Urban gardening and social resilience: Q&A with Trustees Manager of Engagement, Community Gardens
While Boston, like many cities around the country and world, adjusts to a strange new normal of social distancing, populations are looking for ways to safely get outside to enjoy the warming weather. This has led to a resurgence of sorts in simple pleasures such as taking a walk, going for a drive, and gardening.
Pansies in the South End (Trustees)
"We spend so much time thinking about what it’s going to be like in the next week, or two weeks... when you’re gardening, you’re just very present with what you’re doing,” Trustees Community Gardens Manager of Engagement Michelle de Lima told Boston 25 News in a recent interview.
For the urban gardener, finding space can be a challenge, as well as deciding which crops are best suited to the growing location. Boston is fortunate to have a robust network of community gardens, including 56 maintained and operated by The Trustees, which together total 15 acres across eight Boston neighborhoods.
One Waterfront spoke with Michelle to find out how new gardeners can get started this spring, how experienced gardeners can make the most of this unusual season, and how community gardens help to build the resilience of our waterfront city.
Q: Is it too late for new gardeners to get started planting for this season? If not, what should be their first step?
A: Absolutely not! Now is a perfect time to get things like peas, onions, lettuce, arugula, and radishes in the ground. In fact, most of those will do even better in a couple of weeks when the soil has warmed up. The first thing to do is find a good place to grow things—this can be in the ground if your soil is not contaminated, or in a raised bed or container. If using a raised bed, get loam/compost mix to fill it. If using containers, make sure they have drainage holes and get a compost-based potting soil to fill them. Once you decide what you want to grow, look at your seed packets to figure out the right spacing and timing, and make sure to wait until at least mid-May for warm weather crops like tomatoes.
Neighborhood gardens transform city landscapes and build community. (ABOVE: A map of Trustees community gardens)
Q: Can you give the more experienced gardeners some insights on how this season might be different, and what they can do to adjust?
A: Most of the seed companies are very delayed, so look for seeds at a local hardware or nursery store instead of online. Luckily, local growers including us (the Trustees Boston Community Gardens) are figuring out safe ways to order seedlings online and pick your order up. Our ordering info will be at thetrustees.org/citynatives when available. Other than that, gardeners will just have to be careful to follow physical distancing and sanitation when getting supplies and when gardening. In this strange and difficult time, getting outside and growing your own food is more important than ever!
Q: What are a few reliable crops to grow, that have been successful in our community gardens? Can you recommend a plant for a beginner, intermediate, and experienced gardener?
A: My best advice is to grow what you love to eat, provided it is something you can grow in New England (sorry, mango-lovers). That said, I think some things are great to start with: greens like lettuce, mustard greens, and arugula grow quickly and are so wonderful to have fresh. Radishes are easy to grow and especially fun to harvest with kids. Herbs like basil are really easy and useful, and do well in containers. Tomatoes are a lot of fun and so, so good, but do make sure you give them the space they need. Hot peppers produce a lot, so if you’re a fan of spicy food and hot sauce, they are a really great option.
Q: If someone is looking to get involved with our community gardens, what can they do? How are we maintaining social distancing at these sites?
A: Interested folks can email us at communitygardens@thetrustees.org and let us know what gardens or neighborhoods they’re interested in. Most gardens have waiting lists, but the sooner you get on a list, the better. We have posted guidelines at each garden and are asking gardeners to postpone all gatherings, maintain a safe physical distance, disinfect share tools and surfaces, and wear masks while in the garden. If anyone is sick, we ask that they stay home. If anyone feels unsafe being in the garden, they can keep their plot and wait until they feel safe to come work on it.
Q: Last year’s Gardeners’ Gathering welcomed Aziz Dehkan, Executive Director of the New York City Garden Coalition, who spoke about how community gardens can contribute to a waterfront city’s resilience by handling heavy rains and helping to prevent flooding. Taking this one step further, how can these spaces help build social resilience, during these challenges times?
A: Food access is of course an important aspect of what gardens offer, but they also offer an opportunity to do something constructive and hopeful. Even if you can’t gather with fellow gardeners, you can still enjoy the sense of common purpose and community that you share with them. We are trying to keep our gardening community connected through free webinars and online meetings. You can find details and recordings of past workshops on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boscomgardens/