Champion Great Neighborhoods April 2020 | Page 4

HIGHLIGHTS Residents Pitch In to Remove Seventeen Tons of Debris at Community Cleanups 5 Steps to a Home Garden with Arlington Parks 1. Determine Space and Sunlight The first step to planting a garden is determining the space and sunlight you have available. For Arlington residents with full tree cover, you’ll need to select leafy greens that can tolerate shade. 2. Prepare the Garden On February 22nd, the Neighborhood Enhancement Team removed over four tons of debris at the third neighborhood cleanup in the Lake Arlington Highlands neighborhood. Combined with two other Enhancement Team cleanups, more than 17 tons of trash, junk, and debris have been removed from Arlington neighborhoods. City staff and 35 neighborhood volunteers concluded the cleanup with a block party to celebrate their efforts. Sandy Godwin, a Lake Arlington Highlands resident of 34 years said, “I love to keep our neighborhood neat and inviting and I think this is wonderful!” Removing yard waste, old fence panels, broken appliances, trash and other waste transforms neighborhoods through this unique partnership between city staff, Republic Services, property owners, and volunteers. Prior to a neighborhood cleanup event, residents are invited to a neighborhood meeting with City staff to discuss keeping their neighborhood clean, safe, and engaged in the community. During the neighborhood cleanup day, the Neighborhood Enhancement Team, Fire and Police departments, and volunteers canvass the neighborhood and assist residents in need of physical assistance, pick up litter, and celebrate with residents at the free block party. The Neighborhood Enhancement Team provides a win-win as Arlington works together to Champion Great Neighborhoods in The American Dream City. 4 After locating a space you’ll need to prepare it either by tilling or no-till cleaning. The idea is to remove competing plants to allow your garden to establish. 3. Know your Soil Soils can be fine (also known as heavy) if they are made up of clay, or coarse if they are made up of sand. The important thing to know is that clay packs together tighter and doesn’t drain as well as sandy soil. 4. Pick your Crops Now that you have a prepared bed for your garden, select the crop you want to produce based on the time of year. 5. Tend your Garden Gardening is very rewarding as long as you have time to devote to care and maintenance. The most important things you’ll need to keep up with over the entire growing season of your plants are watering and weeding.