Stretching Out Our Roots
This is our first blog and email since my move to North Carolina. It was a rocky move at best, and after we got settled, we began to explore expanding In the Gardens to North Carolina. What seemed like a quick and easy process wound up having numerous twists and turns, taking a great deal longer than expected.
We have been pleased this year to support gardens in Oak Park and Elmhurst in Illinois, in Gary, Indiana, and in New York City, through active planting, teaching, and with our plants and seeds. Additionally, we have plants from our native site in Illinois now growing in North Carolina. We saved a baby peach tree, potted up raspberries, columbine, oregano, wood lilies, Egyptian walking onions, comfrey, peppermint, wild ginger, and sweet woodruff. All of these have survived through the winter and are now thriving in the southern heat and humidity.
This first season, getting to know the climate, soil, sun and water, we have gardened almost exclusively in containers. This has enabled us to move plants into more or less sun and wind, and to help protect them from critters. In addition to the plants we brought over, we have planted and harvested arugula, cherry radishes, purple and red mini daikon, several varieties of basil, mixed lettuces, two types of cucumbers, pole beans, golden cherry tomatoes, orange mint, chocolate mint and peppermint, chamomile, two varieties each of sage and thyme, hyssop, parsley, carrots, collards, catnip, chard, oregano, and gourds. We made our first batch of pickles and have shared them along with our plants and produce, getting our name out there.
We have also been graced with a number of helpers, from young people in the community to elders who care about the earth. We have had weekly help from several volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who helped us set up our drip system, manage a good deal of planting, and trim and clean our space.
There are currently individuals, a school and several organizations reaching out to us regarding design of outdoor gardens. One site is interested in a living wall! Not bad for a first season, getting to know the community and what niche we could fill here.
Bit by bit we will be sending out more blog posts. In the meantime, we hope you will follow our posts on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. We do our best to post each week, sometimes twice per week. We look forward to keeping you included as our projects here unfold.
May your remaining days of summer be joyful. May they be filled with the beauty of nature and the reward of harvest from your planting or other good works.
Blessings,
Rabbi Robin Damsky