Hazelwood YMCA Community Garden
Despite the recent news that the Hazelwood branch of the YMCA will be closing at the end of June, the garden continues to be a source of healthy food for the community and a space for working and learning. Through a partnership with Hops on Lots, there are now hops growing in the garden on a low trellis system. This year, volunteer and intern support has been more consistent and very much appreciated. The goals for this year are to improve the water and irrigation system and take steps to bring the greenhouse back into production so that it can be a community resource. If you are interested in volunteering at the garden, please contact Hanna Mosca at hmosca@ymcapgh.org.

 

Martin Luther King Jr. Community Garden
mlk1The MLK Community Garden kicked off its second garden season with a May Planting Day Celebration complete with food, music, a new gardener orientation, seeds, and seedlings grown at the Frick Greenhouse! With more than 37 gardeners caring for individual plots and the Community Farm, the garden is defeating groundhogs and quickly growing greens, herbs, garlic, tomatoes, and caring for 15 new fruit trees donated by the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. Exciting projects this year include developing a natural play space for youth, water catchment system, planting perennials, and restoring the outer hillside with canopy trees.

Northview Heights Community Farm

northview2The Northview Heights community is excited to be breaking ground on their community farm this summer to serve as a place for residents of all ages to gather, grow, and combine their histories of gardening in Africa and the United States.  Gardeners hosted a Garden Kick-Off Celebration in April and have been designing the garden layout to reflect their vision for the space.  The vacant field is quickly becoming a community space as gardeners construct picnic tables and mark contour lines for garden beds!

 

 

 

Crafton Community Farm
crafton2In the midst of another successful year, the Crafton Community Farm started its second growing season early and has created a beautiful space full of asparagus, peas, radicchio, tomatoes, beans, herbs, and more in a space that was a sand volleyball court just over a year ago!  The produce grown in the farm, and on the newly planted fruit trees, is donated to the Crafton-Ingram Food Pantry and distributed amongst farm volunteers.  Gardeners look forward to a water catchment system being built this summer with the help of Stormworks and continuing their monthly potluck and garden workshop nights at the farm.

Sharpsburg Community Garden
sharpsburgThe Sharpsburg Community Garden is a second-year allotment garden that is starting to embrace its community spirit. Through the support of Allegheny Grows and Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group (PCRG), the gardeners of Sharpsburg were able to install an additional four raised beds this year—two for allotment gardens and two for community gardens. The community gardens are being managed by a local church, with the bulk of the produce being donated to community members.

 

 

 

Whitehall Peace & Community Garden

whitehallWhitehall Peace & Community Garden is a new community garden that came about through the partnership of South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM), Whitehall Presbyterian Church, Giving2Grow and Allegheny Grows. Despite a challenging landscape, the gardening group—primarily comprised of residents of Whitehall Place Apartments—has rallied together to transform the space into a gardening oasis. Produce from this garden will serve two local food pantries in addition to the volunteers of the garden.

Turtle Creek “Home Plate” Garden
turtlecreek1This year, the gardeners of Turtle Creek “Home Plate” Garden converted an out-of-use baseball field into an impressive growing space that includes raised beds, in-ground beds, a perennial garden, an herb garden, a children’s learning garden, and a “three sisters” patch.  This garden will be managed by volunteers and the bulk of the produce will benefit the local food pantry.  The gardeners are already dreaming big for next year!  They have plans to put in fruit trees, a brick oven and a picnic area.