This past Saturday, Mt Clair St Garden had their second work day! We had about 22 volunteers come to assist in the planting of trees, trash clean up, and garden clean up. It was a successful day as over ten trees were planted in the surrounding neighborhoods. 

Jane, Bill, and several volunteers cleaned up the inside of the garden. We composted the leaves that were collected in and around the garden.









Cassandra and volunteers cleaned up broken glass from her sculpture. They also cleaned up some trash that had been dumped near the garden.

Tree that was planted through the Love Your Block with Trees grant.

T

Thanks for all of your hard work and enthusiasm, Mt Clair St!

Pratt Street Communal Farm

The Fells Point Farm Project’s first farm location is at 1639 E Pratt Street. 

They used their Home Depot gift card to create raised beds for the Pratt Street Communal Farm- 

look at those lovely little nasturtiums!

Fun Fact- they are adopt a lot neighbors with Treefill Baltimore, an organization working to create an urban forest right across the street.

Mt Clair St Moves Their Pond!

This past weekend, the Mt Clair St garden had a work day with the intention of moving and revamping a pond that has been in the garden for some time. It was a challenge, but with help from members of the garden and city volunteers, the day was a great success!

(Jamie shin deep in water moving the pond lining!)

The chickens kept us company while we moved and filled the pond! We also cleaned up leaves around the garden and weeded the pathways. 

Adam made a delicious chili and corn bread lunch for all who helped out. Thanks Adam!!

Mt Clair St will have another work day in December to re draw the garden plots. Thanks for all of the hard work and dedication that you bring to your community!

Art Garden in Hollins Market!

Cassandra Kapsos and her husband Eric have recently begun a vacant lot project in Hollins Market! As an artist herself, Cassandra has the goal of turning their space into a public art and green space. She has already installed some of her own artwork into the garden.

When I asked Eric what kind of impact he though the garden was having on the community, he told me something interesting. “We had a part of our garden that we called the untouched triangle.  In this spot we didn't cut down the weeds or throw away the trash.  It was very obvious that people would throw more trash into the untouched triangle than they would our kept up area.  People seem to respect the work that we do there and in turn they respect this small part of the neighborhood better than they otherwise would.”

This couple is clearly having a positive impact on their community. They have been awarded the “Love Your Block with Trees” grant and will receive about seven trees to plant in their garden and in tree pits in the surrounding area.

Cassandra has had a difficult time finding artists to display their artwork due to the not for profit nature of the exhibit. Any artists interested in displaying their work can contact Cassandra at cassandrakapsos@gmail.com.

Whitridge Garden

A small stretch of Greenmount Avenue in the Harwood neighborhood is looking a little greener these days thanks to some dedicated local residents. Residents of the 400 block of Whitridge Ave. gathered last weekend to transform a vacant lot on the corner of Whitridge and Greenmount into a new neighborhood garden. After obtaining a $500 Home Depot gift card as part of the Love Your Block grant,  project leader Amanda Ruthven was able to buy soil, paving stones, and mulch for the lot. Native plants and shrubs were purchased from the Herring Run Nursery, a native plant nursery run by Blue Water Baltimore. On the workday, dozens of neighborhood residents worked the entire day to clean up the lot, dig up the grass, and install the garden. The stars of the workday were the neighborhood kids who helped out all day, and who unanimously agreed that "its fun to play in the dirt." By turning a trash strewn vacant lot into a neighborhood green space, the Whitridge Avenue Community Garden is a testament to how even the smallest projects can have a big impact on a neighborhood.

 before

 

hauling dirt

putting in the plants

 

 

kids helping out

 

after

Community Pumpkin and Cabbage Patch

Carmine Garden

Carmine Garden of Franklintown was recently awarded a Love Your Block grant through Power in Dirt to add community pumpkin and cabbage patches to their wonderful garden. The garden, on the 5100 block of Carmine Avenue, has been growing for years under the faithful guidance of Christina Kirkland.

Pumpkin Patch

 

The pumpkin and cabbage patches will provide food and fun for the neighborhood kids who help out with gardening all year long.

Cabbage Patch

Tree of Life

Minister Lisa Kim has adopted a lot on the bustling corner of North Ave and Collington. 

She has been conducting all her services outside on this lot.

 Additionally,  Minister Kim and Colleen Spriggs hold multiple food and clothing give away days on the space. Many members of the community assist with maintenance such as grass cutting, but they desire more funding to edge the space with roses and/or a fence. Filling in empty tree pits would also give a sense of serenity to the garden. The largest necessity is some form of cover for the approaching winter season.

The Lot.

The community secures these lawn chairs on the space for services.

Minister Kim with members of the Tree of Life ministry.