Maintaining an attractive and productive garden year-round
Verdura Culinary Gardens are attractive enough to show off just about anywhere on your property: flanking the front entrance, bordering a parking lot, filling a courtyard, or replacing lawn areas around buildings.
We understand the importance of continuously maintaining the beds so they are visually appealing year-round. We manage this several ways:
- We develop a year-round planting schedule that ensures that even during the winter months, the beds have some greenery and are tidy and well kept. This has the added benefit of increasing the productivity of your gardens with perennial herbs as well as over-wintering crops like onions, garlic and spinach.
- Unless you prefer to have us do all the garden maintenance for you, we involve your people – whether employees, students or residents – in the garden throughout the growing season from March through October. This provides a valuable educational experience, develops a sense of pride and ownership in the garden, and helps offset maintenance costs. There is no additional cost for this educational component of the program; it’s included in the garden maintenance.
- Our staff visits your garden every week throughout the growing season to weed, trim, harvest, plant and generally maintain the garden. Our goal is for the garden to be healthy, well groomed and as productive as possible year-round. Ongoing maintenance costs include everything needed: organic plant starts, soil amendments, any required pest management, and supplies.
The Employee Education Program
Part of our garden maintenance program, the Employee Education Program runs from March through October and includes all garden maintenance and employee education costs. We can tailor this program for various types of organizations to benefit anyone: employees of a corporation, school children of any age, residents at assisted living facilities, or community members involved in an organization.
The Employee Education program is a valuable ongoing team-building and educational activity, providing an opportunity for participants to get exercise, learn organic gardening, work with others, and improve their diet and nutritional knowledge.
The program will be developed to meet your organization’s specific needs. Generally, it includes:
- An initial meeting and survey of program participants to agree on goals for the garden, including what the group would like to grow as well as learn each year
- An introductory garden workshop for all interested participants to tour the new garden, review the planting plan, and set goals for the season
- A well-designed weekly organic gardening program for participants who volunteer to help with garden maintenance
- One-on-one support and garden coaching for all participants
- Handouts and other valuable educational materials and information
- Ongoing weekly professional maintenance of your garden
- Locally sourced organic seeds and seedlings
- All organic pest management and supplies
- Soil testing and organic soil amendments throughout the season
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Participants who volunteer to work in the garden generally sign up for a few hours of gardening every one, two or four weeks, depending upon the size of your garden, number of volunteers, and level of interest. We ask that you manage scheduling and participant coordination based on agreed-upon guidelines. Verdura’s team will show up weekly with all plants, seeds, tools and equipment as well as handouts for participants.
Special projects such as workshops, cooking classes, and other gardening and culinary education can be designed and quoted upon request.
Free site analysis and cost estimate
If you would like to consider creating a raised bed organic garden at your place of business, give us a call at 503.684.3980 or email us. We will be happy to meet with you to answer your questions, recommend the optimal size and location for your garden, and provide you with a detailed cost estimate.
