Spruce Street Community Garden
The Spruce Street Community Garden's 2025 Prospective Gardener Application will launch on Wednesday, January 8th at 9:00 AM. The application will be posted here & on the Spruce Street Community Garden's Facebook page.
Spruce Street Community Garden Learnshops
Grow Your Own Superfoods: A Hands-On Microgreens Learnshop
Microgreens are nutrient-packed, easy-to-grow plants that add a healthy boost to any meal. In this interactive 90-minute workshop, participants will learn the basics of growing microgreens, discover their nutritional benefits, and make their own pot of microgreens to take home. Attendees will also receive step-by-step instructions and helpful links to continue growing microgreens at home with ease.
- Meets: Th, 01/09/24, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
- Location: Eastside Neighborhood Resource Center, 153 Spruce Street
- Ages: All welcome
- Fee: No cost
Smart Gardening: Harnessing the Power of Companion Planting
Discover the natural benefits of companion planting and how it can boost your garden's health and productivity. In this 90-minute interactive learnshop, participants will explore the principles of companion planting and learn how to strategically group plants to enhance growth, repel pests, and optimize space. You’ll leave with a personalized planting plan, a handy companion planting reference guide, and the skills to design a more harmonious and productive garden.
- Meets: Th, 02/13/24, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
- Location: Eastside Neighborhood Resource Center, 153 Spruce Street
- Ages: All welcome
- Fee: No cost
Seed Starting Success: Grow Your Garden from Scratch
Starting seeds at home is a rewarding and cost-effective way to grow your own garden. In this 90-minute learnshop, participants will learn everything they need to know about successfully starting annual seeds indoors, from choosing the right seeds and soil to lighting, watering, and transplanting techniques. Participants will engage in hands-on activities, potting their own seeds to take home, and receive a seed-starting guide with key tips for success.
- Meets: Th, 03/06/24, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
- Location: Eastside Neighborhood Resource Center, 153 Spruce Street
- Ages: All welcome
- Fee: No cost
Container Gardening for Fresh Vegetables: Grow More, Spend Less
As food prices continue to rise, learn how to grow your own fresh vegetables in small spaces with container gardening. In this 90-minute learnshop, discover which vegetables thrive in containers, create cost-effective soil mixes, and develop watering strategies to keep your plants healthy. You'll also explore succession gardening techniques to maximize your harvest throughout the growing season. Participants will engage in hands-on planting and should bring a food-safe 5-gallon bucket or a 7-inch deep pot for their project.
- Meets: Th, 04/10/24, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
- Location: Eastside Neighborhood Resource Center, 153 Spruce Street
- Ages: All welcome
- Fee: No cost
Virtual Garden Learnshops
November 2: Putting Your Gardens to Bed
December 1: Stocking Up for Winter
January 4: Growing Food Indoors
February 15: Starting Plants from Seeds
About
The Spruce Street Community Garden began as a volunteer project in March 2014 with a small group of after school students from 1st-4th grade. Together, with the guidance of the Spruce Street Community Garden Coordinator Bettylou Sandy, they were able to build, plant and harvest the first four beds for the spring & feast on their own food in June! Some of the student's parents and neighbors adopted these beds to grow in throughout the summer, and in the spring of 2015, the town adopted the garden and started to build more beds through the help of volunteers, grant funding and town support.
In the following years, the garden grew to 28 framed raised beds of various heights. In November 2020, the Neighborhoods and Families Division, in collaboration with Fresh Start Pallet Products and the Town of Manchester's Public Works Department, were able to rebuild the garden as an inclusive and accessible community garden for the East Side neighborhood and the broader Manchester community. The garden then consisted of 28 framed raised beds, all of which are 4 feet wide by 8 feet long by 3 feet high. In addition to the garden bed renovations, the garden also received improvements to its composting system, water harvesting system and a stable footpath.
In 2022, the Neighborhoods and Families Division, in collaboration with Fresh Start Pallet Products and the Town of Manchester's Public Works Department, added 6 single-high beds, 6 double-high beds and a learning rotary garden. The Spruce Street Community Garden now consists of 41 accessible community garden beds.