Bell Arts Begins to Garden

Bell Arts Factory's Mission statement is to bring people together to celebrate art, education and community, and to build a healthier and stronger Ventura.  The factory is vigorously adapting the space in every way possible to lessen the environmental impact and to show by example how to become more sustainable.  That is why, when I met with Bell Arts president Jim Rice,  we both agreed that turning every available space into edible gardens was a good step forward.

We choose the small space by the entrance area as the first "showcase garden" to build.  Our goal was to use only recycled materials, locally composted soil, and locally grown starts.  The area is surrounded by concrete.  We wanted this garden to add a lot of color and speak for us.  Also, the area was prone to being trampled by children playing and jumping into it.  We had to protect it somehow.  I set out to complete the task.

I began by going down the street to JD's Vintage & Thrift Store to see what I could salvage.  I found an old futon frame, which turned on its side and modified a little, was a perfect fit for a fence. They donated the materials to the cause!  It feels great when community works together.

I got the fence ready to install, then I amended the soil with compost and mulch from the Cornucopia Gardens.  By mixing in some green cuttings, with composted soil and some rough mulch, I created a good bed ready for planting.


Then  I brought in some transplants from the Color Gardens which is located just above Main St. in downtown Ventura.  I migrated Swiss chard, onions, potatoes, beans, garlic, lettuce and a few flowers.  Again it felt great to stay in line with the objectives of staying local and sharing resources, using locally grown plants to start this educational garden.  Lots of folks walked by and were pleasantly surprised.  Jim was happy to see the progress.


With recycled materials, literally no-costs and shared labor, we turned a neglected area of space in the front parking lot into a colorful edible garden.

This is the first step that Bell Arts Factory is taking toward gardening as art.  Our next step is to build rolling raised bed gardens and an herb garden in the outdoor gathering area.  Come back soon and I'll keep you updated.  Keep Growing!

Links:
Bell Arts Factory

Strengthening the Roots

I am fortunate to be attending a summit for seed and food justice in Santa Cruz this weekend.  Gathered here under the redwoods on a beautiful campus are the leaders of organic seed saving, gardening and co-op sustainability.  With classes and work groups like transforming landscapes, food sovereignty, and  how to create a seed sharing library, my mind is filled with new ideas and concepts.

I learned about F1 hybrids, the true meaning of heirloom seeds, open air pollination and many other concepts that guide the organic seed saver. I also had the chance to network with folks that are willing to share guidance and support as I continue to build community around edible landscapes.

In the afternoon I had a chance to relax in one of the campus gardens.  The soil smelled so alive.  It was inspiring to say the least.

Saving seed is somewhat of an art form.  The practice ranges from simple saving of seeds, to in-depth development of stable strains.  The gardeners who practice seed saving are serious about what they do, yet open and willing to share their knowledge.

Don Tipping of Siskiyou Seeds spoke about the concepts of building higher quality seeds, and how to guide plant adaptability to meet the desires of the grower.  David King led a group discussion on urban pollenation.  He helped form the Seed Library of Los Angeles.  The whole day was filled with solid knowledge and deep conversation about ecology.

If your interested in getting some great seeds to start your garden, check out Seed Savers Exchange at seedsavers.org  And if you grow them, let some of them go to seed, and begin to start your own heirloom variety!

Composting in Ventura

Since the beginning of the year I've been building compost piles at several gardens, some private and some public.  Each pile, or "engine" is creating good earth for feeding spring plantings.  Built with what is available onsite, with a mixture of greens and browns, it's amazing what can be done with just a rake and a shovel.  Closing the loop is not complicated, its practical.

Here are a few pictures of the compost piles at Cornucopia Gardens and Color Gardens.  The first is the largest, measuring 4 feet wide by 30 feet long by 3 feet high.  Layered with mulch, green cuttings from the gardens, and semi-composted dirt, this pile will provide good compost in April.

It took me about 5 hours to build, and all the materials were readily available onsite.  Hopefully this is the first of many compost piles to built at the Cornucopia Garden.  The garden also is home to a compost education area that serves to educate the community on good gardening practices.  I'll be holding a teach-in there on April 6th.

The Color Garden composting area is   starting to yield some good earth too. This pile is 4 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet, just big enough to heat up in the middle and create good humus.

There are a few other small piles placed throughout the gardening area, and soon I'll start a vermi-composting area.  The Color Garden is an excellent location to outreach since it is right in downtown Ventura.

On other related topics, I'm helping to create a seed sharing program at the Ventura library.  And the Bell Arts Sustainability Program is well on its way to becoming another great community outreach program on the avenue.  Gardens are a great reason for people to come together.  See you soon.