Gardening in Community

In the midst of another cold spell, hoping that the groundhog is right this year and we’ll have the early spring he promised, Chestnut Hill residents wait for the green to return.

Driving out Germantown Avenue to Northwestern Avenue and turning right brings you to one of Chestnut Hill’s green jewels, the Morris Arboretum. If you drive over the bridge there’s a parking lot on the left for the Community Garden.  

The garden has 108 plots, each about 15 by 20 feet or 300 square feet in size.  Seasonal rentals are $30 per year. Members of the Chestnut Hill Community Association and Morris Arboretum are eligible to garden.

Tony Aiello, director of horticulture and curator of Morris Arboretum, said the community gardens are well used, well managed and well tended. They are fully subscribed each year although there is some turnover, making it possible for new subscribers to request a plot.

Anna Herman, volunteer coordinator, has gardened in the Community Garden at Morris for the past 16 years. Chestnut Hill residents can request to be on the waiting list for a plot by contacting Herman through e-mail only. She will send all needed information back via e-mail also.

She said the 108 plots represent about 80 families. Most keep and garden their plots year after year. Herman maintains a waiting list for the approximately 10 percent turnover that occurs each year.  

Arboretum staff helps to prepare the plots by plowing and tilling the soil. Abundant water is available at the site. In addition to water, the Arboretum provides free wood chips and leaf mulch.   

Gardeners provide their own hoses and gardening implements as well as seed or starts and, of course, the glad labor of preparing, sowing, tending and harvesting their seasonal vegetables and flowers.

Herman said there are some volunteer hours involved in weeding and mulching the common areas of the gardens. There is also a setup day and a cleanup day that everyone participates in. In addition, volunteers maintain the water system.  

Participating in a community garden has benefits for both gardeners and the community. Many people find gardening in itself is extremely fulfilling. It provides satisfying exercise, fresh produce and a connection with nature. In addition, community gardens help to develop a sense of neighborliness and an opportunity to share garden knowledge and lore.

Producing fresh vegetables at home or in a community garden may also help to offset the effects of climate change by eliminating the transportation of produce from large agricultural farms. With sky-rocketing food costs, the home or community garden makes increasing economic sense as well.  

For a densely populated urban environment to produce its own food may become ever more important to food security in coming years. Gardeners and urban farmers can both grow their own food and donate their overage to neighbors and those in need.

Plentiful exercise and lots of vegetables are the nexus of any health regime. And being part of a community gardening effort leads to the pleasure of being closely involved with the production of one’s own food and the sense of being part of a community of like-minded neighbors.

“Greening the HIll” consistently provides a challenge and the sense of play in approaching the concept of a sustainable urban life in Chestnut Hill. The challenge this week? It’s obvious there aren’t enough plots in the Community Garden at Morris.  

Is there another site for community gardens in Chestnut Hill? Is there a spot in your yard where even a small vegetable garden can take root this spring? There’s certainly nothing quite like the first bite of a tomato still warm from the sun plucked from the vine in your own garden.