Photo By Winifred Brown | Nikki Roth, holding her son Jacob, 1, talks about her garden on an episode of “Zama...... read more read more
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CAMP ZAMA, Japan (April 28, 2020) – Whether it’s a plot in the community garden, a raised-bed garden in the backyard or containers on the patio, gardening is popular at Camp Zama.
So the people at Camp Zama’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation decided to put together a Facebook show called “Zama Garden Television” to help members of the community stay busy and collectively improve their gardening knowledge as they hunker down at home due to COVID-19.
“I love that I know where my food comes from and I know what’s gone into it,” said Athena Wheeler, a gardening enthusiast who came up with the idea for the show and introduced her own garden in the premiere episode April 27. She is also an administrative assistant for FMWR.
Wheeler’s backyard garden on Sagamihara Family Housing Area features pansies, petunias, snapdragons, an olive tree, a blueberry bush, a rose bush, Swiss chard, tomatoes, rosemary, sage, thyme and mint, and basil, dill, cilantro, cucumber and zucchini waiting to sprout.
“Fresh food that you’ve pulled out of your garden tastes so much better than anything you’re going to get from the store—and it’s cheaper too,” Wheeler said.
Also, even though her blueberry bush doesn’t produce much, it is fun to walk outside and pick a few blueberries to have with breakfast, Wheeler said during the episode.
The show’s second episode will feature Rosa Berber and her son Adrian, 8, who grow ingredients for salsa, such as cilantro, jalapeño peppers, habanero peppers and tomatoes, as well as cucumbers and bell peppers.
Adrian said he started gardening with his mother when he was 6, and he enjoys it a lot.
“It’s super relaxing, and you can get energized and you can work hard,” Adrian said.
Getting to eat the plants is another plus, said Adrian, who particularly likes seasoning and eating the cucumbers he’s grown.
His mother, in the meantime, said she likes the fact that it keeps Adrian busy and learning new skills while he is out of school due to COVID-19.
When Adrian gets up in the morning, he often checks the plants to see how they are growing, noticing new roots, sprouts or leaves, Berber said.
“It’s so exciting,” Berber said. “It’s science. It’s math. [I ask my son,] ‘How big is your plant today? Do you think your plant needs water? What do you think would show you that it needs water?’ It’s teaching him life outside of school.”
On the show, the Berbers detailed how they grow sprouts from seeds by placing them in clear plastic snack bags with cotton balls and water and then hanging them in their front window so they get plenty of light. Once the seeds sprout, the Berbers transfer the seedlings to soil on their back patio, cotton balls and all.
The show’s third episode will feature the garden of Nikki Roth, who grows herbs such as rosemary, parsley and cilantro, as well as tomatoes and cucumbers.
Roth said she volunteered for the show because she wanted to share her gardening knowledge with the community.
For example, the self-help stores on SFHA and Camp Zama have tillers, shovels and other gardening equipment that people can sign out, Roth said.
“I just figured if it helps people realize some of the opportunities that they have here, then it’s worth talking and doing a show about,” Roth said.
The show also includes recipes people have made with items from their gardens. The episode with Wheeler included a recipe for Caprese salad; the episode featuring the Berbers will include their salsa recipe; and Roth promised to provide a recipe for a roast.
The show’s host, Brandon Bergeron, director of Youth, Sports and Fitness for Camp Zama FMWR, said gardening is a great subject for members of the community to learn right now because it staves off boredom and always offers a goal.
“Watching something grow, watching something come alive [and] taking pride in the efforts that you’ve put into your garden, these are all great things, and MWR is here to help the community with their morale, with their welfare, and so gardening is directly a part of that,” Bergeron said.
The show appears on the Camp Zama MWR Facebook page when episodes are ready, and not at a set time or day of the week. Those interested in appearing as a guest can send a message to the page.
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.28.2020 01:39 |
| Story ID: | 368627 |
| Location: | JP |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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