Southminster Garden Update | Friendship Gardens Charlotte

Garden thriving despite the heat

Oct. 11, 2011

An update on the Southminster garden from Chef Kris Reid. Reach her here.

The light over the garden has been changing right along with the season that is upon us. In the mornings when I drive into work, I take the ‘long road’, around the building, where I like to wave to Mr. Reid walking his dog and look out over our garden. The autumn sun has created pockets of shadows, and over the course of the day the garden does not receive the abundant light it once had during the summer.

Currently, in the garden, we are growing collards, kale, escarole, arugula, green leaf lettuce, beets, late season tomatoes, Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes.

If you have been to the garden recently or to the entrance of the formal dining room you will know the fate of my beloved Jack-The-Great-Pumpkin. He was, along with his two smaller compadres, harvested by Chef Greg last week. Thanks to Vivian Randol for making such a lovely display with them. They will be taking compliments and soft pats until the end of October when they will be shared between our kitchen and Friendship Trays. I was thinking a pumpkin soup the first week of November is in order!

Finally, I will be in the garden on October 20th, around 10:30 a.m. for an hour to do some clean up and harvest sweet potatoes. I know that this creates a conflict for those that attend art class but unfortunately I do not have another opportunity to get to the sweet potatoes before the frost. Looking forward to seeing you out there if you can make it!

If you would like to do some work in the garden at any other time, please feel free. We need to pull the zania, pull weeds and harvest sweet potatoes. Thank you for your continued support and love for our garden!

Eat well.

Friendship Gardens Charlotte
Creating local, renewable nutritious food resources for meals-on-wheels recipients
An Initiative of Slow Food Charlotte and Friendship Trays, Inc.

Friendship Trays, 2401-A Distribution St. Charlotte, NC 28203 voice 704-333-9229 fax 704-333-5947
Meals-on-wheels in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC
Delivering, in a caring and friendly manner, balanced meals to individuals in this community
who are unable, because of age or infirmity, to obtain and prepare their own meal
Friendship Trays is a 501(c)(3) organization. Employer ID #56-1201496. Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license
are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 919-807-2000. The license is not an endorsement by the State.