By Marissa Hedlund, Heritage Garden Programs Intern

Our poor Heritage Garden has not been getting enough love! With me being gone due to other responsibilities, having very little rain this month, and the watering system malfunctioning, the garden has proven to be more resilient and self-sufficient than I would’ve imagined! In regards to the veggies themselves, the tomato plants are beginning to take over, and unfortunately, the cabbage and kohlrabi are getting eaten up by some sort of pest so I don’t think they’re going to make it to maturity.

On the bright side, I’ve been able to continue harvesting a lot of onions, beets, radishes, and basil. I was also recently informed by a volunteer at the Catherine McAuley Center that our produce has been going to an immigrant family of six! Considering that the Heritage Garden was constructed to help visitors better understand what the life of Czech & Slovak immigrants looked like, I was really happy to hear that the mission has (unexpectedly) come full circle.

Pertaining to garden-relating events in the weeks to come, we’re about to have a lot of tomatoes, so I’m thinking of making some salsa for visitors to enjoy during Sleger Immigrant Home tours on Saturdays. Also, I’m really excited to be hosting the sold-out Fairy Garden Workshop on Saturday, October 7. For those of you attending, get ready for cute, mystical crafts and miniature gardening!

Until next time,

Marissa