The CCGA Resources Committee has been busy this summer!
COVID-19 has made us all wonder how we’d manage many new challenges during this pandemic, and for many community gardens, the CCGA Resources distributions and plant sales have been the sole source of affordable, viable seedlings and healthy plants this year. The Resources Committee organized – and managed to make seem effortless – seven contactless distributions throughout April, May, June and July. When everything that we once knew had changed so dramatically, this brought a sense of well-being to gardeners with the possibility of bountiful bouquets and delicious harvests.
Beginning in April, coleus plants were propagated and then were distributed at New Horizons Garden on Saturday, May 2.
May 15 and 16 marked two more distributions: a variety of ornamentals and pollinator-friendly annuals, herbs and vegetable seedlings, and on the 16th, Resources stepped up to help distribute a variety of tomato seedlings that Kilbourn Park Greenhouse was otherwise unable to get into gardens due to the COVID-19 cancellation of its sale. The following week on May 21, Resources had lots of native wildflowers: milkweed, echinacea, penstemon, columbine, and others, to distribute to community gardeners. Magnificent dahlia plants, herbs, and a lot of other various plants that were emptied out of the greenhouse were available as well.
Community gardens in the parks are a historic part of the city, and have been in operation for 70 years – until coronavirus caused the shut-down of hundreds of community gardens, many in parks across the city. Most gardens in the parks were allowed to re-open in time to participate in these distributions, but the lakefront remained closed with gardens padlocked. There is a happy ending to this story, involving a grower and deeply generous benefactor, Nick Michaud of Westover Farms in Long Grove. Nick grew 100 tomatoes from seeds of twelve of the most mouth-watering, desirable varieties and a couple of tomatillos and a few pepper plants as well. and donated them to CCGA, who in turn made sure that these tomato (and pepper plants as well) were distributed to Rainbow Beach and Jackson Park community gardens as well as a few other gardens in the parks especially hard-hit by the shutdown.
On June 27, CCGA Resources organized yet another distribution thanks to Nick Michaud, who again contributed a wide variety of vegetable, herb, and ornamental plants. Special thanks also to two home gardeners who contributed lots of perennial seedlings and flowers.
CCGA added two more huge distributions in July.
The dedication of the CCGA Resources Committee and generosity of our partner growers continues to provide gardeners with opportunities for planting, nurturing and harvesting, and to see things growing and thriving in our gardens again amidst the challenges we are all facing. We know too well that well-being depends on a range of social, economic and environmental factors, as is emphasized by the health disparities seen in different areas of our city. CCGA supports access to green space, and recognizes that growing in that space is vital for health and well-being.
