A new garden grows in Charlotte

Albert’s Way in Charlotte has a new community garden. The five-household development is a Habitat For Humanity project. Meghan Giroux of Vermont Edible Landscapes established the garden as part of a full-site edible landscaping plan. In addition to the fresh vegetables in the raised beds, in a few years, residents will also be able to harvest apples, pears, plums and cherries.

VCGN Garden Educational Specialist Carolina Lukac and SHECP/AmeriCorps intern Anna Townsend visit Albert’s Way every other week to offer basic gardening workshops.

On a recent visit, Carolina and Anna answered questions from the homeowners about harvest times, recipes, and late summer planting. Jordan and Renee, a couple with three young children, have two raised beds filled with kale, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, and sunflowers. They look forward to making salsa with homegrown tomatoes, cilantro, and onion, and planting garlic for next summer. In the following weeks, Carolina will teach residents how to make pesto using the overabundance of basil and plant late summer crops including carrots and radishes.