A Trip To The Garden Project

Perennial Flower Seeds

April 23rd, 2015

Today, I decided to register my community garden plot online with the Lansing Food Bank Garden Project and visit their resource center in Foster Park on Marcus Street in Lansing, Michigan. The Garden Project is there to offer assistance to low income, elderly, and disabled gardeners. Additionally, they collect extra produce and use it to supply area food banks and soup kitchens. In order to utilize the resource center, I had to register online and meet the income guidelines. I make too much money to qualify for food stamps, but I still made less than the income cap for the program, so don't hesitate to apply if you are above the poverty line, but still struggling.

In the case that you are not struggling, The Garden Project seems like a great place to volunteer. It was staffed with friendly, helpful volunteers, ready to help me with my questions. They also have potlucks and social events to help promote community cohesion/

Dwarf Sunflowers

After registering my garden, I visited the center, which is open Thursdays from 5-7 pm for the general public to ask questions and pick out free seeds and plants. All of the seeds and plants are donated, so if you have extra seedlings, cuttings, or seed packets, call and ask what they need. You are allowed to pick 25 packets of seeds free. They have additional seeds, like buckwheat, used as a cover crop, available for purchase. I found several bins of expired seeds and bulk corn seed available free, that didn't count toward the 25 seed packet limit.

I explained to the volunteers that I had a community garden plot that was too big for my personal use and that I wanted to plant flowers on the part of the land that was not going to be in use for vegetable gardening. They listened to my needs and pointed me toward the seed section for flowers. I selected several packets of "Eastern Pollinator Perennial Mix" and several other flower varieties, including one packet of dwarf sunflowers, just for fun.

Thanks to an online friend of mine, I all ready have an enviable stash of heirloom vegetable seeds to plant, but if you are in Lansing and you require seeds from The Garden Project, they have an amazing variety, including rare and heirloom varieties. They had over 100 types of seeds and some exotic types, such as Asian cucumbers, ornamental corn, and Sun and Moon watermelon. The second week of May, they will have onion sets available. The volunteers told me to stop in often, because they never know what will be donated. They sometimes get seed potatoes and strawberry plants, too. I plan to return for some onion sets in 2 weeks and to donate any extra produce that I harvest.

Don't forget, The Garden Project also has books, a tool borrowing program, and lists of classes offered. You can learn about everything from growing the best tomatoes to beekeeping and home canning. Most of the classes are at the Hunter Park Community Greenhouse. Some have a cost to attend. Whatever your needs are, ask a volunteer and they will try and help you out!