KPR Community Garden & Thea Bowman Prep. Academy Gardening Partnership

 The partnership between Thea Bowman Preparatory Academy and the Kingman Park/Rosedale Community Garden will work to provide students with a community-based outdoor learning experience. For too many Thea Bowman students and Kingman Park residents, crime, poor health and financial hardship have been a part of everyday life. This partnership will provide a “hands on” learning experience that will encourage hard work, pride in accomplishment, and the development of self-confidence.

The partnership will be modeled on the successful Charleston Area Children’s Garden Project. Through their experience, children in Charleston found that the process of growing edible foods gave them ownership and protection over their community, an awareness of what maintains good health, and a lesson about how all life is inter-dependent.

Our goal is to create a safe and beautiful space and to educate students about issues relating to childhood hunger, obesity and preventable disease. Instructionally, students will observe, inquire, experiment and collect data. Through gardening, students will experience wonder and engage in exploration of the natural world.

Just as exciting as the partnership, Thea Bowman Preparatory Academy and the Kingman Park/Rosedale Community Garden, together, have been awarded applied for $2,500 grant from the Burpee Home Garden 2011 "I Can Grow" Youth Garden Award Program to help establish and foster the program.  You can read the grant application HERE.  And, HERE is a letter from the Thea Bowman Preparatory Academy Board of Trustees supporting the partnership and grant application.

RCA would like to thank everyone involved in making this important and wonderful partnership and program possible.  The 2011 gardening season is sure to be more exciting and "fruitful" then last year!

KPR Community Garden Work Day

Kingman Park / Rosedale Garden had their first work-day for the 2009 season. Gardeners came out to start preparing plots, remove a damaged section of fence (due to a stolen vehicle running into it), do general grounds clean-up and distribute flower, herb and vegetable seeds the garden committee obtain from Rooting DC's 2nd Annual Urban Garden Forum on February 21st.

HERE are some photos of the garden back in 2005

HERE are some photos of the KPR Garden 2008 spring work day when new plots were built.




Preparing the soil

A garden plot ready for the first planting

Removed fence section damaged by vehicle collision

Winter outdoor greenhouse using old storm-windows

Herb Spiral


Since the above photos are a bit drab and it might be hard to envision the garden green, here are some pictures from the 2008 gardening season to inspire and motivate.

Kingman Island Community Garden?

Matthew English, Kingman Island Programs Coordinator with the Living Classrooms Foundation of the National Capital Region, is considering starting a community garden on Kingman Island. If you or your organization are interested, please contact him at the below information.

Matthew English
Kingman Island Programs Coordinator
Living Classrooms Foundation of the National Capital Region
P.O. Box 70437
Washington, D.C. 20024
Kingman Island: (202) 557-1925
Office: (202) 488-0627 Ext. 232
menglish@livingclassroomsdc.org

2005 KPRCG Photographs

These pictures where taken in February of 2005. It is a startling contrast to the garden's current vibrant, lush condition.


KPRCG Location Map


Looking South


Looking East


Looking Southeast


Looking Southeast

(Disclosure: these photograhs were taken from the Kingman Park Yahoo Groups, photographer: mfdillon)

Community Garden Party was a Great Success!

Yesterday evening, Sunday July 27, 2008, the King Park / Rosedale Community Garden (KP/RCG) and Rosedale Citizens’ Alliance (RCA) cosponsored a garden party at King Park / Rosedale Community Garden; it was a fantastic success! We had great weather (escaping two thunderstorms), delicious foods and inviting conversations with neighbors and gardeners. Thanks to the hard and persistent work of garden & RCA members, the newly tamed “southern lawn” was a fitting venue for grilling, socializing (adults, children and dogs) and playing a friendly game of horse-shoes.

Cafe Roma (411 18th Street, NE) donated panini-sandwiches & biscotti-cookies and MPD officers were in attendance, as well as, Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander and ANC6A07 Commissioner Gladys Mack.

KP/RCG & RCA would like to thank everyone who made the event a great success, especially those who worked so hard to prepare the community garden and surrounding grounds, organize and purchase supplies and food, create and distribute the fliers and displays, prepared and cooked food and help set-up and tear-down the event. Also, a big thanks to the current property owner for allowing KP/RCG & RCA to use the land for the community garden and the garden party.

We would also like to post more photos of the event, so if you have a few digital shots you would like to donate, send them to KPRCAGarden@gmail.com.

KPR Garden Cookout - Save the Date!

Join garden members and neighbors for our First Ever Community Garden Cookout! Sponsored by the Rosedale Citizens Alliance, we hope you can join us for some tasty treats.

We are aiming for a low-key event with lots of friends and family members. Theres sure to be some great gardening advice passed along, and some conversation about the future plans for the garden. Can't find the garden? Click here for directions.

RSVP to KPRCAgarden@gmail.com
Hope everyone can make it!

DPR Accepting Public Comment on a Dog Park at Kingsman Field

A group of neighbors on Capitol Hill have been trying to get a legal dog park established at Kingsman Field (13th and D NE) for several years. The group, Hill Hounds, submitted a formal application to the DC Department of Parks and Recreation a month ago and DPR acknowledged the application and opened it for public comments. Public comments carry very heavy weight in their decision-making process. The public comments are tallied separately from the petition signatures and supporting letters, so even if you'd already signed or written DPR, please take a moment to email as well.

The public comment period ends this Monday, 6/30. Submitting a comment is quick and easy:

* Email DPR.dogparks@dc.gov
* Include your name, full street address, and phone number (to prove you’re a local resident—your comment won’t be accepted if you don’t include this info)
* Tell them you support a dog park at Kingsman Field.
* Every member of your household over the age of 18 can submit their own individual comment (the more the better).
* Deadline: COB Monday, 6/30

Include a sentence or two about why you support the dog park. If you don’t have a dog, specify that and that you still support a dog park on the Field.

Hill Hounds hopes this will be a tangible first step to a complete refurbishment of the space, adding a community garden, resurfacing the basketball court, repairing the fences and removing graffiti, planting new trees, resodding the field—making it a real community showplace we can all enjoy whether we have dogs or not. The proposed dog park would be located between the current basketball court and the rear of the church at 14th and Tennessee—not touching the current athletic fields used by Sports on the Hill and taking no space from children’s soccer fields. Right now it’s just unused asphalt where litter collects.

Kingman Park / Rosedale Community Garden

The Kingman Park Rosedale Community Garden is a membership supported garden open to all DC residents. It is an organic-based garden maintained by members. Currently all existing plots are occupied and a waiting list contains over 10 names. The KPR garden has a website where you can find out more information, and join the waiting list. The garden committee has submitted and successfully been awarded over $5,000 in grant money to build fences, plots and buy equipment, expecting to expand the number of plots available in 2009.
Building the Garden Plots, March 2008
Building the Herb Spiral, March 2008
Garden Early May 2008

Garden Work Day a Smashing Success

We had a number of folks out at the garden today, working hard from 9 am till noon, cleaning up the garden and preparing for a big year!

This year, we plan on undertaking the "KPR Garden Beautification and Expansion Project". Our goal is to increase the number of raised garden beds for vegetable growing from 5 to 16, build new flower beds and planters and create a community gathering and cook out spot.

In order to make our vision a reality, we are applying for a grant from Washington Parks and People as well as Fiskers. These grants, together worth over $9,000 would enable us to continue our work transforming an otherwise vacant lot into a valuable community space. I would love to be able to say we have your support in this endeavor. Would be willing to write us a letter of support for these grants?

WE REALLY NEED YOUR LETTERS OF SUPPORT. Picture this - a garden with neat paths, surrounded by flowers in a safe, community friendly space where we can gather for barbques and eat fresh cucumbers. Later in the season, we'll pick our pumpkins for halloween. sound fun? help us out! Even if you have a plot, or plan on getting a plot, you can submit a letter. Or email me to collect your draft. myanasak at gmail dot com. To make this easy on you, check out and edit our sample letter.

Pests Bugging the Garden?

Lorin O'Toole, of the DC Department of the Environment along with Ed Bruske, President of DC Urban Gardeners have offered to come to the garden and discuss Integrated Pest Management.

What is IPM? It's using an integrated approach to managing out garden pests, so we can control the pests that bug our plants without harming our soil, watershed, earth, air, micro nutrients and those good buggies that make the world go round.

What: Learn about the pests that bug you the most.

When: Saturday, September 8^th, 10 am.

Where: The garden, organized by the Rosedale Citizen's Alliance, is located behind the 400 block of 20th Street NE. More directions.

BONUS: Anyone that attends will receive a Garden Tool Kit from the DC Department of the Environment. These are amazing canvas bags with various compartments containing 5 helpful gardening tools, a soil test kit, an IPM DVD, and other useful resources.

Please RSVP by Thursday, September 8th so we can have enough kits on hand!

Secret Garden?

Here's how to get to the Kingman Park / Rosedale Community garden:

View Larger Map

From RFK:

Head north on 19^th Street NE, cross East Capital Street. Pass C street. Turn Right on D street NE. Pass 20 ^th Street NE. Turn Left on Rosedale. This is an unmarked street – it is the next street after 20^th Street.. The garden area is to your left. There are about 3 parking places next to the garden.

Alternatively, park on the street and walk down Rosedale to the garden area.