Meet Trailblazer Melinda Warner

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melinda Warner.

Melinda, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a young girl, I remember my grandmother having a garden. She grew so many delicious fruits and vegetables like strawberries and green beans. She also had a beautiful cherry tree. Along with my mom and sister, we would spend many hours helping to harvest veggies and pick cherries. We’d sit under a tree in the back yard, putting cherries to be used in pies and jams. I grew to love the garden and had a deep appreciation for the hard work and dedication it takes to maintain and cultivate a successful garden.

My first personal garden was much later in life. A neighbor and fellow gardener mentored me throughout the summers, teaching me the tips and tricks of a healthy garden. Each year I learned more, grew more and fell more in love and relished the beauty of this outdoor space.

Moving to Colorado from the east coast, I quickly became aware of the impact altitude and climate have on the garden. The dry climate and shorter growing season added a new challenge to cultivate a healthy and growing garden space.

Shortly after moving to Colorado, an opportunity arose to put my gardening skills to work as well as to fulfill another passion to serve. The Golden Community Garden, supported by Denver Urban Gardens, offered a portion of their space to be used as a donation-based garden.

Several plots, 14 in all, are dedicated to be grown solely to support the Christian Action Guild, a food bank in Golden. My role as leader of this space is to lead and guide other volunteers. Our goal is to organically grow healthy, fresh vegetables to donate to the food bank to be enjoyed by these families in Golden. I believe in service to others. As in our donation-based garden, we work hard all season to grow vegetables for others. If we all did one thing, something for others changing our community, our world.

Has it been a smooth road?
Gardening is a passion that I love but does not come without challenges! Each year we strive to grow as many organic, fresh vegetables as we can. The challenges may be battling the elements such as the dry climate or the constant threat of hail in Colorado which can wipe out an entire crop! We have suffered many hail storms in the past but the plants fight back and do there best to recover.

There are good and bad bugs in a garden. Good bugs will strengthen and nourish the plants, yet the bad bugs can infest a garden seeking to munch on the vegetables we work so hard to grow. We use organic methods to keep the pests away as best we can.

As in anything worth doing and pursuing, gardening takes hard work, persistence, time, effort and a love for the project. Just like our relationships that matter most to us. I am grateful to my husband and daughter for their support and help in the garden as we collectively work with our loving volunteers to see the season through to a bountiful harvest.

We’d love to hear more about GCC.
The GCC food bank plots was started over ten years ago with the mission to provide organically grown, fresh vegetables for the hungry of Golden. Each year we plan and prepare to grow vegetables the clientele need and will enjoy. Early in the spring, we plant lettuces, peas, herbs, carrots, onions, garlic and potatoes. As the summer heats up we will plant warm-weather crops such as tomatoes, green beans, peppers, cucumbers and squash. We will continue to nurture and harvest as the summer days pass and will plant fall crops such as spinach and lettuces to extend the growing season. Depending on the fall weather, we can continue to grow into October. The hard work and dedication of the volunteers is what allows this garden space to survive. The opportunity to serve in this way is a gift that gives us so much every year. It has been my honor to serve in this way and I am so proud of this garden and the strength of the volunteer team.

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
The leadership of the Golden Community Garden and our Food Bank plots as well as many gardens supported by the Denver Urban Gardens are well represented by strong, dedicated and hard-working women. As women continue to pursue passion and purpose in the garden, there will continue to be thriving and flourishing garden spaces throughout all of Denver.

I encourage women to pursue their passions, to reach out when needed and serve in some way.

Contact Info:

• Address: Golden Community Garden
  1409 10th Street
  Golden, Co
  Melinda Warner
• Phone: 443.822.5566
• Email: meliowa88@aol.com

Image Credit:
Melinda Warner
Ashley Ward (Photos of Melinda Warner)

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.