Potatoes planted at the #CommunityGarden!

A day of being near plants. First stop, the community garden for produce swap day, where I took peppermint cuttings and swapped for a cute little posey (posy?) in an old Vegemite jar. Also took two figs and some silverbeet, the latter of which I will add to the pea soup I'm making tomorrow.

I got to chat to a friend and meet some new people, and we tentatively discussed meeting up again socially soon (outside of the scheduled garden catch-ups).

Then dropped Dad home via Bunnings, where he bought some pots and other odds and ends, and I bought two punnets of English spinach seedlings and one of bok choy.

So this afternoon has been pulling up all the weeds (I mean, not ALL the weeds, of course – I have to leave some for another day or I'd be bored, right? Right) and planting out the seedlings in pots. Ideally I'd have them in raised beds but that's not possible just yet. We'll see what I can salvage/create as the year progresses. I figure if I can keep up the nutrients to them in these small pots they're going to be OK

Yesterday's weed haul at the garden. I try to keep bouts of weeding to under 5 mins so that it doesn't become loathsome chore that I will then start avoiding. #CommunityGarden #GrowYourOwn #weeding #weeds #allotment #garden

Here's a dumb joke to start off your weekend (I put this together for a flyer for a community garden).

(TLDR: Thoughts on trauma with a relevant open question at the end.)

I wanted to take a moment and talk about trauma responses and how we, as people, try to get our needs met in a state of trauma.

What happens when we try to create areas that are 1 ) not trauma inducing and 2 ) are trauma informed while still experiencing trauma?

Trauma, in general:

When we're in a traumatic situation, we learn a lot of maladaptive responses. By that I mean we learn things that help us push through and/or survive the situation, but that damage healthy relationships. This is one of the earlier things that people in trauma recovery learn: "Let go of what no longer serves you."

Examples of things like this: it is common an abusive relationship to be told to Document Everything. Paper trails, possible camera recordings, etc. to keep yourself safe. BUT! When you transition from "unsafe" to "safe", these same behaviors are typically really invasive to your new partner, even if they understand why you're doing what you're doing.

Multiple spaces:

One aspect of trauma recovery focuses on what happens when the traumatic event ends. You've left your abuser, you've started to having savings after a life of poverty, etc. The skills and processing that happens here is different from enduring the trauma while it is still happening.

I think about this a lot, and heavily, at Nivenly (and it's projects, like Hachyderm ) and others. Because the world is currently very trauma inducing and it is very difficult to ask people to unlearn patterns that hurt them, when they've been reinforced that those are the only patterns that are successful.

I do have more things I'd like to say, but in the now I want to pivot to a public discourse to hear what you have to say.

* How do you recognize when you're in a trauma free, but trauma informed, environment?
* What do you do when you want to participate in, organize/run, or create these environments?
* Or what are any general thoughts you have?

Scope broad: not just online, not just "events" like conferences, just a very open discussion

When I visit Europe I'm always the guy excitedly pointing out community gardens to fellow travelers on the bus. They never care. Some day I need to book a local guide to show me around and teach me some gardening slang in French or German. #allotment #garden #gardening #travel #europe #CommunityGarden

I helped a fellow gardener weed her plot for a few hours last year, and today she left me a bottle of wine as a thank you. Hidden in my weed pit, of course. #CommunityGarden #allotment #weeds #weeding #gardening #wine #alcohol

Foraging nettles to cook nettle and pea soup at the community garden. Delicious!!!
Nettles are full of nutrients, especially the new top growth which is readily available at this time of the year.
NB. Just beware of harvesting too close to a road (pollution) or a public path (dog pee.)
#Foraging #Nettles #StingingNettles #NativeFoods #CommunityGarden

First steps in our community garden! Pallet collars in place, now the real work begins! #communitygarden #gardening #raisedbeds #allotmentgardening

#Ohio: #PerryVillage #CommunityGarden returning for fifth year

Story by Bill DeBus, March 17, 2025

"Perry Village is preparing for another season of planting at its community garden in Lee Lydic Park.

"Village Councilman Mike Glover provided a couple of updates on the garden during council’s March 13 meeting.

"Village resident Denny Shimko 'graciously volunteered to rototill the garden again this year,' Glover said.

"'He usually does it as early as he can, but definitely by May 1,' said Glover, who also serves as chairman of the village Parks Committee.

"This year, the garden will be divided into 12 plots for individual growers, Glover said. Some of the plots are 20 feet by 20 feet, and others measure 10 feet by 20 feet, he noted.

"In 2024, Perry Village decided to make eight 20-by-20-foot plots available in the garden. All of those tracts were claimed by gardeners, and three people had to be turned away, Glover said during a 2024 council meeting.

"By giving people the option to choose 20-by-20 or 10-by-20 plots, additional spaces were created in the garden to accommodate more growers, Glover said at a council meeting in January.

"This is the fifth year of the community garden at Lee Lydic Park, 3954 Call Road.

"In 2021, Perry Village decided to develop the garden on the site of a sand volleyball court that received little use."

Read more:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/society-culture-and-history/holidays-and-festivals/perry-village-community-garden-returning-for-fifth-year/ar-AA1Bhqs1
#BuildingCommunity #CommunityGardens #FoodSecurity #SolarPunkSunday #PerryVillageOhio

#KansasCity #CommunityGarden sale helps locals grow food amid rising grocery prices

Story by Alan Shope, March 21, 2025

"What started as a hobby has become a necessity for Aaliyah Mohammed.

"'I'm retired, so it means a lot to be able to grow my own food,' Mohammed said as she picked out starter plants during Kansas City Community Gardens’ (#KCCG) season-opening sale on Thursday."

Read more:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/kansas-city-community-garden-sale-helps-locals-grow-food-amid-rising-grocery-prices/ar-AA1BlDmP
#BuildingCommunity #FoodSecurity #SolarPunkSunday #Gardening #Missouri

#LowerPaxtonTownshipPA - New #CommunityGarden unveiled in Lower Paxton Township

WHTM Harrisburg
Thu, March 20, 2025

Watch:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/community-garden-unveiled-lower-paxton-211240094.html
#Pennsylvania #CommunityGardens #BuildingCommunity #FoodSecurity #Gardening #SolarPunkSunday

It's them ... the #FediverseChook (s)

(Am I too late for this joke?)

The GLAS #communitygarden in #Ballymun, today.

Flores del jardín comunitario. #CommunityGarden #Jardin #Florespondence #Bloomscrolling

Third spaces are gathering spots that are not homes, or work. public parks. community rec centers. libraries. spaces that ask nothing of those who visit.
during the first civil rights movement (and all historical insurgencies), third spaces were critical for organizing and community building. ever since then, the colonial state and corporations have been cutting into those third spaces more explicitly.

I waited at least 7 years but I might get a patch of community garden near my house, with some space to store the tools. It's Christmas in March!

#MiddletownCT residents rally to save 25-year-old #CommunityGarden from becoming a development

Story by Cassandra Day, March 12, 2025

"About two dozen people are encouraging the city to purchase the North End Ferry Street community garden as an alternative to the property owner selling it for development.

The garden, first established in 1999, has not only been a place for people to learn to grow and maintain a plot, but offers educational opportunities for residents, including youth.

"A number of people spoke out during a recent Economic Development Committee meeting about its vital importance to this 'underserved' area of Middletown. Fifteen people emailed the city on the matter, all signing their names to the same letter appealing to the committee.

"The #FerryStreetGarden has 'undergone several periods of disinvestment in the last few years,' the letter said, and now faces the 'ultimate threat of impending development.'

"The Chrysalis Center Real Estate Corp., which owns the land, has received offers from entities to purchase the plot, but nothing in writing, according to CEO Sharon Castelli.

"She is willing to negotiate a price with the city so residents can use the property, Castelli added.

"'We are very community-minded and have housing in the area, so having a place for people to grow vegetables would be a great use,' she said.

"The city would need about $50,000 to buy the land, the letter said, and there is an opportunity to apply for a state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Urban Green and Community Garden grant for the project.

"Wesleyan University student Rowan Roudebush, who created a short video about the garden, has maintained a plot there for about a year.

"'Kids have been learning to grow food and have been building community through that garden for decades,' said Roudebush, who spoke about the North End being considered a '#FoodDesert.'"

"'It's in an area where, if you don't have access to a car, it's near impossible to get affordable groceries,' they added."

Read more:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/middletown-residents-rally-to-save-25-year-old-community-garden-from-becoming-a-development/ar-AA1AUgaf
#CommunityGardens #Development #FoodSecurity #FoodSovereignty #Connecticut