- Author: Chris M. Webb
Beautiful gardens are brimming with color and life at the Veterans’ Home in Ventura. These gardens have been planned, planted and cared for by a group of UCCE Master Gardeners and many people in the community.
Flowers and ornamental trees provide color, shade and permanence. Raised garden beds are filled with a wide assortment of vegetables to enhance nutrition and dinner salads of residents. An orchard of donated fruit trees has taken root on the west side of the building. Garden lectures provide enrichment for the mind.
A native garden is well under way. This garden has been created with the guidance of the U.S. Department of Fish and Game to provide a habitat for migrating birds, bees and butterflies. A Memorial Rose Garden, designed in the shape of encircled hearts, has been started -- there is much curiosity as to how the design looks from the air.
An additional vegetable garden and succulent garden are planned.
Started shortly after the home opened, the gardens and the activity they generate provide much joy to the Veterans’ who reside at the home. To learn more, or if interested in becoming involved, please contact Barbara Hill.
We are enormously thankful to everyone who has donated materials, talent and time to make this garden possible! We hope the list of donors that follows is complete. If we have missed your name, please let us know so we can add you. Lisa Wickenden, Tina Van Coops, Sharon McGahan, Peggy Black, Jim Abing, Barbara Hill, Carol Piros, Kathleen Diermier, Kaaren Valdez, Diana Borchard, Robin Beers, Diane Bertoy, U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, Nopalito Native Nursery, Jon’s Nursery of Somis, and the real estate community.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Experts from around the nation will conduct a Healthy Garden Training Series. The sessions will cover a wide variety of horticultural and garden related topics. These classes are available to everyone at no charge.
Can’t travel to the sessions? No problem! Made possible by the USDA’s People’s Garden Initiative, this series will be available via webinar.
From the USDA site:
“The People's Garden Initiative promotes growing healthy food, people and communities. It encourages USDA employees and communities to plant gardens because we believe the simple act of planting a garden can make real and lasting change to improve food access and healthy lifestyles.
Topics in the series include:
- Garden Botany
- Soil and Fertility in the Garden
- Introduction to Garden IPM
- Garden Insects
- Types of Public Gardens and Their Value
- Gardening and The Hungry
- Garden Pesticide Use and Environmental Stewardship
The series runs from March 29 through May 3. You may sign up for all, or just the ones that interest you. Register by clicking here. While registering, be sure to note all times are Eastern.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
A unique and wonderful partnership has begun in Oxnard. Last year, in an effort to reduce costs while improving the taste and nutrition of meals and reducing impacts on the environment and economy associated with importing produce, the Senior Nutrition Program Garden grew tomatoes on a quarter acre of land in Oxnard. The land is located behind the Juvenile Justice Center.
County of Ventura Area Agency on Aging, which serves over 200,000 meals annually though senior nutrition programs, collaborated with the Probation Agency Juvenile Justice Facility staff to create this positive program. As word of the project spread many business and organizations have come forward to donate time, expertise and resources; please see the list at end of post.
A year later, the garden has grown to two acres. Fifty fruit tress and a wider assortment of vegetables have been added this year. Ventura County Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners teach youth gardening skills. Senior volunteers work alongside youths, mentoring while tending the garden. All produce grown at the garden is used to feed seniors in our communities through senior meal programs and local food banks.
Getting involved is easy! If interested please contact Meg Horton at Food Share, 983-7100 ext 105; Diane Beeler (Master Gardener) at 652-1456; or Susan White at the Area Agency on Aging at 477-7311.
Local organizations who have generously contributed to the success of this garden include: Rio Mesa Farms, Agromin, S&E Organic Farms, Harry’s Berries, Luna Fertilizer, Coast Water Solutions, Seminis, Green Thumb International, Brokaw Nurseries, Bikers for Christ, City of Santa Paula, Oxnard & Ventura City Corps, Quality Landscape, Vineyard Mutual Water District, The Greek Restaurant, Food SHARE, LBL Equipment, Technical Dynamix LLC, Driscoll Farms, Sierra Cascade Construction, Limoneira, Do Right Nursery.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The current resurgence in home and community gardens is similar to previous calls to garden in our country – most notably the victory garden movements of WWI and WWII. Using gardens and the food that comes from them, we can profoundly change our lives and our communities.
Both World War victory garden movements were extremely successful. The goals for WWI were covered in a previous post . While there were similar goals for WWII, some additional goals included:
- Improving health by gardening
- Proper storage and preservation of surplus
- Enabling families and institutions to save money on vegetables, so the money could be used for other necessities
- Gardens for urban dwellers
- Mobilizing and unifying Americans.
And as it had been in 1917, the American people pitched in together and went to work. The early 1940’s were also years of great food production by everyday people.
We are in the midst of a new cycle of a garden movement. While there are many reasons people are gardening today, there is a growing demand for food that is tasty, nutritious, and economically and environmentally sustainable. In 2009, there were 4 million new gardeners nationwide. We are even happier to report that the enthusiasm and planting continues!
To learn more, please see our previous posts on Victory Gardens and or contact our office .
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Join expert composter Lorraine Walters on Saturday, September 4 and learn about composting, vermicompost and mulch to improve the health of your soil. Healthy soil can increase production, reduce the likelihood of insects and disease, reduce water needs and more.
This class will be held at Community Roots Garden. Scheduled topics include:
- How to make compost from common materials such as food scraps, grass clippings, and leaves.
- Faster composting methods that take more attention as well as the slower, easier methods.
- How to make extra high-grade compost using redworms (called vermicomposting).
- How to use compost to build your soil.
- How to use mulch to build your soil, and the difference between compost and mulch.
For further information please contact Community Roots Garden at 805/616-2326, info@communityrootsgarden.org or www.communityrootsgarden.org.
Composting expert, Lorraine Walters