July 23, 2008
Mayor Sheila Dixon Digs into Gardens at City Hall for Summer Harvest
On July 23, Mayor Sheila Dixon harvested summer vegetables from the gardens at City Hall. You’ve seen those beautiful gardens grow all spring and now it’s time to begin the harvest. The produce picked was donated to Our Daily Bread, an institution that provides meals for low-income residents.
“The food we are harvesting will be the building blocks for delicious and nutritious meals for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents,” said Mayor Dixon.
In April, vegetables were planted in 2,000 square feet of space on the War Memorial Plaza in front of City Hall. In previous years, the beds have been home to a variety of native plants and flowers. This year Mayor Dixon hoped that, by planting herbs and vegetables in an unusual environment, she could set an example for the promise of urban gardening as well as feed needy people throughout the year. And, she succeeded!
Some people were skeptical that a vegetable garden could be as attractive as previous, traditional plantings. But, much to everyone’s surprise, it is beautiful!
Wanda Durden, Director of the Department of Recreation and Parks (BCRP) and William Vondrasek, BaltimoreCity’s Chief Horticulturist, and the BCRP Horticulture Division staff including the Mayor’s Youth Works Green Works Job Corp. all participated in the harvest.
To date, the gardens have yielded approximately 1,800 pounds of produce. Harvests have included: cabbage, four varieties of kale, three kinds of Swiss chard, cauliflower, broccoli, collard greens, lettuce, kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, radishes, mustard greens, celery, onions, eggplant, four varieties of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, chives, parsley, six varieties of peppers, and beets. BCRP estimates another 600 pounds of produce will be picked, bringing the total for the year to nearly 2,400 pounds. The vegetables will be donated to Our Daily Bread, which is located only a few blocks from City Hall on the Fallsway.
| PHOTOS (click on an image to view larger) |
The Mayor in the garden |
