around the perimeter of the garden. For more information contact Jenna Bacolor, bacolorj@ewashtenaw.org.
Touchstone Community Garden has begun work on their gardens and is enjoying the arrival of spring! Contact Susie Ayer for more information, wjna2@aol.com.
Habitat for Humanity, Ypsilanti plans to continue with the beautiful garden they constructed last season. Plans to construct a large and lovely sign for the garden are in the works. For more information contact Jeanette Kearney at kearneyj@ewashtenaw.org
Estabrook Elementary School begins its second season of gardening this week! Students today planted seeds and plants, getting the garden rolling. Teachers and students are excited to improve from last years plot and get more things growing. For more information contact Kelly brzak@ypsd.org
Perry Learning Garden is sprouting with plants, youth and energy. Volunteers at work days earlier in the season fixed up Perry’s raised beds, constructed a new compost area, and prepared the garden for the season. Now, the Youth Entrepreneur Program has begun use of the garden, planting lettuce, peas, arugula, basil and spinach. The youth are working on business plans to sell produce at the Downtown Ypsi Farmers’ Market.
At Head Start administrators, parents and students are getting excited for the upcoming season. Growing Hope staff has been working with parents and teachers to develop a plan for the summer. Students will start planting seeds next week!
Students and teachers at East Middle School are well on their way into enjoying the spring. With Growing Hope staff, clean up of the greenhouse and garden areas has been completed and students have started growing lettuce, basil, and sage.
After volunteers from The Optimist Club of Ypsi rallied to repair the broken roof, the West Middle School greenhouse is up and running once again. Students worked with Growing Hope staff to start seedlings in the last couple of weeks and are eager to partner with the West Middle School Community Garden to get things in the ground.
posted by Growing Hope at 3:38 PM
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