The humble beginnings of this garden has prompted me to come up with a name that is befitting to it's creation. While attempting to generate a name that included it's location, the obvious choice was to use the street names somehow, so given Central Park and 2nd streets, and the use of recycled materials, and the "make-over" effect it seems to be having on the neighborhood, I've decided to call it "2nd chance park".

Some time has elapsed since these pics were taken, but the plot next to the tire WAS a bunch of mounds with taters ready to grow... until the squirrels found them all and whisked them away, but there's still kohlrabi and a few other survivor plants... I think it was too early to do potatoes anyway, and this way I'll get to build a squirrel-proof, stackable set-up out of tires and chicken wire... more on that later on...

The blue tarps are my attempt to capture the ripening mulberries, which worked swimmingly until the first torrential rainstorm... i was able to harvest quite a large amount of them and froze them, but wasn't able to set up any meaningful distribution for them (yet). The experience has given me some creative ideas for future harvests, as well as using the entire rear fenceline for a rainwater collection system that can double as a berry catcher. Perhaps then, I can set up something to inform people to come get them and eat them!

I'm basically going to just keep posting pics now...

Just more pictures...

I have not planted a single veggie into the ground yet, but from these pictures, you can see some of the progress I am making. Using lots of "recycled" materials, I am constructing planters, a huge, 2-stage composting bin, walkways, and a rainwater reclamation/recycling system so I don't have to use the heavily treated city water supply and pay the large water bills.

I'm going to re-route all of my gutters to drain into 55 gallon drums which will then be piped through soaker hoses to all of the different sections of the garden. I have some ideas for using wind power to create stores of compressed air to be used for pressurizing the water to assist wherever gravity won't cut it.

I've started dozens of seedlings using Anastasia's recommended methods, but since there have still been threats of frost, they are still growing in plastic bins and old microwave entree dishes under artificial fluorescent plant lighting. The city has provided me with free truckloads of compost and mulch which neighbors have been helping themselves to (uninvited), apparently under the assumption that it was placed there for everyone's use.

I did not wish to get upset or cause discontent in the community, so I placed multilingual signs attempting to explain that they were basically stealing from charity, but the "thefts" continued anyway. Fortunately, the parks and recreation department was very understanding and just delivered more (much more), so there will continue to be peace (at least in regard to the garden) in this violent, drug-infested neighborhood, and no squabbling over a miniscule thing like soil. After all, who can get upset over someone simply wishing to beautify their own "spaces of love"?

Plenty of work, sweat, toil, and love ahead in this project, and I'm looking forward to a "fruitful" community project :)

Brian

My Community garden project

To get things rolling, I'd like to share a bit about this daunting task of transforming a couple of city-owned empty lots next to my home (shown in the background) into a permaculture garden.

I have lots of stuff to cut and paste from another site that I've been talking about this on, but for now, I'm just going to publish this post as is, to see how it looks on the page :)

Brian

Welcome Friends of Anastasia one and all!

I've been working with another attendee from the Ringing Cedars Seminar back in March 2009 to come up with a central point for sharing our thoughts and progress in the creation of our Kin's Domains... the first one was a google group that seemed sort of cold and primitive, while this venue looks to be possibly a bit more favorable?

As a test, i'm going to attach a picture of the lot I will be tranforming into a community garden here in Rochester, NY

Fingers crossed..

Brian