Monday, April 3, 2006 Extension, Park District Hope People Make Community Garden Grow
By David Adam Herald-Whig Staff Writer Want to grow your own flowers or fresh vegetables but don't have the space or the tools? A community meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Redmon and Lee Center, 805 Elm, will give people a chance to learn about a community garden being offered on North Eighth near the Jackson-Lincoln Pool. The Quincy Park District, the city of Quincy and the University of Illinois Extension have partnered to offer the garden, which is open to anyone who would like to reserve and maintain a plot. People are encouraged to share ideas and reserve a plot at Thursday's meeting. "The obvious people who would be interested in something like this are people who live in apartments," said Carrie Edgar, county director with the University of Illinois Extension Adams/Brown Unit. "There might be some senior citizens who used to be gardeners who want to try again. There may be people who don't have the equipment to get started. "We're going to start on a small scale, but I hope we eventually have little gardens throughout Quincy." Edgar said that 70 of 400 people who took a community survey last fall by the Quincy Park District showed an interest in a community garden. She mentioned the success of a similar program in Galesburg, which recently started two community gardens and now has a waiting list for both and is considering a third site. Plans for the first Quincy site call for between 12 and 14 plots that are 15 feet by 20 feet. "Not everybody is going to want a full plot," Edgar said. "Some people just want to grow a couple of tomato plants." The garden will provide opportunities to meet with others interested in gardening. It also will be used as an outdoor teaching and learning area with a demonstration garden and composting facilities. The park district, Extension staff and Adams/Brown Master Gardeners will be on hand throughout the garden season to assist and offer advice. "Some people will have never tried it before. Gardening can be a daunting task," Edgar said. Participation is free. The plots will be tilled and prepared to plant. Participants can plant and grow whatever they like, harvest it and take it home or share it with others. Participants are responsible for the maintenance of their garden during the growing season and cleaning it out at the end of the season. Edgar says she hopes plants and seeds will be donated, and tools for digging, planting and weeding will be available. "This will give people a chance to get out and know their neighbors," she said. For more information, attend Thursday's meeting or call Edgar at 223-8380 or Shelby Schoonover with the park district at 223-7703. Contact News Coordinator David Adam at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or (217) 221-3376 ______________________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: https://secure.mallorn.com/mailman/listinfo/community_garden
