Denton Community Garden

Hello Denton Community Demonstration Garden friends,

Things have been incredibly busy down at the Artsway in Denton. Can’t believe that summer is nearly over already. A lot of activity has taken place in the Denton Community Demonstration Garden getting the infrastructure in place while tending the garden beds, etc. Here is a brief summary of what has transpired so far:

– The underground cistern and pathways, a project of the Denton Development Corp. and the Town of Denton, has been completed.

– With the help of Habitat for Humanity, the central garden platform installation is nearing completion. Only the handicap accessible connection from the platform to the pathway remains to be installed.

– Decorative fencing has been purchased and is waiting to be installed.

– A pergola has been made and is waiting to be installed.

– The 6 garden boxes and 2 in-ground beds have been planted and harvested, with the food being distributed to the Samaritan House food bank.

– A compost bin has been installed on the site.

– A octagonal bench with a center flower box is being constructed by CCTC students.

– 4th Friday garden talks have started on site.

We still have work to do and hope that you can join us on Saturday, September 8, from 8:00 to 11:00am to help with the following tasks:

– Move the mulch pile

– Move the garden boxes into place

– Install the decorative fencing

– Other garden tasks

– Participate in a group discussion to help plan future garden activities

We hope to see you on Saturday September 8, your participation will help make this a successful community project. Please let me know if you plan to attend or, if you can’t attend, but are interested in actively participating in this project.

Please feel free to forward this info to someone you think might be interested!

Pack your lunch and head to the Denton Community Demonstration Garden on the 4^th Friday of every month from 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. for an enjoyable series of lunch-hour garden talks and demonstrations. The series will be held during the Friday Downtown Denton Farmers’ Market, so guests will also be able to shop for locally grown fruits & vegetables, herbs and baked goods

Tables will be set up so that guests will be able to enjoy the garden talks and demonstrations during their lunch break. Discussion topics will range from gardening techniques to culinary creations inspired by the garden. The fourth Friday dates are July 27^th, August 24^th and September 28^th and October 26th.

The Denton Community Demonstration Garden, located by the municipal parking lot at 4^th and Gay Streets in downtown Denton, is a community public space that showcases edible plantings, sustainable agricultural techniques, and garden ecology.  The initial plantings of the community garden involve Square Foot Gardening, a technique that allows gardeners to cultivate small but intensively planted gardens.  The garden also provides a venue for social and cultural exchanges through learning about food security, nutrition, and cooking.

If you are an individual, school group, club or organization that is interested in participating in the seasonal planting, maintenance, harvesting, food processing distribution or marketing necessary to sustain a productive garden, please call 410.479.1009 or email dentoncommunitygarden@gmail.com. For those looking to make a donation, there is also a wish list of gardening items online at www.dentoncommunitygarden.com.

The Denton Community Demonstration Garden has been made possible by funding from the Caroline Human Services Council and the Woman’s Club of Denton and through the support of countless volunteers and organizations.  Thank you for helping us plant the seeds for a better tomorrow.

Looking to get involved in the Denton Community Demonstration Garden? Join us tonight at the Foundry, 401 Market Street in Denton, for any (or all) of the meetings listed below!

6:00pm: Promoters – help us get the word out about the garden.

7:00pm: Plant ‘n’ Tenders –help anticipate and address garden maintenance issues.

8:00pm: Builders committee – help us make the concept a reality.

These meetings will be held on the third Tuesday of every month. For more information, call 410.479.1009.  Hope to see you there!

The garden is underway and to keep things moving forward, we have established the following committee meetings on Tuesday, April 17 at The Foundry, located at 401 Market Street, Denton. If you are interested in getting involved, we’d love to have you attend one of the following meetings!

6:00pm: Promoters – help us get the word out about the garden – we need to finalize and implement a marketing plan.

7:00pm: Plant ‘n’ Tenders –help anticipate and address garden challenges – we need to devise a planting and tending schedule with committed volunteers.

8:00pm: Builders committee – help us make the concept a reality – we need to plan and schedule the fence, hardscape, benches, and other infrastructure.

If you have any questions, please call 410.479.1009 or email dentoncommunitygarden@gmail.com

On Saturday, March 31st 2012, the Denton Community Demonstration Garden broke ground with their first planting!  The initial planting utilizes the square foot gardening technique, a unique and efficient  gardening method that has been popularized by gardener Mel Bartholomew.

The group worked to fill the raised beds with a soil mixture of compost, vermiculite and peat moss before planting the early spring veggies. Check out the photos below of the start of the garden!