The Garden of Joy

2009-07-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, July 8th, from 9:30am to 10:45am, we had a group of 15 very excited children from the Boys & Girls club, learning to be gardeners at our Cookman Avenue Garden of Joy.

This group outing was arranged by Marilyn Schlossbach and her assistants, as part of joint ventures with Langosta Lounge and the Gardens of Joy.

The children ranged in ages from 6 to 11, with Renaldo, the 11 year old being the "gardening expert" of the group. During their time at the Garden, the children learned to identify some of the plants growing there; planted seeds and seedlings in our Earth Boxes, tasted fresh mint leaves, harvested green beans and were all round good helpers!

The time for them to leave came all to quickly, but they left promising to come again. We will certainly arrange other gardening classes/outings with the children.

NEW COMMUNITY GARDEN ON COOKMAN AVE IN ASBURY PARK

2009-04-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

The Garden of Joy is delighted to announce that due to the support and incredible kindness of Sean and Don Hollingsworth, we will be able to turn their empty lot at 715 Cookman Ave. into the crown jewel of our sustainable Gardens of Joy!

Two years ago, The Garden of Joy began as a small sustainable sliver at Trinity Episcopal Church (which still steadfastly supports us), expanded with a larger spot at the West Side Community Center, then a City owned property on Springwood Ave., without the security of a larger, permanent spot in which to “plant roots” for a fixed community garden.

Now, through the generosity of Sean and Don, a spot in the prime Asbury Park downtown area, is ours to garden on a more permanent basis!

Our mission remains: commitment to providing access to fresh, organic, locally grown produce to both our poorer residents and better heeled residents, while using gardening as a base for education and career possibilities through plant knowledge.

Our 715 Cookman Garden of Joy will be a beautiful, welcoming oasis to downtown Asbury, and we have exciting plans for this year, and beyond.

Now, with the 3 truckloads of gardening soil donated by Santi Arana, The Garden of Joy volunteers are ready to rock and roll! Dedication of our Gardens of Joy will be at the start of our Season, in June. We are still awaiting word from the City as to whether we can have a greenhouse on the property so we can expand our growing season. The City has also promised us a third Garden for the West Side, which we are hoping will be a permanent spot for our West Side Garden of Joy.

Patricia Betty, 732/502-9760

Thank you for coming out to support our first Harvest Feast!

2008-11-09T06:02:00.000-08:00

Dear, dear ones,

Thank you so much for coming out to support our first Harvest Feast last night!

I'm sorry I didn't get enough time to hang out with each of you, but it was what I call "enthusiastic chaos"! The darling children ran around taking their jobs as ushers and wait staff very seriously, and I was tied to the kitchen stove. When I finally surfaced to speak with people, three-quarters were already gone!

Anyway, thank you Kathee for bringing your friends, especially Fenecia and her 2 sweet children. Thank you Tim and Evelyn for lending your darling children out to the staff (your daughter is so darling in how seriously she took her job -- they were a joy to be around). Susan, it was great seeing you, and I love your hair longer. Amy, Heather and Mary, a joy as usual.

I spent all of Saturday recovering, and surfaced around 5pm. I do hope you all got enough to eat. Someone has already asked me about the next feast!?:)

With love,
Pat

Harvest Feast

2008-11-04T06:03:00.000-08:00

REMINDER

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO:

Our very first GARDEN OF JOY Harvest Feast, celebrating our Garden’s harvest

To be held: Friday, November 7th, beginning at 7:30pm

at: TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH (HALL), Asbury Avenue/corner Grand Ave

The children and volunteers look forward to preparing and serving you a delicious feast, based on the plants grown in our Garden, and harvested by us. This feast includes delicious vegetarian and non-vegetarian entrees, which we hope will having you smiling with joy!

* ginger flavored vegetable stir-fry
* fish with coconut milk
* Caribbean styled roast pork
* herbed baked chicken
* roasted sweet potatoes and baked squash
* brown rice
* tomato salad
* fruit and chocolate fondue, plus assorted desserts, donated by Langosta Lounge

Please join us! Let us show our youngsters that we can eat healthily, and still have fun with our vegetables!

Our Harvest Feast will benefit The Garden of Joy projects, and is brought to you on a "free will" donation basis. We hope to see you.

RSVP
The Garden of Joy, div. of Hands to Help, Inc. a 501(c)3 company
519 Bangs Ave., Asbury Park, NJ 07712
732/502-9760
www.thegardenofjoy.org

Photos from the "Find the Sweet Potato" contest

2008-10-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

Ralph & Ephrem hunting for the sweet potato

Alyssa, Ralph, and Ephrem

Alyssa at the Garden sign

Success!

BOOK SIGNING & WINE TASTING

2008-08-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

The “GARDEN MARKETPLACE” (519 BANGS AVENUE, ASBURY PARK) will be hosting a Book Signing and Wine Tasting on Saturday evening, Sept. 6th from 7 to 9 p.m. with international Author and Wine Enthusiast GARY VAYNERCHUK, star of WINELIBRARYTV.com. Gary will be signing copies of his great new book, 101 Wines Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight, and Bring Thunder to Your World. Cellist and vocalist Monica McIntyre will also perform. A donation for the not-for-profit Garden of Joy allows admission.

Gary Vaynerchuk, a self-trained wine expert, is revolutionizing the wine industry, with recent appearances on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, the Ellen DeGeneres show, Nightline, Mad Money with Jim Cramer, CNN, and The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch.

His daily show, Wine Library TV (affectionately known as The Thunder Show), boasts a cult-like following resulting from his enthusiastic, unconventional, and often irreverent wine commentary. In the name of “expanding one’s palate”, while appearing on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Gary convinced Conan to lick salted rocks and he shared samples of dirt and grass with Ellen Degeneres during his guest appearance on her show. With a wealth of knowledge and an entrepreneurial spirit, Gary rebranded the family business as Wine Library. Within a five year time period, Wine Library grew from a $4 million dollar business to a $45 million business.

What raised Gary’s notoriety even more than his business acumen was his foresight. Inspired by sites such as youtube.com and facebook.com, Gary leveraged technology to reach an untapped audience. His daily 20 minute webcasts caught the attention of a demographic new to wine and eager to learn. Within a short time, beer sales were outpaced by wine. While his youthful following broke down barriers in the wine industry, the business world (and Web 2.0) admired Gary for creating a new generation of branding, focusing on the internet.

Gary’s unique identity as both a wine expert and a “real person” has reinvented the concept of wine tasting for a new generation. His first book, 101 Wines Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight, and Bring Thunder to Your World, was released in May of 2008 and is available in bookstores nationwide.

BOOK SIGNING & WINE TASTING

Meet the Author!!!

Gary Vaynerchuk – In Person

Saturday, Sept. 6th, 7 – 9pm

The Garden Marketplace

519 Bangs Avenue

Asbury Park, NJ 07712
732 – 502-9760

BOOK SIGNING & WINE TASTING

2008-08-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

Meet the Author

Gary Vaynerchuk – In Person

Saturday, Sept. 6^th, 7 – 9pm

The Garden Marketplace

519 Bangs Avenue

Asbury Park, NJ 07712
732 – 502-9760

The Garden of Joy: class at Asbury Park High School

2008-07-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

This is a report on the first Garden of Joy educational series for children presented at Asbury Park High School on Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Presenter was Patricia Betty, assisted by Darius Surace Kapitula, Garden of Joy 4-H Club Member
Also attending were: Dana DiPaolo, APHS teacher and Phyllis Ledbetter
school nurse.

Our presentation started at 12:30pm and ended 2:30pm There were 13 teens attending (11 boys and 2 girls), ranging in age from 14 yrs to 18 yrs.

After a rowdy beginning, with the children more intent on talking with each other and being disruptive, we came to an understanding that in order to learn there was going to be absolutely no talking while the presenter was talking, unless it was to ask and answer questions.

This turned out to be a simply amazing class! Our class was entitled "Introduction to Ethnobotany and other garden subjects". One of the objects of this presentation was to introduce the children to other career possibilities rooted in the green earth, as well as trying to get them excited about planting and becoming more responsible for the earth. We discussed the importance of sustainability and the lessening of our carbon footprints. Happily, the children seemed to get what we were trying to show them, and in no time at all were planting the vegetable seeds we had given them, identifying many fruits and vegetables necessary for good nutrition and asking intelligent questions about holistic health and green earth professions. The children had never heard about ethnobotany as a career possibility and were fascinated by the introduction to the field. We also touched on other fields such as Naturopathic Doctor, Herbalist, Landscape Designer and
Aromatherapist.

At the end of the presentation, we took a poll to see how many children would be interested in becoming apprentices in future study with Pat Betty and other presenters. Thirteen pairs of hands shot up! Some of the children also committed to helping out in the Garden of Joy. Two children, Allen and Darrell went even further -- they followed us back to the shop to again express their interest in apprenticing and claiming their space in future classes, as well as inquiring about part-time work, as they were not able to get any summer work at all. We are working on having them help out part-time at the Garden of Joy projects, the Garden Marketplace, and possible jobs through our business partners.

It was a beautiful thing to see how eager the children were to learn, how much they wanted to be useful, and how willing they were to work. We have got to encourage this people!

New happenings at the Garden of Joy/Garden Marketplace

2008-05-31T05:53:00.000-07:00

New Farmers' Market for the area opening in June

THE GARDEN OF JOY announces the opening of its FARMERS MARKET, featuring fresh, organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, eggs, fresh baked breads, biscotti and other treats, authentic JAMAICAN BLUE MOUNTAIN COFFEE directly from the mountains of Mavis Bank, potted plants, and special features each month!

Visit us on Wednesdays, Fridays (1-7pm) and Saturdays
(2-6pm) at:

THE GARDEN MARKETPLACE, 519 Bangs Ave, Asbury Park

732/502-9760

Saturdays at:

The Chamber of Commerce Farmers Market, Main Street and Sunset Ave, Asbury Park, 9am to 2pm.

We will also be doing a "mobile" farmers market to senior residences and the day care center for seniors that can't make it to our stands. We are seeking VOLUNTEERS to help with our "mobile farmers market"

The Garden of Joy, division of HANDS TO HELP, INC., a 501c3 company.

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We have a NEW URBAN FARM, donated for this year by the City of Asbury/Interfaith Neighbors, on Springwood Ave/Atkins Ave. This is our largest farming space to date, so we look forward to harvesting tremendous produce. VOLUNTEERS WANTED TO HELP FARM.

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Thursday Night Movies will start at 8:30pm.

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New Event: Tri-City Arts Tour, June 6-8 Red Bank, Long Branch, Asbury Park The Garden Marketplace will be sponsoring artist Kenn Bastard for this Arts Tour, and featuring the edgy
work of artist Ralph Katz as well. Please join us on Friday and Saturday evenings, June 6 & 7 for artist receptions, featuring live entertainment.

On Sunday, we are sponsoring, along with The Black Box Theatre group, "Miss Adria" to weave a spell for us with her charming stories. Begins 1:00pm.

The Garden Marketplace: GRAND OPENING, Saturday April 26th

2008-04-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

Press release
Contact Patricia Betty 732/502-9760

Announcing the Grand Opening of The Garden Marketplace, 519 Bangs Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ 07712.
Tel: 732/502-9760.

The Garden Marketplace is a hip, eclectic, unique destination market of creative artists, antique and collectible dealers, holistic health professionals, garden plants, products and education center! Plus chair massages, tea and delicious pastries! Truly a one-of-a-kind location in Asbury.

The Garden Marketplace is also the inside office for The Garden of Joy projects (www.thegardenofjoy.org) -- teaching children to learn by doing -- and a future
year-round greenmarket for Asbury and environs. The Garden of Joy is a part of Hands to Help, Inc., a 501c3 company.

Our Grand Opening (from 12 to 9pm) will include a blessing by Father David and Mother Susan of Trinity Church, 3 different bands and food. Please join our celebration. Please also visit us often and experience some of the delightful surprises and
promotions for you. We will be having weekly entertainment, including a Thursday night feature length movie series, lively and talented entertainers, story-telling and a 4-H club for the children, interesting classes for adults, tea and snacks,
organic plants for sale and special promotional tie-in bargains with our co-op vendors.

The first of the monthly botanical promotional tie-ins will feature THE ROSE FAMILY during the month of May. Come learn about this beautiful family, try unusual rose items, buy roses (for Mother's Day?), eat rose family member fruits/nuts and visit our other Vendors to see their rose tie-ins.

The Garden Marketplace is for everyone.

Thursday Night Movies at the Garden Marketplace

2008-04-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

STARTING MAY, 2008, THURSDAY NIGHT MOVIES AT THE GARDEN MARKETPLACE

Every Thursday, at 6:30, beginning May 2008.
May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

The Garden Marketplace
519 Bangs Ave (near Cookman)
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
732/502-9760

Come enjoy full length movies with us at The Garden Marketplace! Our movies come with interesting tie-ins, such as our monthly Botanical Family tie-in. Our Botanical Family for May is "The Rose Family" and the audience is invited to spot Rose Family
members/links in each movie during May. The person spotting the most member/links that night wins a prize! Kicking off the movies on May 1st is "Gigi", an enjoyable classic. Call to reserve your space, and for future movie titles. 732/502-9760.

Admission
Complimentary movie. Enjoyable snacks/donation $5.

See also: www.thegardenofjoy.org and
www.yellowbook.com/thegardenmarketplace
email: info@thegardenofjoy.org