Junior achievement: If nine teenage girls have their way, the expanse behind their residential cottage at Eliada Homes will soon be transformed into an organic garden, full of green and growing things. All they need to make it happen is your support.
The young gardeners are asking the community for donations of soil amendments, fruit and vegetable seeds, fruit trees, grapevines and other materials. “The entire project will cost less than $1,000,” says Safi Mahaba, program manager at the cottage. “If anyone out there can give plants, materials, tools, or make a financial donation, we would sincerely appreciate it.”
A local landscaper has lent her time and expertise to help the students design the space, and has pledged her assistance with the installation. “Their plan begins with amending the soil, planting a grassy area, and then building garden beds,” says Mahaba. “They also want to plant two fruit trees, flower and vegetable beds, and grapevines along the surrounding fence.”
If you’re interested in donating to the Eliada garden project, please contact Carolyn Ashworth at 254-5356, ext. 113 or e-mail her at cashworth@eliada.org.
You say tomato: Mark your calendar for the annual Commercial Fresh Market Tomato & Vegetable Field Day, scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 7, at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station in Mills River.
Included in this year’s research tour are the results of fungicide studies for phytophthora on bell peppers and late blight on tomatoes; breeding of new large-fruited, plum and grape tomato hybrids; production-system studies for pumpkin, squash and gourds; organic and no-till sweet-corn production and many others. Visit www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/ for more information.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.