Photo by Grai Oleksy
by Grai Oleksy
Looking towards the upcoming growing season, there are many things to be excited about at Holmden Hill Community Garden. 2017 brought several new gardeners who had a successful year growing their own vegetables. In 2018, we hope to build on that, inspiring more people to take part in realizing the value of the natural open spaces of their community. Each year, we make major improvements, focusing mainly on building soil quality, taming weeds, providing the space and structures for growing, and also thinking about wildlife habitat, as this property is a wildlife hotspot of the city (think pollinators and birds).
Whether you’re looking to grow your own food (seriously or for fun), to take part in property improvements (i.e. pulling invasive weeds), or just to have somewhere to get quick relief from the city and reconnect with nature, the garden has something for anyone who wants to spend a little time outdoors contributing to the community.
Now some numbers. There are currently 15 raised beds at the garden (we rebuilt/added 5 of the raised beds last season). There are still three remaining older raised beds that will be rebuilt this season, and we’re planning to add at least one more. Of those, at least 6 raised beds are available right now, on a first come first served basis.
Over 60 yards of woodchips were delivered last season from a local tree company. A highly valuable resource, chips provide organic matter that builds the fungal community, provides walkways that don’t compact soil, smothers some weed species, and conserves water by holding it like a sponge, slowly releasing it during dry periods.
The Holmden Hill Community Garden is part of the Summer Sprout program through OSU extension. They provide resources such as seeds and transplants to help people get started with their garden. We also pay for a hydrant permit for water use.
Anyone interested in getting involved can contact Grai Oleksy at go.tutut@gmail.com or 216-704-5855. You can also check out our Facebook page.
