Unity Park & Community Gardens

06/14/2024

It's definitely summer squash and zucchini time. Here's a light and tasty recipe for you to try.

06/14/2024

Please note that our work days next week are Monday and Friday.
Here's the schedule for next week - From 8 AM - 10 AM on Monday, June 17 and Friday, June 21.

Thanks to all who got their hands in the dirt this week. All areas of the garden look to be in peak shape on this lovely but hot day in June thanks to you. The native plants are popping with color. There are some beautiful ripe blueberries. In the community share area, there are some zucchini, yellow squash and cucumbers as well as some green tomatoes. We donated some produce out of the demo area to the soup kitchen this morning.

06/12/2024

Thanks for adding beauty and joy at the garden with these flowers.

06/08/2024

Here's the schedule for next week - Please join in the fun at our regularly scheduled weekly work mornings!
From 8 AM - 10 AM on Tuesday, June 11 and Friday, June 14.

Thanks to all who got their hands in the dirt this week. We did all the usual maintenance this week. More new signs were installed in the native plant area and and the maintenance of this area continues to enhance the beauty of our native wildflowers. Cotton was planted on Tuesday. Garlic was harvested on Friday and distributed to volunteers and attendees at the Learn.Grow.Share Event today. Tomatoes were trellised. And of course we always w**d. Blueberries are getting ripe. There are a few ready to eat! I spotted several zucchini in the community share area (not quite ready but will be soon). We still have lettuce.

We held the second Learn. Grow. Share. event of the year this morning. Thanks to all the volunteers for making this event a success.

I hope to see you soon in the garden.

06/08/2024

06/06/2024

Roasted Radish! Thought you might be interested!

Radishes have a pungent, peppery flavor that’s from compounds also present in mustard and horseradish. They’re often used to add a little spice to salads or stir-fries or garnish Mexican Cuisine. Even though radish greens are quite mild, most people discard them. Such a waste, as the greens are ...

05/31/2024

Here's the schedule for next week - Please join in the fun at our regularly scheduled weekly work morning! From 8 AM - 10 AM on Tuesday, June 4 and Friday, June 7.

Saturday - June 8th Garden Party Reminder - 10 AM - 12 PM. Join us for a fun time in the garden! Learn more about native plants. See the demonstration garden and learn about planting a salad garden and about vertical gardening! There's a rock painting activity for children. Bring a lawn chair if you would like. Please email or call the NC Cooperative extension 828-757-1290 | [email protected] so we can get an accurate head count.

Thanks to all who got their hands in the dirt this week. Another beautiful week doing all the usual gardening tasks! Native plants are popping!

05/28/2024

Spring greens are still the star of the show this week. This week's recipe are homemade salad dressings - Dress to Impress!
For recipe online – go to – https://watauga.ces.ncsu.edu/2024/04/dress-to-impress-elevate-your-spring-salads-with-healthy-homemade-dressings

05/25/2024

Here's the schedule for next week - Please join in the fun at our regularly scheduled weekly work morning!
From 8 AM - 10 AM on Tuesday, May 28 and Friday, May 31

Thanks to all who got their hands in the dirt this week. We spent the week w**ding, trellising, and doing a little replanting. The beds are looking beautiful. The native plant area is popping. Beautiful time to be in the garden.

I hope to see you soon in the garden.

05/22/2024

June 8th Garden Party Announcement! Join us for a fun time in the garden from 10 AM to 12 PM. Learn more about native plants. See the demonstration garden and learn about planting a salad garden and about vertical gardening! There's a rock painting activity for children. Bring a lawn chair if you would like. Please email or call the NC Cooperative extension 828-757-1290 | [email protected] so we can get an accurate head count.

05/20/2024

Introducing - Crop of the Week - Lettuce and an easy recipe.

https://caldwell.ces.ncsu.edu/2023/04/leafy-greens-lead-growing-season-caldwell/

05/17/2024

Here's the schedule for next week - Please join in the fun! Please note work mornings are Monday and Friday!
From 8 AM - 10 AM on Monday, May 20 and Friday, May 24.

Thanks to all who got their hands in the dirt this week. We missed our Tuesday session due to rain but we got lots done today - w**ding, replanting some okra and squash, cleaning up the area behind the shed, w**d trimming, tomato trellising... but we did not have to water!

The native plant area is looking beautiful! Beds in the community share, demo, and private areas are look great! And the blueberries are amazing - not ripe but loaded.

I hope to see you soon in the garden.

05/10/2024

Here's the schedule for next week - Please join in the fun at our regularly scheduled weekly work morning!
From 8 AM - 10 AM on Tuesday, May 14 and Friday, May 17

Thanks to all who got their hands in the dirt this week. We finished planting the demo area (except for cotton) and the community share area this week. We have a new plant of the week - see photos - Baptisia Australis/Blue Wild Indigo! Blueberries are looking good! Not ripe yet!

I hope to see you soon in the garden.
Happy Gardening

05/03/2024

Please join in the fun at our regularly scheduled weekly work mornings!
Tuesday, May 7 - 8:00 to 10:00 AM
Friday, May 10 - 8:00 to 10:00 AM

Thanks to all who got their hands in the dirt this week. It was a busy planting week! We took advantage of the upcoming rain (I hope) and planted peppers and tomatoes today. Squash, zucchini, okra and beans seeds have been planted. Sweet potatoes were planted in the demo area. Blueberries are looking good and were w**ded this morning! The community share area has been reconfigured so there's room for construction of the extended shed area later this year. Lettuce is finally beginning to grow!
We will be planting some more beans, okra and corn next week.

I hope to see you soon in the garden.
Happy Gardening

04/30/2024

More pictures about the April - Learn. Grow. Share. Event.

04/27/2024

Thanks to all who got their hands in the dirt this week.

Here's the schedule for next week - Please come and join the fun! We will begin to plant some of our summer crops!

Tuesday April 30 - 8 AM - 10 AM
Friday May 3 - 8 AM - 10 AM

What a fun week! Our first Learn. Grow. Share. Event on Friday afternoon was attended by over 40 people. Thanks to the presenters, gardeners, and volunteers for making this an outstanding event! Thanks to the City of Lenoir, Caldwell Pathways, and the Caldwell Cooperative Extension!

We have new signage in the native plant area! See the plant of the week and learn all about it!

I hope to see you soon in the garden.

04/19/2024

Schedule for April 22 - 26
Tuesday, April 23 - 8 - 10 - Please join in the fun at our regularly scheduled weekly work morning
Thursday, April 25 - from 8:30 - 10:30 - Please join Jeffrey Smith to work on the native plant areas at UPCG.
Friday, April 26 - from 8:00 to 10:00 AM - Please join in the fun at our regularly scheduled weekly work morning!
Friday, April 26 from 3 PM - 6 PM - Our first Learn.Grow.Share event to celebrate Arbor Day-Earth day! See picture below for more info.

Thanks to all who got their hands in the dirt this week. The Native Plant areas are looking good. We w**ded, watered, and planted today in the community share area and the demo area.

I hope to see you soon in the garden.

04/12/2024

On Thursday, April 18 - from 8:30 - 10:30 AM - Please join us to work on the native plant areas at UPCG.
On Friday, April 19 - from 8:00 to 10:00 AM - Please join in the fun at our regularly scheduled weekly work morning!

Thanks to all who got their hands in the dirt this week. Even with the rain, we got lots done! Blueberries were w**ded! W**d trimming done in various parts of the garden. More work done on the irrigation system and more bed preparation work done in the private bed area! Bush Green Beans and a Salad Garden were planted. Lots of work done in the native plant areas including w**ding and planting!

I hope to see you soon in the garden.

04/05/2024

We planted our first crops of the season today in the community share area - a couple of mixes of lettuce and kale.

Regular weekly work sessions are scheduled
8 - 10 AM on Tuesday, April 9 and Friday, April 12

And there is a Native Plant work morning on Thursday, April 11 from 8:30 to 10:30 AM.

Hope to see you soon in the garden! Come on out and meet your fellow gardeners!

03/29/2024

Work mornings are scheduled from 8 - 10 AM on Tuesday, April 2 and Friday, April 5.

Thanks to all who got their hands in the dirt this week. We focused on the Blueberry Patch and the Community Share Area and even got started in the Demo area. Next up - Continue to prep the beds in the Demo area.