Making an Organic Community Garden in Arkansas

Coming together in shared gardening

Today we ’re visiting with Mary Maud Huber .

Fourteen years ago when we moved to Fairfield Bay in north - central Arkansas , I wanted a secret plan in theCommunity Garden . The Ithiel Town is lushly forest in the Ozarks , and shade is a challenge for any sort of gardening , especially sunshine - lovingvegetables . I really wanted to usesustainableorganic praxis , but being surrounded by plots not commit such made me look for other space . Then they decided to expand the community garden , and I was able to secure the space for an constitutional land site . We mould a essence group and used Facebook to pile up other interested gardener as well as to call those waiting for a plot in the live garden . In a year ’s clip , we construct 24 4×12raised bedsusing recycled materials and built atool shedfrom deck bust - out material and award money from our residential area fund . BirdSong Gardens filled up with enthusiastic gardeners and develop a good amount of produce for the Shirley School Food Bank . We have since created an association , FFB Organic Gardeners Association , patterned after the 40 - class - honest-to-goodness Sunshine Gardens in Austin Texas . Our missionary post is to provide organic gardening space , make a community of gardeners , provide pedagogy on organic sustainability , and supply produce for local food depository financial institution . Our waitlist farm , so we are now targeting April 1 to open up 24 more beds and expand our outreach - designated beds from 3 to 10 . For a titular fee gardeners are given unlimited water , adrip system , cervid fencing , and tools to expend on site and become part of a fun community of gardeners . We have elicit funds through bake sales , construct creativebirdhousesand garden wager ( it helped to have a generous and talented creative person and her twist - savvy husband in the mathematical group ) . We also enter in the4th of Julyparade , the Scarecrow contest and the Christmas parade for fun and marketing .

We are so thankful for the living of the residential area , which providedgarden tools , fencing material , lumber , bricks , equipment , and operator ( it ’s so severe to dig post holes by hand in this rocky dirt ) , soil , labor for satisfy the 17 - inch - deep bed ( a crew from the county jail are our hero sandwich ! ) financial support , and the space , of course of study !

It has been a great and productive journey for our little stripe of nurseryman .

The beautiful and fat garden blank

Old carpet laid between the beds tosuppress weeds

The garden shed gives gardener a shoes to hive away their tools , while thedeer fencekeeps the green goods dependable from athirst mouths .

construction birdhouses to help bring up fund for the garden

The best part of a community garden may be the community of interests ! Here ’s how the gardeners participated in the local Christmas parade .

Have photos to partake ? We ’d love to see your garden , a special collection of flora you sleep with , or a wonderful garden you had the luck to visit !

To submit , send 5 - 10 picture to[email protected]along with some entropy about the works in the pic and where you took the photos . We ’d bonk to hear where you are situate , how long you ’ve been gardening , successes you are lofty of , failure you learned from , promise for the future tense , favourite plants , or funny account from your garden .

Have a wandering earphone ? mark your photos onFacebook , InstagramorTwitterwith # FineGardening !

Do you receive the GPOD by electronic mail yet?Sign up here .

Fine Gardening recommend product

Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade , trench Shovel

ok Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this situation , including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising political platform .

ARS telescope Long Reach Pruner

Get our late tips , how - to articles , and instructional picture sent to your inbox .

Signing you up …

Saying Goodbye in Arkansas

July in Arkansas

Homesteading With a Community Garden

More from Sue’s garden in Arkansas

Join Fine horticulture for a free engaging live webinar featuring Dr. Janna Beckerman , a famous plant life diagnostician as well as prof emerita at Purdue University and the ornamental technical director …

When I spotted a particular sand dollar cactus ( Astrophytum asterias ) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few months ago , I jazz I was in difficulty . With a delicious color design …

When we only prioritize works we want over plants our landscape needs , each time of year is filled with a never - end list of chore : pruning , twitch , lachrymation , treating , amending , and fertilizing , with …

close up of a row of raised garden beds

Video

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be careful when you go into the backyard of garden designer Jeff Epping — not because you ’re probable to trip on something , but because you might be dive - bombard by a distich …