Parade of Community Gardens, Aug. 16
The Dowling Garden – believed to be one of the last remaining Victory Gardens in the country – holds its heirloom festival Aug. 16, in conjunction with the Parade of Community Gardens.
Parade of Community Gardens
Sat., Aug. 16, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
various Twin Cities locations
Garden-lovers (not the gardens themselves) will parade around the Twin Cities and beyond during GardenWorks’ Third Annual Parade of Community Gardens. The free, self-guided tour features a good showing of Bridgeland plots (see list below). Call 612-278-7123 or visit www.gardenworksMN.org/Parade.htm and download the map and brochure, then take your pick from the 45 gardens. (Look for the bright orange signs on the way to and at the gardens.)
Bridgeland-area gardens:
Cedar High-Rise Gardens
(four gardens)
620 Cedar Ave. S., 630 Cedar Ave. S., 1611 S. Sixth St. and
1627 S. Sixth St.
The Cedar High-Rise Community consists of new immigrants, elderly and disabled people living in the four Minneapolis Public Housing high-rises. Most gardens feature beautiful flowers and some vegetables.
Augsburg Community Garden
20th Avenue South and South Sixth St.
The garden is in its first full season and consists of 40 individual plots open to produce, flower, and perennial gardening, with a labyrinth and native plantings in the border.
Minnehaha Avenue Community Garden
3128 Minnehaha Ave. S.
In its 11th season, the garden is a project of the Longfellow Community Council was started with Neighborhood Revitalization Program funds. Neighbors come to grow vegetables with some herbs and flowers.
Accord Community Garden
15th & Como avenues Southeast
The Accord Community Garden sits beneath the towering wind chime sculpture from which this spot gets its name. Enjoy birthday cake while gathering info on native plant gardening from a Hennepin County master gardener.
OWLS Garden
26th & Weeks avenues Southeast
The OWLS Garden, on the railroad easement near Manning’s Bar, 2200 Como Ave., donates a significant portion of its yield to senior citizens who live in the Southeast Como. Highlights are the 250-gallon rain barrel water tower and bottle gourds being grown to make drums for students at J.J. Hill Elementary School in St. Paul.
Dowling Community Garden
East 39th Street and 46th Avenue South
Believed to be one of the last two remaining Victory Gardens in use today, the Dowling Garden celebrates its 65th anniversary this year. The parade coincides with the annual Heirloom Festival, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Taste flavorful tomatoes and peppers, learn how to make natural dyes, attend a gardening seminar, and stroll through the historic garden.
For a schedule of events, visitwww.DowlingCommunityGarden.org.
last revised: August 18, 2008