A few more pictures

An example of a rock garden. We'll use something like this as our model. The purpose of a rock garden is to make a particular spot look nicer--to 'beautify.' Only green plants and flowers grow on them, no produce.

The sign at the edge of the vacant lot, one of the first things you see when you turn left off York Road.

Street on the backside of Woodbourne-McCabe.

Please ignore the roadsign in this picture!

Survey results updated

Went down to the lot this morning and did a little more surveying. We've now been to almost every house in Woodbourne-McCabe on the near side.

The totals re-tallied:

1) Would you be interested in becoming involved in a community garden next spring if it were built? 

Yes--28 

No--7

2) How often would you participate in garden events (managing your own plot, hanging out, attending small concerts, etc.)

Daily--1

4-5 times a week--3

2-3 times a week--15

Once a week, never--17

Never--3

3) Would you be interested in growing only plants/flowers/trees at the garden, or actual produce for eating?

Trend is split about 50/50 between produce for eating and only plants/flowers/trees. Many would like both.

4) What kinds of additional projects would you support for the vacant lot? (Can circle more than one.) 

Swing set--14

Staging area for musical events--8

Farmers' market--16

Compost pile--6

5) What do you foresee being the main benefits of transforming the lot into a community garden? (Can circle more than one.) 

Making use of the empty lot--15

Raising community spirit--22

Creating a social space for the community--13

Turning the lot into a play area for kids--18

Parks and People grant workshop

Posting this one a little late: attended a workshop about a week ago at Parks and People (in the unexpectedly cool neighborhood behind Johns Hopkins) on how to apply for grants for community gardens. There were all sorts of people there--schoolteachers, other college students, retired couples, young activists, middle-aged folk fed up with the slab of concrete across the street. One man planned to use his grand award money to borrow a jackhammer to break up some concrete, and wondered who to give the pieces to. Another wanted to create an edible garden, but wasn't sure where to get plant donations. Others didn't know how to get access to running water for the site.

The workshop lasted two hours and was given by several people, all young and enthusiastic Parks and People people (Christine was one of them!). (They seem very much like Goucher kids about two or three years from now. Are we the green generation, or what? I tell you!) The key item, for us, was that the grant-getting process is a long one. This step alone is big enough to delay our project until mid-March at the earliest--when the awards arrive--and likely a month or more beyond. On the application for the grant itself, we have to demonstrate several things: that we have community support for this project, we have a rough budget worked out, we have a schematic of our garden sketched out, we are in touch with a group who will take over responsibility for the garden after we're gone, the lot is rightfully ours, and other details.

Next step: mail soil samples

We have finally--after several trips and much consternation--got the soil samples and are ready to send them in for testing. (The soil has to be tested for lead, which is usually present if the lot used to be the site of a collapsed building, which is the case for at least one of the two lots.) We'll mail them soon to the University of Massachusetts, which only charges a small fee, and will post the results soon.

Second round of surveys completed; results tabulated!

At the end of last week we collected surveys from about 40 more houses, which covers all the houses in the neighborhood within at least a quarter mile of the vacant lot. We didn't get surveys from most houses because it was a workday and many residents weren't home, but we did get a number big enough to give us an idea of what the community wants.

The results (tallies from different answers may not add up): 

1) Would you be interested in becoming involved in a community garden next spring if it were built? 

Yes--16 

No--4

2) How often would you participate in garden events (managing your own plot, hanging out, attending small concerts, etc.)

Daily--

4-5 times a week--1

2-3 times a week--7

Once a week, never--9

Never--2

3) Would you be interested in growing only plants/flowers/trees at the garden, or actual produce for eating?

Trend is split about 50/50 between produce for eating and only plants/flowers/trees. Many would like both.

4) What kinds of additional projects would you support for the vacant lot?

Swing set--9

Staging area for musical events--5

Farmers' market--10

Compost pile--4

5) What do you foresee being the main benefits of transforming the lot into a community garden?

Making use of the empty lot--9

Raising community spirit--14

Creating a social space for the community--9

Turning the lot into a play area for kids--14 

First surveys completed

We did a first round of surveying this afternoon, making it to about 30 houses altogether. That still leaves a big number of houses--we're going to go back soon. We'll post the results of the survey soon (or at least the trends).

For those who find their way to this website who haven't filled out the survey, it is pasted below, and it would be hugely appreciated if you could take a minute to fill out and post your responses (or send them in a private message if you don't want it to be public).


Community Garden Survey

1) Would you be interested in becoming involved in a community garden next spring if it were built?

2) How often would you participate in garden events (managing your own plot, hanging out, attending small concerts, etc.)
         Circle one: Daily, 4-5 times a week, 2-3 times a week, once a week, never

3) Would you be interested in growing only plants/flowers/trees at the garden, or actual produce for eating?

4) What kinds of additional projects would you support for the vacant lot?
         Circle any or all: Swing set, staging area for musical events, farmers' market, compost pile

5) What do you foresee being the main benefits of transforming the lot into a community garden?
         Circle any or all: Raising community spirit, creating a social space for the community, turning the lot into  
         a play area for kids