Community Garden Newsletter — August 13, 2026

News and Announcements

Our Fruit Trees Are in Good Hands

Thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers who stepped up to care for our young fruit trees! All of our highest-priority trees — the ones that needed the most urgent care — now have a dedicated volunteer for the rest of the summer season, and they'll get the support they need to thrive through the hottest month ahead.

We are deeply grateful for your time, energy, and passion for nurturing our fruit trees. You're making a tangible difference by helping grow fresh, nutritious food for the families we serve, right here in their own community.

Pumpkin Harvest

Clients have been enjoying harvesting some of our pumpkins! A pumpkin is ready to harvest when the skin is hard and the stem starts to dry out and turn brown. If it's green, leave it be.

Staff in the Garden

Our staff love to get involved with gardening activities — including Kali Doubledee, our beloved Art Therapist, who was spotted harvesting ripe tomatoes off the vine!

Saving Seeds

Our Shasta daisies are producing seeds! We'll save the seeds and plant them in the spring.

What's Coming Up

Volunteer Garden Day

Every Saturday from 10am – 2pm. All are welcome! No RSVP required.

What Is a Hoop House?

You may have heard whisperings of a hoop house. A hoop house is a tunnel-shaped structure made of arched hoops covered in greenhouse plastic. It protects plants from harsh weather, pests, and frost while creating a warm microclimate. The main benefit is extending the growing season — you can harvest earlier in spring and later into fall.

Jessica Egan has been gathering supplies for us to build our very own hoop house! It's going to take some planning and volunteers to install it and keep our community garden producing veggies into the fall and earlier in the spring. Stay tuned!

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Have any questions, comments, or concerns? We want to hear from you! Email garden@family-solutions.net.