Plains Community Garden hosts first meeting
PLAINS – On a bright, sunny Monday evening, the Plains Community Garden met on March 25 for an informational meeting regarding the garden.
The garden, located behind the Plains Alliance Church, has 60 gardening plots overall and is hoping to have 45 to 50 of them filled this year.
According to a handout given out by Garden Director Rena Johnson, “the garden contents and design are the gardener’s own,” allowing individual gardeners to have free range designing and decorating their plots.
The garden will be installing a drip system this year, helping gardeners yield more produce.
“(The drip system) puts the water where you decide you want it for your plants,” explained Johnson. “With the new water system, you’re really going to see some good things. We should be seeing some amazing results this year.”
The garden also provides free rototilling either by machinery or by the hands of a group of local teenagers who are volunteering their time, all in hopes of getting the soil in the best shape possible before planting.
The meeting included a raffle of prizes, dishing out the largest prize to Mabel Cook who proudly showed off her new bean tower to the others in attendance.
The garden received a new well at the beginning of March, which will help with the watering of the plots.
Johnson explained it is possible to grow $700 worth of produce in a 100 square foot section of a garden.
“That kind of gives you an idea of what we’re hoping people can achieve with their garden spaces,” said Johnson. “But if you only get 100 or 200 or 300 dollars worth out of your garden plot, will you be successful? Well yeah.”
A nationwide effort to obtain fresh garden produce for local food banks called Grow A Row program, also encourages local gardeners to grow an assortment of vegetables to be donated to the food bank in Plains.
The meeting discussed entry forms and people signed up for the plots they were after, many people having seniority to the plots they had from last year.
Glenda Wolverton, a gardener, discussed good and bad companion plots as well as spacing and good rotations to follow.
Although, the community garden is gearing up for a very green season, Johnson explained they are in need of some unsprayed, old hay to help with mulching.
“There is hay out there that has not been sprayed,” said Johnson explaining she is looking for hay as far back as ten years old.
“The nutritional value (of that hay) has decreased to 1/3 of what it originally was and no one will feed it (to their animals),” said Johnson. If a donator can be found, Johnson is equipped with a truck for pick up.
The garden is also getting a new sign, which shows gardeners where to put their trimmings, leaves and compost.
The next community garden meeting will be held on Earth day - April 22 at 7 p.m.