Flagstaff, AZ: Arizona Daily Sun Community Garden Article

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Neighborhood gardens nourish community

Arizona Daily Sun - 04/09/2005

Do you dream of growing vegetables, herbs and flowers but don't have a garden 
of your own? There is a solution in Flagstaff's diverse collection of 
community gardens. Community gardens offer individual plots of garden space for 
members of the public. Members often run community gardens cooperatively. 

The American Community Gardening Association says that, "Community gardening 
improves the quality of life for people by providing a catalyst for 
neighborhood and community development, stimulating social interaction, encouraging 
self-reliance, beautifying neighborhoods, producing nutritious food, reducing 
family food budgets, conserving resources and creating opportunities for 
recreation, exercise, therapy and education." 

Flagstaff has five independent community gardens. In addition, the Flagstaff 
Community Gardening Network, a grassroots, nonprofit organization founded to 
promote community gardening, helps to connect all the gardens to one another 
and provides startup assistance for new gardens. 

All of Flagstaff's community gardens provide water and gardening tools for 
members and utilize organic gardening techniques. Most of the gardens have drip 
irrigation systems. Plot sizes, decision-making procedures and other 
characteristics vary among the different gardens. All of the gardens currently have 
plots available for the 2005 gardening season. Flagstaff's community gardens also 
host potlucks, gardening workshops and other activities throughout the 
growing season. 

Coconino Community College Garden at the Lone Tree campus, 2800 S. Lone Tree 
Road, will open to the public in late May. The garden is adjacent to the 
ceramics area and the YMCA childcare center. It is surrounded by ponderosa forest. 
There are two beds available for handicapped people, other raised beds built 
out of papercrete, limestone and small diameter pine logs, and a plot reserved 
for the childcare center. Plots will cost $15 to $20. Members of the Northern 
Arizona Audubon Society are building birdhouses for insect eating birds as 
part of our organic pest control efforts. The garden will also feature 
drought-tolerant landscape plants from the Flagstaff Fabulous Plants list. In addition, 
the campus will be composting its food scraps and paper waste for use in the 
garden. A garden workday is scheduled for April 23. Call Lisa Rayner at 
774-5942 or e-mail her at lisa@flagteaparty.org. 

Fort Valley Community Garden is located on private land on the corner of Beal 
Street and Fort Valley Road. The garden is a beautiful haven bordered by 
trees and shrubs. 

The plots are 3 feet x 40 to 45 feet. Several gardeners could share one plot 
if a smaller space is desired. There is a $10 deposit per plot. Other costs 
are shared among gardeners as needed. The plots are watered exclusively with 
city reclaimed water. Contact Gretchen and Todd at tncarizona@yahoo.com. or call 
774-7098. 

Juniper Street Community Garden is located just west of the intersection of 
North San Francisco Street and Juniper Avenue on land owned by Shepherd of the 
Hills Lutheran Church. The garden has 12 raised beds built of small diameter 
pine logs. Each plot is 4 feet x 20 feet. A special feature this year is the 
children's garden. Interested parents will cooperatively run this plot; I am 
providing gardening expertise. A planting party in late May will plant 
child-friendly vegetables such as Easter egg radishes, and peppermint and miniature 
pumpkins. We welcome additions to our compost bins from neighborhood residents. To 
reserve a plot for $20 or to participate in the children's garden, contact 
Lisa Rayner at 774-5942 or lisa@flagteaparty.org. 

New Start Garden is located at 320 N. Aztec St. near Thorpe Park on 
city-owned land. Project New Start, a public alternative junior/senior high school on 
the site, runs the garden. A solar greenhouse attached to the school offers a 
living classroom for students. City of Flagstaff Conservation Educator Ellen 
Ryan maintains a compost demonstration site that showcases compost bin designs. 
She gives tours upon request. New Start gardeners may deposit food scraps in 
the bins. The 4 x 10 foot plots cost $30. To get a plot, contact Mitch Peterson 
at 773-8198. For compost information, contact Ellen Ryan at 779-7624. 

Southside Community Garden is located on private land on the corner of South 
San Francisco Street and Dupont Avenue. This garden is a project of the 
Southside Community Association, which is coordinated by David Bonnell, the 
recipient of Friends of Flagstaff's Future's 2004 Livable Community Award. The 4 x 12 
foot plots cost $15. The Arboretum at Flagstaff maintains two demonstration 
plots. April 16 is Trashapalooza, an all-day, family-oriented Southside cleanup 
and garden kick-off party. Among the participants will be members of the 
Indigo Movement youth group and 100 volunteers from Christ's Church of Flagstaff. 
Contact David at outreach@southsidecommunity.us or call 226-0777. 

Contact the Flagstaff Community Garden Network at info@flagstaffcgn.net, call 
380-6825 or visit our Web site at www.flagstaffcgn.net. 

Lisa Rayner is the coordinator of the Flagstaff Community Garden Network and 
the author of the book "Growing Food in the Southwest Mountains," a guide for 
home gardeners above 6,500 feet. 

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The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org

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