[Photos via 6BC Botanical Garden]
Via the EVG inbox... from the 6BC Botanical Garden on Sixth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C...
Hello, fellow gardeners! It's that time again! 6BC is seeking responsible persons interested in making a commitment to our community garden. Get out in the sunshine, meet your neighbors,and help us keep this lovely space green and growing for our community. And maybe make a new friend or two!
As a member of 6BC Garden, you will have year-round access to the garden, and invitations to members-only events,
Most importantly, you will be helping to maintain a priceless, serene, green space for our neighborhood and for yourself. So you know nothing about gardening? No problem! We all learn together. You don't even have to garden — there are other ways to help out.
Orientation Dates:
Saturday, April 1
Sunday, April 9
Sunday, April 23
Saturday, April 29
Sunday, May 7
Saturday, May 20
All orientations start at 11 a.m.
Find more details here.
Last year, 6BC received the Achievement in Landscape Design in the first GreenThumb Gardeners Recognition Awards ...topping 600 other city gardens.
The sign at the garden noting this distinction was recently enhanced...
I am interested in this, but I have a question and am hoping someone can answer: Is this like the garden on 12th where people who have been there forever have plots that "belong" to them?
ReplyDeleteI paid $25 to join the 12th Street garden a few years back only to find out during the meeting that the garden was divided up into plots that "belonged" to certain people who had been part of the garden forever.
I appreciate that people have been longtime members, but it wasn't the communal garden experience I expected. A lot of them didn't take good care of their plots and were fussy about people touching them at all even to help weed. I wish I had known about this before I paid money to join because $25 was money I couldn't afford to toss away.
I have lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years, and I like being part of the community, and I am hoping for a more communal experience where everyone takes care of the whole garden together and makes decisions about what to grow together. I don't want to join a garden where people have plots that they hang onto for years and make people feel like they aren't welcome. That's no fun!
If this garden is a more communal garden where everything belongs to everyone and everyone tends to the whole garden, well, I would be happy to be a part of that.
My roommate was involved in this she quit after a month or so as some of the Green thumbed Bosses there were a bit overbearing said it felt like a Woody Allen movie
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ReplyDeleteThis garden is the most stunning "community garden" due to its landscape design, planning and upkeep. I imagine it does not look that way by accident nor would it look this way if members had complete freedom to plant what they wish. Many of the garden pioneers are still active in their gardens so finding a perfect fit may take some effort. When the gardens open up in the coming weeks meet members and ask if they are looking for members and what they expect and provide from new members, good luck.
This is the most beautiful garden in the EV. How much is the membership fee? I am interested to join,
ReplyDeleteOur garden is located on 6th street between Avenues A & B, hence the name "6BC”. We are a Botanical garden so there IS an overall design that we try to maintain.
ReplyDeletePlot stewards and co-stweards oversee different areas of the garden. We also have communal plots and plots that will need new stewards this year. Any major pruning or planting must be approved by the board.
That said, there is still plenty of room for community and creativity :)
There are non-gardening things you can do as well like helping with events, composting, community outreach, etc. It costs $25 to join. Please see www.6bcgarden.org for all requirements.
The politics at a few of the local gardens are outrageous. When they were started back in the day, it was about creating beautiful spaces for everyone here to enjoy. Over the years some of the longtimers got crazed with the notion of owning their plots and they feel threatened by anyone new trying to get involved. That's the problem at the bigger garden on 12th. More people would be involved there and the garden would be better maintained and not an overgrown mess in the summer if there was a common vision and everyone worked together like they do at other gardens in the area.
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