Become a CGRN member!

If you are a gardener in Baltimore, you need to be a CGRN member!

The CGRN (Community Greening Resource Network) is an incredible program that is organized by Parks & People to "provide a comprehensive and consistent support network making it easier to maintain the valuable green spaces in your community."

More information is located on the CGRN page here.

For an annual membership of fee of $20, members get to attend AMAZING plant giveaways, attend classes, and network with other community gardeners across the city. I definitely recommend signing up for their email list and reading their event calendar.

The first giveaway for this gardening season was held yesterday, at the Baltimore Free Farm. I was so happy to attend and get a chance to visit them.

The mural above looks out over this terraced garden:

The Free Farm is a central location for many urban gardening workshops and events from beekeeping classes to music shows. You might have read about them in this recent Urbanite article about the shrimp aquaculture operation starting up in their warehouse across from the garden ("Buy, Sell, Prawn"). I recommend friending them on Facebook or volunteering at their garden so you can find out more about the events and workshops hosted at their garden.

The next big upcoming event to be hosted at their space is Localize It, a homebrew competition and celebration of all things local organized by Ian McDonald, the genius madman behind Baltimore's greatest chili and beer competition, ChiliBrew.

And while you're at it, don't forget to friend CGRN on Facebook to find out more about their great workshops and giveaways as well!

We are so excited for our new apple, cherry, and fig trees which are going to go in the ground at the Boone Street garden. These are the biggest giveaway saplings I have ever seen!

The plant in the white bucket are hops I purchased last year from Horizon Herbs. Last year the plant got pretty large but never put out the hop "fruit" so I am moving it to a slightly sunnier area (although it's possible it never fruited just because I put the rhizome in the ground a little bit late.) Hoping I didn't damage the plant too much while I was driving around with it!

It feels great to add to our little orchard at Boone Street, so even if in the future someone is not there to maintain the annual vegetable crops, there will still be some perennial fruit trees, herbs, and flowers for perpetual enjoyment.

There were also plenty of seedlings and seeds at the giveaway, so we are going to put in a patch of free greens for our community members who volunteer at the garden so they can take away some free food. 

We will be at the Boone Street garden this Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday the 7th, and Sunday the 8th as well.

Email me at baltimorediy@gmail.com or click on the "Contact Us" page if you want directions or have questions about volunteering!