Roswell, Alpharetta give gardeners beds to plant

by Hatcher Hurd / Appen Newspapers

July 15, 2009 No one knows who, back at the dawn of time, figured out you could grow the food you want to eat by planting some seeds and giving them some water and a little TLC. But it has been popular ever since.Many folks who grew up in a small town take growing some fresh vegetables in a family garden patch for granted — but no longer. In suburbia, with its smaller lots, too much shade, homeowner association covenants, and more townhouses, condos and apartments, there are many people who would like to garden but don't have the space. Now they do.In Roswell and Alpharetta, this spring saw the rise of community gardens – one in Alpharetta's Wills Park and one in the Leita Thompson Park on Ga. 92 in Roswell. A community garden is simply plots of soil leased out to give people a place to grow vegetables or flowers.It has been an immediate hit. Roswell has all 42 of its plots — 32 square feet a piece — at the park spoken for. More than 200 originally inquired.Alpharetta's Wills Park doubled its allocation of plots to 42 and still has a waiting list. Both gardens are on city property, although in Alpharetta it is the non-profit Alpharetta Arboretum which oversees that city's program. North Fulton County Extension Agent Louise Eastabrook and the Fulton Master Gardener Program lend support as well."The popularity of the gardens has been unprecedented," said Eastabrook. Julie Hogg, president of the Alpharetta Arboretum, said her organization is ready to teach classes in community gardening."Anybody can start one – senior communities, churches, schools, homeowner associations. We will help anyone who wants to start," Hogg said. "We brought the idea to the Alpharetta City Council and they bought it right away and let us have the use of some land in Wills Park."Both community gardens also reserve some garden space for donation beds. These beds are maintained by the gardeners, and the bounty raised goes to North Fulton Community Charities and others for distribution to families.Evelyn Dennis, a Roswell community gardener, said the idea appeals on several levels. First, it is a social activity, because you are always meeting the other gardeners. Secondly, it is educational, because the county Cooperative Extension office forbids all herbicides and insecticides except those that are organically acceptable.It is also usually a family activity giving inter-generational contacts a chance to flower as well. The oldest gardener at the Roswell site is 87. For Shirley Colquitt, who grew up on a north Georgia farm, it is a chance for a "country girl" to get some dirt on her hands and some fresh vegetables.Roswell Mayor Jere Wood said community gardening has been so successful, he plans to approach the Recreation Commission and the City Council to sponsor more gardens next year, at least one on the east side of Ga. 400."It is a great way to build communities, and the cost to the city is almost nothing. I think it is a wonderful program, and I'm sure council will agree," he said.For information contact Eastabrook at the North Fulton Exention Office at 404-613-7670 or laesta@uga.edu.