Photos: Seminole Heights Community Gardens Turn 3

Seminole Heights Community Gardens celebrated its third-year anniversary with a potluck breakfast.

Seminole Heights Community Gardens celebrated its third-year anniversary with a potluck breakfast on Saturday, May 19. “It was a great sociable breakfast,” said community garden member David Weeks. But the scheduled groundbreaking of the new Butterfly Roof Rain Catcher was postponed “due to outstanding code issues that may dramatically affect the cost and feasibility of this simple water collecting ‘shade shed’,” Weeks said. The community group plans to build a rainwater catchment shelter to shade the common area of the gardens and to catch rainwater to be funneled into rain barrels. The group broke ground in April 2009 on a lot at 407 W. Violet St. donated by resident Linda Ketley. Since then, tomatoes, squash, herbs, lettuce, beans, and …

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Seminole Heights Community Gardens Turn 3

The community garden will celebrate on Saturday morning, May 19.

Seminole Heights Community Gardens will celebrate its third-year anniversary on Saturday, May 19, with a potluck breakfast at 9:30 a.m., followed by a groundbreaking of the newly approved Butterfly Roof Rain Catcher. Bring your favorite breakfast dish, or just stop by to take a tour and learn how you can get involved with the garden at 407 W. Violet St. The rainwater catchment shelter will be built to shade the common area of the gardens and to catch rainwater to be funneled into rain barrels. “And it’s good to have a focal point for gathering in the garden,” said Seminole Heights Community Gardens member David Weeks. Weeks, 49, said that the garden has become an important and beneficial component of the Seminole Heights community since …

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Seminole Heights Community Gardens to Hold Meeting at Mermaid Tavern Tonight

Want to get involved with the Seminole Heights Community Gardens?

Interested in learning more about the Seminole Heights Community Gardens? The group will hold a meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16, at Mermaid Tavern located at 6719 N. Nebraska Ave. Find out about future events at the garden and how you can get involved. Please RSVP to Tammy at tambonia1972@yahoo.com for a head count.

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Seminole Heights Community Gardens Need Watering

A special part of the Seminole Heights community, the garden needs volunteers to help maintain and water the soil.

If you've ever wanted to garden but don't have the option because of the size of your backyard, it's time to grab a watering can and a pair of gloves and get to work. The Seminole Heights Community Gardens, located at 407 W. Violet St., are seeking volunteers to join their watering team. The group is coordinated by Tammy Harman and has been a key component to the success of the garden since its start in 2009. "A lot of our watering is done by hand with the rain barrels," Harman said. "Every day someone is designated to come and has a designated area that they water. What we're looking for is new people, because we like to have two people come water each day, but in the summer some days become completely available." The garden grows a wide …

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Alessandra Da Pra

10:46 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012

Thanks Tammy, the story has been updated. We are glad to hear that folks are interested!   more ›

Help Seminole Heights Community Gardens Battle Freeze

Residents are invited to help cover the garden's crops in anticipation of freezing temperatures and harvest some food to take home.

The public is invited to help the Seminole Heights Community Gardens cover their crops in anticipation of freezing temperatures Tuesday night, Jan. 3. Participants can come help at 407 West Violet Street between 4-6 p.m. and are welcome to harvest some food while they're there, according to an email from garden organizers. The National Weather Service forecast is calling for an overnight low of 30 degrees on Tuesday. For more information on the Seminole Heights Community Gardens, visit seminoleheightscg.ning.com or the group's Facebook page.

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Work or Play — In the Garden, It's All Good

Seminole Heights Community Gardens invites everyone to its Breakfast in the Garden the fourth Saturday of every month.

There was more working than noshing at Saturday morning’s Breakfast in the Garden but fear not – that isn’t the goal of the monthly get-together, “The breakfasts are to say ‘thank you’ and to get more folks out to the garden,” said Robin Milcowitz, the driving force behind Seminole Heights Community Gardens. “We don’t often get the opportunity to just sit and enjoy the garden.” The breakfasts began in the spring, and Milcowitz plans to continue them from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on the fourth Saturday of each month through the summer at the Violet Street garden. They’re potluck affairs; a buffet of mostly organically grown and raised foods. “We try to make it healthy,” Milcowitz said. “Some folks do like to bring doughnuts. We don’t turn them away…

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Tampa City Council Keeps Startup Costs Low for Community Gardens

Seminole Heights Community Gardens fought to keep administrative costs low for applicants who want to form community garden projects.

Many city dwellers plant vegetable gardens because they want to feed their families less expensive, healthier food. Some families choose to garden collectively so they can enjoy organic produce and lessen their impact on the environment — that's community gardening. But one of the main benefits of community gardens — saving money — was nearly eliminated in Tampa by a recent ordinance designed to protect neighboring homeowners. It requires gardening groups to apply for a special use permit. However, applying for a special use permit is a complicated process and requires a public hearing that can involve land surveys or aerial photographs — costs borne by the applicant. The city charges $2,015 to process the application, with no guarantee of…

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Lend a Hand

Volunteer Opportunity: Seminole Heights Community Gardens

If you have a green thumb -- or just wish you did -- the Seminole Heights Community Gardens might be a place for you to bloom.

Seminole Heights Community Gardens 407 W. Violet St., Tampa, FL 33603 Visit the group's Facebook page, or visit www.seminoleheightscg.org (this site first requires you request an e-mail invitation to view) Hours: Mornings (especially Saturdays) Contact: Robin Milcowitz at robin@greenerpixels.com The Seminole Heights Community Gardens group broke ground in April 2009 on a lot at 407 W. Violet St. donated by resident Linda Ketley. Since then, tomatoes, squash, herbs, lettuce, beans, and other foods have sprouted there, all organically grown. The group is scouting for other locations throughout Seminole Heights as satellite gardens, with the aim of locally growing a regular supply of food. The group hosts events such as “Harvest for the …

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Weekend Snaps

Seminole Heights Saw Green Thumbs and Holistic Health on Saturday

Here's a few snapshots from this past weekend's events around Seminole Heights.

Saturday morning was topped by "Worm Bins: How to Make Your Own for Cheaps!" The class was taught by David Whitwam of Whitwam Organics and was attended by about a dozen onlookers at the Seminole Heights Community Gardens on Violet Street. Later that morning, the Holistic Heart of Tampa Health Fair got underway at the Seminole Heights Garden Center on Central Avenue. Organizers said 10 vendors and two clubs took part.

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