Ranson Community Gardens

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Ranson, WV
Ranson Community Gardens

Community garden for teaching and demonstrating urban planting techniques to the local area.

A West Virginia non-profit dedicated to providing training, support, and gardening resources to the communities of Jefferson and Berkeley Counties while offering a safe, relaxing green space to gather together.

08/28/2026

Serendipity and Surprises
Happy Last Friday in August! Summer isn't over, but, we can hear Autumn's footsteps.

As I've mentioned, My predecessor, Bill Gregg, always used to tell me that the gardens were a 'serendipitous place' . Things always just seem to work out.

Next week the EPIC Early Head Start group is coming in for a visit. This is a group of little kids and their parents. They come about twice a year and are a lot of fun. We try and do a workshop and then have lunch. I was trying to figure out what to do...

Then, Target Store Martinsburg called and said they had some planting soil and pots they'd like to donate! So, next week's workshop will be building some Autumn pots! I'm thinking pansies...

In there Gardens, the end of summer brings a lot of surprises. The hummingbirds start to pick up the pace, getting ready to head out later in the season. You might also see a monarch butterfly emerging. Stop by and see for yourself!

Oh, the hawk? It surprised me last week. I thought he was looking at me hard at work in my office. It's only after I looked at the picture more closely did I realize he was checking out the suet feeder. The feeder is way to close to the house , but, I guess it never hurts to look!

08/18/2026

Before and after images
I was walking around the yard yesterday and I realized things had gotten totally out of control. The mint patch has gone rogue along with the 4:00 clocks. I have two or three outside projects that are in progress.

I find it hard to believe that so much has changed so quickly. And, it's now officially late summer.

The Gardens also show progress of course. Our square foot garden demonstration has filled out nicely. And, our resident gardens are overflowing with a huge variety of vegetables and flowers.

Even the Friday group of volunteers has gone through changes. Every three months there's a rotation where some of the Shenandoah River Maryland Baltimore Mission group leaves and new members appear. It's been a great summer working for them. I expect to see some new faces on our next workday.

Come out before the end of summer and see for yourself. The Veggie Trail has a fresh coat of paint, and, our Nesting Spots project is making progress.

08/10/2026

🌱💚 A little helping hand goes a long way!
This Friday, the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, guided by Jean Marie our Garden Manager, began the process of 'rehoming' some donated plants.

Sandy wanted to make gardening easier to manage, so she decided she needed to find new homes for some of her plants. She reached out to the Gardens and the rest is history.

It's amazing what a group of dedicated souls can do despite the 90 degree heat🌿🌻

07/30/2026

Naked Ladies and other Garden memories
I was chatting with another gardener this week and she pointed out a couple of Resurrection Lilly's that were coming up. She had a funny memory of telling her kids about a garden with "naked ladies". I enjoyed the story for a couple of reasons.

First, I had always wondered what those odd lilies were called. They're all over the place this time of year. Now I know.

The other thing was it reminded me that plants have a funny way of holding memories for us. For example, there's an English Oak at the edge our our micro-orchard--an oddly out of place tree surrounded by native fruit trees. Bill Gregg planted it years ago. I always think of him when I see it.

We've got Hosta's from long gone relatives and a crape myrtle that came to use via a friend in Iowa. They are living memories of people and places.

Some people even have naked ladies in their garden. 😀

As summer starts it's back half, we invite everyone to stop by and check out the Gardens. We don't hold any events in August since it's a busy time, but it's also a great time to check out the pollinator garden or see how our apple trees are doing.

07/24/2026

It's not the destination it's the journey👣

Ever get that feeling that you are just going round and round in a circle? Maybe you're just doing laps on the Ranson Gardens Veggie Trail!

The volunteers finished the refresh last Friday. And, I've got to say, the Veggie Trail looks marvelous 😁. Funny what a fresh coat of paint will do.

Speaking of round and round, one of our umbrella's was damaged a few weeks ago in the windstorm. First we thought we could just replace the fabric. Then, when we opened the umbrella we realized the spars were all damaged, so, the entire thing needs to be replaced.

Wednesday I discovered the new base is not the same as the old base, so, there's one more trip out there (with the right tools) to replace it. Round and round I go...

Come check everything out. It's a beautiful day to get a few 1/3rd mile laps in then have lunch! All are welcome and admission is always free to visit the Gardens!

07/21/2026

It wasn't the apocalypse, but...

Between the potential for storms and the poor air quality last weekend, we decided to postpone our Saturday workshop. Getting rained on a hazy, smokey day didn't sound like fun for anyone.

We're working on rescheduling something after Labor Day with Prismatic.

In other words, watch this space!

07/16/2026

That's not graffiti, that's the Veggie Trail!
What's a 1/3rd mile long and good for your health? The RCG Veggie Trail!

Once again, 💚 a heartfelt thank you to the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for volunteering their time and energy to help prime the Veggie Trail at the Ranson Community Garden! 🌱🎨

Tomorrow, Friday July 17th is stenciling--if anyone wants to join us, we'll be back on the trail with stencils and paint to finish the refresh. The fun starts at 10:30, so, feel free to stop by.

Also, don't forget, Saturday is Prismatic Art Studio back in the Gardens for smashing flowers.

Who knew that Gardens could be so much fun!

07/12/2026

Square foot gardening event was fun!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Square Foot Gardening event this past Wednesday! It was a pleasure spending the day learning, planting, sharing ideas, and connecting with neighbors who share a passion for gardening and growing fresh food.
From planning garden layouts to getting our hands in the soil, we hope everyone left feeling inspired and ready to make the most of their growing space. Whether you were trying Square Foot Gardening for the first time or sharing your own gardening knowledge, your enthusiasm helped make the event a success.
A special thank you to our volunteers, partners, and everyone who helped make this event possible. Community gardens thrive because of people like you!
We look forward to seeing you at future events as we continue to learn, grow, and cultivate a stronger community—one garden at a time. 🌼💚
🌿 Be sure to check out our page for more events!! 🌿

07/08/2026

Something that is COMPLETELY deer proof
Having gone from searing heat to tropical rain in the span of two weeks reminded me that there are so many ways to kill plants. I've got some that I have been protecting under shade cloth attached to the sides of the raised bed. The good news is that the deer didn't get them, but, some of the leaves got fried in the heat.

One of the really cool parts of being part of the Gardens is the fun ideas that get sent our way. A few months ago North Spore sent a sample kit of their Lions Mane Mushrooms. We wanted to test the kit to see how it worked and if it would be a good fit for a Gardens class.

Oh wow. How cool. In the end there were three 'harvests' from the kit. And, no deer in our bathroom! What a great science experiment!

Based on this, we think we might be onto something. Let us know if you'd be interested in attending a workshop later this summer. If we get enough interest, we'll start working on the logistics.

In the meantime, tonight we have the square foot gardening workshop. And, on the 18th Gabby from returns for smashing flowers. A

We are approaching the end of the first third of summer. s they say, make hay when the sun shines!

06/29/2026

"Smashing Flowers in the Gardens"

Truthfully, doesn't that sound like a great name for an 80's band?

But, the reality is even cooler. Gabby, our partner from Prismatic Art Studio is coming back to the Gardens in July and will be doing a Tataki Zone Tote Workshop. Use the QR code to learn more about the event.

Gabby's events fill up fast, so, if smashing flowers sounds like something fun, sign up early.

As I was writing this, I realized again quickly summer goes by.

While the first official day of summer always marks a happy milestone, in the back of my mind I can hear the alarms starting to go off. It's hard to believe how fast each day goes and how quickly I can get behind in my projects. I've realized that simply adding more to the 'to-do' list doesn't really accomplish anything.

It's getting things over on the 'done' list!

The good news is that the Gardens are a duty free zone. 😁Come by any time you want to hide out from the world for a little while.

And, remember, Smashing Flowers will be in the Gardens on July 18th!

Address

408 S. Mineral Street
Ranson, WV
25438

Telephone

(304) 725-2617

Website

https://www.ransoncommunitygardens.org/

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