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From the DirectorTaking Root In The Community
Children plant a strawberry tree at Argonne Elementary School's new Demonstration Sidewalk Garden. Photo courtesy of: David Silberman. Grey2Green Workshop Tutorials At San Francisco Botanical Garden Society, where our mission is to cultivate the bond between people and plants, we hope that visitors of all ages and backgrounds will explore the wonders inside the gates of the Botanical Garden. We also look for opportunities to take the Garden to our community outside the gates. Grey2Green is a project to green the sidewalks of every neighborhood in San Francisco. With the motto, "less concrete, more jungle," the Botanical Garden Society has partnered with the Department of Public Works (DPW), the Recreation and Park Department, San Francisco Parks Alliance, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), to help property owners turn cement sidewalks into mini-gardens that absorb rain water, attract pollinators, reduce carbon emissions and bring beauty to their streets. Supported by an 18-month grant from Cal Fire, the Botanical Garden Society and DPW have hosted free workshops and created video tutorials to inform residents about the permitting process, design requirements, recommended plant and tree species, and maintenance of their sidewalk gardens. A Grey2Green Demonstration Garden just outside our Main Gate displays California natives and other plants that are well suited for sidewalk gardens in San Francisco. Inside the gates, our extensive California Native collection showcases other native species equally able to thrive in low maintenance City gardens. Many of these plants are propagated in our Nursery and are available for purchase in the Arbor beside the Garden Bookstore and at other plant sales sponsored by the Botanical Garden Society throughout the year. To help residents plant their sidewalk gardens, the Botanical Garden Society offers a discount to those who attend the free workshops. Recently, we joined our Grey2Green partners, San Francisco Unified School District and Supervisor Eric Mar to celebrate Argonne Elementary School's new Demonstration Sidewalk Garden, where parents, teachers and students transformed 240 square feet of concrete sidewalk into a California native plant garden. Envision a dedication ceremony where children and the new sidewalk garden took center stage. There were speeches, of course, but the high point was when the children planted a strawberry tree (Arbutus 'Marina') while City, school and partner officials – and members of the Green Argonne Parent Teacher organization – cheered them on. We are especially proud of Argonne's leadership in sustainable gardening. For each of the past ten years, every K-3 classroom at Argonne has had the opportunity to participate in our Children's Garden program. The children make multiple visits to the Garden. They learn about sustainability and how to grow and nurture plants from seeds. And now our relationship with Argonne literally has taken root – not just in the Botanical Garden, but also on Argonne's sidewalks. This is realizing our mission in the best possible way – cultivating the bond between people and plants, in the Botanical Garden and in the community. If you are interested in creating a sidewalk garden, please contact Grey2Green Project Manager Mike Gonzalez at mgonzalez@sfbg.org or Project Coordinator Markos Major at markos.major@sfdpw.org. Our last Grey2Green workshop in the current grant cycle is November 12. Please also visit our website for more details on the Grey2Green program and check out our You Tube channel, where you will be able to watch our new Grey2Green video tutorials. Thank you,
Sue Ann Schiff |
