This will be the third summer for the garden at the Wilton Library. Originally built as an educational and participation program, with help from the Fink family and the folks at Millstone Farm, the raised bed garden is the center of the Library’s Garden Club for families.
The children’s library is kicking of the season with two organizational meetings, March 7 and 14 at 4 p.m.. Children in grades K and up can join the club that meets weekly on Fridays throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Families that are involved will plan, plant, tend and eat fruits and vegetables that are grown in the raised-bed garden right outside the library.
“The Garden Club is our only program where we encourage the whole family to participate, so we do require a grown up to be with the kids. It’s a nice program where everyone can participate together–dads, moms, we’ve had grandparents come too, with the kids. Sometimes we need grown up help and the garden is on the road side of the building,” explained Andrea Faulkner, head of the children’s library, who added that Fridays is always a good day to meet because once the garden blooms, there’s lots of produce to pick for weekend eating.
During March participating families will get to plan what crops will be grown in the garden and prepare for springtime planting. “Each year has been different. Two years ago with our medieval summer theme, we only planted fruits and vegetables that would have been grown in medieval times. Last year we made a big list–peas, pumpkins, carrots, beets, peppers, jalapeno peppers, strawberries, basil, tomatoes, cucumbers. We follow square foot planting methodology, so we plant a lot in a very finite amount of space. We planted cauliflower in the fall and left it over winter, so it’s currently under snow and is supposed to come up in the spring. It will be a fun experiment,” Faulkner said.
The library is encouraging everyone interested to come to the meeting, and there is no limit to the number of people who can participate. At the introductory meetings, families will get some seeds and pots to start seedlings to bring back at the beginning of May to plant in the garden. Some of the seeds have actually been harvested from crops grown at the Library’s garden in previous years.
“We hope that people start with the planning, help with planting and then see the harvest, so kids get to see the whole process. But people are by no means required to be there every single Friday,” Faulkner said, adding that there’s not a particular age group that is preferred–she said there’s something fun for everyone to do. “There’s a pretty good mix of kids.”
To sign up for the program: afalkner@wiltonlibrary.org or 203.762.3950, ext. 225
