Stoddart Avenue Community Garden

A vacant lot on Stoddart Avenue provides a place to grow flowers, fruits and vegetables of the gardener's own choice. (The garden is 4 blocks west of Alum Creek Drive/Bexley and 1/4 block north of E. Main St.). All gardeners are encouraged to donate a portion of their produce to a local food pantry. (See 7/7/11 Post: Plant a Row to Feed the Hungry By Donating Garden Produce to Food Pantries). To participate, contact the Garden Manager. Also see the FAQ at the bottom of this site.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

SACG To Celebrate Grand Opening Celebration of The Cougar Group HQ

Faithful readers know how blessed we have been at the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden and I am writing to tell you about another blessing: The Cougar Group. Bill Dawson, the Director of Franklin Park Conservatory's Growing to Green Community Garden program called me a few weeks ago about a company which was locating its new headquarters a hop, skip and a jump down the road from us on Alum Creek Drive. As part of the celebration for the opening of its new HQ on April 30, the company wanted to do something to help a nearby community garden which involved raffling off a lawn mower. Of course, he thought of us. He told me that the company's name was The Cougar Group – and he insisted that he was not making a reference to my age or marital statusJ I had visions of me and my hardy group of volunteers selling the tickets . . . .

I then met with Bill the company's outside public relations consultant, Kathy Wient. She explained that the company would be holding an invitation-only special event (with a live band and BBQ) and would be raffling off one of their super high-end, commercial quality push lawn mowers -- specifically a Cougar C19AL -- as a fundraiser at the event to benefit the SACG. All I had to do was show up with a picture board with lots of pretty pictures of the SACG and tell everyone there how wonderful we are (an easy task, to be sure). How great is that? I would be thrilled with $100, but Kathy is much more ambitious than that – bless her heart. Keep your fingers crossed for us on April 30.

Bill will also be attending to promote GTG and community gardening in general. Ms. Anthony also hopes to attend as a show of support.

But it gets better. Kathy and Mike Watkins – the President of The Cougar Group – were among the first volunteers to arrive to help us dig out the SACG for the beginning of the 2010 gardening season on April 10. Mike helped dig holes to plant our four new rose bushes and five new blueberry bushes. This is easier said than done when you consider the layers of brick and concrete which are only three inches below ground. Kathy helped us pick up litter and spread mulch on the pathways. Neither of them could have been any nicer.

We are very excited about our new neighbors and hope their grand opening celebration, raffle and business are very, very successful.

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Thanks To SACG's Supporters

Scotts Miracle-Gro Community Garden Fund of The Columbus Foundation -- The Cougar Group -- The Columbus Public Health Department's Institute for Active Living -- Thrivent for Lutherans -- Oakland Nursery -- Members of Christ Lutheran Church -- Wrights Tree Service -- Bill Griffith -- Rain Brothers -- Kurtz Bros. -- Girl Scout Troop #1661 -- Build The Bridge of Ohio, Org. -- Trudeau's Fence Company -- Bowden Fence Company -- Home Depot at US 33 and Gender Rd. in Canal Winchester -- Jim Zeier -- Livingston Seeds -- Homeless Families Foundation -- Christopher Hogan, Esq. -- U-Haul on East Main Street -- Barb & Frank Carter -- Potsabilities -- Alexander Family -- Growing to Green -- community garden program of Franklin Park Conservatory -- Crimson Cup -- Dwain Penny -- The City of Columbus -- Urban Connections -- Highland Youth Community Garden -- GreenScapes Landscaping Company -- Tree King Services -- Davey Tree Services -- Bexley Pizza Plus -- Lowe's Home Improvement store on East Broad Street -- Artist John Sunami -- McClellan Family -- Kroger's on East Main Street -- Half-Price Books in Upper Arlington -- Barb Neubig -- Penny Miller -- Whole Foods on Lane Avenue -- Emily Spector's Read to Succeed Foundation -- Donley Complete Tree Care -- Joelle Khouzam -- Neal Barkan -- Cathy & Jason Alexander -- Kim Yee -- Keep Columbus Beautiful -- Kennco Properties -- Amy Thompson -- Mid-Ohio Food Bank Urban Agriculture Grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service's People’s Garden Initiative -- First Congregational Church

Food Pantry Donations

For 2019, SACG gardeners collectively donated over 605 pounds pounds of fresh produce. Since breaking ground, we have collectively donated over 5460 pounds of produce -- mostly this year to Faith Mission as well as to the Salvation Army, and Victory Ministries off East Main Street. (This does not include produce provided upon request to people stopping by the SACG). A list identifying the names, addresses and donation hours of some shelters, soup kitchens and food pantries in Central Ohio which accept garden produce for their clients is included on the June 18, 2014, June 27, 2013, June 26, 2012, July 7, 2011, March 2, 2010 and March 20, 2009 postings on this blog. Nearby organizations seeking fresh produce for charitable donations on Saturdays should contact the Garden Manager.

Wish List

If you have extra and wish to help out a good cause, SACG could put your generosity to good use. The SACG is a non-profit corporation organized under Ohio law and is exempt from income tax as a public charity under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations, gifts and contributions to the SACG are tax deductible.

Trowels, hand pruners and watering cans. We never seem to have enough when more than two gardeners are here.

A cordless weed wacker (to keep those edges sharp).

Yard Waste bags We never have enough.

Patio Umbrella to replace the one destroyed by the 2018 tornado.

Bench because our ancient bench donated in 2009 has broken slats and tired & hot gardeners need a place to sit.

Books for our Free Little Library, including children's, chapter books, young adult, cook books, DIY and home improvement, novels, etc.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

SACG To Celebrate Grand Opening Celebration of The Cougar Group HQ

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