The Garden at 485 Elm
People growing together:
A collaborative community garden in Montpelier, Vermont

Welcome to The Garden!

The Winter Squash Bed Becomes the Garlic Bed

The Winter Squash Bed Becomes the Garlic Bed

Winter squash harvest day comes before the first frost or after the squash have stopped maturing in each day's reduced sunlight and warmth. Gardeners harvested the squashes for sorting and distribution then pulled up the vines, which went onto the garden waste...

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What else is growing at the garden?

Bee balm salad

Bee balm salad

Bee balm grows in the perennial bed outside the garden fence along the road. It's delicious as well as beautiful.  Bee balm is a member of the mint family.  Its petals are sweet and delicious.

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Video:  Moving From Scarcity to Abundance

Video: Moving From Scarcity to Abundance

"Shifting the focus of the Montpelier Food Pantry from hunger relief to food justice." ~ Joseph Kiefer, Central Vermont Food Systems Council The Central Vermont Food Systems Council and Just Basics, Inc. created a very special evening about local food systems and...

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Planting Lots, Eating Well

Planting Lots, Eating Well

Today we nearly cleared the seedling table of the plants we started and purchased.                                                    ...

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Living with the River

Living with the River

On a beautiful Tuesday evening during National Pollinator Week, naturalist and gardener at 485 Elm Ned Swanberg led a group along the river. Ned's presentation, "Living with the North Branch," introduced us to our follow residents in the plant and animal world. Plants...

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People transform a garden

People transform a garden

On June 11, we built garden beds, installed tomato structures, and planted tomatoes, greens, and other crops.                                            ...

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Our Frenemies in the Garden

Our Frenemies in the Garden

On a cool evening, our garden coordinator Cindy led a guided tour of the garden’s bugs. We coexist with beneficial bugs. We eliminate those that destroy crops using organic practices. Good Bugs During the recent Bug Walk we found the spotted lady beetle, which eats...

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Beyond the garden fence: Pollinators

Beyond the garden fence: Pollinators

The Garden at 485 Elm intentionally attracts pollinators like bees. It's good for our crops that require pollination, but it's also critical for bees. Hannah Morris, garden co-coordinator at The Garden at 485 Elm, is an intern in the University of Vermont Extension...

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Epic Memorial Day Workdays

Epic Memorial Day Workdays

It was hot. And the garden rocked. I was pleasantly surprised that when you come to workdays, you sometimes get to decide what gets planted." ~ Emma, in her first year as a Garden at 485 Elm gardener

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June 21 Garden Event: Living with the North Branch

How do people and eagles experience the river? What else lives in our neighborhood? Can we swim in the river? Can the trout breathe? Let’s walk with naturalist Ned Swanberg and talk together about how we can welcome birds and other living things in and around our...

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