Garden Notes

Saturday we did general maintenance on the garden.  We built new and bigger compost bins for the garden. Drew mowed the lawn.  Jeff weeded some garden beds and the vineyard. Jeff also used the trimmer to trim the lawn. Finally we continued to squash the squash bugs.

The vegetables are looking good. We have squash on the vines as well as tomatoes. The vegetables in the ministers’ bed are really doing great. I think the Back to Eden Garden method seems to really be working well. Mary Ruth’s strawberries are really doing great, too.

Remember if you have any used printer cartridges please consider donating them to the garden for recycling.  There are green donation boxes at the entrance to the 400wing and the main entrance to the church. We will be sending them off to be recycled and we will get paid for them.  We appreciate Amy Clark’s efforts to make that happen.!

TIP OF THE WEEK

The tip of the week this week comes from Eileen Watson.  She recommends putting egg shells around the base of the plants in your garden. This will keep the bugs that crawl on the ground from getting on your plants. So give it a try.  

So let’s go play in the dirt its fun!!!  

Willie Redmon

Harvesting Hope Community Garden is a ministry of First Christian Church, Arlington

Garden Notes

​We had a great mothers day weekend in the garden. We planted tomatoes, cantaloupes and water melons. We continued our assault on the squash bugs and it looks like we are winning the battle.  We should be harvesting squash soon. We had a great harvest of lettuce, spinach, onions and strawberries.

​We had our garden meeting after work in the garden was through. We discussed the upcoming fish fry event on June 15th from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. There will also be a silent auction. The auction will benefit the Trinity Brazos Area Growing Project and we hope everyone can attend.  We will have fish, hush puppies, coleslaw, french fries and dessert. We hope everyone can attend.

TIP OF THE WEEK

 ​The tip for this week is about fertilizing your vegetables.  There are several natural fertilizers; you can use dried molasses, worm castings, lava sand and blood meal. We use all of them in the garden and remember compost is really great for your garden.

So let’s go play in the dirt its fun!!!  

Willie Redmon

Harvesting Hope Community Garden is a ministry of First Christian Church, Arlington

 

Garden Notes

This week we attended the Trinity Brazos Area Assembly in Granbury. Myself, Nancy, Tricia Martin and Julia Coleman conducted a workshop on community gardens and the TBA Growing Project. We met a lot of great people interested in helping feed the hungry people in our local community as well as around the world.

The Trinity Brazos Area Growing Project is where the members of the TBA garden network raise money to help farmers in third world countries buy supplies and equipment to build food security. It is so important that these farmers are successful growing their crops because in most third world countries money where is not used, they barter with the crops they raise for things like clothes and medical attention.

We have a fish fry fund raiser for the TBA Growing Project at First Christian Church, Arlington on June 15 from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. Tricia Martin and Joyce Spinks are organizing a silent auction for the fish fry.

TIP OF THE WEEK

The tip of the week this week is about squash bugs. This week we found our first squash bugs in the garden. So vigilance is the best defense against this pest that can really destroy your squash and pumpkin crops. You can find both the squash bugs and the squash bug eggs on the back of the squash plant leafs. The best way to get rid of the squash bugs and their eggs is to crush them. You can place a piece of card board or a board on the ground next to the squash plants. The bugs will seek the dark under the card board or board then all you do is turn the board over and crush the bugs.

So let’s go play in the dirt its fun!!!

Willie Redmon
Harvesting Hope Community Garden is a ministry of First Christian Church, Arlington

Garden Notes

The campout and breakfast was a great success. Plenty of people turned out for roasting marshmallows and hot dogs on the new fire pit. Then eleven of us stayed for the campout. Saturday morning Nona held a Yoga class in the garden. Then we had our second Breakfast in the Garden with incredible food and great friends. Thanks to Tricia Martin, Julia Coleman, Andrew Mangum, Brandon Matthews, Beverly Steele, and Judy Shannon for their hard work in the kitchen putting breakfast together!

Then with the help of community volunteers, we did a little work in the garden, mainly because we were pretty tired from the campout. But no matter how tired we get the plants still need to be tended, so we watered and cared for the vegetables and fruit trees. All in all, the garden was an amazing place to be all weekend!

The plans are coming along for the Fish Fry Fundraiser in support of the TBA Growing Project. The TBA network of community gardens are banding together to work through Foods Resource Bank, Week of Compassion and Church World Services to help a village in the Dominican Republic build a self- sustainable agriculture system. Mark your calendars now for June 15, 6-8:30 to have dinner at the Fish Fry! We learned at the meeting of the TBA Growing Project that River Oaks Christian Church has just received approval for their community garden so it looks like our network is continuing to grow. We also learned that Ridglea Christian Church will be a TAFB Learning Garden. We celebrate with our fellow churches and gardens as they reach communities in new ways.

TIP OF THE WEEK

The tip for this week is about keeping your garden exciting. One of the things that helps keep your gardening experience fun is to always keep trying something new so you don’t get stuck in a rut. Try visiting other gardens to get new ideas. You might want to get some garden edging and make a flower or vegetable bed in the shape of a butterfly or a lady bug. This will help make your garden beautiful and keep your time in the garden fun. So let’s go play in the dirt. It’s fun!!! -

Willie Redmon
Harvesting Hope Community Garden is a FCC ministry

Garden Notes

Saturday was an AMAZING day! We built relationships with people who are connected to organizations that have a mutual interest in feeding people, educating kids with life lessons through the garden, and helping to build sustainable food systems in other parts of the world. God is certainly at work through the church community garden!

There were between 40-50 volunteers Saturday including Emerging Young Leaders, a group of 6th to 8th grade girls, City Council candidate Daniel Wood, AISD Board candidate Jamie Sullins and several volunteers from the garden and from the community. Everybody participated in cleaning and preparing two raised beds and the rest of the ministers bed. We planted about 50 okra plants in the minister’s bed and several other vegetables in the two raised beds, harvested vegetables and the girls tasted herbs and spinach as they went from garden bed to garden bed. They learned that many fruits and vegetables grow out of blooms and blossoms on the plants. The girls were so excited they said they could not wait to get back to school and tell their science teachers what they learned about the good bugs and the bad bugs. We took about 25 pounds of harvest to Mission Arlington.

In the afternoon, a group of young adults came to help in the garden. They planted five berry bushes and two plum trees. Then they cleaned, prepared and planted one of the empty garden beds.

The possibilities that came out of conversations with some of the community leaders are incredible! We may have funding to buy the food for the fish-fry fund raiser that will benefit Week of Compassion and Foods Resource Bank. Efforts have already begun to build a relationship with the AISD schools through new programs that will build on life lessons and leadership skills. And a sorority is considering leasing a garden bed and making the weekly commitment to tend it. Indeed, God is at work through the church community garden!

TIP OF THE WEEK

The tip for this week is about pest control. One of the best ways to control pest in your garden is to make sure you don’t bring them in to begin with. If you bring plants in to your garden to transplant make sure you inspect them first for insects or insect eggs. Then you need to inspect your plants often looking for insect eggs and larva. When you find either of them crush them immediately.

So let’s go play in the dirt its fun!!! Willie Redmon
Harvesting Hope Community Garden is a ministry of First Christian Church, Arlington

Garden Notes

What a beautiful day in the garden, Saturday! We had 8 yards of composted dairy cow manure mix delivered to the garden. Then we started prepping the minister’s bed. After much hard work by everybody, we were able to get oregano, tomatoes, peppers and cauliflower planted. Thanks to Ali, Alec, Jeff, Andy, Josh, Lori, Julia, Temple, Morgan, Madison, Tricia, Dan, Linda, Jeanmarie, Charlie and Leslie for all the hard work they put into the garden. You all made a big difference in the garden Saturday!

We would like to thank Ed and Mary Ruth Kolbe for their donation of hazelnut trees purchased through the Arbor Foundation in honor of their children, Mrs. Ruth Cooper, Charles Thornton-Kolbe and Tom Kolbe. We look forward to the benefits of the trees bearing shade and sweet tasty hazelnuts for several years. Thank you, Ed and Mary Ruth for all the great things you bring to the garden.

Some things that are coming up as you may have heard there will be a campout in the garden on April 26th. Just bring a tent, sleeping bag and your favorite snacks and games. The Arlington Police Department have been asked to bring a patrol by the garden for security and for breakfast Saturday morning. We invite everyone to come to on Saturday the 27th. I hear there will also be an early morning yoga class at 7:30 to start the day!

TIP OF THE WEEK

The tip of the week this week is about a garden method that we are starting to implement in the garden. The method is called the Back to Eden method. It is a way of gardening that allows you to water less, have fewer bugs, it fertilizes itself and your produce grows bigger and sweeter. If you are interested in trying this method you can find out more information at www.backtoedenfilm.com. Watch the movie called “Back to Eden” free at that website. We hope for great results from this method.

So let’s go play in the dirt. It’s fun!!!

-Willie Redmon
Harvesting Hope Community Garden is a FCC ministry

Garden Notes

The dirt was flying in the garden this weekend. We had a group 18 of girls from TCU in the garden and they cleaned garden beds and planted veggies and had a blast. Some much need yard work was done by our own gardeners too, and it was so great to see so much going on. Saturday we also had a table at the new B.R.I.T. Farmers Market in Fort Worth for community gardens. The event was well attended and we were able to inform a lot of people about our garden. Sunday we got a visit from Christian, Christiana and Gabriel, a family from the garden. Christian is getting his degree in horticulture and he gave us some great advice on where to plant some fruit trees.

There are several things happening in the garden in April. Next Saturday, April 13 we will have our monthly Family Day in the garden and we invite everyone to come out and see us and have some fun playing in the dirt. Then at 2pm that same day, the gardeners will meet in room 403 for our monthly meeting. We are grateful to Sharon Pearson for volunteering to be the Secretary for the garden! Friday, April 26th will be the first campout in the garden, bring your tent or sleeping bag, games and snacks. The following morning, Saturday April 27th, we will host our Breakfast in the Garden. So you can camp in the garden and wake up and have a great breakfast. The campout will start at 7 pm and the breakfast will be 9:30 am. You do not have to attend the campout to go to the breakfast. You can go to either one, or both.

TIP OF THE WEEK

The tip of the week is about plum trees. When planting your plum tree you might want to plant it so that it will get evening shade. Chistian said that plum trees will grow best in the wild on the edge of the woods where they get shade from the evening sun. We noticed last year that our Mexican plums that get full sun all day long looked a little weak by the end of the summer, this was because they were getting to hot.

So let’s go play in the dirt, its fun!!!

Willie Redmon
Harvesting Hope Community Garden is a ministry of First Christian Church, Arlington

Garden Notes

Folks, last week was full of ups and downs. We started the week with a freeze on Sunday night and we survived it then on Monday night we had an even harder freeze and we lost all but six of our forty eight tomato plants. That was really disappointing. Then we got our shipment of plants and amendments in and that got us excited about the spring planting season.

Friday we had a very meaningful service in the garden with the Stations of the Cross. Saturday there was an Easter egg hunt in the garden that was very well attended. Nancy and I went to Jacksonville, Texas and picked up some harvest baskets for the farmers market we will be at next Saturday. And besides the easter egg hunt, several gardeners came to work in the garden. There was lots of activity! What a busy week it was.

Next Saturday will be two events. First, we will host the TCU LEAPS event from 8am to noon. Students from TCU will help us plant all the vegetables we got from Tarrant County Department of Health. Saturday will also be the first Community Gardens Farmers Market, it will be at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas in Fort Worth next to the Botanical gardens from 10 am to 2 pm. This farmers market is for community gardens only, no professional growers allowed. We welcome anyone that would like to help either in the garden with the volunteers, or at the farmers market. Please call (817) 504-7525 if you are interested in helping that day.

Friday April 26th we have our campout in the garden. It should be a lot of fun for everyone. It will be followed by a baked french toast Breakfast in the Garden on Saturday April 27th at 9:30 am. Please RSVP to the Church office for both events.

TIP OF THE WEEK

The tip of the week is about perseverance. The freeze killed so many of our plants and it was hard to deal with. Everyone worked so hard and we followed planting guide instructions and covered the plants, but we still lost our plants. Then I was reminded that farmers for centuries have been dealing with the same issues. They have persevered and so will we. When something like this happens I have found it is easier to remember the good times in the garden and it makes the bad times sting a little less.

So let’s go play in the dirt its fun!!!

Willie Redmon
Harvesting Hope Community Garden is a ministry of First Christian Church, Arlington

Garden Notes

Thanks be to God for rain! We got some much needed rain in the garden Saturday. Because of the rain there was no work in the garden on Saturday morning but we did host a group of young adults from Crossroads Church in the afternoon. We were able to get an arbor built from bamboo that the city let us harvest. The group planted another tomato bed as well. Many thanks to Tricia and Julia for their help when the young adults were there as well!

We were informed that in the next week to week and a half we will be getting our shipment of spring plants in. This means we will be planting about 300 vegetable plants. So there will be a lot of excitement in the garden. Come out and help!

TIP OF THE WEEK

Well the tip for this week is about controlling ants in the garden. We have been using Malt-O-Meal. We simply sprinkle it on the mound and in a couple of days the ants disappear. We are not sure if the ants are killed or if they relocate.

So let’s go play in the dirt its fun!!!

Willie Redmon
Harvesting Hope Community Garden is a ministry of First Christian Church, Arlington

Garden Notes

Saturday was one of the most productive and rewarding days we have had in the garden. We had three outside groups, volunteers from the community and our own gardeners in the garden working hard and having fun. People showed up as early as 7:30 am and the last one left at 6:00 pm. We were able to plant another asparagus bed. We dug, tilled and planted one of two tomato beds in memory of Paul Derr. Then we planted another flower bed. Some other things we did were clean and weed garden beds and get them ready for spring planting, watered plants and trees, weeded the path, and planted new plants. We can’t express how grateful it was to have volunteers from all over, and from our own community working together and having fun.

I cannot tell you how great it was to see groups from Lewisville, Plano, Garland, Hurst, Flower Mound and White Settlement all coming together in our garden to help us help other people. We had so many people of all ages working hard. It truly was inspiring. When we harvest from the plants in the garden, we rejoice at the memories of what it took to get the plants in the ground and thank God for the reward God provides.

The blessing goes far beyond the food. At the end of the day we closed up the garden and as we were walking into the gym, one of the volunteers, McKenna, said “You know, you guys are like a big family”. I thought that was so great of her to say and I told her, “yeah your right, we are all part of God’s family”.

TIP OF THE WEEK

The tip for this week is just a suggestion. Hard work is so very important, yes, but having fun as you work hard is even more important. If you have fun while you work then at the end of the day the work seems that much more worth it.

So let’s go play in the dirt its fun!!!

Willie Redmon
Harvesting Hope Community Garden is a ministry of First Christian Church, Arlington