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