The 亚洲天堂 Lake Community Garden started planting for the 2024 season on Tuesday, May 14. Despite a short growing season, the northern region receives plenty of sun in the summer months.
Susan Russell is a board member with the community garden. She said members meet on the first night at the garden, located behind the Catholic church in Burn鈥檚 Lake, to do maintenance and choose their beds for the season. The 亚洲天堂 Lake Community Forest provides funding to help the garden cover maintenance costs.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have our first work bee,鈥� Russell said. 鈥淢embers are to put in four hours of work in exchange for gardening there.鈥�
Outside of the six 鈥渨ork bee鈥� evenings, members are free to work their garden beds however they like.
In addition to the volunteer hours, members pay a $20 insurance fee to participate in the program.
鈥淲e also learn about different kinds of gardening and share gardening tips,鈥� Russell said.
At the beginning of the season, Russell said people work the soil and prepare the greenhouses and outside beds, but this year people are putting in potatoes and garlic because of the early spring.
There are 16 greenhouse beds, eight in-ground beds, and more than 20 raised beds in the 亚洲天堂 Lake Community Garden. Returning members are given the same garden plots they had in previous years. New members can fill out an application on the community garden website and pay the insurance fee.
鈥淲e still have a couple of beds left so people can still join,鈥� Russell said.
Members are asked to adhere to community garden guidelines and participate in six work days during the first six weeks of the season, in addition to one work day in the fall.
鈥淲e normally have a potluck to enjoy some harvest, as well,鈥� Russell said.
Russell said there鈥檚 been increased interest in the community garden with the high cost of groceries.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of local information about when it鈥檚 best to plant,鈥� Russell said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e not sure how to garden you can learn at the work bees and get some tips from some of the master gardeners.鈥�
