As of May, the Lakeside Community garden at 23rd at St. Clair has been put in order for the 2008 growing season. The raised garden beds have been rototilled; seeds donated from OSU Extension Summer Sprout program have taken root in the good spring weather. OSU and Gale's Garden Center have donated trays of vegetable plants in May, rounding out what was already sprouting in the garden-everything from celery to watermelon to tomatoes and broccoli.
There's a new team of shelter men volunteering in the garden this year; those from last year have moved from 2100 and into housing. Groups who've worked with shelter volunteers this spring include Disciples Christian Church of Cleveland Heights, Perry High School Service Learning of Lake County, American Greeting Cards Corporation, and John Carroll University. One volunteer who works at Cleveland State University walks to the garden on his lunch hour, sometimes carrying a donation of pansies or geraniums with him.
The Pattie Group Landscape Design Firm of Russell returned in April for a second year. Working with shelter volunteers, their crew amended soil in the vegetable garden, and planted trumpet vines along the fence (attracts hummingbirds; a fast grower with profuse flowers in the summer). The Pattie Group's garden designer, Dana Owens, designed a new fern garden, installed on the West-side of the shelter. Planter baskets were placed on the walls above the Ostrich ferns; shelter volunteers planted these with flowers after the chance of frost had past in May. For those who live at 2100, this is a quiet place off the streets where one can sit and collect one's thoughts.
A workshop on Composting, conducted by OSU Community Gardening, will be held in the garden on June 7th from 10:00 am to noon; register through OSU Extension at 216.429.8246.
.jpg)
As of May, the Lakeside Community garden at 23rd at St. Clair has been put in order for the 2008 growing season. The raised garden beds have been rototilled; seeds donated from OSU Extension Summer Sprout program have taken root in the good spring weather. OSU and Gale's Garden Center have donated trays of vegetable plants in May, rounding out what was already sprouting in the garden-everything from celery to watermelon to tomatoes and broccoli.