Community gardens get new bedding

The gardeners toiled for soil as they loaded mulched dirt into the raised beds Saturday.

The gardeners dedicated to the community plots in the Summit Avenue “tot lot” dished some dirt on Saturday.

Working in two shifts, about 20 people used wheelbarrows, shovels and rakes to move truckloads of earth to the raised beds the workers had constructed the week before. Because one dump truck was too big to get through the garden gate, its load had to be strong-armed across the playground, but the children playing in the park took it all in stride.

Now that the beds, which are lined with plastic, have been filled, there is only the spreading of wood-chip mulch between them for the gardens to be ready for planting. The mulching is planned for Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, as are other cleanup activities. As of Saturday, the water line in the park had not been turned on by the Parks Department, but that is expected soon.

All of the plots in the garden have been spoken for, but there is a wait list and other information at https://summitcommunitygarden.org.

Plans and fund-raising continue to develop among the Summit Neighborhood Association, the Parks Department and concerned residents for the refurbishment of the playground equipment at the park.

A parade of wheelbarrows through the playground didn’t seem to bother any of the children playing there.

Even beginning gardeners provided sweat equity to fill the beds.

Already some of the children in the park were interacting with the gardens, one of the major goals of the programs.

The beds filled up as a second shift of gardeners took over.

A backhoe from the Parks Department put the finishing touch to the project by straightening a damaged gate post.