Category Archives: Posts

https://www.iup.edu/news-events/news/2022/11/garden-grows-with-iup-help.html

Local artist Beth Wheeler will guide children 4 +in creating their very own painting of their favorite flower, plant, or garden view. All supplies will be provided and completed paintings will be included in a community art exhibition in September!

When:  Saturday, August 6 from 1:00-3:00
Where:  Indiana Community Garden, Mack Park, Corner of S. 6th and Carter Ave, Indiana, PA

Join us as we celebrate national pollinator week at the community garden. Free family event full of games, activities, garden tours, honeybee demonstrations, and pollinator made food samples. Brought to you by the Indiana Community Garden, Indiana County Conservation District, and Friends of the Parks. 

See less

Brochure for 2022

• 

SUMMER 2021 NEWSLETTER

The last three months have been very busy and productive. Our spring crop of various lettuces produced abundantly, and we were able to donate many flavorful greens to the Chevy Chase food bank. We also planted carrots, beets, broccoli, onions, Swiss chard, potatoes, and sugar snap peas, which you can see climbing the 6th street fence. Our garlic is doing fantastic; the garlic scapes were harvested so that all the energy and nutrients will now go to the bulbs that will be ready sometime in July. Our herb garden is filled with herbs such as parsley, dill, mint, oregano, rosemary, lovage, tarragon and edible flowers like calendula and nasturtiums. Feel free to cut some of these herbs to season your meals. Please take as much mint as you would like. We have an abundance of it!

This summer we are lucky to work with an intern from Chatham University, Alex Clark, who is helping us experiment with vertical gardening. We planted summer and winter squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pole beans that will all grow with the support of our existing fences and the trellis we just built in the “I” part of our community plots. We also started a three-sister garden that consists of corn, beans, and squash. A number of American tribes planted this trio because they are known to thrive together.

The fruit trees planted this fall are doing well, and we can already enjoy the berries from our serviceberry

trees. The fruit is dark reddish to purple and the flavor is like a mild blueberry. You are welcome to sample them. Once more established, we will be able to harvest and make jam and pies out of them. Our blueberries are full of berries, and they should be ready to be picked in early July. Bring your children for a treat!

In the pollinator meadow you can admire a variety of gorgeous plants, all native, all attracting beneficial insects, pollinators and birds. It is quite a treat to observe all the life, smells, and color thriving in that space.

We hope that you will come often to enjoy the garden. Check out the events happening this summer and join us for our community time if you want to help or learn more about gardening.

DATES TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR:

❖ Every Wednesday, 6 to 8PM: Community time in the garden
❖ June 25th, 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM: Family Time in the Garden with Chloe Drew and Kay Snyder

Volunteer Corner

Want to help? Contact us at icg15701@gmail.com. The Indiana Community Garden is also on Facebook and at https://indianacommunitygardens.org/

• ❖  Join us for scheduled ICG events
• ❖  Email us if you can help at other times with garden maintenance, watering, mowing,planting, events, the pollinator meadow or food forest, etc.
• ❖  Let us know if you have special skills/interests: gardening, education, social media,graphic design, event planning, building and repair, etc.
• ❖  Donate books for ICG’s Little Free Library
• ❖  Donate gently used or new garden tools

Want more information? Email us at icg15701@gmail.com

Garden Spotlight: Tomato

The tomato’s wild ancestor is native to western South America and was originally the size of a pea. This wild gem was first used by the Aztec in cooking, then introduced to the Spanish. The Spanish brought the tomato to Europe, and it was quickly shared throughout the European colonized world during the 16th century.

Gets its name from the Nahuatl word tomati, meaning “swelling fruit”.

Botanically, the tomato is a fruit, a berry consisting of an ovary, seed, and flowering plant. Chefs and cooks consider it to be a culinary vegetable because of the low sugar content compared to other fruits. Tomatoes have an umami flavor, meaning it is described as savory.

Nutrition:
High in the antioxidant lycopene, vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K

Types and Uses:
Tomatoes are a versatile fruit. You can use them raw on a salad, as a bruschetta, for salsa, or even just a quick healthy colorful snack. They are the main ingredient in any red sauce recipe. Cook them down into a paste or make your own ketchup!

Recipe: Roasted Tomato and Leek Flatbread

Ingredients:

2 cups red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon

pizza seasoning
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 medium leek, washed well,

thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1⁄4 cup cornmeal
1 (14-ounce) refrigerated

classic whole-grain pizza

dough
1⁄4 cup pine nuts or slivered

almonds
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded

gruyère cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 ̊F (176 ̊C).
2. Toss the cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, herbs de Provence, salt and pepper.

Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast in the oven for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven; set aside. (Note: This can be done ahead; roasted tomatoes can be

frozen and also used in salad, quiche, and salsa.)

ewwww

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic. Cook and stir uncovered for about 3 minutes, or until slightly softened.

4. Turn the oven up to 400 ̊F (204 ̊C).
5. To make the crust, dust a 15-inch pizza tray or stone, or a greased non-stick cookie sheet,

with cornmeal. Unroll the dough, arranging it over the cornmeal. Brush the dough with the

remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
6. Layer the roasted cherry tomatoes, leek, garlic, and pine nuts

or almonds on the unbaked crust. Top with gruyère cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

7. Remove from the oven; allow the flatbread to sit for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Kids’ Corner

We are so excited to have children back in the garden helping us grow and exploring the wonders of the natural world with us! Already this month we planted a bean & squash teepee and learned about the ways a seed grows through seed yoga! Last week, we were excited for a brand-new topic in the garden, growing edible mushrooms! We devoted a class to teaching children and adults how to grow the garden giant mushroom, Stropharia rugosoannulata!

You’ll notice some new faces teaching some of our youth programs, and we hope your children will enjoy the enthusiasm our new teachers bring to the topics they will be covering!
Don’t forget to tell friends and family to come out to our annual Family Fun in the Garden event, Friday, June 25 at 6:30.
If you haven’t joined us for our FREE Wednesday night programs from 6:00-7:00, we hope you will soon!

Newsletter

Learn about plants, bugs, worms, bats, our new pollination meadow and more through hands all activity. There will be crafts, games, food and more. We hope to see you there from 6:30 to 8 PM Friday June 25.

Hello families,It has been awhile, but we are so excited to bring back our free summer youth garden programs again this year! Starting on Wednesday June 9 from 6:00-7:00 and continuing throughout the summer every Wednesday until August 11.  This year we are trying some new things with our youth program like having guest teachers with more arts and crafts, experts in certain areas that highlight some new features of our garden like our new pollinator meadow, food forest, and riparian buffer area, while bringing back old favorites like Tom the worm guy and garden games! Some weeks you’ll see a familiar educator face (Chloe), but others you’ll meet awesome new educators bringing new fun and educational ideas to our summer program!Geared for ages 4-12, we welcome younger siblings to join in the fun! We have added a mud kitchen for open ended play in the rear of our schoolhouse to keep everyone occupied! We do still require parents to stay and play with us for the hour program.Please spread the word to others who you think might also enjoy our free programs, our garden has so many things happening and we are excited to share them again with you!
Also, mark your calendar for Friday, June 25 at 6:30 for our annual Family Fun in the Garden!!

SPRING 2021 NEWSLETTER

Our ninth season in the garden is well underway! The garden’s soil has been enriched throughout the cold months with organic matter and cover crops that will continue to grow through the early spring. Garlic planted in the fall in some of our community plots has begun sprouting. The garden is already alive and ready to be planted with cool season vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and mizuna and root vegetables such as carrots, beets, and potatoes. So many crops benefit from the cooler temperatures and the spring rain. They produce abundant harvests throughout the spring and require minimal maintenance.

This spring, we are looking forward to the growth of our new pollinator meadow and planting more trees and berries bushes in our food forest. We will continue to harvest from our community plots to benefit the Chevy Chase food bank this year. We also welcome all our private garden plot renters. There are still three plots available, so email us quickly if you are interested in renting a plot!

Check out events happening in our garden this spring and join us for our “community time” if you would like to help out and learn more about gardening.

DATES TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR:

❖ April 10 from 10 AM to 1 PM: spring clean-up and planting
❖ Every Wednesday starting April 14 from 4 PM to 6 PM: Community Time in the Garden
❖ May 22 at 10 AM: Pollinator Meadow at the Community Garden with Barbara Hauge*
❖ June 25th from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM: Family Fun in the Garden with Chloe Drew and Kay Snyder*

*Space may be limited for these Friends of the Parks programs. Pre-register by calling 724-463-8636.

For all ICG events, we will be following the most current COVID-19 regulations as described by PA mandates and the CDC. For the safety of all participants, we ask that everyone adhere to regulations on facemasks, social distancing, and group size.

Calling all children 4-12 (younger siblings welcome)! Mark your calendars for the start of our Growing Green Thumbs Youth Garden program on Wednesday, June 9 from 6:00-7:00 at the garden. Our activities will include planting, harvesting, crafts, games, playing in dirt, and learning about sustainable gardening!
This is a FREE program and parents/guardians must remain present for the program.

Friday, June 25 at 6:30 is a FREE event for the whole family, Family Fun in the Garden! A community favorite event every year for young and old… garden games, crafts, snacks, and much, much more!

We look forward to learning and growing with you and your children!

Volunteer Corner

Want to help?

• ❖  Join us for scheduled ICG events
• ❖  Email us if you can help at other times with garden maintenance, watering, mowing, planting, events, the pollinator meadow or food forest, etc.
• ❖  Let us know if you have special skills/interests: gardening, education, social media, graphic design, event planning, building and repair, etc.
• ❖  Donate books for ICG’s Little Free Library
• ❖  Donate gently used or new garden toolsWant more information? Email us at icg15701@gmail.com

Sponsor a Tree

Want to help our food forest grow?

Sponsor a tree or berry bush!

Bush Sponsorship: $8-$15 Tree Sponsorship: $100

We still have 2 to 3 plots left in the ICG. Cost of rental for the season is $30.00. Contact Marie Olson at 724-840-3360 or email gardenermarie88@gmail.com

April 10 is our volunteer day to clean up the community garden

We will work outdoors with distancing and masks. Tasks include turning the mulch pile, weeding, turning the soil, remulching trees, and other tasks.

Time is from 10:00-1:00 pm

Contact Marie Olson at 724-840-3360

or email Marie at gardenermarie88@gmail.com or molson88@verizon.net

If you want to register, call or email Marie Olson

Date of Workship Oct 17. 12:00-300. at the Indiana Community Garden

Basic Info:- The Workshops will be held together. 
– Each will be around 1 hour long.- First the participants will learn the basics of spray painting for 45 minutes.- Secondly the participants will learn how to upcycle their empty cans for about 15-20 minutes.- We can accommodate about 10 guests per hour. Guests should RSVP if possible.- We will be hosting the workshop from 12-3pm on Saturday October 17th. (this means we can have around 30 people attend).- All ages welcome.- Masks and Social Distancing required

Our first workshop is about up-cycling spray paint cans into planters and lamps. We will be bringing used spray paint cans, and the instructor will be teaching the community members how to safely open them up, and use them for either a planter, or a light stand. 

Usually 1 hour.

Our second workshop is a “how to spray paint” class for all ages, with more of an emphasis put on the youth. Our instructor teaches basic spray painting techniques and styles. He also speaks about the history of spray painting, and shows how a spray paint can is used for art, not vandalism. The kids usually love this one! Depending on size, we usually host 1-2 hour classes. 

Did you hear the news!? Beginning this Wednesday, August 17, we will start having Community Time every Wednesday from 5 to 7 PM. This a great time to work on your plot, get gardening questions answered, and to assist with the community aspects of the garden (such as weeding, watering, and planting in the community beds). We especially need your help during these challenging times, since we are donating more produce to the food bank and must maintain the garden without large groups of volunteers. To keep us all safe, we expect everyone to practice social distancing whenever they are at ICG and to wear masks at least when at all close others. Please bring your own gloves, tools if you have them! If you borrow tools we have disinfectant wipes to use to clean when done. We are excited to bring the community back to our lovely gardens, hope to see you there!

All events involving more than two people are cancelled until further notice. Plot owners are free to come and go to work on their plots. All ICG staff and volunteers should wear masks and adhere to distancing and hand washing protocols. Thank you for your cooperation.

Dear All,
Welcome or Welcome back to a new season in the community garden!! Attached are our garden rules that have been slightly edited. Please make sure to review them so that you are aware of what is offered to you as well as your responsibilities in the garden. Also included is our plot registration form that has also been edited.We would like for all of you, new or old plot owners to fill this form. (Click on the heading “Forms”). The Release of All claims is a form (click on the heading “Forms”)that needs to be filled by all the new plot owners.
In order to confirm your plot in the garden, please send a check for $30 addressed to Indiana Community Garden and send it to ” Marie Olson, 472 South seventh Street Indiana PA 15701. Plot number will be assigned for the new members as soon as the forms and payment are received.
We have 3 plots left. If you know anyone interested in one, please ask them to contact ICG.
Thank you all for your cooperation. We are looking forward to the new season.

Come join us for fun in the garden for the entire family! Learn about composting, bats, worms/vermicompost, native plants, rain barrels, sustainable gardening practices, and more! Families can enjoy face painting by Indiana Women’s Flag Football League, garden games, food samples by IRMC, making and taking homemade seed, a waterwall display from the Stormwater Education Partnership, Evergreen Conservancy geocaching, Tinkergarten mudpie activities, native plants seed balls, making your own healthy snack, and more! We hope to see you at this FREE event!!!

Please join us this Saturday for planting, bed preparation, weeding and other activities in the community garden. The time is 9:30 to 12:30.

April 13

Join us for a day in the sun weeding, replenishing beds, stirring compost, transplanting, and assisting with other tasks to prepare the Indiana Community Gardens for our next growing season. We hope you can come. We will be working between 9:30 and 12:30 Saturday, April 13. Join us for part of all of that time period.