Gardeners Plant a Row for Local Food Pantry

The gardening season has begun at the on West Street. When the growing season is complete, a group of master gardeners and community gardeners hopes to harvest at least one ton of food for .

With four garden plots to plant, the team of gardeners will see that the plots are maintained, watered, weeded and harvested in a “Plant a Row” program.

For years community gardeners have participated in a “Plant a Row” program, but this year the Naperville Community Gardeners have partnered with the and the University of Illinois Extension for the project, according to officials with the programs.

The Naperville Park District donated the four plots to the gardeners for the project and The Growing Place donated some of the seeds that will be planted.

The hope is that at least one ton of food will be harvested for the food bank, if weather and conditions cooperate, said Ron Ory, a member of the Naperville Park District Board and a master gardener.

About 35 different vegetables that grow in northern Illinois will be planted, including about 300 onions, Ory said. He expects that the gardeners will grow several hundred pounds of lettuce and that the plots will have more than 50 tomato plants.

“The success [of the project] has been not only from the interest of the master gardeners but also the assistance of the park district,” Ory said during a presentation at the garden plots Saturday. “Anything we’ve asked, the park district provided.”

The plots also will be used as a way to educate gardeners, Ory said. People are welcome to stop by the “Plant a Row” plots and ask questions of the master gardeners when they hold “office hours.” The plots are located next to the Garden Plot kiosk, near the northern entrance of the garden plots.

Native plants also were installed next to the “Plant a Row” plots in a demonstration area, which will highlight the use of native plants in landscaping.

The Naperville Community Gardeners donated $500 to make the native plant demonstration area possible. Tom Campbell of the Naperville Community Gardeners presented the check to Ray McGury, executive director of the Naperville Park District.

McGury said that his idea of parks and recreation had always been related to sports.

“It took me about 18 months to get the recreational component of gardening,” McGury said during the check presentation. “I can’t thank you enough for this. You are a great partner.”

The Naperville ''Plant a Row' program joins three others under way at gardens around DuPage County, said Sarah Navrotski, the U of I Extension master gardener program coordinator for DuPage County.

“The goal is to help others learn to garden,” Navrotski said. “In doing this we are teaching others about gardening.”

The master gardeners plan to work at the Garden Plots every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. throughout the season. Gardeners will be available to answer questions and to help beginning gardeners and also on the third Saturday of each month, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.