Public Health Garden

Great weather for volunteer hours today!

2012-02-23T07:32:00.000-08:00

Our leadership team will on site from 4:00-6:00pm doing all sorts of fun things.

We've got hundreds of seeds to choose from for our early greenhouse planting, lots of soil and compost to integrate into the raised beds and garlic patch, and several upcoming events and projects to continue planning. Come on down and enjoy some sunshine and shoveling with us.

Arbor Funding and Planning

2012-02-20T07:44:00.000-08:00

News: We are building an arbor!

Thank you to Mallan Willis and the Sigma Alpha professional agriculture sorority at UMD who received a grant to help us build the arbor at the upper terrace of the Public Health Garden.

All we need to do is work with the group to establish a design that suits the UMD aesthetic, falls within the budget ($1,000) and mark a date that we can have a volunteer build day. The goal is to have the arbor built by Maryland Day, April 28.

We would like to get together during regular scheduled garden hours (4-6pm) on Thursday Feb. 23 to establish a design for the arbor. Please try to do some research/ Google image searches on arbors and come with some good ideas in mind. During this time we will also try to estimate material quantities and types so we can get an order in to the lumber distributor. Volunteer arbor install dates we are looking at that work for the PHG calendar are March 11, April 1 and April 15.

Very exciting! Start thinking of designs you like. If you are interested in helping us out, please contact publichealthgarden@gmail.com

Seeds!

2012-02-20T07:37:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the wonderful Rooting DC event on Sat. and America the Beautiful Fund we have lots more seeds for the Public Health Garden this season. We will be starting some seeds in the greenhouse on campus with Ken Ingram's Greenhouse Management Course. We will also be planting some more seeds directly in the garden starting as soon possible.

Thank you again to DC Field to Fork Network for such an enriching event and to American the Beautiful Fund for all the seeds!

Ready to Re-Purpose

2012-02-19T11:47:00.000-08:00

Like so many other creative conservationists, we here at the Public Health Garden are always looking for new ways to improve waste disposal systems by encouraging composting and aiming to reduce the amount of materials that actually qualify as waste. Re-purposing, the lesser-known 4th "R" hidden in the "Reduce, Re-Use and Recycle" mantra, is the inspiration for our spring seed-starting project.

We've decided not to import any additional propagating pots from local contributors but instead to gather toilet paper rolls (and paper towel rolls) and make our own biodegradable pots for our early greenhouse seedlings and Maryland Day giveaways.

Want to participate? Stay tuned for details on drop-off locations and pot-building, seed-starting work hours.

Work Hours Today: Rain or Shine!

2012-02-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

We'll see you at the Public Health Garden 4-6 today. If it is raining, we'll be sitting inside the basement of the School of Public Health.

See you there!

Work Hours Today

2012-02-13T08:00:00.001-08:00

Please vote here about whether or not you would like to attend work hours today. Let's see what the group decides.

So much to learn! So much to do!

2012-02-13T07:58:00.000-08:00

How lucky are we to be on a campus that has so many great visiting lecturers it is hard to attend all of them?!?! Here are the details about the cool speakers and hot topics coming to a building near you this week.

Institute of Applied Agriculture Lecture Series:
1. CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model of retailing local foods. Tuesday, February 14, 12:30-1:45 p.m. 1123 Jull HallIAA Lecturer Ellen Polishuk has 15 years of experience with the CSA model at Potomac Vegetable Farms, serving 550 families in the DC region. All are welcome.

2. Local Foods 101 Tuesday, February 14, 6-7:45 p.m. 1123 Jull Hall IAA Lecturer, Ellen Polishuk of Potomac Vegetable Farms, will lead a conversation about the size, scope and flavor of local foods. All are welcome.

3. Shrimp Farming Thursday, February 16, 12:30-1:45 p.m. 1123 Jull HallBrian Mitchell of Marvesta Shrimp Farm will describe the innovative method of growing shrimp indoors. This system may provide many answers to the question of how to obtain shrimp from a sustainable local source! All are welcome.

Arboretum Talk – Edible Woodies & Perennials in the Landscape

Thursday, February 16, 2012 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM

Arboretum Outreach Center at the Apiary

Matt Cohen will present “Persimmons, Pomegranates, Polygonatums, and other Perennial Food Plants -- Edible Woodies & Perennials in the Landscape,” a talk about easy to grow edible perennials in landscapes from sun to shade. Matt, owner of Matt's Habitats is a local professional landscaper who focuses on edible gardens and native plants, and leads nature walks with an emphasis on wild edibles. Sponsored by Chesapeake Natives.

Great Work Last Week

2012-02-13T07:57:00.000-08:00

We are excited to report that the remaining compost material has been moved into the garden! Thank you to all the hard work from our gardeners-- against all odds and cold temps! :)

Now, we can start putting the soil and compost to good use!

Today: 4-6 at the Public Health Graden!

2012-02-09T09:03:00.000-08:00

We encourage people to come out to the garden this evening for work hours (4-6 pm), but please wear enough layers! It is cold out there.

Let's finish moving that compost and make plans for some cold weather crops to go in.

Goodbye January: This week! Kicking off the semester the right way!

2012-01-31T08:33:00.000-08:00

Thank you for voting for the open work hours on Facebook. It looks like Mon 4-6 and Thurs 4-6 won! But, we also got lots of votes for Sat. So, let's do open work hours on Thurs 4-6 each week, and while the weather is still crummy have a "weather-rain-cold-date" on Mon 4-6.

Since Sat was so popular, as well as some other days, we would like to propose that people who are already signed up with the garden can come and garden when they like. If you are interested in gardening at
times other than designated garden hours (Mon 4-6 and Thurs 4-6), let us know (publichealthgarden@gmail.com). We will provide you with the shed codes and you can spend time on your own or with a friend. We will create a task board and sign in sheet so that you can know what to do in the garden even if there isn't a big group.

Thoughts? Everyone like this idea?

Work hours start this Thursday 4-6 (after we hang out at the Wellness Expo at Stamp from 11-2). Hope to see you out there.

Also, check out today's Diamondback article about this semester in the Public Health Garden.

Terp Wellness Expo 2012

2012-01-27T15:31:00.000-08:00

Come hang with the Public Health Garden gang and other University of Maryland student organizations and departments committed to promoting health and wellness on campus at the 2012 Terp Wellness Expo.

Thursday, February 2^nd from 11:00am - 2:00pm

Atrium of the Stamp Student Union

Live music, games, raffles and a photo booth

ter.ps/expo2012

Think about yourself this semester

2012-01-27T11:27:00.000-08:00

As the semester gets started, please make time in your schedule for YOU! PHG volunteer & yoga/wellness expert, Ilona, reminds us to set aside just three hours to yourself! Some great ways include yoga, meditation, and gardening!

Yoga Opportunities

Yoga everyday of the week for only $5 at Joe's Movement Emporium in Mt. Rainer.
Holy Yoga Free for UMD students at the Catholic Student Center. A monetary donation of your choice applies to non-UMD students.
Check out classes at Campus Rec

Meditation Opportunities

The Center for Health and Wellbeing offers free meditation every Tuesday evening from 6-7pm. Beginners welcome!

Gardening Opportunities

Public Health Garden! (select the hours you like here)
Rooftop Garden!
St Mary's Garden!
Sheridan Street Community Garden!

Stay relaxed and healthy this spring. Please be in touch with us if you know of other opportunities at UMD and near College Park.

Welcome to the Spring 2012 Semester in the Public Health Garden

2012-01-25T10:04:00.000-08:00

New year, new semester in the Public Health Garden!

Email/communications-logistics: We are going to be updating our email list and moving to a google-group. Our apologies if you have asked to be removed from the email list and we haven't gotten to it yet. If you would like to continue to receive messages from the Public Health Garden, please go to our google group page and "request membership". If you would like to stop receiving messages, sit tight since we sent the last one out today. Reminder: the best ways to receive information about the garden is through the blog and facebook page.

Scheduling: We are thrilled to kick off the semester! Please respond to the facebook poll a couple posts down on Facebook to help us schedule work hours this semester. It looks like Thurs 4-6 is winning. Also, please let us know if you are interested in leading a work day (opening the shed, greeting new faces, helping organize tasks)! Email publichealthgarden@gmail.com if you are interested. We will try to start work days next week (weather permitting).

Upcoming Events: Please let us know if you would like to come help represent the garden at the Terp Wellness Expo in the Stamp Union on Feb 2. Please see the calendar for details. We are looking for volunteers each hour for one hour to man our table and talk with students about the garden. Email publichealthgarden@gmail.com if you want to come by and what hours you are interested in.

Get More Involved: If you want to come volunteer with us, or are looking at getting more involved, check out our How to Get Involved page on the blog. We are looking for people to help coordinate volunteer days, manage our social media, contribute to the blog, and more. Email us! Let us know your ideas!

We are exciting for the semester and can't wait to see you in the garden. Good luck UMD with your first week of classes.

Tea Tree Oil: And its benefits to oral health

2012-01-22T16:24:00.000-08:00

Tea tree oil is an old yet effective remedy that is growing in popularity as people discover its unique properties. The "tea tree" is native to Australia and is believed to have been named by Captain James Cook, during one of his expeditions. He noted that the local Aboriginal tribes made tea from the twigs, bark and leaves of the tree. He further noted that the leaves were often used as poultices for wounds, and that they were quite effective.

It wasn't until 1920, when Australian chemist A. R. Penefold began researching and documenting the many uses of tea tree oil that it was realized how unique this plant truly was. Its antibacterial and antifungal properties were discovered and tea tree oil was soon being used commercially in the fields of surgery and dentistry.

Because tea tree oil was inexpensive and easy to come by, it was used in many household applications as well, including:

-- Remedies for fungal infections
-- Treatments for skin conditions, including acne and eczema
-- Remedies for lice
-- General disinfecting

Some of the properties that make tea tree oil available for such wide use include the fact that it can be used directly on the skin and mucus membranes without irritation. It can be used to treat colds and chest conditions by adding a small amount to a steam bath. Combing a small amount through the hair effectively treats dandruff and prevents lice and nits.

Tea tree oil is also an effective agent for good oral health. A dab of tea tree oil can help prevent a cold sore from developing and can take the sting out of a canker sore. A rinse made up of a few drops of tea tree oil and 2 ounces of water can be used as a mouthwash to prevent and treat gingivitis. This same rinse can also be used to treat thrush, a fungal infection of the tongue and throat that can often be found in people who have compromised immune systems.

People who wear dentures are prone to mouth ulcers and other sores. Dabbing tea tree oil onto the sores with a cotton swab can help the sores heal and prevent infection. Many local MD and DC dentist offices often prescribe these herbal remedies to treat the minor issue at home and saving a trip to the office.

Starting the Semester and Introducting Natural Allie

2012-01-22T16:22:00.000-08:00

Classes start on Thursday! We are thrilled and ready for the spring semester. There is much to plan for the spring -- construction, planting, activities and fun! Please check out the facebook poll to tell us when you are available for open work hours. Right now, it looks like we might be sticking with Mon and Thurs evenings -- but lets us know what you think. Also, if you are interested in taking classes in the garden through the Institute of Applied Agriculture, contact Professor Ellen Polishuk at epolishu@umd.edu
We are happy to introduce a new member of the blog team: Natural Allie. She will be sharing with us information about the benefits of holistic oral health and overall natural well-being.

Allie's bio: My name is Allison Brooks and I am a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi. I earned my B.S. in Biomedical Anthropology and have continued my research to work towards a completed ethnography. I mainly focus on the effects of biomedicalization on different cultures, but I do branch off into other fields of anthropology. This is why I LOVE to talk about the benefits of certain natural herbs and plants in the treatment/prevention of certain ailments.

Are you interested in getting more involved? Please let us know by contacting us at publichealthgarden@gmail.com

Green Matters: Urban Farming Pioneers

2012-01-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

This just in: Montgomery Parks is now accepting scholarships applications from current students and recent grads who are interested in attending the Green Matters: Urban Farming Pioneers symposium at Brookside Gardens on Friday February 24th, 2012 from 8:30am-4:00pm!

The third and final food-focused symposiums will highlight innovative approaches to feeding the world's population and feature the following (incredibly inspirational) speakers:

Dickson Despommier, Columbia University Emeritus Professor and author of The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century
Darrin Nordahl, landscape architect and author of Public Produce
Ben Flanner, Head Farmer/CEO and co-founder of the Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm
Jeff Semler Maryland State Coordinator of Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education

Interested applicants are encouraged to submit their application, along with a 200-word statement of interest, and a copy of their resume and transcripts (unofficial accepted), to Adult Education Programs Manager Mark Richardson at mark.richardson@mncppc-mc.org by January 16, 2012.

For application and further information about the event, visit Brookside Gardens: Green Matters

Here's another one of interest

2012-01-05T06:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a great (and free) opportunity to learn more about composting and urban agriculture:
DC Master Composter Course 2012
February 7th- March 6th
Wednesday’s 6:30-8:30pm
Columbia Heights Recreation Center: 1480 Girard Street, Northwest
For more information or to register contact: Kelly.melsted@dc.gov

Happy New Year: Opportunities in 2012

2012-01-05T06:26:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! We are eager to get back in the garden with the start of the Spring 2012 semester at the end of Jan. In the mean time, we have come across some exciting opportunities that are worth checking out.

CASA 13th ANNUAL CONFERENCE Farm to Institution: Making Local Food Economies a Reality (Jan 13-14)
Annie’s Project - Farm Management Classes for Women at Eight Sites in Maryland and Delaware
Support Rooting DC 2012 with Thursdays Nonprofits Profit at Madam's Organ: January 12th, 2012 from 5-8 pm at Madam's Organ, 2461 18th St NW in Adams Morgan
Rooting DC (Feb 18)
Maryland Master Gardening Program: The class starts on March 5 and runs every Monday and Wednesday evening until May 9. For more info, contact Esther Mitchell at estherm@umd.edu

Enjoy the winter break everyone! Stay tuned for updates about the Public Health Garden, ways to get involved this semester, and opportunities for leadership roles in the PHG!

Get Back to Your Studies: Work Hours Canceled

2011-12-14T20:30:00.000-08:00

Work hours are canceled for tomorrow to allow everyone some extra time to focus on their studies, finals, and other remaining academic activities this semester.
Good luck finishing up the semester. Enjoy your holiday and break. We can't wait to see everyone back in the garden in 2012.

Stay tuned for more information about scheduling and planning for 2012. As always, please email publichealthgarden@gmail.com if you have ideas, questions, or concerns.

Holiday love from the Eco-Goats! Can't you tell they are wishing you good luck on exams? :)

Work Hours Today: Bundle Up

2011-12-08T09:54:00.000-08:00

We are getting ready for winter break at the Public Health Garden. Stop by today for work hours starting at 4 pm to help us cut back dead tomato plants and move some additional soil into the raised beds.

I couldn't think of a better way to take my mind off the stress of final projects and finals. Please come procrastinate with us and help the garden get ready for winter.

Bundle up! It's cold out there.

Soil Situation Update

2011-12-04T09:39:00.000-08:00

Thanks to our dedicated soil shovelers, we were able to rectify the soil situation in our middle bed, lay that landscape fabric, and get the bulk of the soil and compost back in again. Special thanks to Phillip and Russell for the love and leadership they continue to bring to the garden.

As always, pictures of our efforts can be viewed on our Facebook and Flickr pages.

Volunteer Hours Today

2011-12-01T04:27:00.001-08:00

We've got a lot of soil to move today and could use all hands on deck tonight from 5pm-7pm, or as early as 4 pm if you happen to be free. Email publichealthgarden@gmail.com if you have time and want to get started earlier. We can really use all the help we can get! As always, we have less labor-intensive tasks on our to-do list too.

Dress for the cold and consider the fact that whatever you wear will be exposed to compost and soil. Expect to take home some salad greens too! See you soon!

Post-Thanksgiving Stretch

2011-11-27T11:55:00.000-08:00

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We know the end of the semester stretch can be a huge push with papers, finals, projects, and holiday shopping. When you need to get your mind off these items, please be sure to join us at the Public Health Garden (we'll be out there every Thurs. afternoon).

Some great ways to relieve stress:

hauling soil,
cleaning up leaves,
winterizing the garden,
discussing sustainable agriculture,
sharing recipes with friends,
applying for leadership position in the garden :)

That last one didn't quite fit, but please stay tuned for leadership applications for the garden team! We are going to be looking for folks who want to get more involved.

See you out there! Good luck recovering from your Thanksgiving food coma.

Good Times at The View Cooking Demo

2011-11-20T09:51:00.001-08:00

The Public Health Garden Gang, led by Ilona Holland and Eric Ruesch, had a fantastic time cooking at The View with Ziyad, Brian, Shane and all the residents who attended the demonstration on Thursday night. Check out pics from the event and of the following deliciousness on our Facebook page:

Asparagus wrapped in bacon with a balsamic/honey glaze
Italian style Bruschetta
Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Veggie Pasta with roasted Red Peppers
Pepper Flake, Sesame Seed and Parmesan Pasta
Honey and Basil drink

Compost This Week

2011-11-14T07:53:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the Institute of Applied Agriculture's Ellen Polishuk (and a little help from Crystal at the campus farm), we will have a big pile of compost ready to move and mix into the raised beds during work hours this Thursday November 17, 2011.

As always, we will provide gloves and shovels and suggest you wear clothing you don't mind getting dirty. See you guys soon!

Fall/Winter Schedule Update: No Monday Hours

2011-11-07T11:06:00.000-08:00

As we enjoy the fall and prepare for winter in the Public Health Garden, we are scaling back our regular work hours so that our student volunteers have time to prepare for their exams, papers, and projects that come with this time of year.

So, starting today, there will be no more Monday work hours in the garden this semester.

Please join us on Thursdays for work hours and regular planning meetings 5-7 pm.

Our SustainAPPLE Campus Community

2011-11-07T05:22:00.000-08:00

Like the glorious moment of crawling into bed after a mid-summer, 14-hour day outside in the heat, this time of year is a welcome break for those of us in the business of growing (in this region, that is). With the peace of mind that garlic and cover crops will take over for the winter, our volunteers will help us with our last harvests in the coming weeks, and that our next grant proposal has been submitted, we are able to kick back and reflect on the wonder of our first growing season.

Sure, project progress is visible to passersby in the clean lines of the patio and carefully built cedar beds, but for those of us deeply invested in the mission of the garden, the real measure of progress takes a different form. That form recently came to our attention in the shape of an apple.

Symbolically, apples carry a long line of lure about health, knowledge, tradition and cultivation. Certain things are deemed "as American as apple pie." Some believe that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" while others associate the fruit with temptation, places in space and time, and a simple, healthy addition to school lunch.

For us, apples seemed like the perfect seasonal offering for our First Annual Harvest Festival. The day before the event, the whole garden gang was invited along on my family's annual October trip to Larriland Farms - which in and of itself was a magical realization that my family life and career path had officially merged to become a lifestyle rich in relationships, rooted in the same soil. Despite the pressure of midterms, deadlines and milestones still looming, project president Allison Lily (pictured) picked enough apples to fill baskets for the raffle and fill the bellies of festival attendees while I watched my little niece enjoy her first handfuls of apple fritters.

On the day of the festival, students and staff hung around eating apples. Delicious, raw, whole, freshly-picked apples. Sure, they weren't from our young apple trees on site - but someday they will be. And someday - perhaps even next year - the land in front of Eppley Recreation Center will transition from turf to the orchard of our dreams/blueprints. Our hillside apple trees will be the first of dozens in this particular corner of an edible campus and our garden gang will hand the land over to the next group of pioneering of Public Health Gardeners and sleep easy knowing we left this land far more productive than we found it.

What I'm trying to say is that the true fruits of are labor are only just beginning to reveal themselves. As proud as we are of the construction progress and yields of this first year, we are far more proud of the future and potential that this little patch of land will go on to provide. We truly believe that every student who participates in this living classroom will garner an appreciation for that which this university was originally founded: agriculture and the exchange of knowledge about it.

And who knows, maybe future University of Maryland students will even be able to bring home enough campus-fresh apples for Thanksgiving pies.

Yum!

2011-11-06T08:06:00.001-08:00

This is just the kind of deliciousness you can expect when you stop by and chat with the Public Health Garden gang! David McHale stopped by on October 31st, we sent him home with tons of tomatoes (some ripe, some still green) to encourage his love of cooking, and he sent us the following sweet email:

Oh my gosh these tomatoes are delicious. Mixed them in with a few from my yard, I can't wait until the rest ripen.

Cheers,

David

Maryland Outstanding Blog Awards

2011-11-06T07:36:00.000-08:00

As the growing season comes to a close, Allison and Deb are headed back to the blogosphere to share everything they learned this growing season, try out recipes, examine kinks in our food system, and keep the agricultural conversations going. The Public Health Garden is happy to announce that both of their personal blogs as well as the blog you are reading right now are up for the Maryland Outstanding Blog Awards with The Baltimore Sun.

If you love this stuff as much as we do, please feel free to cast your votes for the blogs. Every page view, comment, 'like' and vote encourages us to continue posting. And speaking of posting, guest posts are still and always welcome on our blogs - especially this one!

Here are the links to vote:

Public Health Garden (Best New Blog)

Adventures in Container Gardening (Best Food Blog)

Just Saying (Best Lifestyle Blog) (also up for Best Food Blog)

You can vote once per category per day through November 10th. 2011.

Tonight!

2011-11-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Join us for garden hours tonight from 5-7! Come by for a quick clean up in the garden, and perhaps even spreading a very, very late cover crop (who knows, perhaps some of the seeds will sprout?!). We will then go inside and hang out with cake to plan and catch up after all the craziness of Oct.

See you there.

Yoga Tonight

2011-10-31T05:39:00.000-07:00

Yoga in the Garden with Ilona Holland TONIGHT (Oct 31st) from 6-7:00pm. If it is too chilly, yoga shall take place in the School of Public Health's multipurpose room 0128.

For direction, visit our "How to find us" tab.

Gardening 101 Today

2011-10-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

Please join us for our Gardening 101 Workshop with UMD Extension Master Gardeners! Today's Gardening 101 Workshop will be held in 2234CC of the School of Public Health! See you there at 5:30.

Harvest Festival Fun

2011-10-27T05:48:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate the edible garden initiatives on campus during our First Annual Harvest Festival on Monday, October 24th: National Food Day. We harvested our first big bag of leafy greens, got some soft neck garlic in the ground, and dined on delicious spreads made with love and produce grown in our very own garden.

If you entered the raffle but found yourself at another garden or indoors on account of rain during the drawing, be sure to stop by tonight during regular volunteer hours (5pm-7pm) for another drawing.

As always, all pictures from the event are available on our Facebook page.

Insect Ecology with Don Weber

2011-10-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

The Institute of Applied Agriculture invites you to learn more about Pest Management in the context of Sustainable Agriculture. Don Weber, Research Entomologist and Lead Scientist at the USDA Agricultural Research Service, will delight the audience with his research on insect ecology and commitment to improved pest management.

1123 Jull Hall, Building 227
Tuesday, November 1, 2011 @6 p.m.

Reservations Not Required
Contact Ellen Polishuk for more information.
epolishu@umd.edu

Two Salad Boxes in Harvest Festival Raffle

2011-10-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the Public Health Garden welcomed Master Gardener Coordinator Jon Traunfeld and his 'Grow It Eat It' expertise for a Salad Table/Box construction workshop. Students, friends, staff and attendees made 11 Salad Boxes and two Salad Tables.

Our new Salad Tables will be on display tonight for the Harvest Festival and two of the workshop attendees donated their Salad Boxes to today's Food Day raffle. Each box comes complete with seeds, instructions and a t-shirt.

For more information about Jon Traunfeld, University of Maryland Extension and the Salad Table/Box initiatives, visit the Grow It Eat It website.

And to see pictures of our team constructing the boxes and tables on display today, check out our Facebook and Flickr pages.

Harvest Festival and Food Day: Monday 10/24

2011-10-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

"Determination is Invincible"

2011-10-20T18:58:00.001-07:00

We had SUCH an incredible volunteer turnout tonight that we managed to get ALL the gravel moved and check a bunch of other tasks off our to-do list.

Garlic bed ready for planting? Check.

Rake and move leaves to decompose in a productive place rather than on the patio? Check.

Pull as many leaves as possible without encouraging soil erosion? Check.

Silt fence install? Check.

Tidy up the place? Check.

Get to know a few more amazing people? Check.

Chat sustainable food production? Check.

Discuss details of upcoming workshops and the Harvest Festival? Check.

Speaking of checks, check out pictures of our hard-working gang via our Facebook page. And a sincere thank you to everyone who offered their time, service and cheer tonight.

Ready for Thursday Volunteer Hours?

2011-10-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

We are ripe with hands-on educational opportunities but could use a few more hands on deck to aid with preparations for all the upcoming workshops and festivals. If you are free on Thursday from 5:00-7:00pm, come on over and help us move gravel, prepare soil mixtures, identify and yank weeds, and plan, plan, plan! Rumor has it, our IAA collaborator and raised bed planner extraordinaire Ellen Polishuk is offering extra credit to Sustainable Agriculture students who pitch in.

And just for fun, does anyone recognize the squirrel pictured above? He currently lives on campus in the Animal Science corner and has two physical characteristics that set him apart. One is visible in this pic. The other makes him identifiable from a little further away. Be the first to name it (the characteristic, not the squirrel) and we'll let you enter the Harvest Festival raffle twice.

Right On Schedule

2011-10-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks to an incredibly diligent construction manager, our raised bed irrigation system hurdles are already mostly taken care of and our incredible volunteers were able to move more than half of the gravel this evening. Find more fun pictures on our Facebook page. Goat speed, team. Goat speed.

Let's get reeaaady to gravel!! (on Monday, that is)

2011-10-14T12:09:00.001-07:00

Those of you who came to volunteer hours last night (and spent most of them in the basement of the School of Public Health due to the tornado warning) know that weather and other factors prevented us from going forward with our original gravel shoveling plans. The good news is, the inclement weather turned out to be a blessing in disguise because we just recently learned that we need to complete a step for the irrigation infrastructure of the raised beds before gravel, landscape fabric, soil and plants can go in.

The gravel has been delivered and if all goes according to plan, we shall spend our Monday volunteer hours moving it into the beds and chatting about the upcoming Harvest Festival.

October Events

2011-10-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Mother Nature gave us some beautiful days early in the month, some rain this week, and will grace us with more beautiful fall foliage in the weeks to come. In case you need an excuse to spend time outside, the Public Health Garden has a great schedule of events lined up. Click here for a larger version of the schedule. If you are interested in attending one of the workshops or yoga in the garden, be sure and RSVP to publichealthgarden@gmail.com

Get Ready to Move Gravel

2011-10-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

We've got big plans for Thursday volunteer hours this week. And by big, we mean big piles of gravel!

Before we can lay the landscape fabric and fill the raised beds with soil, seeds, plants and love, we've got to get a little more gravel in 'em and we could use all hands on deck to move it into each bed.

So come on down Thursday at 5:00pm. We've got lots of shovels and gloves and a few other less labor-intensive jobs too.

No (Official) Volunteer Hours Today

2011-10-10T06:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! In light of several holidays and several very busy club founders, we will not have our regularly scheduled volunteer hours this afternoon.

If you have volunteered with us before (signed a waiver) and were really looking forward to some garden time, by all means stop by and pull weeds and take home any ripe veggies you find.

October Fun

2011-10-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

The PHG Team's October calendar is filled with educational workshops, events and work opportunities so we enjoyed some light harvesting and fall planning during our volunteer hours this week while saving up our energy for the coming weeks. We met some great insects too! Thanks again for all your help and enthusiasm, folks. Be sure and mark your calendars for the following events:

Thursday Oct 13th: Volunteer hours dedicated to moving gravel into the raised beds to fill the beds with the gravel

Thursday Oct 20th: Compost/soil mixture delivery! Volunteer hours will be dedicating to getting the mediums mixed as per the IAA Sustainable Agriculture Class's instruction and moving it into the beds

Saturday Oct 22nd: Salad Table Workshop with the UMD Extension (9:00am-12pm) -- RSVP required (flyer and details coming soon)

Monday October 24th Food Day: Our First Annual Harvest Festival! We'll have lots of food, music and fun and will be planting in the upper terrace.

Thursday October 27th: Gardening 101 Workshop with the UMD Extension (5:30-6:30pm) - RSVP required (flyer and details coming soon)

Monday October 31st: Hint: We may have a litter extra fun alongside fellow student groups :-)

Chili Cook Off This Weekend

2011-10-05T07:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend, the Public Health Garden will be at Behnke Nurseries for the Chili Cook Off. Please stop by and join us!

Details below:

Saturday, October 8, 2011 - Beltsville

4th Annual Official Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off
to Benefit the Beltsville Rotary Club. If you or your group would like to step up and compete in the chili cook-off, contact Stephanie Fleming by email at sfleming@behnkes.net or leave a message at (240) 473-6709.

Want to join our growing team?

2011-10-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

The PHG team has lots to do to prepare for our 1st Annual Harvest Festival, cover crop planting and the next stages of garden development. We are looking for a few more standout volunteers to help out at the Harvest Festival, this season and in the future so if you're interested in all things farming, fundraising, planning and planting, please come (or continue to come) to our bi-weekly volunteer hours (Monday 3:30-5:30pm and Thursday 5:00-7:00pm) to get familiar with our space and goals.

Positions that are or will be open in the coming months:

Volunteer Coordinator
Contributing Blogger
Treasurer
Community Crop Manager
Pest Manager

Arboretum Walk: Edibles in the Landscape

2011-09-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

Who: The University of Maryland Arboretum and Botanical Garden in collaboration with UM Landscape Architect Bobby Tjaden (who also happens to be the Public Health Garden Construction Manager)

What: A guided, educational and awe-inspiring tour of our student teaching and community garden ripe with ideas for experiential education on public health issues. The garden, which has become a central meeting point and community building tool, demonstrates sustainable agriculture and environmental best practices, exemplifies the value of environmental stewardship, encourages physical activity and a balanced diet, and serves as a living classroom for faculty, staff and students. .

When: Wednesday September 28, 2011 12:00pm-12:45pm

Where: On site at the Public Health Garden, of course! Meet on the upper terrace - between Eppley Recreation Center and the School of Public Health

Why: Because edible landscapes and living classrooms are an integral part of our future!

Monday Volunteer Hours @ 3:30pm

2011-09-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

In order to maximize attendance, our Monday volunteer hours will now begin at 3:30pm (instead of 1:00pm). We've got lots of brainstorming to do about cover crops, erosion control and what to plant in our ADA accessible community beds so come on down and share your thoughts!

Beds Built

2011-09-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

Woo hooooo!! After five hours on site with tons of hard-working volunteers, five of six beds are built and roughly sanded. The last bed will be built once the rain garden portion of the site is constructed. There aren't enough bagels and cream cheese in the world to thank everyone who came out and helped us this morning. Thanks again, folks.

See all our fun pictures from today and many other days on our Facebook and Flickr pages.

Everybody Eats Food

2011-09-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

Check out the article today in the Diamondback by Ben Simon, a UMD senior government and politics major. In it he writes: "I am urging you to give growing your own food a shot." We couldn't agree more!

Come on out to the Public Health Garden and take some food home with you.

Thanks to the Diamondback for your continued support.

Come Help Us With Construction

2011-09-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

UMD: If you have skills with power tools and have some of your own (or a friend that meets either of these criteria), please come help us in the Public Health Garden this Sunday. We are hoping to finish building three of the beds in our upper terrace. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Here are the details:

What: Construction Sunday in the garden to build three of the raised garden beds
When: Sunday Sep. 25 8 am - 12:30 pm
Where: Public Health Garden at UMD (between Eppley Rec Center and School of Public Health)
Bonus: Breakfast and lunch provided, as well as any veggies from the garden we can harvest! Plus the satisfaction of a wonderful job done to help us get closer to our goals in the garden!

You must RSVP (email: publichealthgarden@gmail.com) to let us know if you will be coming and if you have tools to bring along so that our construction manager can plan our activities and we can plan for how much food we need to have available.

"Terps Leave Small Footprints"

2011-09-19T15:16:00.001-07:00

The new PHG sign! In the lower right-hand corner of the photo, you can see the back of the sign: evidence of it's re-purpose from a Maryland highway. Pretty cool, huh?

Office of Sustainability Info Fair

2011-09-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

While an incredible group of PHG volunteers prepared garden beds for fall planting, a few of our executive team members got to attend the Office of Sustainability Info Fair and swap stories and experiences with fellow and future Sustainability Fund grant recipients.

In 2010, 30 proposals were submitted for funding and the Public Health Garden grant, written by Rachel Tennant and supported by Glori Hyman of the Institute of Applied Agriculture, was one of nine to receive funding. Today, the students, faculty and staff who have worked tirelessly on their respective projects got together to celebrate their steps towards a sustainable campus and offer advice on the grant-writing process. After remarks from the Office of Sustainability and Sustainability Council, recipients were awarded certificates (printed on re-purposed manila folders) and new project signage (mounted on re-purposed aluminum road signs from Maryland highways).

Visit the Office of Sustainability website to learn about the green fund projects currently underway as well as how to get involved with the 2011-12 grant process.

Fun at the First Look Fair

2011-09-19T14:32:00.001-07:00

Special thanks to each and every one of the volunteers, team members and supporters who helped promote the Public Health Garden at the University's First Look Fair last week. Our group is growing fast and we can't wait to meet all our new recruits!

When life gives you water, make watermelons!

2011-09-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! If only we had this glorious weather yesterday during volunteer hours, huh?

Lucky for us, a few volunteers braved the chilly rain last night and helped us get some herbs in the ground, solidify some plans for the next cultivated areas, and find good homes for our harvest.

Special thanks to Brendan and Russell for their extraordinary interest, enthusiasm and hard work.

Carpenters, come on down!

2011-09-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

If you've got wood-working skills or an interest in acquiring them, we'd love a little extra help building the rest of the raised beds Thursday evening (September 14, 2011) during regular volunteer hours (5:00pm to sunset). The sooner they are structurally sound, the sooner we can fill them with locally produced compost and get a whole new set of fall crops growing.

New volunteers: Please arrive on site ten minutes early to review our safety rules and sign the volunteer waiver.

PHG Took 2nd Place at Colonnade Society Event

2011-09-13T04:22:00.000-07:00

Yippee!! We had an incredible time with the Colonnade Society Members and Guests, University President Wallace Loh, Ted Leonsis and all the inspirational folks we had the honor of mingling with last night and throughout the months leading up to this event.

Find photos of the event on our Facebook page and stay tuned for upcoming posts sharing what we learned about the importance of philanthropy, leadership the pursuit of happiness in business and in life.

Volunteer Hours Today 1pm - 3pm

2011-09-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

Come on over and help us pull all the Yellow Nutsedge that popped up over the weekend!

New Seedlings!

2011-09-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

We are so thrilled to have cleared two new plots for our fall planting. We pulled out some of the remaining squash and melons, as well as some sunflowers to make room for greens like mustard and kale.

As our babies grow, we are thinking of making new signs to help remind visitors not to step on the plants as they come up out of the ground. Here is an example of a great sign from Arcadia, a wonderful farm in Virginia.

Learn more about our recent visit to Arcadia on sister-blog Adventures in Container Gardening.

Start thinking about more ideas for fall planting, because we are going to be very busy this Monday during work hours from 1-3 pm. With all the rain we got last week, there are plenty of weeds that need to be taken out and two more plots that need to be prepared for fall.

Hope to see you there!

Rainbows Ahead

2011-09-08T18:32:00.000-07:00

We here at the Public Health Garden aren't letting the weather slow us down. For every melon bursting from the record-breaking rainfall, we appear to have a new volunteer bursting with enthusiasm and energy for the garden and all that it represents.

Special thanks and welcomes to Al, Brendan, Eric, Joan, Leslie, Russel and everyone else who braved the scattered thunderstorms to attend volunteer hours tonight. Although we were all washed off the hill a little early, we had the wonderful opportunity to get to know our new recruits and understand their goals in and out of the garden. We also got to chat about the past, present and future of farming, the growing local food movement on campus, and the health and well-being that flourishes in a community garden. Good times!

Two Beds Built

2011-09-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

Construction Manager Bobby Tjaden and Founding President Rachel Tennant put in a little overtime last week (in between weather catastrophes) to get the second of six raised beds put together.

Within the next few weeks, we look forward to working with our growing student volunteer force to get the remainder of the beds built. Three of the beds will serve as a living classroom for the Institute of Applied Agriculture's Sustainable Agriculture course with Ellen Polishuk this fall while the others will provide ADA accessible community bed space.

Can't wait to see what grows!

Labor Day

2011-09-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

No work hours today . Enjoy the holiday and look forward to seeing you on Thursday.

Photo by Frank Scherschel

Yes, that is an American Flag made from fruit.

Thursday Night on Site

2011-09-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

We had such a lovely volunteer turnout this week we were able to complete weekly pest management, scheduled watering AND get new seeds into the soil before the holiday weekend! Not to mention, we had lots of fun in the process. Special thanks to Tyson Barker for helping us turn over soil to prepare the new beds for seeds; to Ali, Caitlin, Cora, Danielle, Kathryn, Russel and Sean for yanking a ton of weeds from the hillsides and working on the layout of the (future) beds of greens; and to everyone for bringing such positive, productive, enthusiastic and nurturing support to the group and garden.

As always, you can see all our pictures and follow the garden's progress on our Facebook and Flickr pages. Feel free to join and post your own too!

Volunteers from The View!

2011-09-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

After a great night on site building beds with volunteers, the Public Health Garden Girls spent the latter part of Thursday night serving locally grown veggies, in the form of Israeli Salad and Beet Cake, and recruiting new volunteers (and Facebook 'likes') at "The View," a student-filled apartment complex nearly on campus.

Both delicious dishes were gobbled up by new and returning students. Some returning for salad again and again! Quite a few students had heard about the garden, the goats, or "been wondering what was happening on the hillside by the gym." Just as many stopped in to chat about their interests and majors pertaining to food, the food system, environmental science, conservation, agriculture, health, wellness and community.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone again at our upcoming volunteer hours (Mondays: 1:00-300pm and Thursdays 5:00-7:00pm).

Reminder to visitors who expressed interest in a position on our executive team: Send us your contact information via email to publichealthgarden@gmail.com with the subject line: LEADERSHIP TEAM APPLICANT

Survived the Hurricane

2011-08-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

With the exception of a few buried melons, toppled tomatoes and slanted sunflower stalks, the garden survived Irene with fairly little damage. Yesterday afternoon, during our first fall volunteer session, we were able to get those tomatoes staked and tied back up and brainstorm about fall planting. Special thanks to Tyson Barker for his care in tending to the plants and putting in some overtime for those tomatoes.

Ready, Set, Fall 2011

2011-08-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

While we love summer at the PHG, we can't wait for the semester to start next week! Are you ready to get involved? Check out our How To Get Involved Page with details about next steps to take.

Note: Our meeting and work hours have changed for the semester! Fall 2011 garden work hours will be:

Monday 1-3 pm
Thursday 5-7 pm

The new work hours start next week! Check the calendar for more details. Come out and get some of these:

Sigh, yum, and happiness.

Combat Stress with Gardening!

2011-08-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

As new and returning students prepare and begin to return to the dorms and local housing this weekend, we'd like to take a minute to plug our garden club. As you can see from the infographic above, courtesy of our friend Jen Rhee, college students can experience a lot of stress from a lot of different directions. While academic pressure may be hard to avoid, there are lots of great ways to keep it in check and combat the stress of relocating and making new friends. Our suggestion to those of you looking for a hobby and perhaps some new friends: Come on out to the Public Health Garden!

We are conveniently located right near the Scholars dorms and Eppley Recreation Center. Nurturing the land you live on, connecting with fellow students, and becoming part of a growing group (pun intended) of engaged and enthusiastic parents will not only ease the transition - it may help you fulfill community service requirements AND contribute to a fresh, local diet rich in produce.

Watermelon Wednesday

2011-08-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

We were blessed with B-E-A-UTIFUL weather, volunteers, and watermelon during an impromptu end-of-summer celebration and the last Wednesday evening volunteer hours of the season. Fear not, future farmers: we will continue to welcome happy helpers throughout the fall - just on different days of the week.

Stayed tuned in the coming weeks for a post regarding official fall volunteer hours. Next week we will be welcoming new students and helping hands Monday (August 29th) from noon until we run out of steam and on Thursday (September 1st) from 5:00pm until dusk.

Join us for bed-building, plot-planning and regular site maintenance. As always, pictures of our progress can be found on our Facebook and Flickr pages.

Bed Construction Update

2011-08-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

One down (err... up), five to go!

Sheridan Street Community Support

2011-08-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

A few executive members of our garden club had the fantastic opportunity to learn about pests, plant diseases and how to manage them from local expert/hero and State Master Gardener Coordinator Jon Traunfeld via a lecture held at Sheridan Street Community Garden earlier this week. Thanks to their expertise, we feel like we are (organically) winning the battle against the squash bugs who recently infiltrated our patches. Special thanks to our friend Christie Balch, the University of Maryland Extension Program Coordinator at the Center for Educational Partnership, for keeping us in the loop.

Great Start on the Raised Beds

2011-08-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

Our incredible staff and volunteers stayed well into the evening hours on Wednesday to help us get the foundation built for the first of six raised beds and test out our new head lamps. As always, we took tons of pictures and posted them on our Facebook and Flickr pages and encourage you to check them out as well as continue to follow our progress here on the blog.

Bed-Building Time!

2011-08-17T07:36:00.001-07:00

It's Wednesday and you know what that means: Volunteer hours on site tonight! Apart from weekly weeding and deep watering, tonight's volunteers will be helping us construct our raised beds. All cedar provided by T.W. Perry is on site and ready to house our growing garden. So strap up your boots, grab a reusable bottle of water and come on down at 5:00pm.

Crisis Averted

2011-08-17T06:58:00.001-07:00

Special thanks to Carin Celebuski and the Landscape Services crew she recruited to re-install the silt fence and clean up erosion after all that rain earlier in the week. You're the best, Carin!!

TerpQuest Kids Sure Can Garden

2011-08-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

Check out the leafy greens and bean sprouts shooting out of the containers the TerpQuest kids planted over the last two weeks. Nice work, huh? Not only did they get those seedlings started, they helped us eradicate squash bugs, squash bug nymphs, stink bugs and weeds AND they helped us get tomatoes planted in the first official community bed at the base of the patio.

Thanks for your help, kids and counselors!

Strong String Beans!

2011-08-10T06:21:00.001-07:00

Looks like we dropped a few bean seeds while planting with the TerpQuest kids last week. I bet the groups coming this Friday will be excited about these sidewalk sprouts!

Raised Beds! Thank You TW Perry

2011-08-09T10:16:00.000-07:00

We at the Public Health Garden are very excited about yesterday's delivery to the site from TW Perry. We are going to start building the raised beds for the upper terrace of the site this week. Let us know if you are handy with building and want to join us. We will start work tomorrow on site at 5 pm.

Thank you again to TW Perry for their generous contribution to our project. Check out their wonderful Green Building site for details on their ongoing efforts towards sustainability.

College Park Patch

2011-08-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the College Park blog, The Patch for covering our story! Check it out here.

2011-08-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

Hooray Storage!

2011-08-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who helped us order, retrieve, build, move and fill the storage sheds during our weekly volunteer hours tonight. Throughout the growing season, a number of local businesses have donated tools, time and thoughtful suggestions to our cause. With consistent College Park campus and community support, we have not only met, but have exceeded our greatest expectations for the summer season already - and we've just stepped into August! Visit our Facebook page for more pictures.

"Cultivating Research, Fostering Community"

2011-08-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

We are proud to report that a new story about the Public Health Garden is highlighted on the University of Maryland's homepage. Check out the front page of the university website and you'll see some familiar faces pop up in the scrolling banner. Click here to go directly to the story.

Maryland Newsline Coverage

2011-08-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks Brooke for coming to visit us and covering our story this summer!

Green Beans and Tomatoes Around Town

2011-08-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

Above you see Public Health Garden tomatoes and green beans served up to our table at Alewife in Baltimore, MD. See more details on sister blogs: Just Saying and Adventures in Container Gardening.

Another wonderful adventure and learning experience of getting our food from the ground to the table.

Special Thanks

2011-07-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

The student members of the the Public Health Garden Club would like to take a moment to thank the pioneer, principal investigator and department from which this incredible project arose: Rachel Tennant, Glori Hyman and the Institute of Applied Agriculture.

Tennant and Hyman's forward-thinking and thoughtful collaboration for a student teaching garden began in the fall of 2010 and brought about the proposals and grants that have helped the Public Health Garden earn recognition and support throughout the university and local community.

We couldn't have done it without you!

Phase One Construction Complete

2011-07-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to announce that phase one of the formal construction at the Public Health Garden is complete! Our retaining wall and permeable pavers have been installed. The upper terrace is now ADA accessible and ready to serve as a gathering, community, and educational space at the beginning of the fall semester. Above you can see School of Public Health's Dean Gold and his wife Barbara with two very happy members of the Public Health Garden Club, Rachel and Allison.

Thank you to all for your support. Special thanks to UMD Facilities Management for helping to get us this far this summer.

Next up: building the raised beds for the upper terrace!

Record Tomato Harvest

2011-07-28T08:01:00.001-07:00

Thanks to some great tomato-growing advice from our construction manager, Bobby Tjaden, and the meticulous work of several volunteers, we harvested more than three pounds of cherry tomatoes last night. We also picked half a dozen cucumbers, a squash, some beans, and of course plenty of peppers. Stay tuned for some exciting news about where we took Wednesday's harvest on two of our founder's blogs, Adventures in Container Gardening and Just Saying. And as always, find more pics on our Facebook and Flickr.

Smile Herb Shop

2011-07-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Smile Herb Shop for a beautiful donation of herbs for the (newly completed) upper terrace of the Public Health Garden. We are so excited to continue to check out all the wonderful herbs, plants, and other items they have in this wonderful store in Berwyn, MD.

August Schedule Modification: No Sat. Work Hours

2011-07-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

Our volunteer work hours will be changing starting this week. For the rest of the summer (August), we will only be meeting on site on Wed. from 5:15 - 7:30 pm for work days. Sat. work days have been canceled. Instead we will be scheduling specific work activities and hours to finalize the upper terrace of the garden (ie build raised beds, planting plans for the raised beds, etc.).

Keep your eyes on the calendar, facebook, and blog for updates and work hours.

Construction Update: Almost Done!

2011-07-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

Construction is moving right along and will likely be done today on phase one of the Public Health Garden. Here you can see Allison and Lauren admiring the work well done:

Notice how the permeable pavers are installed with multiple layers of gravel with the largest gravel on the bottom in order to help manage the water that permeates through the pavers.

We are so excited and impressed with the work that has been accomplished!

The areas where our raised vegetable beds will go are left uncovered - waiting for us to build the beds!

Here is the contractor team hard at work! They have been doing an amazing job.

Final photos are coming up.

Beautiful Harvest Day

2011-07-27T10:21:00.001-07:00

We'll be on site tonight collecting ripe fruits and veggies and doing a little weeding. Hope to see you there!

Spotlight: Lauren Messina

2011-07-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

In the last few weeks, the Public Health Garden and several of our founders have enjoyed quite a bit of press and special attention however we've noticed that one of our hardest working members has been shying away from the spotlight.

Our solution? Throw her in our spotlight and highlight her contributions! Sorry if we make you blush, Lauren.

Lauren Messina, our Secretary and Food Aficionado, became interested in the Public Health Garden project after an evaluation of a school garden curriculum in her Family Science studies exposed her to the beauty and enthusiasm that grows in gardens. She decided that she needed some soil and seeds in her own life and has been sowing seeds in the Public Health Garden each Wednesday and Saturday. Not only has she lent her time, knowledge, leadership and support during volunteer hours, but she has taken on the task of soliciting new volunteers, starting a regular watering schedule, and regularly bringing new ideas to the table.

Last week, Lauren contributed dozens of her home-grown sunflowers to the garden-scape. Like her, they've added beauty and fun to the Public Health Garden. We are grateful for all that you do, Lauren! Thank you!

Great National Day of Service with INROADS

2011-07-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

On Saturday July 23 2011, the Public Health Garden joined the Rooftop Gardens and Hagerstown Woods in hosting volunteers from INROADS on their National Day of Service.

Team Leads Erica Boyd and Kelsey Killion helped us organize volunteers into groups that rotated between tying tomatoes, pulling weeds, planting herbs and hand-sanding and painting a bunch of garden signs.

Special thanks to all the creative and hard-working volunteers who joined us!

As always, more pictures can be found on our Facebook and Flickr pages.

Visit From Potomac Valley Brick

2011-07-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

During our work day yesterday, we were lucky to have a visit from Alan and Chris of Potomac Valley Brick to take a look at all that has been accomplished at the Public Health Garden.

The day started with picking up some more materials for the wall from the PVB warehouse. Here is the spot where we picked up some more of the materials donated for the retaining wall:

Chris came to visit the site and discussed with Bobby about the implementation of the permeable pavers and how to manage the water that is collected on the site:

Alan, UMD alum and President of PVB, visited us and gave us the thumbs up for a job well done so far! We are looking forward to having him and his team back to see the finished upper terrace of the garden and learn more from him about how the permeable pavers work!

Of course, we had to show our gratitude to Alan and Potomac Valley Brick with a thank you card and plenty of veggies. Here is the harvest that Alan took home from our work day yesterday:

Are We Having Too Much Fun?

2011-07-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

Perhaps! Thank you for everyone's hard work so far this week.

Tonight!

2011-07-20T07:28:00.001-07:00

Join us for our volunteer hours tonight (5-7:30 at the garden) and meet the folks from Potomac Valley Brick to learn more about permeable pavers and more.

Take home some veggies from the garden!

See you tonight!

Construction Recap: What You See So Far

2011-07-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

If you have walked by the Public Health Garden recently, or been following our facebook page or here on the blog, you've probably noticed a lot of action! We are deep into phase one construction for the Public Health Garden, implementing the winning design from Professor Nola's Masters Landscape Architecture Studio Class. Here is a recap of the work that has been done over the past two weeks:

1. UMD Facilities Management identified a major issue under the stairs (shown below) and sidewalk at the top of the site, so a team was brought in to fix the stairs, sidewalk, and build a retaining wall to address the problem:

2. After the retaining wall was completed at the top of the site, another construction team arrived to level the upper terrace of the garden:

3. After the upper terrace was leveled, our materials arrived for the garden's main retaining wall and the permeable pavers for the top of the garden. The pavers and wall materials were donated by UMD alum, Alan Richardson, and his company Potomac Valley Brick. All materials were placed in a staging area, shown below:

4. After the materials arrived, the construction team started working on the retaining wall and steps:

5. After the retaining wall was almost complete, a layer of gravel was placed on the site to prepare for the permeable pavers. The gravel is an important part of the paver installation as it will allow the water to permeate the upper terrace of the garden, instead of running off the top.

Thank you to everyone who is working hard to get this infrastructure in place before the beginning of the semester. The construction teams have done an amazing job so far! Another huge thank you to UMD Facilities Management and Potomac Valley Brick.

Stay tuned for more updates and plenty of pictures of all the work. Note, despite all the construction on the top of the site, we are still harvesting and working in the bottom of the garden. Feel free to stop by and join us during our normal work hours.

Wonderful Weekend Workday

2011-07-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came out this morning and helped us pull weeds, plant flowers and okra, and lay down some hay (errr... straw) to help keep the soil in place and the weeds under control. As always, more pics can be found on our Facebook and Flickr pages.

Beat you to it, Grounghog

2011-07-15T08:05:00.000-07:00

Last week, that over-eager grazing groundhog pulled off all our blackberries before they were ripe, realized they weren't ripe yet, and left them beneath the plant. This week, Club President Allison Lilly taught him a lesson by consuming the few, barely-ripe blueberries we found yesterday.

Saturday Workday

2011-07-15T07:49:00.000-07:00

We've got a beautiful weather forecast and some rewarding projects on tap for our volunteers tomorrow morning. Come on down and help us stake/tie tomatoes, plant okra, pull out a few pesky weeds and admire all the progress that has taken place on the site this week.

Update: NO VOLUNTEER HOURS TONIGHT

2011-07-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

Due to heavy rain, there will be no volunteer hours on site tonight, Wednesday July 13th 2011. Hope to see everyone on Saturday morning.

Regular Volunteer Hours Tonight

2011-07-13T05:58:00.001-07:00

Despite the (fantastic, amazing and exciting) construction taking place at the top of the site, volunteer work hours will take place as planned this evening. See you soon!

Public Health Garden

Great weather for volunteer hours today!

Arbor Funding and Planning

Seeds!

Ready to Re-Purpose

Work Hours Today: Rain or Shine!

Work Hours Today

So much to learn! So much to do!

Great Work Last Week

Today: 4-6 at the Public Health Graden!

Goodbye January: This week! Kicking off the semester the right way!

Terp Wellness Expo 2012

Think about yourself this semester

Welcome to the Spring 2012 Semester in the Public Health Garden

Tea Tree Oil: And its benefits to oral health

Starting the Semester and Introducting Natural Allie

Green Matters: Urban Farming Pioneers

Here's another one of interest

Happy New Year: Opportunities in 2012

Get Back to Your Studies: Work Hours Canceled

Work Hours Today: Bundle Up

Soil Situation Update

Volunteer Hours Today

Post-Thanksgiving Stretch

Good Times at The View Cooking Demo

Compost This Week

Fall/Winter Schedule Update: No Monday Hours

Our SustainAPPLE Campus Community

Yum!

Maryland Outstanding Blog Awards

Tonight!

Yoga Tonight

Gardening 101 Today

Harvest Festival Fun

Insect Ecology with Don Weber

Two Salad Boxes in Harvest Festival Raffle

Harvest Festival and Food Day: Monday 10/24

"Determination is Invincible"

Ready for Thursday Volunteer Hours?

Right On Schedule

Let's get reeaaady to gravel!! (on Monday, that is)

October Events

Get Ready to Move Gravel

No (Official) Volunteer Hours Today

October Fun

Chili Cook Off This Weekend

Want to join our growing team?

Arboretum Walk: Edibles in the Landscape

Monday Volunteer Hours @ 3:30pm

Beds Built

Everybody Eats Food

Come Help Us With Constructi​on

"Terps Leave Small Footprints"

Office of Sustainability Info Fair

Fun at the First Look Fair

When life gives you water, make watermelons!

Carpenters, come on down!

PHG Took 2nd Place at Colonnade Society Event

Volunteer Hours Today 1pm - 3pm

New Seedlings!

Rainbows Ahead

Two Beds Built

Labor Day

Thursday Night on Site

Volunteers from The View!

Survived the Hurricane

Ready, Set, Fall 2011

Combat Stress with Gardening!

Watermelon Wednesday

Bed Construction Update

Sheridan Street Community Support

Great Start on the Raised Beds

Bed-Building Time!

Crisis Averted

TerpQuest Kids Sure Can Garden

Strong String Beans!

Raised Beds! Thank You TW Perry

College Park Patch

Hooray Storage!

"Cultivating Research, Fostering Community"

Come Help Us With Construction