Preparing for a Pair of Celebrations

This year at the One Valley community gardens, we have continued to see growth in the number of neighbors volunteering and partaking of the produce. It’s why we do this.

Alicia and Keith, new friends of the garden, donated a raised bed and some lettuce seeds. Keith helped us work to set up the sink, and Alicia worked to weed around the fruit trees, adding soil, mulch, and logs around them. Then on September 16th, Dr. Laura Hartman's class from the Environmental Studies program at Roanoke College came for a field trip to the Carver Garden. Amazetta and Miranda gave them a tour of the garden and discussed food justice and sustainability, ending with a grounding exercise where students could place their hands in the soil of the raised bed.

Our quarterly Adopt-A-Street Cleanup was held on September 20th, and we like to think we are seeing a reduction in the overall amount of trash we pick up, and an increase in the number of homes who are doing their part in keeping the neighborhood tidy.

On September 30, we hosted a group of students from Roanoke County high schools that are participating in programs with the Virginia Department of Vocational and Rehabilitative Services. They all seemed to have a good time and enjoyed picking and tasting various fruits and vegetables that were available.

In the month of October, using grants from a Virginia Tech Urban Agricuture grant, we started in on a partial rehabilitation of the orchard at the Carver Garden. Along with the log borders put in by Alicia and Keith, we have re-aligned the sprawling raspberry plants, weeded extensively, laid landscape fabric pathways between our rows of berries, dug and incorporated sphagnum moss in the holes for the new blueberry bushes, and spread cardboard and hardwood mulch between plants along each row, in hopes of better controlling weeds and grasses next year.

As part of a grant through the Roanoke Neighborhood Association, we have purchased tree identification markers for all of the trees in the orchard, to help make strolls through this area more educational.

All this sprucing up will be very evident when you join us for one or both of the festivals we have planned for the end of the month.

• On Friday, October 31^st from 4:30-6:00 pm, One Valley presents “A Haunting Garden Trick or Treat Fest” at the Carver Garden (525 Loudon Avenue NW). This family-oriented event will include a spooky inflatable castle, veggie talks, selfie stations, candy, and games. Don’t forget to wear your costume!

• Then the next day, Saturday, November 1^st, come join us for our annual “Harvest Celebration” to celebrate the fall harvest with friends, food, and music. This event will be held from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, also at the Carver Garden.