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?
Feeding the community
According to Hunger Free Vermont: One in five Vermont children experiences hunger or food hardship. To help increase food security, Montpelier offers free community meals every day of the week. Every growing season, the Garden at 485 Elm contributes food to Central...
Fall Water Fest fills September
The festival runs until October 1. The organizers describe Fall Water Fest as: An exploration through music, the arts, poetry, and various outdoor explorations of the value and symbolism of water and of our need to protect it from pollution, privatization of the...
A big-deal work party
Food ready to eat is the most exciting. We planted more food to extend the season. And we moved something very large. ...
Video: Compostville Has Moved
"Not too shabby." That's what Hannah said at the end of this video, though you can't hear her. Hannah is right. Today Hannah, John, and Chris relocated Compostville. It's now away from our neighbor's fence and the Japanese knotweed infestation. The food scraps are in...
Join us for a River Discovery Walk
As part of Fall Water Fest (complete schedule below), at 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 17, we'll meet at the Garden at 485 Elm Street, and walk until approximately 11 a.m. We’ll look for late summer changes along the river. What is fruiting, flying, feeding? What...
Volunteers in the garden
These delicious ground cherries are volunteers from last year’s tomato beds. The ground cherries and other Solanaceae we planted this year in Bed 4 are still coming along.
Herb Walk at The Garden at 485 Elm
Update: On Thursday, August 18, 5:30-7 p.m., we enjoyed an herb walk with one of our community gardeners, Ella Malamud. Ella invited us into the bounty of medicine in our Garden and/or how to replace a trip to a drug store with a trip to the garden. Learn to...
Media moments in the garden
Barre-Montpelier Times Argus photographer Stefan Hard wrote and illustrated this story. Times Argus videographer David Smith added dimension with this video of gardeners in action. https://vimeo.com/175741141
Franken-Peas Found Here
Peas need picking daily in order to continue growing. The more we pick, the more peas will grow. In fact, if we don't pick them, the vines start to die. Why "Franken-Peas"? Because the peas we find deep inside the vines are usually huge to bursting. Depending on the...
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.
