Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Help our garden grow!

Hello! and welcome to the Garden Posse.

We're a small group of young, sustainably minded urbanites in Austin, Texas. We have a beautiful communal garden on the banks of the Colorado River, at a place called, "Project Imagine." Surrounded by a dense, almost tropical forest, our garden is an escape from the city in the middle of East Austin.

The Garden Posse is different from a community garden because it's a communal garden. That means no individual plots, and everyone works on all parts of the garden together.

The Garden Posse been around for about a year, and we're working to create a place where people of all ranges of experience can come to garden and be a part of the community. We want you to join us! The garden needs your helping hand and our posse - well, the bigger the better. And no experience is necessary.

What You Can Do

Maintainence: Planting, watering, weeding, patrolling for bugs
Resources: Searching out materials and donations
Future Planning: Garden design, schedule planting, starting seeds
Get the word out: Tell your friends how awesome it is to be in a posse and garden - at the same time!


Posse Membership Benefits

Gardening equals fresh veggies, lower food costs, and a happy, healthier you
Unlimited opportunities to refer to your "posse" in casual conversation
A welcoming community of friends
Monthly food-centered gatherings
A beautiful, unique place to spend an afternoon
Garden experience/ food survival skills, because you never know when it might come in handy
Participation in the growing and vital movement of urban agriculture across Austin

Posse Requirements

Garden with us for a while, let us get to know you and you to know us.
Time commitment is flexible - but you should spend time with the garden on a regular basis.
The harvest is spread when you have commited to working in the garden for 4 weeks.

Basically, we are looking for collaborative gardeners who understand the importance and benefits of a community grown around food. We look at each season as an experiment in urban agriculture and local food networks, which we believe promotes healthier, more sustainable cities and happier people.

Where You Can Find Us

Project Imagine is located at 3421 E Cesar Chavez St, hidden in the wooded section on the river side between Springdale and Tillery St. There's a sign that says "Project Imagine" over the parking lot, right before the developed roadside. Walk down the stone pathway to the balcony, and you'll see the garden.

We organize workdays on the weekends. Please contact Lindsay to find out when Posse members will be there, at lindsayjpatterson@gmail.com, or 518-669-7117.

Tour the garden by looking at these photos








Pardon our dirt - garden tour under construction.

Garden reading material

Don't take our word for it: Here are some links to tell you why gardening is the best thing since before sliced bread.

"Why Bother?" - An illuminating essay on the many local and global reasons you should garden, by Michael Pollan.

"Leaving Behind the Trucker Hat" - A New York Times article about what happens when young city people get ideas about farming.

Wait, there's more! ... coming later.