Applicants sought for Community Garden

Heather Wharton, Queens Learning Network garden coordinator, says, “A nine by 12 foot garden plot can provide vegetables for a family of four for the summer months.”

The avid gardener has initiated an application process to give residents a chance to grow vegetables in the tilled garden site. She adds apartment dwellers would especially benefit from the initiative, although it is open to all residents.

She says the garden has been tilled to make the process easier and divided into 12 plots of varying sizes. Four have already been taken.

She also hopes some of the extra-crop will be donated to the food bank, which is housed in the same building.

Wharton is personally donating plants and hopes others will donate seeds and plants as well. She is also hoping for donations of kneepads, garden gloves, and bug jackets.

The Garden will be launching the 2007 gardening season with an 11 a.m.-2 p.m. June 11 get-together. The rain date is June 12. The event will include a barbecue and refreshments.

Wharton, personally, is excited about the initiative, adding no herbicides or pesticides will be permitted, that the result will be much more nutritious than vegetables that are “trucked 5,000 miles.

“It kind of motivates people to get a little bit closer to what they put in their mouths.”

For more information and applications, telephone 683-2298.