How Do Our Gardens Grow?

May 21, 2018

The Miami Public Library is a proud partner in the Health Literacy Project, a cooperative partnership between the Miami Public Library, Northeastern Tribal Health Systems, INTEGRIS Miami Hospital and Ottawa County Health Department. The Health Literacy Project is funded through the Oklahoma Department of Libraries with funds from Library Services and Technology Act, a Federal source of library funding provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

One of our many activities is gardening. We have two gardens, the Community Garden, located at OCHD, and the Children’s Garden which is located at the Miami unit of the Ottawa County Boys and Girls Club. We recently planted both gardens with help from the Ottawa County Extension Service and B&G Club members.

The Community Garden is in its third year. We now have six beds with two containing fruit (strawberries and canteloupe), one containing herbs (basil, mint, chives, and cilantro), and three containing vegetables (green beans, tomatoes, peppers and squash). We try rotate our crops annually.

: The sign tells OCHD visitors about the Health Literacy Project.

: We planted a variety of tomatoes and peppers

: This tomato plant looks pretty healthy

: Something has been nibbling on one of our pepper plants

: Our first planting of green beans

: Yellow squash, zucchini and spaghetti squash

: Our herb garden

: These strawberry plants are two years old

Children from the B & G Club helped us plant peas, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and spaghetti squash in two garden beds. The library will provide some gardening classes at the club this summer. Produce will be used in some of the healthy cooking and snacking classes that will be taught by NTHS. We appreciate this partnership with the Boys and Girls Club and NTHS. Partnerships benefit the health of the community!