Aug 4, 2024 | Articles, Garden News
Biddeford Community Gardens is excited to be partnering with Youth Full Maine this year to raise money for a 30’x48’ Rimol Nor’easter Greenhouse which will be built near our Rotary Park Community Garden. The greenhouse will be used for starting seedlings in the spring, growing winter greens year round for our three local food service organizations: Youth Full Maine, Biddeford Food Pantry, and Bon Appetit Community Meal Program, and providing a classroom setting for horticulture programming for our local schools. The anticipated budget for the greenhouse, installation, and sitework will be $40,000.
Help Biddeford Community Gardens continue to grow and thrive year round with the addition of a greenhouse! Payment options: Check made payable to Heart of Biddeford (our fiscal sponsor) with a notation for Biddeford Community Gardens. Or donate here through Go Fund Me.
Thank you! – The BCG Garden Team
Aug 4, 2024 | Garden News
Have a lot of zucchinis on-hand? We can relate! They are growing like crazy right now. But no need to waste them. Bake up some Zucchini Breads and share with friends and family.
Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup oil (avocado or olive oil recommended) + extra to grease your pan
- 1-½ cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups gluten-free flour (choose one with a one-to-one ratio to regular flour like King Arthur Flour or Cup4 Cup)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tsp vanilla
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups grated zucchini (no need to peel the zucchini – the green color makes the bread look more attractive)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350°
- With electric mixer, beat together oil, sugar and eggs
- Add dry ingredients and vanilla, beat well. Then fold in your grated zucchini and nuts
- Pour batter into two 9 x 5 x 2½ inch greased and floured bread pans and bake for 1 hour or until lightly browned
- Let cool in pans for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool on racks
- Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Jul 15, 2024 | Garden News
Yay! This year is starting out terrific! Take a peak at our first harvest of the year. Beets, squash, string beans, chard, cucumbers, and cabbage.
Jun 15, 2024 | Articles, Garden News
Patriot Subaru associates had a nice visit out to the @Biddeford Community Gardens – specifically the Rotary Park location, where we were able to present their team with a donation of $1550 earned from our June “12 Weeks of Giving” program. The BCG has blossomed into 4 community gardens, with 130 raised beds, that are tended to by local volunteers. The food grown is shared, with the majority going to local charitable groups such as the Biddeford Food Pantry, Bon Appetit Meal Program and Youth Full Maine. Excellent! After a humble start in 2012 with 6 beds, it grew into a program that would be officially sponsored by the “Heart of Biddeford”501c3 organization, with additional assistance provided by the City Of Biddeford Public Works and the Biddeford- Saco Rotary. Our Patriot team really enjoyed the visit and the story behind it all. Neighbors helping neighbors is what we love to support with our 12 Weeks program, and we were happy to hear that our donation will help the building of a new greenhouse. Thank you BCG for all you do! Heart of Biddeford #LovePromise #CommunityGarden #FoodBank
Mar 19, 2024 | Garden News
The winter season is coming to a close which means a plethora of gardening tasks will soon be on our to-do lists! Before we dive right into the excitement of planting, garden maintenance, and harvesting, we first must take the time to set the stage for the performance that is vegetable growth. To be a successful gardener season after season, it is important to make time for garden tool maintenance. This blog post will be all-things preparation, an essential step in the gardening process that will help you stay organized and efficient!
Garden preparation can be divided into 4 parts:
- Tool maintenance
- Garden plan and schedule
- Raised bed and/or soil prep
- Individual reflection and goal-setting
Tool Maintenance
It is time to head to the shed and assess your inventory of gardening tools! Every gardener should be stocked with the essentials: gloves, a hand trowel, snips or pruners, a hand fork, a shovel, a garden hoe and a rake. Smaller handheld tools are used often and need to be maintained for comfortable use, effectiveness, and longevity! Sharpening and cleaning gardening tools also ensures plant health; rusted or dull tools can expose plants to bacteria and spread disease. While tool prep should be done at the beginning of every growing season, these steps should be followed any time you notice excess dirt or dullness.
There are three main steps in tool preparation/maintenance. The first involves brushing off built up dirt and sap. The second step uses a metal file and a sanding block to smooth any jagged or dull edges. The last step is sanitization and protection.
Disclaimer: Cleaning and sharpening tools should be done with gloves on to prevent injuries!
Materials: Steel wool, sanding block, metal file, bleach, mineral oil, rag, jar, bucket
- Cleaning: Use the sanding block and steel wool to remove buildup. Sanding motion should follow the direction of any blade and steel wool can be used for hard to reach areas.
- Sharpening: The metal file is used on the beveled or angled edge at the end of a cutting blade. Any nicks or dull edges can be smoothed out by laying the metal file flush with the angled edge and filing in long, downward strokes applying minimal pressure. Holding the file in the same position, file in a sweeping motion across the length of the edge (for curved blades, follow the direction of the curve rather than filing in a straight line). Once the edge is sharpened, turn your hand tool over and run the sanding block along the back of the blade to smooth any burled metal pieces.
- Sanitization: Mix 10 parts water to 1 part bleach and use either a spray bottle or dip newly sharpened tools in the solution to sanitize. Wipe off excess solution with a rag
- Protect: Using a separate rag, wipe the blade and the handles of your tools with mineral oil. Tip: for easier access, keep a mineral oil-coated rag in a glass jar!
Rust Removal for Springs
Materials: white vinegar, toothbrush, mineral oil
- Remove rusted springs from hand tools and soak in vinegar overnight
- Use an old toothbrush to scrub off rust
- Wipe with mineral oil and place back into the hand tool
And there you have it! Your garden tools are sharp, clean, and ready to use! If you find yourself with extra time or if the weather makes it difficult to work outside, take care of your tools- your plants and your wallet will thank you!
Upcoming in the Cultivation Conversations Blog you’ll hear all about updates to our website and more on gardening preparation!
Mar 1, 2024 | Garden News
On Sunday some BCG members got together to prep for spring by painting vegetable signs for the gardens. It was a great winter opportunity to catch up with everyone, drink tea, and paint together– turns out everyone is not only a great gardener but a talented artist as well! Check out just a few of the signs we finished up. Painted by Holly, Wendy, John, and myself. We still have more to paint so get in touch if you’d like to come to the next gathering!
—Sophia
About the Author:
Sophia is a Biddeford resident who loves to spend time in the Williams Court garden on South Street. She has worked on farms since she was seventeen and has a background in no-till, no-spray, small-scale farming. She has had the privilege of growing in Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Now she gets her farm-fix working with Biddeford Community Garden. Her primary goal is to be outside as much as possible, but you can also find her practicing her other joys which include throwing pots at the ceramic studio, carving prints, binding books, and making and marbling paper. Her favorite flower is an orange cosmos and her favorite vegetable is too hard to choose.
