Let's start a garden conversation...

I believe that every community can do better when it comes to beautification efforts.  When you look around and take notice of all things beautiful, you will realize that there are some communities that make great strides to enhance and invite beautification efforts and then there are some that need a little help. There are some communities that start out with a team and then commitment and interest dissipates.

I live in District Heights, Maryland and my little community has such potential to make a difference in it's beautification efforts, I decided to create a homegrown coalition to get the garden party started.  A few years ago, we started a Community Garden on land donated from the City of District Heights.  The first year we built plots, fenced the area in and informed the public that we were gearing up to start OUR Community Garden - Fiesta Gardens, in District Heights,  Maryland.  

Last  year we had our first Earth Day Celebration in our Community garden last year.   This was so exciting!



We had our community come out to embrace the Earth Day festivities. A local landscaper, Nikita Floyd came to lend a hand.....

Students from nearby colleges came and helped us with the set up and manage the flow of people....they were awesome!!  They even took back some of the ideas presented to their schools to share.  I gave them seed trays and seeds to get started.  As we all know growing can be addictive!

 The Prince Georges Master Gardeners came out and spoke about growing herbs, gourds, composting and planting. Our City Planner, Samantha Archibald settled in with the children and created colorful art projects under the budding trees at the rear of the garden. After all, what is a garden without art???  The garden itself  is a form of art to me with all of the colors, styles and dimensions.

The children had a fine time sharing tools and playing with the soil, as they planted up the boots I wore while traveling through the gardens of Paris and other small containers.  Each child could take home a seedling, experience the taste of fresh mint or even learn how to grow in 5 gallon buckets.  There were different things that interested young and old.

Later last summer, we attended the celebration of the Community Garden in Capitol Heights - such a fantastic garden!! We gifted them with life, in the form of a butterfly bush.  The butterfly bush consistently gives back with bloom and the activity of the butterflies.  The perfect gift to a Community Garden the will continually give back to those who take ownership of a plot - even if just for a season.

These events got me thinking. This concept of beautifying the community and community gardening seemed to be catching on.  If we could do this in the District Heights community and Capitol Heights can do it in their community, then we could excite other nearby communities to do the same and more. I decided that in order to do this, we needed to start a  conversation about the garden and discuss how it can enhance the community.  The demographics are changing in District Heights, as well as in the surrounding jurisdictions in Central Prince Georges County.  People want to be healthier in every aspect of their lives.  From growing and eating the right things to reducing the chemicals that go into the human body, as well as the Chesapeake Bay - we have a conscience....but how do we find out the things we need to know???  By connecting the communities of course.

Having a Garden Conversation, addressing the community questions on gardening, identifying areas that need beautification and cultivating a core group of Stewards of the Land, to implement these ideas in their communities seemed only natural.  So I decided to invite neighboring jurisdictions in Central Prince Georges County, Maryland to come and be a part of this growing conversation on gardening and beautifying our communities.  By getting involved in community beautification efforts, we can take pride as things unfold.  The definition of Coalition is a group of people who join together for a common cause....in this case, The Garden Coalition can grow together and beautify our communities one step at a time.....!

Our first conversation will be held at the Municipal Center 2000 Marbury Drive, District Heights,  Maryland  20747, on March 21, 2014 at 7:00 pm.  Light refreshments will be provided.  Join us in this growing conversation.....because when it comes to communities and gardening.............WE CAN GROW THIS!!!