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LinkedInPosts Tagged: garden
Native Plants Part of Landscape of Gorman Museum of Native American Art
"When the Gorman Museum of Native American Art relocated to a new space, campus partners and students worked to make the grounds nearby home to the types of plants traditionally used by Indigenous cultures, such as white sage, a food also used in religious ceremonies, and yarrow, a...
Black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus, on Purple Ginny sage, Salvia coahuilensis. Both are natives. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee heading for a redbud, Cercis canadensis, in the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden in the spring. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Good to See Ettamarie Peterson 'Bee' Honored
It was good to see Sonoma County's "Queen Bee," Ettamarie Peterson of Petaluma, bee honored on the cover of the December edition of Bee Culture magazine. She often submits articles for the magazine. I decided it was time her to be featured and wrote a two-page article,...
Ettamarie Peterson, known as the "Queen Bee of Sonoma County," gets ready to greet visitors at the Vacaville Museum Guild's Children's Party, an annual event held every August in the museum courtyard. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bumble Bee's Red Pollen: 'Tis the Season
Ever noticed that when yellow-faced bumble bees, Bombus vosnesenskii, forage in lupine that their pollen is red? Last July when we were camping at Bodega Bay, we delighted in watching the bumble bees foraging in the lupine. Bumble bees store their pollen in pollen baskets, or corbicula, on...
A yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, packing red pollen from a lupine last July at Bodega Bay. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Good News on the Monarch Front
Good news on the monarch front. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a proposal to list the monarch butterfly as a threatened species "with species-specific protections and flexibilities to encourage conservation" under Section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). "We are...
A monarch caterpillar munching on a milkweed leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This monarch chrysalis formed on a bird feeder in Vacaville. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male monarch nectaring on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in Vacaville. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A female monarch foraging in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
UC Master Gardener of San Diego County’s ‘labor of love’ improves health of older adults
The Belden Village Apartments in Clairemont Mesa East of San Diego is home to a diverse population of older adults. Shital Parikh, a UC Master Gardener of San Diego County, took the initiative to build a garden that grows food and encourages residents to spend more time outdoors, getting their hands dirty alongside neighbors.
Almost a year ago, Parikh – a UC Master Gardener since 2014 – proposed to develop a community garden within the low-income residential facility with the intention that the residents would manage it independently overtime. When the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) and County of San Diego approved the proposal, Parikh moved swiftly to break ground on what is now the Belden Community Garden.
“The Belden Community Garden is a labor of love,” Parikh said. “One that has been made possible thanks to the knowledge and support gained from the UC Master Gardener Program and the invaluable support from Amy Zink from the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency.”
Breaking ground for a community garden
In September 2023, interested residents at the Belden Village Apartments gathered to learn of the project and understand how they can be involved. In October, the County of San Diego received a donation from Home Depot which included garden beds, and the materials needed to build them. All of which were donated to Parikh to establish the Belden Community Garden.
“This project has received approved funding from our partners and there has not been any out-of-pocket expense,” said Parikh.
In preparation for the garden beds, residents teamed up with more than a dozen UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County to learn various gardening skills. Some taught residents how to create seed tape, making it easier to plant seeds in an organized manner, the basics of vegetable gardening and food prep classes as well.
In January 2024, 13 garden beds were installed and ready for planting. In March, residents enjoyed their first harvest of vegetables and leafy greens by hosting a salad-making luncheon where everyone could taste the fresh produce grown on-site.
“The residents are at the heart of this, and it's been a joy to see them come together across different languages and cultures, sharing in the harvest and learning alongside us,” said Parikh.
Other than English, there are four primary languages spoken in the residential community, including Spanish, Arabic, Farsi and Vietnamese. All garden signs communicate the names of crops in these primary languages – a nod to the residents who helped establish and maintain the garden, which also features crops important in the various cultures.
Residents at the ‘heart' of it all
The Belden Community Garden has two residential garden coordinators, Art Dawson and Lisa Hillman, who are responsible for watering and general maintenance of the garden. Neither Dawson nor Hillman had prior gardening experience.
In the three years that Hillman has been living at the Belden Village Apartments, this is the first time she's participated in a community effort like the garden. “I didn't come outside or interact with neighbors much – but since I started volunteering here, I see so many people and I know more people in my community,” said Hillman, who described the various colors of squash – her favorite vegetable, so far – grown and harvested in the garden.
Dawson, in contrast, isn't a big fan of squash and prefers greens instead. “I'm African American, so I'm all about the collard greens,” said Dawson. Learning as he goes, Dawson said his primary job is managing irrigation.
“I've never gardened before in my life. But I like helping out and working with my hands,” he said. “I kind of like it. It keeps me busy, and I love seeing how everything grows from a tiny seed.”
Shahnaz Roshanoi, a resident whose native language is Farsi, said she was so happy when the garden came to fruition. Roshanoi maintains a garden of her own using the limited space that surrounds her apartment with plants reaching as tall as seven feet. Since the community garden was established, Roshanoi has been an active volunteer, sharing her extensive gardening knowledge with others and inviting more residents to join the fun.
Parikh's effort inspires development of more community gardens
During her earlier days as a UC Master Gardener, Parikh taught gardening via Zoom because of COVID-19. Parikh focused on teaching low-income residents, who are often at a disadvantage in accessing affordable healthy food options. Her gardening projects have all benefitted from her 10-plus years of experience in companion planting and crop rotation, pollinator gardens and native plants.
“Watching the garden evolve has been incredibly rewarding, and I can't wait to see how it continues to thrive!” said Parikh.
With generous support from the UC Master Gardeners Program of San Diego County, County of San Diego, SDHC's Achievement Academy, and the Del Mar Mesa Garden Club, the Belden Community Garden teaches residents how to grow their own food, enjoy it, and live healthier, happier lives.
The success and impact of the Belden Village community has inspired two more community gardens in low-income resident facilities located in the Mesa Valley and Otay Mesa neighborhoods in San Diego.
“I do what I can and then leave the rest to divinity,” Parikh said. “Time and again, help has found its way, or maybe it's simply a matter of trusting the process and staying consistent.”
The UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County work to expand the love of gardening and improve food security across the county. You can support their efforts by donating at this link here: https://give.ucanr.edu/forms/SanDiego-MG
