PUBLIC INVITED TO JUNE 21 GARDEN DEDICATION AND FAIR

DOVER - The public is invited to attend a garden fair on Saturday, June 21, to celebrate the dedication of the Planting Hope in Delaware garden on the Herman Holloway Campus near New Castle. The free event, from 9 a.m. to noon, will include tours of the Planting Hope sensory, community and market gardens; a honey tasting from the Delaware Beekeepers Association in celebration of National Pollinator Week; story time with PAWS for People dogs; and a meditative labyrinth for walking. Attendees can also learn about sustainability practices, including companion planting, composting, and cover cropping, as well as backyard habitats, livable lawns, rain barrels and the Planting Hope Monarch butterfly waystation.

"There will be something for everyone as we celebrate the growth of this community-building garden," said Faith Kuehn, environmental program manager for the Delaware Department of Agriculture and Planting Hope's project manager. "This is an educational and ability-affirming project that is reaching more people every day."

Begun in 2010, the Planting Hope in Delaware Garden is a joint project of the Delaware Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Social Services. The initiative is growing plants and tending gardens to enhance the well-being and improve the health of the greater Herman Holloway Campus community in Wilmington/New Castle. The goal is to grow gardens that provide fresh, healthy food, stimulate the senses, offer respite, and create common ground for people of all abilities.

DHSS Secretary Rita Landgraf, who is scheduled to attend the dedication, said, the Planting Hope in Delaware garden provides many benefits to the campus and the surrounding community. "The garden gives us a way to promote healthy eating and to encourage people of all abilities to participate in tending the gardens. Plus, it opens up our campus to residents of the nearby community. I am grateful to the Department of Agriculture for helping us to embrace a healthier Delaware."

The Holloway Campus is at 1901 DuPont Highway, New Castle. To get to the Planting Hope in Delaware garden, enter the Herman Holloway Campus from U.S. 13 and take the first exit from the traffic circle, onto Tarumianz Turn. Take the left onto Calle Carmen Nazario, and turn right onto Debnam Drive at the T intersection. Turn left into the parking lot, and the garden is across the street. For more information, call 302-698-4587.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.