garden -

The garden committee has been meeting every Wednesday evening, mainly to work in the garden, and recently added Tuesday evening as a regular group work day as well. Seeding and planting many donated plants as well as the plants which were started at the Hub was done by the garden committee and some volunteers. Garlic, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cucumbers, nasturtium, marigolds, tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, beans, peas (seeded early and didn’t germinate well), carrots and potatoes are some of the plants populating the garden.

The shed is now almost exclusively available for the garden needs and a garden volunteer craft-fully installed shelving and hooks for more efficient storage space. (A shipping container was placed next to the shed by JHS as extra storage for meeting room and maintenance equipment.) A simple compost bin was initiated and has effectively reduced the first batch of weeds to be ready for next year’s fertilizer.

Some lettuce has been harvested from volunteer plants from last year’s lettuce crop that was let go to seed. Strawberries were avidly harvested, many still in the white stage, which the kids said were very good. (perplexed emoji here) A couple more rows of donated strawberry roots were planted in front of the hascap bushes, so there should be more for next year. Garlic scapes were harvested and divided among volunteers and a few nice carrots were unearthed last night by a frequently visiting seven-year old. Many items were seeded and planted late, so harvest hasn’t started yet, but things are now growing well.

Garden Cities got financial assistance from NB Environmental Trust Fund to assist with the garden and a resident (Eric) has been hired through a JHS program to assist, mainly for watering and social media. A corporate volunteer day organized by the committee chair got a bulk of the prep work done in the spring and Yes!, a JHS program for youth, also assisted in the garden.

Thanks for those from Visions United who assisted with starting seeds, donating plants and transplanting the seedlings!

by John Russell - July-August 2023

Visions United has links to the Kitchen & Garden at the Community Hub on Joyce, so keep informed!

The construction site at 140 Joyce Avenue continues to be a busy place!
Have you had the chance to drive by? Here are a couple recent updates.

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." - Chinese Proverb

Dan Brooks, the new Executive Director of John Howard quoted this proverb as he welcomed and thanked over 30 volunteers, who gathered at the Community Hub on Joyce this past Monday. We planted 100 trees and shrubs around the property, donated by Trees Canada and a few nurseries from the area. There was lots of shovelling, mud and enthusiasm! Thank you to the 8 volunteers from Visions who helped!

This is just one more step in developing the Urban Garden/Edible Landscape for the Community Hub in partnership with Christine Lund and Natalie Goguen from the Garden Cities Project. This past spring Visions' volunteers Claudia Schaerer, Fernand Daigle, John Russell and Isabelle Melancon prepared a comprehensive list of recommended species for different areas of the property. John Russell continues to volunteer a lot of time and energy with Garden Cities coordinators. The Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance planted a rain garden in the drainage basin area near the residence area. The Gazebo was constructed this summer by SheBuilds, an organization training and integrating women into skilled trades. This is community partnership in action!

There are still more trees and shrubs to be planted next year! You can check out some images of the conceptual design of the landscape

You can also check out the Community Hub on Joyce Facebook page which is updated almost daily. Visit: facebook.com/communityhubonjoyce/