Hello Grow Appalachia friends and followers!

Spring is in full gear and we are busy bees here in Grow Appalachia’s urban partner site, Over-the-Rhine People’s Garden.

The new Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati’s pilot program, Hub Gardens, is off to a great start in Over-the-Rhine People’s Garden (OTRPG)!  A Hub Garden is a Community Garden that has already exhibited effective leadership in its targeted community and that Cincinnati’s Civic Garden Center will further support it with additional in place programing. Just like the hub in a wheel, the Hub Garden will engage with the surrounding community and other community gardens that are in close proximity. This will leverage the resources of the Civic Garden Center and as an added bonus, Grow Appalachia’s resources, to greater benefit all of the community gardens in its network.

The OTRPG is one of three Hub Gardens created in this pilot phase.  The pilot program will consist of adding monthly classes at each Hub Garden through the growing season.  The classes will focus on gardening and healthy cooking. The goal will be to allow gardeners to get the most from what they are growing for the entire season and instruct on the breadth of uses for grown produce. The classes will be free and open to anyone interested. No need to be a gardener to learn about food!

This is truly an effort to spread the knowledge and increase awareness and demand.  Environmental Education for everyone starts right now!  Come learn what we are doing in OTRPG. 🙂

OTRPG’s Summer’s Classes
Over the Rhine People’s Garden, 49 E McMicken Ave Cincinnati, OH 45202

June
OTR – Wed June 12 4:30 – 5:00 (Cooking)
OTR – Wed June 19, 4:30 – 5:00 (Gardening)

July
OTR – Wed July 17 4:30 – 5:00 PM (Cooking)

August
OTR – Wed Aug 14 4:30 – 5:30 PM (Cooking)

September
OTR – Wed Sept 24, 4:30 – 5:00 PM (Gardening)

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Check out some pics from last months classes. Special thanks to our educators too!

Lisa Andrews Owner of Sound Bites Nutrition

https://soundbitesnutrition.com/about/

&

Aprilann Pandora, Began Eden Urban Gardens LLC

https://www.localharvest.org/eden-urban-gardens-llc-M73607

  

Our vegetable growing garden queen, Jill, has been hard at work feeding us and the community. This is just one picture of the green goodness going into our bodies and out to our local food pantries. The kale weighed 3lbs!

Jill also made the most delicious chive vinegar with many OTRPG blossoms. It’s SO good on a salad, potatoes, or homemade kale chips. 🙂 Thanks again Jill!

Have you ever made cilantro chutney before? Our cilantro is ready to enjoy and Jill found a great  spring recipe for Coconut Cilantro Chutney. She shared that it was easy to create, healthy and delicious.

OTRPG also was lucky enough to have two groups of eager volunteers in May!  One from the Crossroads Go Local Project and the other was a group of staff members from the local business Nielsen.  Thank you again for all of your strength, help, encouragement, plants and enthusiasm to grow our community garden!

OTRPG really appreciates it volunteers. If you would like to get involved contact Garden Coordinator Christina via email- theflowerladyotr@gmail.com

 

Something that has never happened before, at least since I’ve been gardening in OTRPG (2014-present), a BEE SWARM found its way into our garden! I have never witnessed a swarm before, and it was quite the attention getting in and around the garden. Thankfully gardener Jill was there when the swarm first  happened and knew just what to do. She contacted a local bee farmer , who was there to rescue the hive within the hour. Please, if a swarm happens in your garden or yard, DO NOT spray them with water or chemicals.   Keep your distance and contact a local bee farmer, or in our case The Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati.  They were able to connect us with a kind educational bee farmer.

Peace, Love, Happiness & Flowers,

Garden Coordinator, Christina