Victory in the Fenway

We threw ourselves a party: FensFest 2012

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:21:44 -0400

by FGS Roving Reporter Bruno Rubio

Ah, Autumn! To John Keats — “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, close bosom-friend of the maturing sun.” To others — football, leaf-peeping, and apple-picking. To the Fenway Garden Society — Fall means FensFest! This year’s edition featured all the essentials so eagerly anticipated by the membership: a BBQ, music, garden awards, the white elephant table, the raffle. Essential, too, the tremendous effort of the many volunteers who helped with the set-up, the cooking, the entertainment, and the record fast clean-up at the end of the fun-filled day. A special thanks to Kristen Mobilia, FGS Senior Vice President of Administration, who supervised the volunteers and played a leading role in organizing the event. Great job everybody!

A dapper Tom Collins flips burgers while other volunteers assemble more goodies and roast corn…

…so that everybody can enjoy.

The Sergio Martínez Collective offers their smooth jazz arrangements; Sergio (on drums) has recorded with singers like Paul Simon and other notable jazz musicians.

This year’s FensFest crowd was exceptionally well-behaved, but just in case, Officer Bernadette (pictured with FGS Board members Mario D’Amato and Kristen Mobilia) put in an appearance.

And the winner is…Eleven gardeners were presented with certificates and fancy gold medals in recognition of their horticultural achievements and special service to FGS. Pictured below are Olga Goldus (feng-shui garden), Rinaldo Marano (flower garden), and Sabrina Shay (reclamation garden). Other awardees were Le He Zhong (vegetable garden), Kevin Cranston and John Ruiz (designer garden), David St. Jean (summer garden), Jung Kim (zen garden), Bonnie Thryselius and Marie Fakuda (beautification of the main entrance flower beds), and Arthur Mattuck (maintenance of the flagpole garden).

FensFest is a time to cut loose and have fun. Even Darth Vader thought it was awesome!

Open Gardens 2.0: Worth the wait!

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 18:06:19 -0400

by FGS Roving Reporter Bruno Rubio.

Gardeners in the Center South and Park sections hosted the second Open Gardens Night on August 15. July’s Open Gardens was a casualty of a 2-inch downpour that had the bad taste to strike in the hours just before the start of the event. The silver lining: Combining the two sections put lots of beautiful and inspirational gardens on display.

Olga has gardened for a total of 18 years in the Fenway and 4 years in her current plot, which was tended for many years by the late and beloved Jimmy. He was always happy to fix problems with the watering system despite his advanced age and vision loss and might be pleased, I think, with the lovely job of stewardship Olga has accomplished. She moved dozens of rocks, hundreds of bricks, and a myriad of plants in just two weeks from her former garden. Olga laid out her space in accord with some basic principles of feng-shui: twisty-turny paths that allow Qi (energy) to flow smoothly. Olga says, “People stop by and are attracted and they don’t know why, but I think it’s the feng-shui.”

Gary, a 29-year veteran of the Victory Garden, claims he has “more of a Spring garden”, but his plot abounds with late summer beauties as well: a big Jonathan apple tree, pink and white phlox, rudbeckia, and a magnificent clump of hot magenta dahlias. He remembers the days when plots weren’t separated by proper fences, but rather just cordoned off by string. Gary says, “In my area, at least, it seems people stay for many years. It used to be that people would come in for a year, have no idea what they were getting into, and you’d never see them again. My neighbors here have such beautiful gardens: it motivates other people to really get into it, too.”

Newlyweds Tim and his wife Melissa solved the marauding critter problem currently plaguing the gardens by…planting flowers! “No vegetables this year. It usually just serves as a buffet for the rabbits in the area.”, Tim says. The couple inherited a patch of chest-high weeds and no gate three summers ago; now island planters graced by roses, hibiscus, and hosta are set off in a river of lawn.

Across the way, Tom specializes in growing vegetables and herbs in raised beds. A tip from Tom: Use shredded panty hose to trellis squash! It worked for him.

Reiney describes his garden design philosophy as “Bohemian laundry”. He arranged his place like a series of interconnected rooms: he has the “waiting room” for baby plants, the “magnolia room” adorned by a disco ball hanging from the eponymous tree, and the “lava room” set aside to exchange hot gossip. All in all, an inviting expanse, no matter which room you’re lucky enough to be relaxing in.

Thanks to Kristen and Susan, co-chairs of Open Gardens for organizing the event and to Ed and Bonnie for help with the setup. It’s such a great opportunity to meet other gardeners and to enjoy the many ways each of us expresses our individuality and creativity. Our little friend Astrid reminds us of the goodies in store at the season’s third and final Open Gardens night on September 19 from 5-7 PM.

ediblestreets: At the Greater & Greener: Reimagining Parks...

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 09:40:54 -0400

ediblestreets:

At the Greater & Greener: Reimagining Parks for 21st Century Cities conference in New York City, Laura Lawson, ASLA, Professor and Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture at Rutgers University, described how urban agriculture has experienced explosive growth in recent years. According to a survey produced by theAmerican Community Gardening Association and Rutgers University, community gardens are now found in all 50 states. Some 445 organizations responded to the survey, listing a total of 9,030 gardens. Of these organizations, 90 percent have seen increased demand over the past five years. Also, some 39 percent of the gardens listed were built just in the past five years. These organizations have a variety of goals, including food production and access, social engagement, nutrition, education, and neighborhood revitalization.

TO CONTINUE READIND VIA ASLA THE DIRT HERE.

verticaltheory: Pam Warhurst: How we can eat our landscapes

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 09:38:16 -0400

verticaltheory:

Pam Warhurst: How we can eat our landscapes

http://people.csail.mit.edu/ewhiting/resources/pubs/WhitingCAADFutures07.pdf

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 09:35:21 -0400

http://people.csail.mit.edu/ewhiting/resources/pubs/WhitingCAADFutures07.pdf:

landscapearchitecture:

MITquest, a web application that generates efficient walking routes

The Green Team spent its last session of the summer with the...

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:38:49 -0400

The Green Team spent its last session of the summer with the Fenway Garden Society doing a good deed for our District-4 Boys in Blue: beautifying the beds outside of D-4 Headquarters along Harrison Ave. A big thank you to Parks & Rec for the mulch, and to BPD for pizza and cold beverages! And, of course, thank you to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and the Green Team for another great summer!

Green Team Victorious!

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 17:20:14 -0400

by Mike Mennonno, FGS President

As always we at the Fenway Victory Gardens are grateful for the great work that our friends at the Emerald Necklace Conservancy do up and down our extraordinary park system. And come summer, we are especially grateful for the Green Team, and all the help they give us with projects like our community compost and the Teaching Garden.

In fact, last year’s crew built the raised beds that this year’s crew is growing in! They’ve put in tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, and more — looks like a bumper crop (despite our equally industrious rabbits).

Green Team #3 visited today, and helped out with compost and tended their beds in the Teaching Garden:

Awesome job, Green Team!

FGS pilots new compost set-up in Areas 1 & 2

Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:18:00 -0400

by Mike Mennonno, President, FGS

With the summer heat things tend to quiet down a bit in the gardens, but don’t be fooled! In July and August the board’s been working hard with the Emerald Necklace Conservancy’s Green Team on our biggest ongoing communal project: our community compost!

Earlier this summer FGS Executive Board member Mario D’Amato and I met with composting guru Bruce Fulford of City Soil & Greenhouse Co., who was kind enough to visit our site, assess it, and offer his expert opinion.

The long and short of it? While our system of windrows is better than anything that came before, it is difficult for folks to dump further back in the row, and the piles are simply too small to generate much heat to break soft material down. To complicate this, folks have been told (by whom is never made clear, but I have been told in no uncertain terms by some of our old-timers that they were told, dagnabbit!) that woody material of up to two inches in diameter can be tossed in with soft material. “It’ll break down,” they assure me.

It won’t. Not in our compost. Anyone who has sifted through “processed compost” To get some soil for their beds will assure you of that.

There are, then, issues of both effective process and education we need to continue trying to tackle.

Bruce’s suggestion, for a start, was to utilize the perimeters of the compost areas for dumping, allowing folks to enter in the center and dump anywhere along the sides and back. This would provide easier access and alleviate some of the issues we have with dumping everything at the front of windrows, which blocks those wanting to dump further back and requires constant care by already tapped volunteers to then remove and re-locate.

So long as folks are conscientious about separating woody and soft material, the piles can be larger than in the current configuration, allowing us to generate a little more heat and break down the waste quicker and more thoroughly.

Here’s a clumsy diagram of what the new system will look like (at least until Mario gets around to making a prettier rendering):

There will be signage onsite, but if this is your compost area (Park Section and parts of Center South), let us know how it’s going, and help other members you see utilizing it to do it right!

We know there are lots of other issues with the compost, and we are trying to tackle all of them in time. Hopefully this first step will make it easier on everyone while also providing us with a higher quality compost!

Round Two of our History Project interviews in the can. A big...

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 08:08:24 -0400

Round Two of our History Project interviews in the can. A big thank you to Amory, Bruno, and interviewees Delia, Bonnie, and Arthur! Now it’s on to editing…

Thank you to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy Green Team for a...

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:37:21 -0400

Thank you to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy Green Team for a great day in the Victory Gardens! We look forward to working with you this summer!

Completed our first round of interviews for our History Project...

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 22:38:04 -0400

Completed our first round of interviews for our History Project today. A big thank you to Amory Sivertson who is producing our audio content and to all our interviewees. So many great stories! (All photos: Bruno Rubio.)

Summer Reflections

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:38:00 -0400

by Mike Mennonno, Fenway Garden Society President

As we wend our way into summer, and the frenetic pace of the spring slows a bit, it’s a good time to reflect on where we’re at as a community and a garden.

The Fenway Victory Gardens have always had some unique challenges as a community, and the board over which I have presided, this year and last, has put an emphasis on assessing and addressing those challenges. We’ve developed and implemented a strategy for building community that has embraced community outreach, partnerships, practical modes of knowledge-sharing and an emphasis on life-long learning, fostering an environment conducive to bringing the wider community in and the gardening community out. We’ve done this not only by focusing on communication (our facebook community alone has quadrupled in the past year), but by changing in very significant ways how we talk about who we are, invite people in, and work together as a community.

Members and friends put up a fence in the Teaching Garden at a Community Participation Day.

We have attempted to shine a light on our mission of stewardship, not only of the seven acres entrusted to us by the City of Boston, but of the extraordinary community that tends them, and the legacy of those who fought to make sure this resource remained available to all of us. Through programming and partnerships with the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, the Massachusetts Historical Society, WBUR, the City of Boston, the Boston Society of Architects and many others, we have, in this, our 70th year, highlighted our history as a vital community resource and made a clear commitment to another 70 years of growth.

Preparing for a walking tour after an exhibition of the FGS archives at the Mass. Historical Society.

Over the last two season we have brought in over a hundred new members, representing a third of our present membership, and a shift toward a more positive, progressive, and proactive approach to growing our community. With the move from online applications to onsite applicant information sessions, prospective FGS members are encouraged to meet the board and current members, work side-by-side on park stewardship, learn and grow together from the get-go. Veteran members have played a big role in mentoring newbies. This organic knowledge-sharing from one gardener to another is what our community is about, and creating opportunities and cultivating an environment in which it takes place is one of the most important duties of the board, and one this board has embraced.

Volunteers assemble wheelbarrows at a Community Participation Day.

An emphasis on community and creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing has also had a noticeable impact on the tone of discourse in the gardens. Members working together on meaningful projects at Community Participation Days and coming together for events and programming develop a greater sense of mutual respect. Events become networking opportunities, and often unexpected connections are made and friendships forged.

When compliance issues come up, neighbors help neighbors address them. From the beginning new members are educated about our guidelines and regulations and the reasons they exist: to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all who utilize the park. This board has made it a point to pursue a person-to-person approach to beautification and safety in the gardens.

Our emphasis on stewardship has bought new members into an environment where they are supported and valued, have the resources of our entire community, are empowered with our collective knowledge, and can count on our commitment to learn and grow together.

Aside from applicant information days and orientation, we have instituted programming during our six Community Participation Days aimed at active knowledge-sharing on everything from gate-construction to eradication of invasives and proper community composting. These events have been remarkably well-attended and the good energy is palpable. The difference that a little education can do can be seen in our exceptionally well-tended compost this year.

Another regular addition to our work roster is a barn-building approach to fence and gate repair. Members who participate in Community Participation Days can get much needed repairs added to the day’s work roster. The community comes together to contribute labor and surplus materials for repairs. Through feedback it’s clear that members and friends who have participated in these projects have had an overwhelmingly positive experience, and feel that the work they’ve done has had a real and meaningful impact on a member of their community. Making sure that volunteerism is meaningful is another essential part of our mission, and this board has put its heart and soul into that goal.

Our capital projects have not been as grand as in past years, but they have been significant in building on the hard work of previous boards, who left us with new perimeter fencing, a new park-wide irrigation system, and a systematic approach to community composting. Our focus has been on helping members improve their fences and gates while remaining in compliance, and educating our members at Community Participation Days on how to compost properly and maintain and repair our irrigation system.

We have also begun the rehabilitation of the central meadow as a spot for safe leisure and recreation. Removal of an unsightly rubbish barrel surrounded by dangerous debris was a first step. We also lobbied and won three times the rubbish barrels we had in prior years from Parks. This has gone a long way toward keeping our common spaces cleaner. Scheduling regular programming and events for the Meadow, including monthly meet-ups with lawn games, is an exercise in “modeling” for our community what types of activities are appropriate for this public space.

And we have added amenities like the Teaching Garden and Apiary that I hope will continue to evolve as community resources.

Dean from Golden Rule Honey, our partners in the Teaching Apiary, introduces members and friends to “the girls”.

These projects, programs and events are all the result of effective partnerships. The Apiary is a great example of how the board is pursuing partnerships that embrace our educational mission, enhance the member experience, and expand outreach.

Last year when the board voted unanimously to pursue hives onsite there were several stipulations, including safety first, professional beekeepers only, and a focus on education. We wanted something more than merely more bees, we wanted members and visitors to the park to become educated about bees, and Golden Rule Honey was a good fit for this purpose, with their experience in educational programming. Members and visitors have had frequent opportunities, including as part of Community Participation Day programming, to “meet the girls”, learn about beekeeping, and discover what gardeners right here in Boston can do about the crisis of colony collapse.

As an educator myself who has seen firsthand over a twenty-year career in adult education the power of hands-on life-long learning to impact personal growth, the emphasis on our educational mission was a no-brainer. And the ongoing success of our programming this year, which has ranged from big events like the Summer in the City Kick-Off and Common Boston Common Build, to historical programs at the Mass. Historical Society and the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, to walking tours and workshops with Golden Rule Honey and Green City Growers, has been proof positive of interest and enthusiasm in all aspects of urban gardening.

Not only do these great programs enhance the member experience, they also raise the profile of the gardens, getting the word out to visitors and prospective members and friends alike that our park is safe, clean and well-run by a highly committed volunteer organization. This in turn brings the public in in ways that respect our mission of stewardship — as partners working together in this great endeavor. Long-term, this means a safer park for all, as the culture shifts to one of respect for the space and the mission of all those who tend and utilize it.

Events like Summer in the City Kick-Off and The Common Boston Common Build combine learning and fun for the whole community.

In the coming months I’ll be talking more about where we are, what I see as our big challenges and opportunities, and how we can continue to grow forward together. For now, though, I’m going to go water my tomatoes. See you in the Gardens!

And the Winners Are...

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:07:43 -0400

Second Place Winner, “Vs for Victory” by Neighbors.

Wednesday night the winners in this year’s Common Boston Common Build were announced at an awards ceremony at the Boston Society of Architects BSA Space.

Organizers thanked the Fenway Garden Society for hosting the competition, and FGS President Mike Mennonno expressed his gratitude to participants:

“You really brought your A-Game, and surpassed everyone’s expectations. You brought the wider community in and the garden community out, and that’s exactly what we had hoped for.”

Jury member Peter Kuttner, President of Cambridge Seven Associates, then announced the winners:

First Place: “Social Roots” by Common WIT

Margaret Jackson, Ben Smuckler, Alex Dupnik, Aki Yoshida, Mike Modonno

Second Place: “V’s for Victory” by Neighbors

Kevin Brunswick, Marina Agapakis, Jon Stong, Brian Jaffe, Nerissa Cooney, Jenny Jin, Yen Yen, Nate Darling

Third Place: “Lost and Found” by Studio g-Force

Meghan Krieger, Gabriela Gayoso Shelburne, Andrew Shelburne, Tearar Chan, Chris Fuller, Jorge San Martin, Robbie Rabie

Popular Vote: “Interactive Fence” by Arckhitektons

Peter Martin, Ewelina Prezt, Hilary Barlow, Joann Lee, Danielle Ciccone

Organizer Paul Herbert said that this year’s Common Build was “far and away the best we’ve every had.”

It was definitely a big victory for the gardens!

FGS hosts Common Boston Common Build Competition: "Off the Grid" is off the charts amazing

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 09:50:37 -0400

By FGS Roving Reporter Bruno Rubio

The Fenway Garden Society was honored and excited to serve as the venue for the 2012 Common Boston Common Build Competition from Friday June 22 to Sunday June 24. The CBCB is a three-day design and construction competition that invites Boston designers to actively address social, economic, and environmental issues by taking part in rapid design-and-build projects. The theme of the competition, “Off the Grid”, challenged the builders to promote awareness in the Victory Garden and to reconfirm how the park is inextricably connected to the neighborhood.

Starting on Friday six teams reconnoitered locations in the park to set up small-scale, temporary installations that speak to the unique nature of the Victory Gardens and examine questions of place, security, and adjacency to the neighborhood. Most teams spent the next day brainstorming their designs and acquiring building materials from Boston Building Resources, which partnered with Common Boston in presenting this year’s competition. The park was bursting with activity on Sunday morning as team members hammered and sawed, nailed and drilled, shoveled and raked. The installations were judged on Sunday afternoon by a jury from the art, architecture, and design communities. Projects were critiqued based on design concept, execution, sustainability, and contextuality. The public was also invited to tour the build sites with the judges and to vote for their favorite through an on-line poll.

By creating a living-room-like setting Brian Baker and his team sought to transform a vacant shade garden into a gathering space where gardeners could relax, share knowledge by posting questions and answers on a bulletin board, and exchange plants and seeds. Brian said, “This plot is underutilized because of the big tree. It’s a shade plot, so for a lot of people this isn’t their first choice. We’re trying to find a way to make it an amenity for everyone in the garden.”

A constellation of hanging glass jars in which gardeners could store seeds graces the garden living-room installation.

The idea of building community by sowing not only seeds but also ideas figured in another installation that featured an array of sunflower seed envelopes on a pegboard: get a seed packet and reveal a hint for getting along with others.

The Victory Garden has endured for 70 years now. Rising from the ashes dumped here for generations while a municipal rubbish heap to be reborn as a life-sustaining mother-of-thousands during time of war, the park is now a destination for a most trendy sort of adult recreation. It is fitting that one installation evoked the singular history of the park by mounting a display of items that might be unearthed by digging deep into the past. We’ve heard the stories of gardeners exhuming everything from shoes to guns. But what about a shower, or a sink, or a toilet? The truth is down there and it just might work its way up some day.

Despite its rich history, the future of the Victory Garden depends on our continuing ability to draw support from the neighborhood, particularly for the infusion of new blood. Builders Chris Fuller and George San Martín set up a door suggesting entry and welcome as part of their installation. Chris said, “Trying to bring more people from the outside community to walk around in here. People will pass by and wonder what’s this big open door in the middle of a field? Maybe I’ll come here to check it out. Lots of people who live in this area never more than walk down that path out in front.”

While arranging her team’s installation Margaret Jackson said, “The theme is building a space for social connections, to bring the community out of their plots to get to know each other a little bit better. Use it as a place to put faces with names. We have a get-to-know-your-neighbors section, an ask-an-expert section where you can share your knowledge, as well as a give-and-take board. It’s a place to share.”

The completed installation somewhat resembled an avenue of clotheslines hung with flower-stuffed burlap pouches.

Possibly the most monumental installation on display was a progression of four Vs (as in Victory) by the flagpole area of the park. Team members assembled the V stationed on the Boylston Street sidewalk from metal ductwork and cinderblocks — a chunk of industrialization in an urban setting. As the viewer enters the park, the Vs become successively more organic and approachable: a V made of wood gives way to one festooned with vegetation and adorned with roses. The fourth V (a sort of raised bed filled with soil) lies unassumingly on the ground and encourages the passer-by to perhaps plant a seedling. The leafy V was bedecked mostly with Japanese knotweed: maybe the best use of this invasive?

The Common Boston Common Build Competition jury reveals its prizewinners at a ceremony on Wednesday June 27 at 7 P.M. at the Boston Society of Architects, 290 Congress Street. Visit http://commonboston.org/ to see how your favorite installation fared with the judges.

The Common Boston Common Build was incredible! You’ll...

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 16:52:00 -0400

The Common Boston Common Build was incredible! You’ll have a few days to check out the installations on site and vote online for the popular favorite. Winners will be announced Wednesday night!

Scenes from the CBCB kick-off last night, when the build site...

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 07:39:20 -0400

Scenes from the CBCB kick-off last night, when the build site was finally revealed!

FGS WELCOMES COMMON BOSTON COMMON BUILD

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 22:09:59 -0400

The Fenway Garden Society is excited to welcome the Boston design community to the Victory Gardens for the Common Boston Common Build Competition this weekend!

Starting Friday, six teams will be scouting locations in our park for installations that speak to the unique nature of the Victory Gardens, which they will have 72 hours — until exactly noon this Sunday — to build.

These temporary installations will then be judged by a jury from the art, architecture and design communities that includes Peter Kuttner, FAIA, President of Cambridge Seven Associates and former President of the Boston Association of Architects; Cynthia Smith, ASLA, Vice President and Principal with Halvorson Design Partnership; Katie Swenson, Vice President of Design Enterprise Community Partners; Janet Echelmanm Public Artist/ Sculptor, and others.

The public is invited to tour the build sites with the judges Sunday, June 24th, at 1 pm, and to vote for their favorite here!

While the teams are onsite we invite all to drop by and chat them up. They are here to learn more about the community that tends the Victory Gardens and how design can reflect and address the unique challenges that come with our stewardship of these seven acres.

Boylston Open Gardens a Hit Despite the Heat!

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 15:04:00 -0400

by FGS Roving Reporter Bruno Rubio

Gardeners in the Boylston section rolled out the welcome mat for the season’s first Open Gardens Night on the evening of June 20. The event offered a chance to visit ten gardens, to meet the participating gardeners, and to draw inspiration from their garden design.

Kristen Mobilia and Susan Povak coordinated the team that made the occasion an entertaining and informative evening. To guide visitors they put together a map showing the location of the participating gardens and supplemented the map with gardener capsule bios. Snacks and cold drinks were also at the ready in the Accessibility Garden — really appreciated given that the thermometer soared into the high 90s.

Kristen Mobilia

The hot spell didn’t melt the spirits or curiosity of the FGS members and casual drop-ins who attended. Eliza, Emma, and Kenny heard about Open Gardens Night through the internet and decided to check out how the Victory Garden works. Experienced balcony and dorm room gardeners all, they’re looking to get a plot. It was gratifying to see how the event attracted new people from the surrounding community.

Eliza, Emma, and Kenny took advantage of Open Gardens Night to ask about getting a plot.

Participating gardeners shared their strategies about dealing with shade, voracious critters, and weeds. They also expressed satisfaction with the administration of FGS and how popular and even trendy gardening has become, especially among the younger crowd. The Open Gardens Night series continues on July 18 (Park section), August 15 (Center North section), and September 19 (Center South section). Garden gates will be open from 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. Y’all come!

Skip says, “I try to have something in bloom all the time. I like dark-leaved plants with the green: the contrast breaks things up a bit.”

Skip’s garden: lush and luscious.

Jung had never gardened before joining FGS. She transformed a shady, abandoned plot under a huge pine into a Zen oasis in the woods.

Inside Jung’s garden: the sunburst seems to radiate tranquility and hope.

Leo, past president and treasurer of FGS. His garden is the first thing most people see when they stroll into the Victory Garden so he’s also an “ambassador”.

A magnificent stand of lavender in Leo’s garden.

Open Gardens Night: what it’s all about. Ron gives a tour of his garden to passers-by.

City Compost Update from BNAN:

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 13:45:42 -0400

Hello Garden Coordinators,

We know many of you have requested free city compost this spring and have been patiently waiting for your delivery. Unfortunately, we are now uncertain as to whether or not compost will be available from the City of Boston this year. The city is looking for a source of compost that is suitable for growing edibles but have not yet determined a source. At this point we do not know if compost will be available, and if a source is found we do not know when deliveries will happen. When we know more, we will let you know. (We are not taking any additional requests for compost.)

We are offering workshops this summer on how to compost in community gardens. We hope you are able to join us. We will offer tips on successful composting in a community garden setting. A compost workshop flyer is attached. For more information on these workshops contact Erika Rumbley, Garden Educator at erika@bostonnatural.org.

Join us in Dorchester gardens
this summer for…
Composting Together Workshops
Thursday, June 14, 6:00 ‐ 7:00 p.m.
Nightingale Community Garden
512 Park Street, Dorchester

Saturday, June 16, 10:00 ‐ 11:00 a.m.
Nightingale Community Garden
512 Park Street, Dorchester

Tuesday, June 19, 5:30 ‐ 7:30 p.m.
33 Bullard Street Community Garden
Dorchester

Monday, June 25, 5:30 ‐ 7:30 p.m.
Spencer Street Community Garden
96 Spencer Street, Dorchester

Monday, July 23, 5:30 ‐ 7:30 p.m.
Julian Judson Dean Community Garden
At the corner of Julian, Judson & Dean Streets, Dorchester

Take the mystery out of composting. Let’s get your compost cooking, mixing the perfect ingredients for healthier soil and healthier harvests! Workshops are FREE and open to all. Contact 617-542-7696 or erika@bostonnatural.org to register.

Boston Natural Areas Network Garden Staff

"Greening the Greenway" with Toby Wolf

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 09:51:48 -0400

Landscape architect Toby Wolf talks about the Dewey raised beds and rain garden in parcel 22.

A small group of hardy gardeners joined FGS President Mike Mennonno and Landscape Architect Toby Wolf, designer of Rose Kennedy Greenway parcels 18, 19, 21 and 22, for an insider’s tour of the Greenway yesterday afternoon, overcast and windy though the weather was.

One of the challenges of a lean, linear urban park is creating landscapes that beckon us with a sense of mystery, without seeming dangerous.

Toby discussed the various challenges (bureaucratic and environmental) of the sites as well as the many innovations they’ve inspired. Attendees poked around the now lush parcels and shared their own knowledge of horticulture and landscaping throughout the two-hour tour.

At times discussion got “geeky”, with some in-depth explanation of materials engineered specifically for the site’s unique challenges. The desire for trees in a park with a highway running underneath demanded some engineering solutions.

The tour ended up at the Harbor Park Pavilion, the roof of which is designed to recycle rainwater.

A big thank you to Toby and all who attended!