Spots Available at St. Paul's Community Garden

Sign ups are underway to claim a spot in Garden City's community garden at St. Paul's.

According to Kevin Ocker, chairman of the board of commissioners of cultural and recreational affairs, the garden will again offer 25 plots this year. "Residents are asked to sign up by April 28 and then we will have a lottery if we have more than 25 subscribers," he said, adding it's likely plots will still be available beyond the 28th.

This season marks the third year the board of commissioners of cultural and recreational affairs is opening up the garden to "all generations" to plant flowers and vegetables of their choosing.

He and Lori Kampe, who is in charge of communication between the recreation department and the gardeners, help coordinate the program. The original suggestion came from trustee-turned mayor John Watras.

According to Ocker, the completely irrigated garden is prepared by rototilling and covering it with a black fiber mulch that gardeners can then plant through, keeping maintenance to a minimum. Residents tend to their gardens and many even make it a fun family outing, growing their own assortment of vegetables and flowers to enjoy all summer long.

“Community gardens are a great opportunity for family fun and promote an awareness and education of planting that is handed down from one generation to another,” said Ocker. “Not to mention the nutritional value of the fruits of everyone’s labor!”

The garden is located opposite the senior center at 108 Rockaway Avenue.