Community Garden

My fiancé and I were very excited to get a community garden plot this year by the Endicott Community Greenhouse!

It's been 14 years since I took the Master Urban Gardener (MUG) program and had a community garden plot at the Fenway Victory Gardens. My fiancé and I were on the waiting list for the Endicott community gardens for about 7 years, and finally got a plot!

It's been so much fun to see the garden transform over time.

May

June

July

Nasturtiums (the flowers and leaves are edible!)

We planted a variety of vegetables and herbs, including collard greens, cherry tomatoes, bush tomatoes, onions, peppers, eggplant, basil, lemongrass, and more. We're looking forward to harvesting our bush tomatoes and onions soon. Check out this chart for when produce is in season in Massachusetts. If you're interested in the Master Urban Gardener training to learn more about gardening, the course is no longer offered through the Boston Natural Areas Network since they merged with the Trustees of Reservations in 2014. Now the Trustees of Reservations offers a MUG course. Find more information on their website! 

Happy Lunar New Year!

Happy Lunar New Year! Lunar New Year celebrates the beginning of spring and the beginning of the new year in many countries. It is celebrated in China, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, North Korea, South Korea, and more. Some common Lunar New Year celebrations include parties, firecrackers, parades, and feasts. Red decorations and wearing red are common during Lunar New Year, because red symbolizes joy and good fortune.

The Asian Zodiac includes 12 signs that repeat every 12 years, with each year representing a different animal with different personality traits. This year is the year of the dragon.

Last week, we celebrated the Lunar New Year at the Dedham Public Library!

Our celebration included a variety of crafts and activities, such as making Korean New Year drums, paper lanterns, and zodiac sign cards.

Korean New Year Drum Craft

Zodiac sign and paper lantern crafts

Then we read the book The Tray of Togetherness by Flo Leung, and participants made their very own trays of togetherness!

Reading The Tray of Togetherness by Flo Leung

 

We hope you all had a great day, and have a wonderful year!

Resources and more information on Lunar New Year:

• https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/lunar-new-year/ 
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chinese-New-Year
• https://time.com/6248736/lunar-new-year-celebrations/ 
• https://www.rd.com/article/what-is-my-chinese-zodiac-sign/
• https://www.vietnamonline.com/culture/vietnamese-zodiac.html
• https://www.statista.com/chart/29164/chinese-new-year-public-holiday/