Green Spring Extension Master Gardener Program Selected for Microgrant For Community Garden Project
by Marylou Wall & Gioia Caiola Forman
We are happy to announce that the Green Spring Extension Master Gardener Program was selected for a Microgrant for a Community Garden Project sponsored by the Virginia Cooperative Extension Program. Over thirty applications were submitted for funding this year, and we are thrilled to be selected! Written by Extension Master Gardeners Gioia Caiola Forman and Marylou Wall with support by Pamela Smith, Extension Master Gardeners Program Coordinator, the grant will provide funds to increase signage and activities written in English, Spanish, and Korean.
Green Spring Gardens is much more than twenty thematic demonstration gardens in an urban, diverse setting in Alexandria, Virginia. It's also a historic estate, community event facility, horticulture education visitor center, and children’s learning complex. Having a diverse set of attractions can potentially increase its appeal to the community. The results can strengthen the impact of the site's mission and connect and improve community experiences.
With over 200,000 visitors a year, we want to connect with our diverse community, which includes speakers of English, Spanish, and Korean. What better way than to focus on the Extension Master Gardeners’ Demonstration Gardens, with specific plans for the Edible and Children’s Gardens!
The Edible Garden grows a few vegetables and herbs native to the Korean and Spanish cultures, which a local food bank requested in Spring 2021. In total, 1,800 pounds of produce has been donated. The grant will add both additional native vegetables and herbs as well as signage in these languages to teach sustainable gardening.
The Children’s Garden has a WELCOME sign. The grant will update the signage to include Spanish and Korean greetings. In addition, the Children’s Garden has an online activity. The grant will allow this activity to be translated into Spanish and Korean for visitors to download.
The Children’s Garden also has a chalkboard. The chalkboard will now include the alphabet and typical horticultural words in three languages as well as pictures. The grant will also provide materials for plant identification signage in Spanish and Korean as well as funds to buy books in these languages for the Free Library. Along the garden path we will also plan, promote, and complete a story walk displayed in three languages.
During the past year, Green Spring experienced a 60% increase in visitors. Many of these visitors were families with children. We believe that increasing signage in multiple languages will nurture community engagement, build on what is already valuable in our diverse community, and encourage more participation in the gardens by children and their families.
