Everyone’s idea of what a community garden looks like probably differs slightly. That is because there are lots of different models of community gardens. One thing that is always similar is that the success of the garden relies upon what the community makes of it.

This year Bluegrass Greensource staff have made the community garden a success! With the pandemic, we’ve had fewer students and community volunteers involved in the garden and needed other helping hands to make the garden grow. Whether it was preparing the soil, planting, weeding, or watering, the garden has been a collaborative effort of the staff through the entire growing season.

We’ve harvested our spring bounty of lettuce, sweet peas, and radishes, and have made room for more summer crops, like green beans and summer squash. Our bumper crop for summer has been cucumbers and fresh herbs, like basil and dill. In our featured garden photos, our AmeriCorps Member, Sophia, is showcasing how tall our sunflowers are growing, and our Educator, Rachel, is showcasing all her hard work paying off in our watermelon patch.

Working as a community step by step has been a delightful experience, and I am eager to bring more abundance into our community and garden as the season progresses.

Recipe to Share: Cucumber Dill Salad

2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
½ cup white vinegar
¼ cup chopped dill
2 T sugar
1 t salt
½ t pepper
Directions:

Slice cucumbers and combine all other ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving.