Community Garden Newsletter — July 24, 2026

Fresh Harvest

Cabbage

Jess is making kimchi with our purple cabbage!

Zucchini

We've been enjoying many treats made with our garden harvest, including zucchini bread! The zucchini will continue to produce into the fall.

Kale

Kale is ready to harvest! Did you know kale is actually a member of the cabbage family?

What's Coming Up

Our volunteer garden day will be held on Saturday, July 25th from 10am – 2pm. Our priority this week is finishing the drip line for the last two garden beds. No RSVP required.

How Do I Know It's Ready?

Pumpkin

• Color: a mature orange color
• Skin hardness: the skin becomes tough and shiny
• Stem: a mature pumpkin has a hard, dry stem that may turn yellow or brown
• Vine: often, the vine connected to the pumpkin turns dry

Watermelon

• Field spot: where the watermelon rested on the ground while growing turns creamy yellow or orange
• Tendril: the curly tendril on the main vine near the fruit should be brown and dried
• Rind: should have a dull, matte finish rather than shiny
• Weight: the melon should feel heavy, reflecting its water content

Hey, Where'd My Seedlings Go?!

We've been "hardening off" our sprouts — slowly "stressing" them outside a little at a time to get them ready to move to the garden. If you can't find your sprout, it has either moved to a bigger pot or is in the garden, with the same label.

I love using it as a metaphor: therapy follows a similar process of exposing people to something uncomfortable a little at a time, which helps them grow stronger and more resilient, so they can thrive no matter the environment. — Jessica Egan

Fruit Trees

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, the Family Solutions Community Garden has received several young fruit trees — hazelnut, cherry, plum, and fig. These baby trees need a little extra care during their first year, and our staff volunteers are making sure they get a full watering can every week through their first growing season. Thank you for helping our community garden grow! These trees will become a lasting resource for our clients, staff, and community for years to come.

---

Questions? Email garden@family-solutions.net.