Tomato Festival Update

Hi Y'all!

The SHCGC is proud to announce that the 100 College Arms Community Garden will be hosting a Tomato Festival on
Sunday, August 8th at 4pm.

Stop by the garden to help harvest tomatoes and taste some yummy (fresh and locally grown in the garden) treats!

Another sunny week in the garden

Along with a lot of sun, the garden has had a ton of visitors this week. Some mothers and daughters got to take home our first harvest of eggplant (!) as well as zucchini, cucumbers, green peppers, tomatoes and herbs!


And, another group of campers enjoyed making leaf rubbings, almost as much as they loved spraying themselves with the hose.

Sunflowers

The garden is pleased to announce the arrival of its first sunflowers!! They just started to bloom and haven begun to add a bright blast of color to the very green garden.

Today in the Garden

Today, a handful of campers used leaves, picked from the garden, to produce their own leaf rubbings. The campers also had the opportunity to try a ripe plum tomato (and they LOVED them!).



Just another exciting day in the 100 College Arms Garden... we look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Friday Open House

The garden was hopping today even though the cloud coverage was worrisome. A few of the kids who stopped by planted marigolds, tasted basil and celery and enjoyed washing off a freshly picked cucumber.



We hope to see you in the garden on Monday!
Have a great weekend,
The SHCGC

Did you know...

...that fennel tastes like licorice? A few young girls who stopped by the garden yesterday loved the taste!

Eggplant Update

After careful examination, look what a few garden visitors found in the garden today...

How exciting is that?

Eggplant

In the next few weeks the community garden will witness something very cool...its own eggplant! We're just waiting for the day that these beautiful purple flowers turn into delicious eggplant. Stop by to watch them grow!

Plant Your Own Marigold

Today, the SHCGC hosted some campers at the garden who had the opportunity to plant their own marigolds using seeds they found in the garden. The 4 and 5 year-olds had a blast decorating pots, picking seeds, planting, and watering their plants. Hopefully, they will get to see them grow into beautiful yellow and orange flowers.

New Hours

The garden will now be open Monday-Friday from 5-6. Stop by and help garden or taste some of the wonderful veggies!

More tomato news...

Save the Date!!

The SHCGC will be hosting its first ever Tomato Festivalin August!
At the Sleepy Hollow Community Garden located at 100 College Arms

Get ready to pick and taste your own tomatoes!

In other news, the campers will be back to the garden tomorrow, weather permitting. We're looking forward to planting our own marigolds! Pictures and stories to come!

More information on the exact day and time of the event will be announced soon!

To'may'to, To'mat'o

We're all really excited for the tons of green tomato buds we've seen growing in the garden to develop into red and delicious veggies (or fruits, depending on your definition). We've spotted the first sign of color this week and by August the garden should be spotted with fresh tomatoes ready for picking!

The Pursuit of Happiness

Since the clouds are providing the garden with some TLC today, the SHCGC thought this fun-filled fact might tickle your green thumb...

According to a ton of research out there in the academic world, gardening truly spreads happiness! Research shows that "gardening can make a child feel happy and boost their development." Check out the article here.

Here's to jumping in puddles!
-The SHCGC

Lovin' the Green

After all of this heat, we ( the SHCGC and the plants) were so happy that Sleepy Hollow saw a few rain showers this weekend to keep everything a glorious green!

We're looking forward to another wonderful week in the garden! Check in for updates and if you have some free time, come on down to the garden to help out!

(bird's eye view of the garden)

Marigolds

The marigolds in the garden look incredible! They add some bright color to the 100 College Arms garden and even the bees are enjoying the yellow and orange flowers!

Spotted In The Garden, Veggies!

Look what we found in the garden today, vegetables! Peppers and cucumbers are beginning to grow quickly as those long and sunny days of summer continue.

Fresh Herbs

Today, the SHCGC hosted a handful of campers at the garden who participated in a scavenger hunt for herbs: basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, and cilantro to name a few of their favorites. The campers really enjoyed locating and watering the plants.

Here are some photos of the herbs in our garden today...stop by and take a look in person!

Strawberries!

The garden is in full bloom and with this heat, it's going to need some watering! Come by tomorrow between 4-5 to experience your community garden first hand!


On another note, how delicious do these strawberries look?

Garden Open House

The Sleepy Hollow Community Garden will be hosting "open houses" all summer long!!! Come by and help tend to your community garden!!

The garden will be open Monday-Friday from 4-5pm. We look forward to seeing you there!!

Thanks for the Grand Opening!

Thank you to everyone who came out to support the SH Community Garden Coalition and our wonderful community garden!!! "It's Your Community: Dig it!" went fabulously and it would not have been possible without your participation. We look forward to seeing you in the garden soon!!

Here is some information about the event and those who have made the SH Community Garden possible...

Sleepy Hollow's first community garden opened officially on Sunday, June 27th, when village residents from throughout the community, students, and elected officials gathered to celebrate the start of a new initiative in our river towns. Attendees had an opportunity to taste multiple dishes made with produce harvested from the garden as well as take garden tours, give by the very students who had planted and have been tending to the garden. Jan Maltby, a member of the Sleepy Hollow Community Garden Coalition (SHCGC) and volunteer director of Washington Irving School's Greenhouse Kids program, thanked a wide range of people without whom the garden wouldn't exist: the Village of Sleepy Hollow, which donated an initial $5,000 for expenses, Rober Welsch, owner of Westover Landscape Design, who donated his design plans and staff time to create the basic garden infrastructure, volunteer and SHCGC members, Elizabeth Kaplan, who has implemented the gardening plan and scheduling, Ana Lopez, former Hispanic Coalition Director, and Gloria Cepin, community activist who have all helped organize and bring residents into the project.

Others who received commendation were: Mark Soja, 100 College Arms building owner who has leased the garden property to the coalition, attorney, Andres Valdespino who donated his legal services, and schools Superintendent Howard Smith, who has provided school office space, time and program support. This project has truly been a full community effort, bringing constituents together from throughout our river towns.

Fifth grade students at Washington Irving School started the seedlings in their greenhouse and transplanted them to the garden, with the help of their teacher, Mr. White and support of WI Principal, Dr. Greene. Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture donated the rich compost and organic mulch, and Slow Food Westchester, a local non-profit organization, is raising funds to keep the garden viable throughout this season and in the coming years. Funds are needed for ongoing maintenance, seeds, benches, tools, and so much more. If you would care to contribute time or donate funds, please visit the garden's blog or contact us at shcommunitygardencoalition (at) gmail.com

Also, check out a short video from "It's Your Community: Dig it!" right here.

Happy Gardening!