First Garden Committee Meeting

King Open Garden Committee Meeting Notes
2/1/10

Attendence: Jessie Wenning (parent), Mitch Ryerson (parent), Carla Procaskey(community member), Jane Hirshci (CitySprouts), Francey Slater (CitySprouts)

Physical Garden Update:
- Jane has initiated conversations with DPW & Parks and Rec (Dana Hamm, Donald Downs, Kelly Writer) and connected with Dave Lefcourt (arborist) who began initial pruning of big apple tree
- goal is to establish maintenance schedule with DPW for mowing, pruning, leaf removal

CitySprouts Program Updates
- Sustainability is primary goal
- partnership with Science Department (writing garden lessons into existing curriculum & doing teacher training around these units – this is a new initiative and will be piloted this spring at Peabody and Amigos schools)
- CitySprouts Starts: new expansion initiative into Boston Schools and beyond; support and training in schools beyond Cambridge; distill essence of CitySprouts to services we can provide over a secific period of time (i.e. Consulting).

Questions and Discussion Points
- Design of the KO garden: now it is a bit haphazard and wild around the edges
- Goal is to strike a balance between planned areas and natural/funky areas/retain essence of the garden while incorporating order and sense that the space is cared for.
- Options for bed borders will set the tone for the garden – 1”x6” boards, brick, stone, black locust logs,
- building a patio that can serve as a meeting area for classes
- important factors: consistency of design, natural space, engaging and welcoming to adults and children, professional element of design
- Consider working with a designer, Rob Steck, Cynthia Smith at Halvorson Design Partnership (http://www.halvorsondesign.com/), approaching Harvard Grad School of Design for student collaboration
- CitySprouts can offer advise on designing with kids in mind, requirements for different crops, teacher use of garden
- Involving kids and teachers in design and building of garden (i.e. Kelly)

Next Steps:
- Before our next meeting (Feb. 24 at 7pm in the King Open Library) people should start looking for design ideas, specifically images that can be shared with group (print or email).
- Check out Boston Schoolyard Initiative Photos for inspriation: http://gallery.mac.com/schoolyards
- Look at www.kidsgardening.org for funding resources as well as activity and project ideas