Goodbye Friends.

The time has come to finally say goodbye to our beloved garden.

As most of you know, the property where we had the garden was being temporarily leased to us by the owner until he was ready to build. At the end of last year we were notified that the lot was going to be built out with three homes as originally planned. We decided to do one last planting for the fall/winter and make the best of it before the garden needed to be moved. Even if it was bittersweet, the last few months of the garden still provided adventures for the few remaining souls participating.

Amy, Anna, and Norm helping for Happy Hour Gardening

Over the last two years that little plot of land has brought so much joy, friendship, and experience into my life that I will forever be grateful for. Although not always easy or fun (aka watering for 2 hours in 103 degree weather), cultivating the garden was always extremely rewarding and the return was ten-fold. 

Some one recently asked me what my favorite part of the garden was and I realized that it was actually the people. Rarely did I harvest anything from Bogarden-  I  have my own vegetable garden at my house, as do many of the volunteers that help out. For me, the garden really was about the sense of community. Over the last few years, I spent at least two days a week at the lot poking around, watering, harvesting, and weeding. Every single time I was there I would end up meeting all kinds of people that walked by- a few of which became volunteers and even friends. On workdays, it was even more inspiring experience, with dozens of people voluntarily giving  up their weekends to help out.  The Bogarden was a place where people from all walks of life could come together to learn, teach, share, laugh, relax, socialize, and have a positive experience. It is my hope that the Bogarden has inspired others to look around their city and no longer see empty lots but instead imagine future gardens.

Darlena helping out in the circle. 

Miss Slyvia helping weed the beds.

 The year of the tomato.

The Wildflower Border.

Teaching everyone how to harvest sweet potatoes.

Thank you so much to everyone that made the Bogarden possible- it has been such a great part of my last two years in Charleston. In the words of Fritz, "This is the end of an era" and every time we pass the corner of Rutledge and Bogard, we will remember fondly that "there once was a garden there."

End of Summer Update

As some of you may or may not know, the Bogarden is currently heading into its last season. The owner of the property has decided to finally build out his lot and so we are going to respectfully return the space for his use. Although we had thought that construction would begin by the end of this summer we were notified that we would be able to squeeze one last fall in the garden.

Sunflower head full of seeds from the Bogarden!

 

This summer has been brutal with hot temperatures, little rain, and a lot of weeds but we are hoping that as the late summer rains increase the temperatures will come back down and we can get volunteers back outside to give the garden a little TLC.

Now is the time to start thinking about what you want to see in the garden this fall and being starting your seed trays. We are going to be starting a lot of stuff this week including squash, collards, beans, parsnips, flowers, tomatoes, okra, broccoli, onions, tomatillos, brussels sprouts, and more!!

In the coming weeks we will be reaching out to volunteers to help pull weeds (the grass and vines are taking over!), help erect a temporary fence, spread some mulch, and plant some new plants.

New Bogarden Video

Thank you to Melanie Creech for her great Bogarden Video!!

Plant Swap this Saturday April 16th

Greetings Plant Swappers!

This weekend will be the first-ever Elliotborough Park and Community Garden Plant Swap! You're invited to discover the best-kept neighborhood park secret in Charleston AND swap plants with fellow gardeners.  Afterwards, check out our community vegetable gardens and see the progress on a new Clemson Architecture vertical vegetable wall.

For those who have seen the Park Circle plant swaps, we will be following a similar format. BRING SOME PLANTS AND INVITE A FRIEND!

Details:
WHAT: Yard plants, herbs, shrubs/trees, vegetable or flower seedlings, bulbs, or garden tools/accessories are all welcome! (I'll be bringing a variety of herbs, roses, and other plants)
WHERE: Elliotborough Park and Community Garden, 134 Line St. (Downtown Charleston)
WHEN: SATURDAY APRIL 16 @ 1pm (advise 10 min early for setup)

HOW TO GET THERE:
Google Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=134+Line+St.+Charleston+SC&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=134+Line+St,+Charleston,+South+Carolina+29403&gl=us&z=16

Spring is Here!!

Welcome back Bogardeners!! For those you that did not receive our mass emails and Facebook invites, we have been getting busy in the garden the last month. This season, the Bogarden Group, aka Fritz Stine, Allston Smither, and Nikki Seibert will be leading the workdays, watering schedule, and events. Although we do have a scheduled event for April 9th, our volunteer list is already full thanks to CofC Bonner! If you are interested in volunteering or talking to us about the garden, please email thebogarden@gmail.com. To keep up with what is going on in the garden, please join our Facebook Group to get all of our updates. We will try to keep the blog updated too!!

 Click HERE and HERE for photos of the latest activities in the Garden!!

Bogarden Montage

Bogarden Clip!! Corner of Rutledge and Bogard.

Filmed and Narrated by Liza Fleury

Farms, Food, and the Environment Quiz

Pop Quiz! Farms, Food, and the Environment by Farmland