Green thumbs: Community garden grows
<p>Linda Alkire, Kari Martell and Tom Vanderwell work the earth at Libby Area Community Garden on Sunday. There are multiple 4-by-8 foot beds for flowers and vegetables. Behind them are the elevated planters and behind that is the children’s Conestoga-style wagon area.</p> <p> </p>
An idea presented during the dead of winter in January has grown like the vegetables residents seek to grow.
On Sunday, founders of the Community Garden formally kicked off the idea on plots behind the former Asa Wood Elementary School.
“The response to this has just been unbelievable,” said Linda Alkire, whose midwinter Facebook posting attracted 37 likes in the first night. “I can’t believe we had that many hits in the first night.”
The idea is simple, Alkire said Sunday as she and others worked the rich, black earth in both elevated and ground-level 4-by-foot plant boxes.
“The elevated boxes (ideally) are for seniors or for those who can’t bend, and the lower ones are for others,” Alkire said.
On Sunday, there were 11 boxes total, and there are plans for others.
“We have room for 70 beds,” Alkire said. “In Phase 1, we’re looking to establish 20 beds. Phase 2, we want a total of 40 and by Phase 3 to reach our total.”
The idea is simple, Alkire said.
“For $25 they can rent a box and grow whatever they want. Most are growing lettuce, peas or other things. The interest in this has been growing as fast as the Internet.”
On Sunday, Alkire was getting assistance from volunteers Kari Martell and Tom Vanderwell.
“I just love gardening,” Martell said. “This is a great idea.”
Located in the open space behind the school, the boxes appear to be an easy target for deer, but Alkire has a plan for that, too.
“We got 50 fence posts donated by Paul Rumelhart and Ace (Hardware) and others have been great contributors to this,” Alkire said. “We have a plan to keep the deer out.”
Also, there is a plan to get children involved. One four-foot by eight-foot planting box resembles a covered wagon, complete with a Conestoga-style wagon.
“We’ve received a lot of interest from children, and we’re getting involved with the juvenile (detention) services. They have service to perform, and it seems they’d rather work with us than other groups. We’re just getting so much support for this,” Alkire said.
For more information, go to libbyareacommunitygarden on Facebook.
“I’m there every day, or they can just come (to Asa Wood). I’m here just about every day,” Alkire said.