1100 S. Holly St., behind Ben Arnold Center. Meet to work at the garden the FIRST SUNDAY of every month after 3:00 pm. (Contact Paul). Call 803-I-GO-CPRC (803-446-2772).

This organic vegetable garden is located at 1100 S. Holly Street, behind Ben Arnold Center (Boys & Girls Club). All who live near the garden are welcome to become growers. Reap the benefits of fresh food and community!

In June 2006 we started the Rosewood community Garden at the Ben Arnold Center through a partnership with the Rosewood Community Council and City Parks & Recreation, among many other individuals and organizations.

The Rosewood Community Garden has a flower bed next to the driveway and a lush vegetable garden behind the building. The vegetable bed is framed by young blueberry bushes on one side, and a pine forest on the other.

A limited number of plots are available to families and community residents for individual organic vegetable beds. Leave a message for Paul at 803-I-GO-CPRC if you are interested in maintaining your own vegetable bed.

NOTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Mon. Oct. 20 Meeting Notes
We replenished the in-ground bed with the remaining soil and planted seedlings.

Sat. Oct. 18 Workshop Notes
The workshop ran about 1pm-3pm and covered composting (Ryan Nevius, Master Gardeners), soil and mulch (Lori Donath, Common Ground), and rotation/planting basics (Jason McBrayer (CG) & Karlann Brenner (MG)). About 40 people attended, asking questions throughout. The workshop ended with participants planting seeds and seedlings in the raised beds. Participants received handouts and signed up to receive composting booklets via mail (the latter complements of Ryan Nevius). The partnership between Common Ground and the SC Midlands Master Gardeners Association is supported by a grant of almost $1,300, which funded construction of the raised beds, and which will fund construction of educational signs.

Mon. Oct. 6 Meeting Notes
We topped off the beds a second time (a couple people did this the previous Wednesday as well). Also, we finished putting cardboard and woodchips around the new raised beds.

Mon. Sept. 22 Meeting Notes
We had a big workday and made four raised beds using money from the SCMMGA grant. (Also, some of us went over to the Edisto Court Community Meeting to discuss interest in doing the same in Paul and Billy's neighborhood; this could make the Edisto Court Community Garden easier to maintain). We documented the process and will create "how to" materials for distribution--as well as for use at the Oct. 18 demonstration.

Mon. Sept. 8 Meeting Notes
We filled in the remainder of the semicircle with cardboard and woodchips. Lewis will make a trellis for sugar snap peas.

Mon. Aug. 25 Meeting Notes
Before (or inbetween) the rains we planted some rocamble garlic to the right of the thyme, where the spinach seeds donated by the Mustafa family are starting to come up. We planted some beets around the marigold in the West corner and some radishes around the nasturtiums (you can eat the latter's leaves in salad btw--not just the flowers). Also, I scattered some carrot seeds in a spot near the mint. Tho many tomatoes were already past their prime (hidden under the vandalized, knocked down bushes), we hunted for them and picked quite a few. A few small eggplants may be ready by next meeting. A nice surpise: bunches of bright, smiling blooms on the unconquerable sunflowers.

Mon. Aug. 11 Meeting Notes
Karlann, Lori, Ryan, and Jason weedwhacked, placed cardboard, and covered with woodchips the area around the garden. We finally got a truckload of woodchips by flagging down a truck in the morning before the workshop! Ryan and Karlann overhauled the compost, turning the compost in each of the bins. Karlann has begun to bring compost from Publix as well, so production has increased. It is very wet, so remember to add a lot of leaves. Please pick up leaves on the roadside whenever you can. Besides planting some more lantana around the compost bin, we also planted a sugar pea at the base of each sunflower, some spinach seeds to the right of the thyme, and some tender greens to the left of the thyme. PLEASE NOTE, so that we don't accidentally step on them or pull them out thinking they're weeds.

Mon., July 28 Meeting Notes
Paul, Brian, Jason, Karlann, Kate and Lori pulled weeds, watered the blueberry bushes, and tried to remove nails from the timbers.

Mon., July 14 Meeting Notes
Brian and Ryan completed work that Karlann and Ryan did putting down cardboard and wood chips earlier in the week.

Mon., June 30 Meeting Notes

Karlann, Jason, Lori, and Billy planted newly donated blueberry bushes, herbs, and flowers. Karlann will work on coordinating with Park & Rec about spraying vinegar instead of other weed killer behind the Ben Arnold Center. Everybody needs to pick their veggies or the plants will stop producing.

Mon., June 16 Meeting Notes
Some folks gardened and some folks talked about planning for the workshop. Ryan dropped off some green bean seeds. She has been working with Mr. Brown to get us a water spigot at the building; the work will begin the end of this month or early July! Thanks to both! There was weed-pulling, watering, and planning for a path. Paul and Brian will saw apart the timbers that Lewis found (and Mike delivered) to make a path. Also, a couple strawberries and blueberries were eaten ;)

Russell and his wife came to the meeting as they are interested in doing a children's project at their church and have just begun doing container gardening at St. Lawrence Place. Rowena, also a new face, will be working with the children's workshops, as will Kate and Jerry, who have worked in the gardens previously. Vennie shared her ideas about leading the kids in a simultaneous photography project; later she decided this will not be feasible with her work schedule. [Related note: Vennie Deas-Moore, along with Anna and Alan Shockley, will be doing some journalism and video documentation of the project and communities if that works for everyone]. Cassandra matched up people with lessons/dates and we decided to meet at 8:30 Monday morning before the workshop. Hereafter, the Summer Workshop Group will meet at 10:30 Mondays at the Carolina Peace office immediately following the workshop. Kate and Russell, new to the workshop, have each made a donation for a blueberry bush--and Monday 6/23 I salvaged several bales of pine straw to go with them!
-Lori

Mon., June 2 Meeting Notes

We had a visitor to the meeting this week. Laura, from the SC Dept. of Agriculture is doing the rounds to learn more about community gardening organizations. You might recognize her from her time working at Rosewood Market. She is very interested in what we are doing and we welcome her.

Some of the volunteers were able to provide her with contacts and other info, etc... Billy noted that a full bag of compost and the plastic border defining the main garden have walked away from the Edisto Court garden. Also, some wheat straw has been delivered as the site is becoming overgrown with weeds. Billy will be setting out to remulch the site in the next week or so and will solicit help when he decides on a day.

A number of people will be contributing new plants to the Rosewood garden site. Tomatoes, beans and some others that I can't remember should be finding there way to fill out the garden very soon. Composting pick-up is going well at Rosewood Market. Billy will check in soon with them to make sure they are cool with everything too. There will be renewed pressure with the parks department to supply a new tap at the back of the Ben Arnold Center. Lori spoke with the director at Ben Arnold about moving the dumpster.

There was some question still as to whether or not the summer workshop will proceed as in the past. [Note from Lori and Karlann--June 4 we met with Boys & Girls Club Director Brian Harris and Program Director Sierra Haywood and were excited to learn that Mr. Harris comes to Columbia from the B&G Clubs in Atlanta, where they ran two community garden projects for all ages. Mr. Harris said he is very interested in our project and will support us in whatever way he can. We think we will have enough volunteers, so the workshops will be held with 4th graders again--Mondays 9-10:15 beginning after this week; we just need to let him know when we will be ready to start.]
-Billy

Mon., May 5 Meeting Notes

Wed., April 23 Meeting Notes

We had a great turnout Wednesday evening. At the Rosewood plot everyone weeded and spread straw, and we added a few nasturtiums and some peas that Louis brought to the beans, sugar snap peas, strawberries, and green onions that were already there. Paul's flats didn't make it and so he's replanted and we'll try again with those later. Brian and Eleanor went back yesterday and also planted some gourds, pumpkins, and cucumbers that Sara had started in her flats.

After working in the Rosewood plot, Billy, Eleanor and Brian planted some of Sara's seedlings in the Edisto plot: pumpkins, gourds, cucumbers, and marigolds.
We hope we identified everything correctly!

--We'll also try and send this e-mail out to the listserv. Sorry if you get two copies! Now that we've got stuff in the ground it seems like it would be a good idea to start using the listserv.
Best,
Brian & Eleanor

Mon., April 7 Meeting Notes
Cassandra presented information about funding that may be available for a program pairing local schools with local farmers. Sarah demonstrated the new rain barrels. We discussed getting a hose to siphon water out of the other rain-collection can. So far no one has  been using the e-mail listserv, but we decided to wait and see if it proves useful before disabling it. We decided that notes will be taken at meetings on a rotating basis. Lori discussed the 8 week summer series and we decided that we'll figure out who wants to be involved etc. over the next month or so. Paul's beans have taken off and he will plant them in the Rosewood plot. Brian and Eleanor will check the seedlings and water them on Wednesdays until more waterings become necessary. The other seedlings will be planted at our next meeting. Since several people would not be able to attend this week at the regular Monday time, we rescheduled (for this time only) to meet on Wednesday the 23rd. At that meeting we will meet at the Rosewood plot and then move on to plant at the Edisto plot as well. Billy will investigate reinstating the Rosewood compost pick-up. If it is feasible, we will attempt to put together a schedule to pick up the compost every day rather than once a week.

Mon., March 24 Meeting Notes
Kim left four flats for us, Lori brought seeds, and Mike brought sand, soil, and peat moss and mixed it together. Mike filled up the flats. Mike, Paul, Eleanor, and Bryan planted and made markers. Paul and Mike each took two flats home; they took the remaining soil elements to Paul's house for the time being. *There is a new director and new program director at the Boys & Girls Club Ben Arnold Center. Before the March 24 Rosewood CG meeting I talked to the latter about the summer workshops and she will discuss it with the new director. I have also solicited volunteers via USC School of Education (that's how we got Kim and Stephanie) and will try to attend the next Rosewood Community Council meeting. I would say if there are at least 6 people committed to the 8 week series and we can coordinate with the B&G Club directors, the workshops can proceed.

Tues., March 18 Meeting Notes
Actually, Kim and Billy also met on Monday at 5:30 p.m. due to some email confusion. Kim reported that they took stock of the plants and Billy introduced the idea of burying bottles in the ground (with holes in them) to gradually release water. Kim made a plan for the garden, which she and daughter Eve shared with Mike, Paul, Sara, Dee Dee and Lori on Tuesday. We will meet on Monday Mar. 21 at 5:30 and divide up planting. Lori will bring summer seeds; Kim will bring flats; Mike will bring soil.

Tues., March 4 Meeting Notes
Karlann, Mike, Lewis, Kim, Billy and I met in the rain and surveyed the back Rosewood (Ben Arnold) Community Garden. Lewis brought rainbow chard seedlings to share; the collards and kale he planted are doing great--the cabbage not quite as well. We decided to maintain the garden at its current size, but add borders with wood or such to protect it from lawn mowing, which I am looking into. We will flip last year's plan
that Matt and Emily made (maintaining their berm contours), with some additions such as green beans. Kim is coming up with design/planting details. Karlann's letter to Mr. Ben Arnold met with no response. (Note: last year someone from the City met with me to brainstorm water conservation--and gave us seeds and other resources--but could not help us with watering with their mobile tank. In 2006 Parks & Rec. had said it would be too much to put in a spigot). We decided to improve the water collection but keep it simple. Mike is working on designing a platform for putting Pepsi Co containers on at each of the gutter down spouts; Karlaan is contacting Pepsi (tho I could do this Karlann). At this point the idea is to put screening on top and a spigot at bottom and continue hand watering. At the next meeting we'll all report back, and will exchange seeds and divide up planting.