In the era of sustainability and conservation, and many other trials, we began our Garden Project in 2021. At first we were going to name it Washington Senior Garden Corps, and plant a few small trees. These trees were donated to us the previous Christmas.
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| Two firs, one spruce, and one hemlock were donated | |
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We planned to replant all of them with a naming ceremony, however that never quite panned out. So actually I did all the work in ensuring a safe replanting of the firs and the spruce. The hemlock caught some kind of withering disease and isn't shown here. Here is how the two trees looked after we put them on the church landscaping.
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| The landscaping is pretty tight, and ultimately two shrubs were repotted to make room | |
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| Replanted in August 2021, now June 2022 |
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Fortunately not all the plants are slow-growing. Last year's starter crop included: marigold, basil, thyme, dill, rosemary, mint, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno pepper. Here is what the landscaping looked like before the therapeutic herb garden project started.
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| There was a shrub sheltering many white flies, and vines including deadly nightshade | |
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Clearing was a lot of work, and as many local gardeners in DC Metro region know, these vines keep coming back, with a tendency to strangle anything in its path.
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The Washington Senior Garden Corp (WSGC) was an early name for this fledgling bed strip
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Thankfully many residents offered emotional support even if they didn't want to get their nails dirty. I received wonderful ideas from many residents here including AM, BP, CC, JC, CB, and for a while the director was very supportive as well. This empowered me to prepare a funding proposal to the DC Developmental Disabilities Council, and this was a great experience in small-grant writing. I even heard back from several important people.
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| No matter what, the joy of gardening can be an inspiration for everyone |
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Come autumn, and the worries of overwintering of a small garden had me anxious. It seemed heartless to let so many herbs just wilt and die. Surely some of the garlic, basil, rosemary, mint, marigold, and pepper could survive in some form or other. AM gave me some great idea about an artistic looking cold-frame, one which evokes our needs.
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The first frame was built using way too many zip ties; the second frame idea was borrowed from a YT garden builder who used only two pieces of pvc pipe clamped together at the top.
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Our garden theme is not only resident-led, resident-centered, but therapeutic, accessible, and organic. Whether young or old, on wheels or using a walker, anyone can enjoy the aroma from the garden. A secondary theme emphasizes organic and sustainable, a very important meme in the DC beautification projects. So over the winter, some plants would survive while others would not.
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| Mint was chosen because of its ability to deter ants and aphids |
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More room than appears in plant shelter for rosemary, basil, garlic, even heavenly bamboo
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Some plants the winter was just too tough. The ginger, thai basil, and marigold for instance. However there were many seeds to harvest and dry, and this would save money plus ensure that fruitful plants might come back!
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| When the leaves of the garlic wilt, it's time to harvest the bulbs! |
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Winter also brought some changes, for instance, the social worker left for a better position. This made it hard because now the director has very little time for the residents. Nevertheless, with time comes patience, and during early spring, I attempted growing plants from seeds harvested: jalapeno, marigold, thai basil, plus new trials of zucchini, parsley.
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Never too late to learn a new skill, these peppers take well from mother plant
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Here's how the mint looks as of late May---see how tall they've grown
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That's it for now. I am going to be transplanting some eggplant and cucumbers hopefully soon. I'll try to keep you updated. Thanks to AM, BP, CC, and Dana for their quiet enthusiasm and support. Oh, and thanks to our little friends, the sparrows as well!
