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Home & Garden
Chris Stewart/Dayton Daily News Staff Photogra
Residents of Dayton's historic McPherson Town neighborhood work in a community garden on Monday, May 4. Neighborhood residents sought guidance from Luci Beachdell, program manager of Five Rivers MetroPark's Grow With Your Neighbors gardening program. Staff photo by Chris Stewart
Urban garden an oasis in tough times
Neighborhood plots put vacant lots to good use with help of parks program.
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By Anthony Gottschlich,
Staff Writer
Updated 11:11 PM Friday, May 8, 2009
The American author Orson Scott Card once said, “Unemployment is capitalism’s way of getting you to plant a garden.”
And so it goes in the Dayton area, too. With the economy in the dumper and food prices rising, interest in Five River MetroParks community gardening program is at unprecedented levels, park officials say.
“Mostly what I get are people wanting to find out how to use the vacant land in their neighborhoods to grow food,” said Luci Beachdell, manager of Five Rivers’ Grow With Your Neighbors community gardening program.
Established in 1986 to serve low- to moderate-income neighborhoods, Grow With Your Neighbors has expanded to more than two dozen (mostly vegetable) gardens today. Most are within Dayton’s city limits, Beachdell said, but interest is growing in suburban areas, and local schools are getting involved as well, including E.J. Brown Elementary in north Dayton.
“There’s tons of room for more community gardens in the Dayton area and lots of other places where people already can go,” Beachdell said.
In Wegerzyn Gardens off Siebenthaler Avenue, Five Rivers offers more than 300 28-by-28-foot plots that rent for $20 each per season. Possum Creek MetroPark at Ohio 4 and Frytown Road offers a similar deal, but for free.
For groups looking to start a community garden, Five Rivers will help. Depending on a neighborhood’s needs, the park district will help find a suitable location, test the soil for heavy metals, till the land, provide seeds and offer numerous tips and resources for successful gardening.
Some things to keep in mind:
• Decide on the size and scope of your garden ahead of time. Flowers, vegetables, a mixture of both?
• Is there a readily accessible water source? Work out a deal with a neighbor, if possible.
• Are you and your neighbors prepared to do the work and stick with it? Those who don’t won’t get help from Five Rivers.
• Consider liability insurance or at least a “hold harmless” waiver in case someone gets injured on the property.
• Minor theft. It’s not unusual for the unlawful sort to pluck the fruits of your labor.
For more information, contact Luci Beachdell at (937) 276-7053 or visit metroparks.org.
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