Today the garden received this beautiful photo and its accompanying email:

I visited the garden yesterday morning and talked with a woman about painting. She was very gracious but couldn’t allow me inside at that time. I did, however, paint from outside the fence. Attached find a photo I took on my phone. When I have the opportunity to take a better photo I will send it to you. You may use the image for whatever purpose you wish. The painting will be part of an exhibition opening October 9 at the Rosenfeld Gallery, titled Philadelphia Heartbeat.

Robert Beck
www.robertbeck.net

CLICK HERE to read more about the Philadelphia Heartbeat project.

Help City Harvest support the new garden being created by the residents of Riverview Apartments at 4th and Washington. Come out and meet the neighbors.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to construct garden boxes, fill with soil, and — the fun part! — share your knowledge of planting. Boards will already be cut to size and only need to be put together. Soil, tools, and plants will be on site.

WHEN:   Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 10:00am
WHERE: The Courtyard at Riverview Apartments,
            4th and Washington

Take this opportunity to share your love of gardening and your community.

Questions? Contact Janice and Ed at mitchor@verizon.net

The annual plant sale to support the garden took place over the Mother’s Day weekend and was a great success. Click on the photo to see more pictures of the event.

Jeff Hornstein, husband of fellow gardener Pam Barnett, is running for City Council in the First District. You can find out more about Jeff’s ideas at www.jeffhornstein.org. Many of us will be interested in his thoughts on alternative energy and sustainable business development. Gardeners in particular will be interested in his plans for a community land trust to move blighted land into community hands for gardens, parks and other community-identified needs. The Democratic primary is on May 17th.

Summer 1997. Left: Sam with fellow gardeners Hattie Nichols, Cynthia Rafferty, Cheryl Rybaki, Dana Mulherin and Carla Puppin. Right: Sam working in his plot.

Sam Williams, beloved gardener since the earliest days of the garden, passed away on April 16 after a long illness. Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 7, at New Zion Baptist Church, 929 S. 13th St. The viewing will be 9 – 10 am, the funeral service at 10:00 am. Sam will be greatly missed by his many friends in the garden. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family.

Thanks to Linda Witt for providing a link to the Sunday, May 1, 2011 review of fellow gardener Anne Seidman’s paintings and drawings — just click on the photo.

Not only did recent snowfalls provided lots of shoveling opportunities, they also showed how beautiful the garden can be in her winter dress. To see more of John Ventrej’s portrait of a snowy dawn, click on the photo.

On Saturday, January 9, beekeepers temporarily moved all the SWQV hives so that arborists could top and prune the trees over the apiary and patio. Orchard trees were also pruned, as was the pagoda tree along the east wall which was heavily shading some plots. Photos courtesy of beekeeper Scott MacDonald.

Click on photo to see more pictures of the work party.

September 25, 2010: Annual BBG

Click on photo to see more pictures of the festivities.

SWQV Garden took first prize in the City Gardens Contest (Community Combo Garden category: Flower & Vegetable). The award ceremony was held Saturday, September 11 at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Fall Garden Festival at the Navy Yard.

Pauline & Marcy accept the award on behalf of the garden

Group photo at the Navy Yard where everything took place.