In this update:

* MVG Welcomes Our County's Newest Community Garden!
* Last weekend for the County Agricultural Fair
* English Town Takes Up Guerrilla Gardening en Masse
* More Links and Tips for Fall Gardening - and Discount for MVG supporters!



MVG Welcomes our County's Newest Community Garden - Fallsgrove!

As we have often noted, our county does not have nearly enough community gardens for those who want them - and here are some folks doing something about it!

Fallsgrove Community Garden in Rockville is the brain child of Jerry Wujek and his neighbors in Fallsgrove, who have worked with the City of Rockville to establish this brand new home for twenty 200 square foot garden plots. Jerry was inspired after working with Carl Henn on the King Farm Community Garden (also in Rockville), and envisions a city in which every neighborhood has its own community garden for growing food.

The keys to success, according to Jerry, are 1) finding a small group of dedicated people to make it happen, and 2) being persistent. The rewards are well worth it, though: in addition to getting fresh, healthy local food, Jerry notes that "people are really coming together. They are looking at our neighborhood in a new way, seeing it as a real community."

We applaud Jerry and everyone else who has made this happen!  If you live in the Fallsgrove area and want to sign up for a plot, or want to ask them more questions on how they did it so you can start a community garden in your neighborhood, check them out here.


Come to the 61st Annual Montgomery County Agricultural Fair!

"All roads lead to the Fair" - have you been yet?

If not, the Fair's last days are this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, August 20-22, and if you love food, farms, animals and fun, you won't be disappointed. Beekeeping demonstrations, blacksmiths, and a birthing barn with the most adorable goats, pigs and sheep you've ever seen - these are just a few of the delights you'll find at the Montgomery County Ag Fair. And of course there's always tons of great food and carnival rides for the kids.

This is one of the best ag fairs in the region - I know this for a fact because when I worked at the Master Gardeners Demo Garden there this past week, I kept meeting people from Virgnia who told me so!

Don't miss out - come the Ag Fair during its last three days! You can find complete Fair information and schedule here.






More Information for Planting Your Fall Garden - Plus a Discount for MVG Supporters!

We received such a great response for our initial Fall Gardening Tip Sheet last week, that we'd like to present some additional information for this oh-so-important time of the gardening year.

General Overview - Check out this excellent, brief overview of fall vegetable gardening by Charlie Nardozzi of the National Gardening Association.

Plant Purchase - A lot of people have asked where they can buy starter plants, and we've found two locations so far: Behnke's, which has two locations (Beltsville and Potomac), says their plants will come near the end of this month, while Sharp's Farm, just over the county border in Brookeville, already has a full selection available. (Click the "Greenhouse" tab on their website.) Better yet, Sharp's will give Montgomery Victory Gardens supporters (that's you) a 25% discount!

Seed Purchase - There's still time to plant some of the quicker maturing veggies, such as radishes and lettuces, or the more cold resistant greens, such as kale, collards and Asian greens (bok choy, tatsoi, etc.) from seed. There are lot of seeds still being sold locally at co-ops, supermarkets and hardware stores, some even with specific displays for fall planting. And don't forget to ask your friends who have gardens - if they're like me and most other gardeners, they still have plenty of seeds leftover from the spring.

Frost Date - First frosts dates can vary significantly from Poolesville to Rockville to Silver Spring, or from an open field to a garden next to your house. And climate change, in addition to creating more extreme weather, is also generally warming things up. (Our first frost in downtown Silver Spring last year didn't come until mid-November.) Nonetheless, knowing average first frost dates is crucial for your fall planting - you can find first frost dates for the state of Maryland here.




That's it! And don't forget to help Montgomery Victory Gardens grow - send us your feedback and suggestions! Let us know what's on your mind, and please send us any items, particularly about local food production, that MVG can promote. Email to info@montgomeryvictorygardens.org

Thanks!

Gordon Clark,
Project Director