Grant Opportunities for Community Gardens

• Mantis Awards for Community and Youth Gardens due 3/1/2011
• Charitable and educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life of their host communities
• Twenty-five programs will each receive a Mantis Tiller/Cultivator with border/edger and kickstand, and their choice of gas-powers 2-cycle engine or electric motor
• http://www.kidsgardening.com/grants/mantis.asp to apply
• Fruit Tree Planting Foundation's Communities Take Root Orchard Program open for 2011
• Communities compete in a nationwide vote to win a complete community orchard
• First 125 qualified applicants will be in the running to win a free orchard, including free community workshops on planting, pruning and caring for fruit trees
• http://www.ftpf.org to apply
• America Beautiful Fund ongoing
• Non-profit groups receive seed donations from major seed companies
• Sets of 50 packets of vegetables, flowers and herbs are available for the cost of postage and handling
• http://www.america-the-beautiful.org/free_seeds/index.php to apply
• Pepsi Refresh Project Grant ongoing
•  Any citizen or group with an idea that has a positive impact on society
• $5,000 to $250,000
• http://refresheverything.com to apply
• Youth Garden Grants Program/National Gardening Association and Home Depot ongoing
• Schools and community organizations with child-centered garden programs
• $500-$1,000
• http://www.kidsgardening.com/ygg.asp

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To the Community Garden Project

    

Beyond expanding and enhancing the Pierson Park Community Garden, which I think is a great thing.  I would really like to see the Community Garden Project (CGP) reach out to neighborhoods that have shared, unplanted landscaping beds and traffic circles to develop more community gardens in McKinleyville that would belong to specific neighborhoods; to see the CGP reach out to struggling or non-existant school gardens; and also to see the CGP look at areas like the Mid Town Trail that might be beautified by taking the area under its wing and developing such places into ornamental community gardens that might encourage involvement of neighbors in community gardening.

Seeking Input on the Design of the Ornamental Community Garden

Creating a cohesive design for the community garden beds that flank either side of the entrance gate is necessary if we want the garden to charm pedestrians walking by.  It needs to have a language that the eye of a passer by can understand.  The design thus far has been non-existant, haphazard at best with many different gardeners installing plants with little discussion of design.  All of the gardeners, myself included, were hoping this free planting style would yield some beauty and it it has in some cases, but overall I think the beds need more structure to succeed.  Some plants are quite successful in their places or quite beautiful but need to be moved or accompanied by other plants.  The plan is to install a new planting design near the middle of March.  If you have any input regarding what you would like to see in the front beds, please make a comment below or e-mail us at gardenmck@gmail.com if you have drawings or attachments like photographs that you would like to submit.  Most herbs planted in the bed, I plan to move or divide and plant in the community beds within the garden fence in order to protect them from animals.

Ornamental Garden Design Inspiration

HBGF Education Series

There are plenty of opportunities to learn about plants through the HBGF Education Series. 

Humboldt Botanical Garden 442-5139

HSU Extension Local Agriculture Course

From Farm to Fork:  LOCALLY DELICIOUS is "... food journey from farm to fork.  Each week this class will explore our community and the food that grows here.  Discuss food issues in our area, the rich history of food export and the concerns for continued availabilty of Locally Delicious foods..." (OLLI)

Thursdays, April 14th-28th from 3:30-5:30 p.m. $65, Instructors are The Heirloom Tomatoes

HSU Extension Landscape Design Course

OLLI The Art & Craft of Landscape Design, Wednesdays April 6th-April 27th & May 1st from 6-8 p.m. $85 with Donna Wildearth, Garden Visions Landscape Design.  I've had Donna as an instructor at CR.  She introduced me to landscape design history, contemporary landscape designers and design, design principles, how to draw and organize landscape plans and plant identification.  I highly recommend any of her courses.

Master Gardener Program Starts Soon!

Help grow the McKinleyville Community Garden Project, become a Master Gardener!

Master Gardener Training Program will meet Wednesdays from February 23rd-May 25th from 1-5 p.m. at the Humboldt County Cooperative Extension Office.  There is a $130 materials fee.  Fifty hours of volunteer work in educational activities is required to become a full Master Gardener.

Master Gardener Application 2011
Master Gardener Application Letter 2011