Bee Happy Garden

All food grown in the Bee Happy Garden, along with honey produced by the hives, is donated to local food pantries, as part of FUN’s mission to address food insecurity within the Falls Church community.

2022

FUN Fall Feast

In Fall, following the heartbreak of the voles’ attacks on our vegetables, FUN was diligent about planting fall crops in the available beds. We had a bountiful harvest of broccoli, collards, mustard greens, spinach, kale, and turnips, which kept growing until the last harvest during the first week of December. 

A FUN First

Every year FUN grows something they haven’t grown before. This year it was bush sweet potatoes (as we don’t have much room for the well-known vining variety), tomatillos climbing Baby Butternuts, and Mini Jack pumpkins, which also grow on a vine. We babied these plants, smothered them with TLC. They thrived in the garden and were growing beautifully – which must have made them very attractive to voles. Every pumpkin and baby butternut vining on the ground and not up on a trellis became a meal for this rodent with a voracious appetite. And sadly, when FUN harvested the sweet potatoes, many of them have been nibbled on or down-right eaten to a nub.

Spring has Sprung

The first crops were transplanted into Bee Happy during the first week of March and harvested in early May – the first harvest of the year: 2 beds of kale, 2 of collards, and 1 of spinach.. The ground temperature was warm enough to plant the tender crops by the middle of May, when we also seeded green beans, herbs, zinnias and nasturtiums. 

FUN with Seeds

2022 started with an important addition to FUN, a new DIY grow rack with LED lights to provide the proper color spectrum and heated mats to enhance germination. Since our propagation space is limited, we germinate all seeds prior to planting. In early February, we started spinach, kale, collards, and marigolds, soon followed by peppers, tomatoes, and tomatillos. The rest of the crops were started in March, or sown directly in the ground in May. At the proper time in their growth cycle, the seedlings are moved to a cold frame, then set outdoors to acclimate prior to planting in Bee Happy. 

2021

We had an exciting first year at Bee Happy and learned so much about our new location. We had tomatoes, peppers, and green beans galore. Some squash varieties were plentiful and others – not so much. COVID put a damper on volunteer hours but we managed to make it work. We donated 831 pounds of food between 2 food pantries!

We ended the year by harvesting kale and plan on starting next year the same way, with the harvest of leafy greens.

Many thanks to everyone for their support. We are beholden to the Rotary Club of Bailey’s Crossroads whose donations allowed us to provide and maintain these gardens. Special praise to First Christian Church of Falls Church who has supported us every step, every plant, and every seed of the way in our quest to feed the community.

Path to Bee Happy

Following manufacturing setbacks and shipping delays that everyone experienced during COVID, the much-anticipated paved pathways were installed and completed in August. Soon after, high-sided raised beds were put in place. This provides an opportunity for our volunteers who use wheelchairs to work at a comfortable level.

Many, many thanks to the Tactical Landscaping Company who did a   phenomenal job installing the beautiful pavers. Heartfelt gratitude for the support of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, whose grant made the hardscape possible and who are doing amazing things every day to improve the quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis.

Support and Supports

In April, FUN was delighted to learn we were awarded product donations from Gardener’s Supply Company. We received 2 titan tunnels which you will see in many of our photos as it spans the entrance to our garden. We also received 2 zig-zag tall pea trellises which we use to grow pole beans. FUN is truly grateful for the support from Gardener’s Supply and support for our vegetables as both products have become invaluable tools in our garden.

Andrew and Phase 2 of Bee Happy Garden

Bee Happy Part 2

On Saturday May 17, Andrew doubled the size of Bee Happy Garden with the installation of 10 additional beds. In a few hours, a wonderful group of scouts, family, and friends constructed the beds, put them in place, filled them with soil and mixed in compost.  FUN is grateful that Andrew chose Bee Happy as his Eagle Project and thankful for all those who participated.

Immediately following the raised bed installation, a second set of amazing people - the DIG Garden Club from Bishop O’Connell High School along with volunteers from the local community – installed trellises, then planted seeds and seedlings.

The following week a fence was added and an efficient drip line irrigation system was installed, that not only saves time but saves water.

Dripline irrigation

This summer, all food grown at Bee Happy was donated to2 food pantries within 1.5 miles of the garden…Spend Yourself Food Pantry at Crossroads Columbia Baptist Church and The Dar Al Hijrah Mosque Food Bank.

Dreams Come True

On March 3, 2012 FUN learned they were the recipient of a Quality of Life grant from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center. Quality of Life Grants Program supports nonprofit organizations that empower individuals living with paralysis. FUN used the grant for the installation of paved pathways to create a barrier-free, fully inclusive vegetable garden at Bee Happy Garden. By providing accessible paths FUN was one step further in offering volunteering opportunities for individuals living with paralysis and mobility limitations. 

2020

Mark and Phase 1 of Bee Happy Garden

Bee Happy Bee-gins

Bee Happy Garden germinated on Saturday September 29, 2020, thanks to Mark who chose FUN as beneficiary of his Eagle project. He, along with Scouts from Troop 875, friends and family, constructed, installed, and filled with soil the first 10 beds of FUN’s vegetable garden on the front lawn of First Christian Church. FUN planted spinach, kale, collard greens, lettuce and carrots which were harvested the following spring.

Thanks to everyone who helped our dream become a reality on this day in September. Thanks to the Rotary Club of Bailey’s Crossroads for their financial support. Thanks to First Christian Church for the land, donations, and dedication to feeding the hungry. Thanks to Mark, Troop 875, friends and family for your sweat equity. All of your contributions will help provide food for those in need, right here in our local community. 

It Takes a Village

In September, 2020 FUN will break ground on the front lawn of the first Christian Church of Falls Church, to start their first phase of their new raised bed gardens. Officially named the Bee Happy Garden, as we have beehives at this site - the finished garden will eventually contain 22 raised beds, paved pathways and high-sided beds for access by those who use wheelchairs. . We are thrilled to break ground on this new site and look forward to growing more food. A special thanks to First Christian Church for the generous use of their land, their water, and their ever-present encouragement.