Gleaning Herbs for Donation
The first big bundles of garden food for donation are on their way to Just Basics Inc., the Montpelier Food Pantry. Growing a giant garden together means each bed is super productive. A box of chives produces a lot of chives, far more than even twenty-plus gardeners'...
What else is growing at the garden?
From the internet to the dinner table
The website reads: Front Porch Forum's mission is to help neighbors connect and build community. We do that by hosting regional networks of online neighborhood forums. Front Porch Forum certainly upheld its mission when it comes to The Garden at 485 Elm. It...
Fresh-picked veggies in December
This was my first year gardening. Ever. Among other surprises, I did not know how far into Vermont's cold season a garden can produce. I think this might be the last of the harvest. Although, there are still kale plants with leaves and chard and other goodies hiding...
Putting the garden to bed
Two beautiful weather days meant two productive work days at The Garden at 485 Elm. ...
Late fall garden work day
Earlier in the gardening season, building infrastructure overlapped with planting and harvesting. On this rainy day late in the gardening season, breaking down and putting-to-bed co-occurs with harvesting and replanting. The insects are waning and larger creatures who...
Have you seen Spruce the cat?
Guy's Farm & Yard is an ongoing resource for The Garden at 485 Elm. That's how we got to know Spruce the cat. Now he's missing! Spruce was last seen at his home at Guy's Farm & Yard in Montpelier on Friday, October 18, 2014. He is very much loved and...
Fall in the garden
The tomatoes are all picked, the plants pulled and composted. The onions and potatoes are all dug up and stored in a cool, dry, dark place. A third gleaning happened today. Sixty-three pounds of crops vulnerable to frost went to organizations feeding local people in...
Fall Equinox: Endings and beginnings
The fall equinox is upon us and, of course, the garden. We're back in sweatshirts and things are changing fast. ...
“What do I do with giant zucchini?”
I met a nice new person today. We walked around the garden. As we passed the vining plants, she pointed under some leaves and said, "Look at the giant zucchini." How had we missed these? Had they grown overnight? Each was more than two feet long. After she left, I...
Thinking Outside the Garden: Riverfront Protection & Invasives Management
The Garden at 485 Elm grows on a property that has 400 feet on the North Branch of the Winooski River. The garden's 1/4-acre is on higher ground than the riverfront. Still, we wondered if we could do anything to take better care of our waterfront. Montpelier is prone...
2nd Gleaning, Twice as Much
This is the second gleaning in The Garden at 485 Elm's partnership with Community Harvest of Central Vermont. The first gleaning in July yielded 40 pounds of food. Today, volunteers gleaned over 75 pounds of food. It has been delivered to The Montpelier Senior...
