The story of our garden

Our community garden is in the back yard of our neighbor, Jean’s home. The garden project grew out of one family’s friendship with Jean over a period of time - helping Jean weed, move heavy objects, fix furniture, sharing recipes and book recommendations, dropping off cheese rolls and bean soup on each other’s front porch, and many many conversations about childhood, adulthood, and old age. Often while munching on a piece of fruit picked from one of her many fruit trees.

One day Jean recommended the book Farm City by Novella Carpenter and the conversation turned to raising chickens. Jean had the space and desire but not the energy. Could we open up her spacious yard to the rest of the community to help out? Jean gave the approval.

At first there were two neighbors working on the garden project. One, a master gardener, had always wanted to be part of a community garden. The other, a therapist, just wanted to work with her hands. They realized there were many many steps between Now and Chickens. Maybe start with vegetables. So they took the first baby step and cleared out the cane forest and overgrown grass.

Soon other neighbors expressed interest in helping out. Together - on a clear spring day - everyone young and old - planted corn, beans, marigolds, quinoa, squashes, melons, sunflowers, lettuce, and tomatoes.

The garden began to bloom…