Gardeners In Community Development

Ever Growing
Spring 2008
Gardeners In Community Development 901 Greenbriar Lane Richardson, TX 75080 www.gardendallas.org

Dallas Area Community Gardening

Dallas Area Community Gardening

Asian Gardens 20th Anniversary

Twenty years ago, this wonderful garden was given birth to by a visionary group called the East Dallas Community Garden Alliance, with members representing the City of Dallas, Rotary Clubs, the Dallas Arboretum, Police Department, Board of Realtors, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, and several East Dallas non-profit agencies. It is unlikely that on that sunny day when Dallas Mayor Annette Strauss, September 10, 1988, officiated at the opening ceremonies, that anyone could have dreamed it would still be a thriving community asset today in 2008. There is little information about this garden before it became a GICD member garden in 1994. What we know is that the garden is historically important for the role it has played in strengthening the families and communities of refugee families from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and more recently Burma. It is a model garden project for others in Dallas, and across the US. Dallas residents for two decades have flocked to its unique ingarden produce market, annual plant sales, and occasional gatherings with exotic food and dancing. We would like to do an exhibit of the history of this garden and the refugee families that have benefited from it. If you have photos, documents, and stories to share, we would like to hear from you. Lets make the annual plant sale on April 19 and 20 a reunion to celebrate this great project. Call us at 972-231-3565 or email grower@flash.net.

Whats in this issue:

20th Anniversary Plant Sales Photo Award At the Asian Market Sweet Potato Thanks To Garden Brochures Spring Planting Times Garden Gleanings Garden Blessing U.H. Director Retires Volunteers Honored 2007 Donation Total AGCA Conference Dont Forget p. 1 p. 1 p. 2 p. 2 p. 3 p. 3 p. 3 p. 3 p. 4 p. 5 p. 5 p. 5 p. 5 p. 6 p. 6

New Hope Coordinator p. 2

GICD WISH LIST:

garden benches garden tool shed new lap top computer wheelbarrows gardening tools canning jars Mantis tiller Kubota tractor with loader and tiller friends with trucks volunteers

Annual Plant Sales: Support GICD

Join the annual reunion of gardeners and GICD supporters at our two fundraising plant sales. Both sales will feature many colorful annual and perennial bedding plants, some herbs and vegetables, seeds of special vegetables and many other products donated by our wonderful sponsors. The sale at the East Dallas Community Garden will take place on April 19-20. Not only is this garden celebrating its 20th anniversary but it now has youth projects in the garden and spaces dedicated to growing for donations to food pantries. Then on April 26 come to the Plot Against Hunger Plant Sale at Our Saviour Community Garden. Buy some plants, visit the garden, and see the worm bin, bee hive and new 2000 gallon rainwater catchment system and pavilion.

Help Support GICDs Gardens and Programs

Mission: improving the quality of life in neighborhoods through community gardening

Ever Growing Gardeners In Community Development

Spring 2008 www.gardendallas.org

Page 2 grower@flash.net

Amanda Brown Receives Photo Awards

Our Saviour gardener and GICD board member, Amanda Brown has had three of her pictures taken at community gardens appear in national publications. Her picture of peaches (see picture on Ever Growings masthead) was taken while visiting community gardens in Holyoke, Mass. during the ACGA conference in 2007. She entered it in an amateur photo contest and it has been published in a coffee table anthology. Her picture of a hyacinth bean flower, also taken in Holyoke, was chosen to be in the ACGA calendar for the month of April. In addition her picture of tomatoes and peppers that her group of children from the Fireside Recreation Center summer camp picked at Our Saviour last summer was featured as the ACGA caleners performing their native dances during their garden party in October appeared in the NeighborsGo section of the Dallas Morning News. dar picture for August. To top it off, her picture of the East Dallas Asian garden-

Area Community Gardens

Coppell Community Garden: www.coppellcommunity garden.com Education Community Garden at Dallas: www.educationcommunitygarden. org Gardeners in Community Development: www.gardendallas.org GreenHill School Garden City Community Gardens (proposed) Plano Community Garden www.jlplano.orgclick on outreach
projects

New Hope Garden Coordinator

Nancy Wilson, Hope Community Gardener and 2008 GICD board member, has accepted the position of Hope Community Garden Coordinator following
Nancy Wilson and Don Lambert

in the footsteps of Kate Macaulay and Carolyn Bush. Nancy came to GICD through her interest in Heifer International and has been a Hope gardener for three years. With her warm smile, boundless enthusiasm, willingness to learn and excellent communication

skills, under her leadership Hope Community Garden is looking forward to moving into more outreach into the community and having more planned social events.

UTD Student Garden UTD campus

Know of a community garden? Send information to grower@flash.net

Grocery Stores Cards Support GICD

Do you shop for groceries? Of course!! Well, if you shop at Tom Thumb or Kroger, tion Form at the Customer Service Desk with GICDs Tom Thumb account number 6714. Then just be sure and use your reward card every time you shop. And, if you are a Kroger shopper, pick up a Kroger Share Card from Don Lambert or Rebecca Smith, or contact GICD at 972-231-3565 or grower@flash.net. We will be happy to send you a card, along with our many thanks.

Fresh From the East Dallas Community and Market Garden

For the freshest, most locally grown produce available in Dallas, come to the East Dallas Community and Market Garden, 1416 N. Fitzhugh. Even with our variable weather in March, there is still plenty to purchase. Look for garlic chives, cilantro, leaf lettuce, mustard greens and bunching onions. April should bring amaranth greens and the start of summer heat loving crops. The produce at the East Dallas Community and Market Garden travels zero miles to reach its market!!

heres a quick and painless way to support GICD at no cost to you. Just link your Tom Thumb or Kroger reward cards to GICDs organization and a percentage of your purchase price will automatically be donated to us. To link your Tom Thumb reward card with GICD, just fill out a Good Neighbor Applica-

Upcoming Events at GICD

April 19 & 20, 2008: Plant Sale at East Dallas Community Garden April 26, 2008: Plant Sale at Our Saviour Community Garden May 4: Garden Blessing at Our Saviour Community Garden

Ever Growing Gardeners In Community Development

Spring 2008 www.gardendallas.org

Page 3 grower@flash.net

The Entirely Edible Sweet Potato

If anyone wants to grow sweet potatoes, they should try starting their own plants. Go to Whole Foods and pick out three or four nice medium size sweet potatoes. If you can find rougher ones with little buds showing on the stem end, those are better. Store them at home in a warm, dry, dark place, as you want to stimulate bud formation. Just after mid-March, bury the potatoes in potting soil, in a big pot with good drainage and keep them wet. Place the planted pot in a warm sunny location outdoors. In a few weeks sprouts should begin growing. Ideally sprouts should grow to about 18" to make the best "slips" for planting. Cut these slips off of the potato tuber, with none of the tuber attached. All but the last couple of leaves are removed and the slip is then planted horizontally, 23" deep, so just the tip is above ground. It should be kept well watered until rooted and actively growing, about 2-3 weeks. Mulch well after plants begin growing. After getting a good start you can pretty much ignore your sweet potato patch until time to harvest in early fall. Once vines are growing on your planted sweet potatoes, you can not only eventually harvest the tubers but can start harvesting the actual vine which is consumed as a leafy vegetable in many oriental countries. For best flavor and texture, it is best to use the smaller leaves and growing tips. Copeland Marks in The Korean Kitchen recommends the following recipe for Sweet Potato Vine and Mushroom Stir-Fry:

Goguma Chilge Muchim

Ingredients: 1 tbsp corn oil lb sweet potato vine and small leaves, cut into 3 pieces lb mushrooms, caps only, sliced 1 clove garlic, crushed 1/3 cup carrot, julienned1 tsp salt, or to taste 1 tsp sesame oil Directions: Heat oil in wok or skillet. Add the sweet potato vine and leaves and mushrooms and stir-fry over a moderate heat for 1 minute. Add all the rest of the ingredients and stir-fry for 8-10 minutes. Serves 4.

Sweet Potato Vine

GICD Thanks:
Clint Horticulture Jimmys Food Store Spring Planting Times
SEED 2/10-2/25 2/10-3/01 Parsley, Potatoes Beets, Carrots, Lettuce,

Onions, Peas, Chinese Cabbage, Leeks for their donation of hundreds of bulbs for GICDs gardens for their friendship, support of GICD, and for in-kind donations 2/10-3/10 Swiss Chard, Collards, Turnips 2/10-3/15 Spinach 2/10-4/15 3/20-5/01 3/25-4/15 3/25-5/01 4/01-5/20 4/05-5/01 4/05-6/01 Radish Sweet Corn, Mustard Squash Watermelon Southern /Black-eyed Peas Okra, Cantaloupe Sweet Potatoes TRANSPLANTS 2/10-2/25 Onions 2/15-3/01 Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kohlrabi 3/20-4/05 Tomatoes 4/01-5/01 Eggplant, Peppers 3/20-4/20 Snap Beans, Cucumbers

Community Garden Brochures Available

Have you ever been talking with friends about community gardening or attended a function and wished that you had some information to pass out about GICDs community gardens? GICD has several brochures about our gardens, educational opportunities, and harvest donation programs that you can download.
Grow Plants, People, Neighborhoods, and Cities

Just contact Don Lambert at grower@flash.net to obtain attachments that you can print out.

3/25-4/20 Lima Beans

Community Gardens

Also, Carolyn Bush, GICD board member, has produced a generic community garden informational brochure that can be utilized by any community garden in the Metroplex. It gives information on the benefits of community gardening, lists how to contact several community gardens in the Metroplex, and gives sources for further information about community gardening, including the American Community Gardening Association. To download a copy of this brochure email her at: chrysalisbutterfly@att.net.

Ever Growing Gardeners In Community Development

Spring 2008 www.gardendallas.org

Page 4 grower@flash.net

Garden Gleanings: Growing Gardeners

A Garden of Delight
Katie Grimes
teacher and mom Growing and Giving Home School Club

May it be delightful in our garden. May our senses be filled with delight As we breathe the life-giving scent of vegetables Freshly plucked from the vine, As we refresh our tongues and souls with Icy mint tea on a scorching day or Feel a warm blackberry burst within our mouths. May it be delightful in our garden As we labor with love to till the soil and free our Precious roots from the invasive weeds, As we meet as a community for the sounds of childs play, And to swap lessons learned With joyful family members and good friends.

Ever Growing Gardeners In Community Development

Spring 2008 www.gardendallas.org

Page 5 grower@flash.net

Garden Blessing at Our Saviour

On Sunday, May 4th, the Church of Our Saviour will have its annual Blessing of the Our Saviour Community Gardens. We are honored to have the Rev. Canon Paul E. Lambert, Canon to the Ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, officiate. The Holy Eucharist and Blessing begin at 10:00 a.m. followed with a brunch. Please make plans to join us! The gardens are located at 1616 N. Jim Miller Rd, Dallas, 75217 MAPSCO 58E. For more information contact the church office, (214) 3912824 or Becky Smith (214) 564-5801.

2007 TOTAL HARVEST DONATION

Rebecca Smith, Our Saviour Community Garden Coordinator

Urban Harvest Director Retires

Bob Randall, Executive director of Houstons Urban Harvest, the fourth largest community gardening program in the country has retired after a 14 year tenure. A friend and mentor to Don Lambert, GICDs Executive Director, they both followed surprisingly similar career paths. Both served in the Peace Corps, received doctorates in anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley, taught in universities, then eventually became involved in community gardening. Since 1994, under Randalls leadership, Urban Harvest grew from a small operation with a $500.00 budget to a network of 130 Houston community gardens and orchards. These gardens feed the hungry, teach organic and permaculture principles and bring neighborhoods together. Though Randall is retiring, he plans to continue teaching at Urban Harvest and will continue to inspire gardeners and other community gardening programs, including GICD. To read an article about Urban Harvest and Bob Randall go to: http:// www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ gardening/features/5578965.html
Gardeners in Community Development A 501 c (3) Non-Profit Organization Board of Directors Cathi Haug, President Amanda Brown, Vice-President Carolyn Bush, Secretary Nancy Wilson Helen Harrell Azenath Wright Gerald Askew Don Lambert, Executive Director Rebecca Smith, Education Assistant Support Community Gardening Your tax-deductible donation will support GICDs community gardening programs. Any and all donations are gratefully accepted!! Please make your check payable to: GICD and send to 901 Greenbriar Lane, Richardson, TX 75080

7093 Pounds donated to area food pantries

Volunteers Honored for Service

Many GICD gardeners, volunteers and interested persons were given Exemplary Volunteer Service Awards for 2007 at GICDs Annual Meeting on February 12, 2008. GICD honors these special people as well as thanks all those who have given their time and talents to making community gardening an important part of our city.

2007 Exemplary Volunteer Service Awardees:

Amanda Brown Azenath Wright Barbara Baughman Carolyn Bush Carolyn Marvel Cathi Haug Darlene Smith Mary Ridgway Susan and Brandon Pollard Deacon Nona Payne Gary and Patricia Aguilera John and Peggy Ralston Katie Grimes Lee and Maggie Cobler Michael DiCarlo Myrna Gorchoff Tiah Lambert TJ Patel Michael Smith Ashlynn Smith Nancy Wilson Sophia Brown Michael Brown Andrew Brown Tammy Lewis Aaron Lambert

Interested in volunteering?
East Dallas Community and Market Garden: contact Don at (972) 231-3565 or grower@flash.net Hope Community Garden: contact Nancy at (214) 348-1126 or nhw-home@swbell.net Our Saviour Community Garden: contact Rebecca at ( 214) 564-5801 or jim.becky@sbcglobal.net

Ever Growing Gardeners In Community Development

Spring 2008 www.gardendallas.org

Page 6 grower@flash.net

Dont Forget: 2008 Plant Sales

12th Annual Community Garden Plant Sale East Dallas Community Garden 1416 N. Fitzhugh, Dallas Saturday, April 19 from 9:00-4:00 Sunday, April 20 from 10:00-3:00 Plot Against Hunger Plant Sale Our Saviour Community Garden 1616 N. Jim Miller Road, Dallas Saturday, April 26 from 9:00-4:00

Gardeners In Community Development 901 Greenbriar Lane Richardson, TX 75080

Ever Growing

Pass-a-long this newsletter: help sow the seeds of community gardening. To subscribe or un-subscribe, or to offer suggestions, contact grower@flash.net