Growing in Grace

The House of Prayer Community Mission Garden has been donating nearly 30 pounds of fresh produce each week to the VEAP garden gleaning program.  Tomatoes, celery stalks, zucchini, cabbage heads and cucumbers are making their way to the tables of our needy neighbors.  We have been so richly blessed with abundant sunshine and perfect growing conditions.  We will be sharing a garden work day with our gardening friends from Taking Steps Together.  They have been tending one of the garden beds with kids from the apartment complex and helping them learn about where their food comes from.  They are excited to share a recipe and meal with us when they use our blossoms from the squash plants to make callabassa quesadillas.  Yum!   

 

We have also discovered a new herb that is commonly referred to as a pesky weed.  Purslane is a nutrient-rich ground cover that can be used in many ways such as a salad garnish or a pesto sauce.  Go to this website for more information on this hardy “weed” that you can actually use for something good!  http://www.culinarymusings.com/2008/06/purslane-not-a-weed-but-a-wonder/

 

Growing in Grace! 

Kim Houle

Celebrating EARTH DAY 2013 by doing God's Work with Our Hands

 Earth Day 2013 was celebrated at House of Prayer Lutheran Church on Sunday April 21st, 2013. The community garden team hosted an event in parish hall that invited young and old to take home materials and terrariums to start for this year's community mission garden.

Several families will be nurturing their young seedlings and returning them to plant in the garden when the weather is more accomodating.

We certainly are looking forward to that day coming soon!!

We unveiled our new outdoor banners and will be displaying them so that our neighbors know who we are and what we are doing in their neighborhood.

Youth were given a selection of terrariums (cucumber, tomato, sunflower, pink cosmos)

"We will be good stewards of all God's Creation!"

Steve Pierson shared his "grow light" set up with the visitors. 

Several seedlings found new homes as well. 

Jack and Jamie were very eager to help distribute coloring pages, terrariums,

and instructions with others.

Door prizes were great!

Maria Zavala (l) and Maria Regan-Gonzalez (r) share information with visitors about

Taking Steps Together, the Family Partnership project to end childhood obesity. 

 

The leadership development students will be using a section of the community garden to teach young people about healthy foods and outdoor activities.

 

 

 

We are hopeful that the weather will warm up and we can begin to work the soil and prepare it for the growing season.  Thanks for your ongoing support and interest.  



Our 2012 Community Garden Day was hosted by Sandy Jenson and Kim Houle.  Visitors were greeted with ice-cold water and cookies.  We shared our success stories and found out that we were not alone in the battle against Japanese Beetles and this just wasn't the year for pole beans - anywhere.   There were approximately 15 visitors and everyone enjoyed themselves. 

As a thank you to the House of Prayer Congregation, the community mission garden provided "Lemon-Basil-Aid" on Sunday following worship.  It seems that the lemon basil plant donated by Charlie Robbins last year has been trying to invade the entire garden so with this dilemma we decided to make, DI-LEMMA-NADE.   This was enjoyed by everyone! 

Knee-high by the 4th of July?  If we had corn growing in our mission garden, I'm sure it would be right on track with this old saying.  Nonetheless, we have plenty of other crops doing very well to reach their full potential.  Our recently planted tomatoes are taking nicely in their new "digs" and this weekend we will be removing the fading peas and planting a new crop of bush beans.  Several donation trips have been made to the VEAP offices with well over 25 lbs. of donated fresh produce to date.  This fresh produce is making its way to lucky clients and their families.

Community Garden Day is scheduled for Saturday, August 11th, from 9 a.m. until noon.  Please feel free to stop by and visit the garden.  There are several gardens on the tour this year and if you'd like a map, log onto http://www.gardeningmatters.org/ for more information.

We have completed the rain-water capturing system with the helping hands of Mike Murphy, Joey Houle, Cal and Sandy Jenson, Larry and DeeDee Edlund, and others (sorry if I left someone out).  Additional work days are being scheduled to attend to other garden areas on the church grounds as well.  If you'd like to help out, please contact Kim Houle at 612-558-0634 for future dates.

Garden blessings abundant!



 

It has been a roller-coaster of a season in the garden, much like the temperatures these past days!  We were all disappointed upon hearing that we were not the recipients of the do.town grant.  However, the garden has been producing amazing veggies already and we have donated everything to the VEAP “Garden to Table” program.  Our produce is getting directly into the hands of clients that would otherwise not have access to these fresh foods.   To date  we have already donated over 10 lbs. of radishes alone.  Our peas and lettuces will be harvested in the next couple of weeks.   We also have spinach, pole beans, cucumbers, beets, kale, cabbage, tomatoes, summer squash, and various herbs that will be shared with our neighbors who rely on VEAP to help make ends meet.

We are still participating in the do.town documentary that is being produced over the course of the year.  Don’t be shy if you see Kim Houle walking around with a video camera and microphone! 

COMMUNITY GARDEN DAY is Saturday, August 11^th.  Please come and visit the garden between 9 a.m. and noon for some refreshments and fellowship.  We will have sidewalk chalk for the kids and plenty of shade and conversation for the adults.  Our garden is one of several on a metro-wide tour map of community gardens that will be hosting visitors.  We will be encouraging folks to ride bike and utilize the new Richfield Cross-Town bike path that is at our front door.   We hope to see you there! 

Thanks to the helping hands of DeeDee Edlund, Cal and Sandy Jenson, Mike Murphy, and everyone else who stops by the garden and pulls a few weeds.  Together we are DOING GOD’S WORK WITH OUR HANDS. 

 Please enjoy these pictures from our Earth Day Celebration in April!