Whiskerton Garden

Whiskerton Garden Map

I am the garden manager at Whiskerton Garden, which is part of the Urban Farm Collective. In 2012, Whiskerton garden is responsible for growing two plant families: Cucurbits and Alliums.

This year, the garden will be full of cucumber, pumpkin, squash and melon varieties as well as onions, scallions, garlic and leeks. In addition, we will grow some beans throughout the entire garden because beans fix nitrogen in the soil, which other plants need to grow fruit. Bean varieties are a yummy and beneficial plant that is essential in almost every garden.

Each plot in the Collective specializes in growing one or two plant families every year, which gets rotated on a master schedule. In 2011, Whiskerton garden grew the carrot and beet families.

The garden has a very interesting, permaculture-inspired garden bed design. The beds are shaped in a "keyhole" pattern in order to maximize grow space and reduce pathways. In addition to being beautifully designed, the shape allows for plants to grow together in companion guilds, mixing perennials and annuals, natives and non-natives, insectiary plants and mulch-producers, and fruits and veggies.