Cool Season Transplants & Seeds

Posted on March 19, 2018 by Jenny

If our cool weather keeps hanging around, it could end up being a great spring for plants like cauliflower, broccoli, kale and cabbage!

The CGC will have seedlings of these cool-weather crops available for community gardeners next Saturday and Sunday, March 24 & 25.

Payment is not required, but if you can afford to make a small donation, we suggest about 50¢ per plant which helps us cover the costs for those who cannot pay.

Just come by the Claudell community garden, 711 Claudell Lane during the following times:

Saturday, March 24, 10 am-2 pm
Sunday, March 25, Noon-2 pm

Also Available

We have ROW COVER you can use to protect young plants from chewing insects while still letting light and water through. It is used with metal hoops to hold it up over your plants. We suggest a donation of 25¢ per linear foot of cover and for each hoop.

And, we also have vegetable and flower SEEDS for those who missed our Spring Thaw giveaway last month. We still have some of everything that was available at the Thaw (peas, beans, leafy vegetables, carrots, herbs, beets, radishes, squash, etc.) and some new flower seeds donated by Baker Creek.

Please note this event is meant for gardeners at our member gardens.

Community Gardening Kick-Off February 25

Posted on February 20, 2018 by Jenny

Spring Thaw Community Gardening Kick-Off

Sunday, Feb. 25, 2-4 p.m. at the Activity & Recreation Center

The Spring Thaw is the kick-off to our community gardening season. There will be representatives from all the gardens, so you can join a garden as a newcomer or confirm a plot assignment for previous gardeners. Plus, everyone can network and get gardening advice from other gardeners. We’ll have a limited quantity of free seeds available for gardeners at member gardens.

There will also be snacks and drinks, plus get information about composting and City recycling from our special guest, Columbia Volunteer Programs Specialist Jody Cook.

Hope to see you there!

Seed Repacking Party & Spring Thaw

Posted on February 11, 2018 by Jenny

We have two upcoming events as we get ready for this gardening season!

Seed Repacking Party

The annual CGC Seed Repackaging Party, to prepare seeds for distribution to participating gardeners, will take place on Sunday, February 18, 1-4 p.m. at Centro Latino (609 N. Garth Ave., Columbia). In exchange for helping us repack bulk seed into smaller quantities, the CGC will feed you lunch! But you must RSVP to lauren.godsy@gmail.com by Feb. 14. We are only reserving 30 meals, so don’t wait to RSVP!

Spring Thaw Community Gardening Kick-Off

Sunday, Feb. 25, 2-4 p.m. at the Activity & Recreation Center

The Spring Thaw is the kick-off to our community gardening season. There will be representatives from all the gardens, so you join a garden as a newcomer or confirm a plot assignment for previous gardeners. Plus, everyone can network and get gardening advice from other gardeners. We’ll have a limited quantity of free seeds available for gardeners at member gardens.

There will also be snacks and drinks, plus get information about composting and City recycling from our special guest, Columbia Volunteer Programs Specialist Jody Cook.

Hope to see you there!

Member Garden Updates

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Jenny

Attention Garden Leaders! Each year, we’d like to re-confirm all our member gardens are continuing to be kept up and review leadership contacts. Renewing your membership makes your garden continue to be eligible for CGC funds and other support. We’d like to hear from every leader, so please fill out the following short form. Thank you!

(Some folks may have already done this at our Shakespeare’s event in January. If you filled out a form at that time, then you are all set!)

Continue reading →

Thank you!!

Posted on January 1, 2018 by Jenny

The Community Garden Coalition is so grateful to our many donors through the CoMoGives campaign in December. We couldn’t be more pleased with the results and the generosity of this community. We’ll do our best to use those funds to keep supporting and nurturing community gardens in 2018.

Community Garden Coalition Board of Directors:
Sarah Kendrick, President
Jenny McDonald, Vice President
Bill McKelvey, Treasurer
Lauren Godsy, Secretary
Kathy Doisy
Ken Germond
Ann Marie Gortmaker
Mira Stoddart

P.S. If you meant to donate, but missed your chance in December, it’s not too late! We can accept donations year-round at this link. And thank you again for your support!

Spotlight on D.H. Crum Community Garden

Posted on December 26, 2017 by Jenny

DH Crum Community Garden partners with the City of Columbia and the Community Garden Coalition to provide gardening space and resources for all community members.

Support this garden and others with a donation through CoMo Gives this month.

We began the garden at Firehouse #5 in the Fall of 2014 with 6 individual plots. Garden participation continues to grow each year, and we now have 12 individual plots with a variety of community plot options where gardeners share the labor and harvest. We are also adding several fruit trees and bushes. The garden provides an opportunity for area residents to grow fresh food and an environment to develop community.

— Garden leaders Kristen Hatton and Julie Walker

Fun fact about the D.H. Crum garden: They have a persimmon tree, which drops loads of delicious native fruit most years in late fall. Lucky ducks!

Spotlight on Unite 4 Health Community Garden

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Jenny

The Unite 4 Health Community Garden was established in 2011. It has undergone many transformations over the years, and today features 40 garden plots, five of which are fully accessible, and each tended by a different family. Our members are a diverse group and offer an environment rich in culture, age and experience. In addition to the individual plots, we have community strawberry, raspberry, elderberry, and herb beds, fruit trees, and a rain garden. A rain barrel system is also on site. Plans for next year include the addition of native edible plants.

Support this garden and others with a donation through CoMo Gives this month.

Goodbye to a Good Friend

Posted on December 17, 2017 by Jenny

Our good friend Dan Cullimore passed away recently. Losing Dan is hard. He was generous with his time. He was smart and funny. He was someone you could go to with all sorts of questions. His positive attitude was one of his most endearing and helpful attributes.

For the Community Garden Coalition, Dan was first a gardener at the Circus-Lyons Community Garden (which he helped establish), then a garden leader there, then a board member. He eventually became president of the board and led our organization until he needed to resign to focus on his health earlier this year.

Having Dan at the helm helped us feel assured. He was an excellent ambassador for our group and for community gardening in general. He was reasoned and thoughtful when it came to making tough decisions. He even helped us grow up a little as an organization by working to formalize a variety of policies and procedures – no one’s idea of fun, but something that needed to be done.

The outpouring of kind words and remembrances from friends and family is a reminder of the place Dan occupies in our hearts and community. We will miss him greatly. We will carry his spirit with us.

What would your donation buy?

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Jenny

The Garden Coalition needs your donations through CoMo Gives this December. Ever wonder what it costs to help support a garden? Here are some examples of what we could do with your donation.

Spotlight on Bethel Church Community Garden

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Jenny

We recently harvested 349 pounds of sweet potatoes from the Bethel Community Garden along with some late season green beans, tomatoes, beets, squash, and some surprise watermelons we found hiding in the weeds.
Great gardening year! Thanks for your support.

Linda Coats,
Bethel Church Community Garden

a huge late-season harvest of sweet potatoes and a few melons This garden, run by and for the Bethel Church community, has been a member of our coalition since 2011. Some produce is donated to St. Francis House and similar charities and some is shared by gardeners.