Celebration a Big Success and a New Step in Growing

We would like to thank everyone who came to our celebration this past Saturday!  Though the weather was incredibly hot and humid for October

many of you showed up to drink lemonade under the fruit trees,

plant a food pantry garden,

put your handprints and decorations in cement stepping stones

Ceremony

help honor those who made this possible

and help ladybugs fly into the banana trees.

Best of all, many of you signed up to join the garden community by taking a plot for this winter’s growing season!

Sign Up

new plots

We would like to welcome our many new members to the gardening season and to community.

For those of you out there who want to be part of a lively and diverse group of folks— Come grow with us!!!

Celebrate Our Growing Expectations! Everyone is invited to see the gardens, enjoy the entertainment, refreshments and fun activities. Saturday, October 10 from 9AM-1PM

See the new Food Forest and discover why it’s there. Find out what
“permaculture” really is. Learn about community gardening and get
gardening tips. Want a garden plot for yourself? Now is the time!
Plant some vegetables.  Uncover the truth about worms.
Be amazed by hundreds of ladybugs. And sample some delicious treats.

Soaking rains, dripping sweat, and God have kept the garden growing! Trees are getting greener, taller and flowering, ground cover is spreading and filling rocky spaces with red and orange flowers, the banana forest is denser, feeling cooler and looking like a “Jungle Book” backdrop complete with vines and butterflies (is that a parrot off in the distance?). See the photos on http://www.flickr.com/photos/parkwayteddergarden

If you’ve been wondering or haven’t visited recently you must take it in:  Fortunately we have lots of ways for you to share in the wonder of permaculture and gardening!

Every Saturday the work continues, mulching, weeding, making trails, planting new corners of green to brighten up…show up anytime between 9:00 and 12:00. We will give you lots to do and lots of water, gatorade and snacks to keep you going!

The Big Event is Saturday October 10th from 9:00 to 1:00.  Ladybugs, worms, games, guided nature tours, fruit popsicle sticks– put it on your calendar now!

If you dream of fresh vegetables and a community of people to share gardening tips get ready because October 10th will also be the official kick off for the gardening season.  Come ready to sign up for a plot in the community garden section; pick a plot, make your plans to weed, work, and plant–and you’ll be harvesting some of the healthiest food in the county.

We look forward to seeing all of you there–especially if you helped to plant trees over the last two months, come and see how we are growing!

Trees, Paths and People

“We are doing this project in big part for people we have not met, or may never personally meet, in fact some of these people may not even be born yet– these trees are an investment in a bigger future. It’s exciting to be a part of this.”

As a couple of us rested in the shade during work on Saturday, this was the conversation. The hundreds of trees are taking shape and it’s not hard to imagine them full grown and sharing their fruit with the community.

Last Saturday was a great wrap up to the Broward Beautiful grant phase of this community project. Some of the team had gone to ECHO on Friday to get the last batch of tress and ground cover for this phase. Part of the day’s activity including planting these trees: avocado, moringa, malabar spinach, papaya, hibiscus and don’t forget the sweet potatoes intertwined in the banana circles! The other part of the day was spent making the permaculture forest ready for people by outlining path borders with logs and filling in the paths themselves with gravel. We also set up two benches– places that will soon be shaded by the growing tress and surrounded by bird sounds as the local wildlife start making frequent visits.

Where is the next step, you might ask? Write Saturday October 10th on your calendar! That’s going to be the Big Celebration Day for the summer’s planting and the kick-off for the winter’s garden season– more information to follow!

Work Day this Saturday the 22nd

Join us on Saturday, August 22nd, to plant more trees in our urban food forest at Parkway-Tedder Community Garden!

What: Help us wrap up the Broward Beautiful grant phase of our project

When: Saturday, August 22nd, from 8:00am to 1:00pm

Location: 100 NE 44 St, Pompano Beach at Parkway United Methodist

Who: You and anyone who thinks trees are a beautiful thing!

We are happy to provide community service hours, snacks and water.

Growing in the Summer Heat

A little over a week after planting, here’s a little visual check in! After all the labors of planting, mulching, and the continuing efforts of watering the fruit trees they seem to be enjoying their job of turning dry, rocky ground into a green fragrant mini forest.  Here are some pics.

Let us know if you would like to help water!

We Planted a Beautiful Food Forest

Saturday, July 18th, was a big success. All  the little citrus, mango, banana, tamarind, fig, allspice, sapote etc…. etc… got planted and were standing tall and comfortably surrounded by mulch by 12:30 pm on Saturday!

Sure it was hot, dripping tropical hot, but the coolness of the trees seem to give promise of shade, and the promise and the potential kept people motivated and working! Some highlights….

• Over 150 trees
• Over 35 volunteers
• The Brazilian church headed by Pastor Marcos and Pastor Ricardo showed up in force with over 15 amazing volunteers and a Bobcat! Their hard work, easy laughter and know-how inspired everyone (and the hamburgers and hot dogs they grilled up didn’t hurt either!)
• Families pitched in a big way with kids involved in planting, mulching, watering and just plain enjoying the unfolding of the new forest!

So phase two of the big project is complete– take a look at the pictures and figure out how you would like to be involved. There are lots of opportunities for

• watering,
• mulching,
• helping plan for the fall kickoff which will include an expanded vegetable garden area.

Fruit Tree Arrival

Our fruit trees have arrived! Here are some photos of the gorgeous citrus trees that arrived early this morning. If you want to see the mango, banana and other fruit trees, you’ll just have to come to the garden tomorrow for the big planting!

This is definitely the week to come! If you’ve been waiting and considering coming to a workday, this is the one to come to:-) The entire garden smells of lovely citrus blossoms.

Plant Fruit Trees on July 18th!

Join us on Saturday, July 18th, to plant fruit trees and an urban food forest at Parkway-Tedder Community Garden!

When: Saturday, July 18th from 8:00am to 1:00pm

Location: 100 NE 44 St, Pompano Beach at Parkway United Methodist

What: Plant 50 citrus trees and 90 assorted mangoes, bananas and other fruit trees.

Who: You and anyone who thinks trees are a beautiful thing!

We are happy to provide community service hours, snacks and water.

What to bring/wear:

• A sprouted, organic sweet potato or two, to plant in our banana circles!
• Hat
• Sturdy, closed shoes (no sandals please)
• Gloves
• Work clothes
• Sunscreen
• Your favorite water bottle

If you have one of these, please label it clearly and bring it along!

• Shovel
• Rake
• Hoe or Backhoe
• Wheelbarrow or wagon
• Pick axe
• Bucket

Check back here afterwards for photos! Please RSVP if you are joining us, so that we know how many volunteers to expect!

For more info and to RSVP:

954-942-8310 or grow@parkwayteddergarden.com

Big Workday July 18th

Mark your calendars, July 18, 2009,  we will be posting more details here soon but that’s the next big day of major tree planting.  8:00 Am to 1:00 PM, get your pickaxes and shovels ready.

Also Two other great Workdays before the big event:

This Saturday, July 11th

Mapping and Marking + Mulching

Next Friday July, 17th

Unloading and placing the trees. More details soon….. STAY TUNED

Youth Group Goes Bananas

On Wednesday, July 8th,  a local youth group will be digging Banana circles! Yes, you heard that right, Banana circles. These are a creative permaculture way of planting tropical banana trees mixed in with sweet potato vines.  The end result are plants that like each other and produce lots tasty fruit and vegetables.

By the end of the project lots of these circles will be planted all over the property.  They are a great way for youth groups to be involved and then keep tracking their circle. Let us know if your group wants to dig a circle!