More people getting hands dirty in community plots

Dana Kilgore has long loved to garden, but a spreading black walnut tree and growing shade made her Clintonville lot decreasingly productive.

So this year, she sought a solution in a community garden.

After some searching, she signed up for a new garden at 4th and Hudson streets northeast of Ohio State University. Now, she's enjoying the fruits of her decision: early radishes and spinach, and some new friends.

"I've made lots of great contacts," Kilgore said. "I think I'll be back for many years if they let me, as long as we can keep it going."

Survival doesn't seem to be a problem for central Ohio community gardens.

The area, already home to more than 150, is seeing at least 20 new such gardens this summer, said Bill Dawson, coordinator of the Franklin Park Conservatory's Growing to Green program.

"It's just taken off this year, with the White House garden, with the economy, the 'green' movement," said Dawson, who is active in the American Community Gardening Association, which is based at the conservatory.

Trisha Dehnbostel, who oversees 12 gardens in the University District, thinks greater Columbus might have as many as 50 new gardens this summer. Her organization, Local Matters, encourages Ohio-grown produce and is trying to build a comprehensive list of area gardens for next spring.

"The movement is changing," Dehnbostel said. "Now, so many people are doing it to produce food or to give back to food pantries because of our economy. And so many churches and social-service agencies are getting involved; it's not just communities."

St. John's Lutheran Church in Dublin, for example, is opening a 25-plot garden next to the church at Rings and Avery roads, said Millie Heath, a church volunteer.

"We just decided to do something for the community and perhaps bring someone over to our services as well -- and if people have extra, maybe raise some vegetables for our missions," Heath said.

Although many of the summer community garden plots are spoken for, plots remain available for newcomers.

Dawson and Dehnbostel offer these suggestions for people just getting involved:
• Find a convenient garden. The American Community Gardening Association's Web site (www.community garden.org) maintains a list of gardens by ZIP code.
• Prepare to spend money. Some community garden plots are free, but most charge from $10 to $50 a summer to help offset costs.
• Don't overdo it. An 8-foot-by-2-foot plot should be large enough for a solo novice gardener; a 10-foot-by-15-foot plot, for a family.
• Take the basics. Some gardens have sheds and encourage members to share tools, but don't depend solely on others' equipment.
• Think water. Some gardens offer a hose or faucet, but others rely on gardeners to supply their own, either by carting it to the site or by installing a rain barrel.
• Expect company. Community gardens are designed to nurture interaction. Be prepared to be sociable and to participate in the gardens' activities, such as harvest festivals, farm markets and cooking demonstrations.
• Plan to work. A community garden plot should be fun, but it does require labor. Plan to stop by your plot two or three times a week, if only to weed and water. Many gardens have requirements about keeping the plots properly maintained.
• Plan to donate. Virtually all gardens encourage that a percentage of produce be given to pantries and charities; some require as much.
• Keep it simple. If you're new to gardening, start with plants that are likely to succeed: tomatoes, peppers, beets, radishes, cucumbers or potatoes.

Also be careful about plants such as gourds, zucchinis and pumpkins, which require a lot of water and room.

The most important recommendation, Dawson said: "Grow what you like to eat."

jweiker@dispatch.com

Grow your own
The Columbus area is home to 150 to 200 community gardens, with more opening every year.
To find a community garden near you, visit the Web site of the American Community Gardening Association, http://www.communitygarden.org/.