More Tantalizing Auction Items!

Our Eat Green for Grow event on Sunday, March 15th promises to be an absolute delight. Good fun to support community gardens seems like the perfect way to kick start your spring! Here are a few more generously donated auction items to whet your appetite!

One hour of design consultation from Nature and Nuture

Garden design can be a bit daunting at times, and the professionals at Nature and Nurture can help bring your vision to life. Focusing on organic, sustainable landscapes Erica Kempter and Mike Levine will bring their more than twenty years of combined experience right to your doorstep!

A gift certificate from Schakolad

Small packages hold great things, and this little envelope with a gift certificate from Schakolad is no different. Schakolad is home to an amazing array of chocolates that come in a variety of mouth-watering flavors, shapes, and sizes.

Jewelry from Falling Water

Any trip to downtown Ann Arbor can hardly be had without stopping into this great little store that has a little bit of everything, including a terrific selection of jewelry. Come see for yourself on Sunday which piece is up on the block!

Dogma Catmantoo Gift Basket

Any gardener knows that the canine or feline of the house is a garden friend. Whether they watch contentedly from the window or roam the paths, they are indispensable aids. This gift basket is a great way to reward that furry little helper whether large or small!

Eat Green for Grow Auction Items Preview!

We thought we'd tantalize you with a few items that will be part of our Silent Auction at Eat Green for Grow. Thanks to our good friends in the community, we've got a little bit of everything to tempt everyone!

Family Pass to Matthaei Botanical Gardens and a Goody Basket

Enjoy one of the loveliest places in Ann Arbor any time of the year! Roam the paths to enjoy spring blossoms, herb gardens, or any of the special displays or demonstration gardens on site. Check out the bloom calendar and start planning your visit!

Garden Buddha Statue from Downtown Home and Garden

A good fit for any corner of the yard or garden, this little fellow is a reminder of all the joy the garden brings and gives.

Four weeks of fresh cut flowers from Good Scents

A touch of color brought directly to your door in this four week subscription is an exciting thought as we sit on the cusp of Spring. To see what might be in store for you, visit their gallery of bouquets and feel inspired!

Be sure to check back here to see other items in our Silent Auction, and we look forward to seeing you on Sunday, March 15th!

Eat Green for Grow

Sunday, March 15th

3pm - 9pm

Seva Vegetarian Restaurant

314 East Liberty

Ann Arbor

Seed Starting for a Head Start

Organic Gardening published this great little seed starting chart that should help you figure out how to get a head start on this year's garden. They also have some useful tips on seed starting basics, and lots of information to help you get through the season.

For real life versus virtual help and advice, don't forget about these great Project Grow classes and events, too!

2009 Heirloom Seed Swap

Saturday, March 21st

10am - 12pm

Leslie Science Center

Enjoying and Preserving Heirloom Vegetable Varieties in Your Garden

Saturday, March 7th

10am

Leslie Science Center

Potato Seeds and Sweet Potato Slips

Saturday, March 21st

10am - 11am

Leslie Science Center

Tomatoes and Pepper from Seed to Shinging Seed

Saturday, April 4th

10am - 11am

Leslie Science Center

Michelle Obama on Community Gardens

Check out this great quote from Michelle Obama about community gardens from Grist.org 

Inspired? We are! Come join us in the garden or check out a class! 

"I'm a big believer in community gardens ... both because of their beauty and for providing access to fresh fruits and vegetables to so many communities across the nation and the world."

-- Michelle Obama, speaking at USDA headquarters

USDA Imitates Project Grow

Thankfully, the USDA, like Project Grow, is creating garden space where none existed before. On the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture "broke pavement" on the first of many community gardens at  USDA sites around the country. 

The People's Garden honors Lincoln and his creation of the Department of Agriculture, which he called The People's Department in his last address to Congress. 

"The garden will showcase conservation practices that all Americans can implement in their own backyards and green spaces. As a component of the garden, pollinator-friendly plantings will not only provide important habitat for bees and butterflies, but can serve as an educational opportunity to help people understand the vital role pollinators play in our food, forage and all agriculture."

To find a garden space near you, check out the assortment of Project Grow Gardens around town and put your own signature on a pollinator friendly space!

And we've got some great upcoming classes to keep the momentum going!

Introduction to Organic Gardening

Thursday, February 26th

6:30pm

Washtenaw Community College

(Part of the Organic Gardening Certification Course. You can take classes singly, if you like.)

Container Gardening and Raised Beds - From Vegetables to Flowers

Saturday, February 28th

10 am 

Leslie Science Center

(Just in case you don't have quite as much room as the USDA does.)

New Community Garden Site Available in Ann Arbor

Hunt Park is home to a new Project Grow Community Garden site available this summer to gardeners. Strong support of the neighbors and the Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Department helped make this new site possible.

Julie Roth, the Hunt Park Steward who had already worked with Natural Area Preservation (NAP) and neighbors on work days to plant some new trees and perennials helped bring the issue to neighbors who responded enthusiastically. According to Roth, “I think the gardens will bring a stronger sense of community, more neighborhood sense of investment in and ownership of the park, and of course even more visual interest.  They are being placed in a very underutilized, flat and open area behind the tennis courts.”

“We have worked long and hard with the Parks Department to get gardens open in park areas, especially where the neighbors have approached us about opening a garden like they did at Hunt Park,” said Melissa Kesterson, Executive Director of Project Grow. Other parks where community garden sites exist include Buhr Park, Greenview Park, and County Farm Park.

The addition of this site brings the total number of community garden locations up to thirteen throughout Ann Arbor. Gardeners come in all shapes and sizes, but space can be at a premium. Project Grow through its sliding-scale fees, classes, and supportive network of experienced gardeners – staff and volunteers – makes it possible for families and individuals to foster their green thumbs.

Plots vary in size while water, tools, and a notice board are available at each site. A site coordinator manages each garden site and answers questions and offers help when needed. To see the garden sites, maps, and download an application visit our website and click on Community Gardens. Hard copy applications are available in the Project Grow newsletter or by contacting the office directly at 734-996-3169.

Eat Green for Grow!

Whether you garden or not our bet is that you like food, and good food at that.

Project Grow and Seva Vegetarian Restaurant are teaming up again this year to offer the most spectacular St. Patrick's Day Celebration you may yet encounter! Munch on Seva's most delicious and tantalizing fare while perusing silent auction items and chatting with other Project Grow supporters. A generous 20% of the afternoon's sales will be donated to Project Grow, so come join us with as many of your friends and family you can muster, and put some community in community gardening.

Event Details

Eat Green for Grow!

Sunday, March 15th

3pm - 7pm

(Silent Auction 4pm - 6pm - stay tuned for details of items!)

Seva Vegetarian Restaurant

314 East Liberty