Icy, cold, bleak February days—time to think about a garden? February is a great time to start thinking about starting a vegetable garden, or even just a few vegetable plant containers, for the spring. You may want to start some seeds at home, and it’s not too early to do that or start planning for spring planting. But where do you start? We have so many resources here in Framingham and nearby that you may not know about. Here’s a few to consider:
Framingham Seed Library, at both branches of the Framingham Public Library. The library has seeds for all kinds of vegetables, for free! It is usually restocked in March with new seeds for the season. Besides the seeds, the librarians often have recommended books, and events (both online and in-person), to help you with your new growing efforts. You can also borrow gardening tools from the Framingham Public Library through their Library of Things.
Tasty Harvest Kitchen Gardens, a garden design consultancy based here in Framingham, run by local gardener Safiyat Hamiss. Many members of our Green Team visited her home garden on the Framingham Garden Tour in summer 2021—it is spectacular. If you want professional/paid help planning and installing a new kitchen garden, this is a wonderful local option.
How to Grow a Garden, hands-on course, held at the Northborough home of Kathy Huckins, master gardener and former manager of Stearns Farm in Framingham, on seven Sundays, March-September. There is a fee for the course, but there is also the option to trade work to help cover the cost. I am a graduate of this course and several other members of our Green Team have attended Kathy’s fabulous gardener “salons” at her house as well (those are more informal, and held on Saturdays). For more information you can email Kathy Huckins at or call her at 508-393-8695.
Framingham Community Gardens Working Group, part of Transition Framingham, is working to help Framingham develop more community-based gardening resources. We meet monthly on Sunday afternoons, online or in-person when conditions allow. If you are seeking a community garden plot in Framingham, we can help you identify one that could work for you (there are several active community gardens that may have space this spring). Or you can join our group and help develop more spaces, perhaps even in your own neighborhood! Contact Mary Memmott for more information.