First Presbyterian Church Garden Starts Season Strong
Kale and pollinator plants 
Pollinators and bean poles
Audrey Morris, head gardener for the First Presbyterian Church of Arlington, recently reported a strong start to their growing and donating season. Overwintered chard in the church’s beds did well this spring, as did more recently planted romaine lettuce and kale.
So far, the 150-square-foot Plot against Hunger garden has donated about 50 pounds of produce to Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church and to the New Hope Housing shelter at Bailey’s Crossroads, with plans to include the Dar Al-Hirjah Islamic Center in future deliveries.
Audrey looks forward to tomatoes, peppers, pole beans, summer squash, and cucumbers later this summer, with a sweet potato crop planned for the fall. Audrey adds, “integrating flowers such as chamomile, sweet alyssum, zinnias, buckwheat, and sunflowers as well as basil has helped to build a beautiful ecosystem that attracts and supports beneficial insects. Now if we can only keep the garden properly watered in this dry heat!”