Sun + Rain = Food
A tree farmer described how trees grow as "Sleep, creep, leap." The garden does the same, with much faster cycles than trees. After a sleepy start, days of sun and rain have kicked things into high gear. All our seedlings are planted. Only a few direct-seed crops...
What else is growing at the garden?
Mulching Efficiently to Get Out of the Heat
The walkways between the squash beds have been weeded. Gardeners laid down cardboard and covered it with hay. That will suppress weeds and give the winter squash a supportive surface to ripen on. The heat is doing a number on our snap peas and snow peas, as you can...
This Is Us: Vermont’s New Composting Law
Food waste costs everyone shocking amounts of money, seriously harms the environment, and—not for nothing—wastes food. Vermont's new ban on food scraps in the trash aims to remedy that. Much of this short, important story was recorded right here....
Summer Squash: It Begins
It starts with a couple of fruit. Then a few. And then, if we're lucky, the Zucchini Apocalypse is nigh!
It’s Harvest O’Clock!
Peas are sweet, delicious, and ready to eat. Chamomile and Johnny Jump-ups Rainbow Chard Kale of Many Colors Italian Large-Leaf Basil Lettuces and More Lettuces Yet to come: beets, onions, ginger, and beautiful flowers holding the promise of many, many more...
Life Happens
And it's so beautiful.
Warming Up for Warm-Weather Crops
Chris plants ground cherry (or husk cherry) seedlings. We decided not to grow tomatoes this season, as they take many, many hours of care every week. Ground cherries are a tomato relative that's much easier to grow and is delicious to eat right off the bush like fresh...
How Crops Get Here: Rhubarb
An email arrived from the person who sold her Montpelier home to the mother of one of the garden cofounders. Rhubarb was growing in the garden beside the house, and the seller thoughtfully suggested we might want it for the community garden. Garden cofounder Chris in...
Safe, Successful Small-Scale Composting in a Pandemic
Back in the beforetimes . . . Compostville at the Garden at 485 Elm was built from 2017 to 2019 with help from a generous grant and partners including the Vermont Community Garden Network, the Composting Association of Vermont, and the Central Vermont Solid Waste...
A Day in May on Planet Vermont
This, too, is Vermont gardening. Tender young peas Garlic and herb beds Boxes of salad and leafy greens
Giving Food on Giving Tuesday
The Garden at 485 Elm made an offering on Giving Tuesday: Garden donation team leader Caitlin Roseen brought our extra—and still beautiful—onion starts to the Montpelier Food Pantry. Caitlin writes: These onion starts will be offered to shoppers along with seed...
