City Blossoms is excited to host our 5th annual Garden Fiesta to celebrate the Summer Solstice. This year’s theme is CIRQUE D’INSECTES! Put on your favorite antennas and join us for an enchanted evening in the garden, with scrumptious delights, colorful cocktails, fancy raffle items, and prizes for the best circus or bug-themed accessories.

Date: Thursday June 20th, 2013  6:30-9pm

Location: In the Garden, corner of Harvard & Eleventh Streets, NW WDC 20009

The Garden Fiesta is a fundraiser for City Blossoms’ free summer Open Times. Suggested donations of $20 are greatly appreciated. For more information, or to inquire about sponsoring the event contact Rebecca@cityblossoms.org.  Click here to RSVP on our Facebook page.

This Fiesta is made possible thanks to…CentroNia, Congressional Seafood, ESL Restaurant Group, Inc., Honest Tea and our fantastic Board of Directors.

Raffle Items contributed by… Arts & Soul Restaurant, Ashby Inn & Restaurant, Birch & Barley, Branch & Vine Organic Beauty Products, Cava Grill, Chez Le Commis, Chipotle, DURKL, House of Steep, Legal Sea Foods, Restaurant Marvin, Gil Moody, Mrs. Wheelbarrow, Steven Muñoz, The Washington Nationals, Open City, Pleasant Pops, RdV Vineyards, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Whole Foods on P Street, Yoga Hikes DC & Joel Johnson, Alex Mistri and Chip Smith of the Glover Park Group.

Coming EARLY MARCH 2013 for early childhood educators! After years of teaching children ages 3-5 City Blossoms is publishing Our First Harvest/Nuestra Primera Cosecha, a bilingual year-round curriculum consisting of 30 garden-related lessons plus all kinds of resources and helpful hints. Lessons align with typical educational standards and investigate subjects including:

* Observing plant life cycles
* Learning about insects and their roles in a garden
* Creating nature-inspired artwork
* Making garden-inspired recipes

Fun and playful, this book is designed to work for learning centers just starting to explore gardening to schools with established green spaces. Books will be available soon for purchase on this site and other venues. Until then e.mail rebecca@cityblossoms.org for more information.

We are proud to announce that City Blossoms has been selected to be featured in the Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington 2013-14 Catalogue. A panel of over 100 expert reviewers from area foundations, corporate giving programs, and peer non-profit organizations decided to choose City Blossoms to be one of the 73 outstanding nonprofits to be featured in print this year. Now in its eleventh year, the Catalogue’s mission is to connect caring citizens and funders with worthy community causes. We are honored to receive this stamp of approval that tells donors they can invest with confidence. Click HERE to learn more about the Catalogue of Philanthropy.

Open Times are scheduled sessions that include FREE staff-led activities for children, families, volunteers and anyone who wants to drop by! Open Times will stop during winter months and will start up again in April. We expect to continue with the same schedule this coming spring. If you are interested in visiting, volunteering or partnering in 2013 please contact rebecca@cityblossoms.org

Girard Children’s Community Garden:
(in playground by 15th & Girard Sts, NW WDC 20009, near Columbia Heights Metro)

Wednesdays 4-6pm
Fridays 4-6pm
Saturdays 4-6pm

Marion Street Intergenerational Garden:
(located on 1519 Marion St, NW WDC 20001, near Shaw/Howard Metro)

Tuesdays 5-7pm
Thursdays 5-7pm
Saturdays 4-6pm

Group Visits & Field Trips: Want to schedule a group visit (for any ages)? Email us and we will be happy to share volunteering and workshop opportunities in either of the Community Green Spaces.  Contact Lola Bloom for more information  lola@cityblossoms.org)