July Community
Garden News
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Happy July, community gardeners! We hope that you are all having a wonderful summer. The gardens are looking lovely! Here at Boyd Street, the youth-maintained, open-pick garden is looking lush, as are all the surrounding orchard trees and berries (so many berries!). The community garden rebuild has been completed and all the beds are full of life. Over at Eastern Prom, the Common Share Community Garden was recently completed, and gardeners got their plants into their new raised beds in record time! If you haven’t been over to see it yet, take a moment sometime soon. 
We recently posted first-name only garden maps in the garden sheds, so that you can get to know your fellow gardeners! Take a look next time you are at the garden. Also coming soon is some additional signage. These will be simple signs that let the public know that they can look at gardens but cannot harvest. We hope this helps with some of the produce theft or vandalism that some gardeners experience.
Below is a round up of some of the exciting upcoming events and workshops in the community gardens. Take a look and as always, let us know if you have any questions. We hope to see you at a workshop, event, or picnic soon!
Finally, a friendly reminder that every gardener is required to pitch in at least 6 community hours at their garden. These hours truly help to ensure that each garden stays maintained and that all of the systems in place function well (tools stay organized, pathways stay weeded and mulched, etc). If you are wondering what to do for community hours, feel free to reach out to garden@cultivatingcommunity.org, and we can either send you some ideas or put you in touch with your garden coordinator. |
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We are very excited to be offering two meditation events at two of the community gardens! These events will be lead by Davinica Nemtzow, certified Mindful Outdoor Guide, owner of Kaneel (more below!), and proud Brentwood Community Gardener. Both events will be “pay what you can” events and all proceeds will benefit Cultivating Community. We’re grateful for this wonderful offering!
Event Dates & Location:
- Wednesday, August 6th | 6-7:30 pm | Brentwood Farms Community Garden
- Thursday, August 21st | 6 – 7:30 pm | Boyd Street Community Garden
Event Description:
Our community gardens are inherently mindful spaces. They are quiet, nourishing, and hopeful, full of tender care. But when we come in focused only on the tasks at hand, we can miss the small details that make these natural spaces so beautiful.
Through guided breathing, hands-on mindfulness practices, quiet observation, and a community sharing circle, this offering will help you cultivate a deeper relationship with the garden, your neighbors, and your own sense of well-being.
This workshop is for anyone who wants to slow down and admire the natural world; no prior meditation experience is necessary.
About Kaneel:
Kaneel offers guided outdoor mindfulness practices in Southern Maine. It has grown out of a dedication to learning, sustaining, and celebrating all that the more-than-human world is willing to share with us. Through our meditations, we encourage people to connect with the natural world in meaningful ways so they may become active stewards of our planet.
Kaneel’s owner, Davinica Nemtzow, is certified as a Mindful Outdoor Guide from the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. She is dedicated to bringing together community in inclusive, healing, and creative ways. She is proud to be a gardener at Brentwood Community Garden. Learn more at kaneel.me.
Important information:
- If it would help you be more comfortable, please bring a blanket, a trail seat, or a chair to sit on.
- This event will be held rain or shine. If the event needs to be canceled due to dangerous weather or temperature, you will be informed the day before the event.
Accessibility information:
Please email Davinica at davinica@kaneel.me with specific access needs.
- Movement: The garden paths are a mix of woodchips and grass. Throughout the practice, there will be many moments to rest.
- Sensory Activities: Throughout the meditation, participants will be invited to explore the space using all five of their senses (hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste). Part of our practice involves sitting still in silence for 15-20 minutes. These activities can be adapted for those with sensory impairments or sensitivities.
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Urban Growers Summer Series
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We have partnered with the University of Maine Extension to host three workshops on common garden questions and challenges. The first of these workshops has already passed, but the next one is next week at Valley Street Community Garden! Workshops are free, but registration is required. Click here for more info.
Looking for more fun ways to spend time in the gardens this summer? Here’s a few other opportunities…
- Pop-up Picnics: Each summer, Cultivating Community partners with Wayside, The Book Fairy, Locker Project, Garbage to Garden, The City of Portland, local musicians, and many others to host four Pop Up Picnics at the community gardens. Food is free and all are welcome! Check the graphic below for more info.
- Volunteer Days: Feel the need to weed? Pining for the outdoors? Have an itch to mulch? It takes many hands to keep the Community Gardens vibrant, well-managed, growing spaces. Dig in with us! We have drop-in volunteer days scheduled at each of the 11 gardens this summer. Find more info on our website. No need to register, just stop by. Check the graphic below for more info.
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Our work is possible thanks to the support of our community. Please contribute if you are able. Volunteer time and in-kind donations are always welcome too. Thank you!
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