The People’s Garden also provides tips for home gardens

After 12 years of growing produce at The People’s Garden, we are still here and anxious to start another season.

In the past two years, we have donated over 900 pounds of good fresh vegetables to the food pantry at Agape. Shoppers are grateful and happy to see us come in and hand them food that is organic and fresh from the garden. They are even willing to try things new to their taste buds, like arugula, or lemon basil.

One of our goals is to encourage all people to learn how to grow some of their own food. (You know that groceries are getting more and more expensive.) Getting a taste of fresh herbs and vegetables often gets people started to want to do that. We offer our extra seed packets that we have from planting to the shoppers too, in a rack in the food pantry. We notice that people take them so we try to keep replacing them. Last season we even had some donated pots to offer and a few “grow bags” that can be filled with soil and used to grow food on a patio or other small space.

This season we will find a way to offer recipes and information about the herbs and vegetables too.

Anyone who has gardened knows about the work needed just to get ready for a new season. That will be a whole other subject in the next month or two. After beginning to get crops started growing, attention is needed to monitor the plants for disease and insect damage. Relying on natural methods to control those things takes a lot of research, planning and timing.

The People’s Garden volunteers are determined to raise healthy crops for the Agape pantry in an organic manner. We lean toward permaculture, striving for a closed-loop system where composted material is put back into the soil. An example of this is that we weed the crops, then the weeds are put into the compost pile. They get “cooked” and turn into soil.

Another example is that when you plant an apple seed, it grows into an apple tree. We pick the apples, prepare them, eat them, and put the peelings into the compost pile, the pile turns into soil that we use to grow more apples. The branches that are trimmed off the tree can also be used to add to the compost. Organic material like wood and plant trimmings turns into soil.

We rely on rainwater at The People’s Garden, not city water. Watering in dry weather is done by using harvested rainwater pumped from our 1500-gallon tank. You can get a rain barrel and have fresh water for your garden too. The water we put around the crops via a hose, nourishes the crops and then runs directly through the ground to the Great Miami River that is located right beside the garden. If you can, use a hose, watering can, or low-lying water system. Sprinklers cause a lot of lost water that evaporates. If nothing is wasted and resources are used wisely, then we have a closed-loop system. Sustainability is a goal.

Something that we encourage everyone to do is to refrain from using poisonous chemicals in the garden and yard. We rely on non-poisonous methods. Birdhouses placed just outside your garden are a way to attract birds that eat insects and larvae, not bird feeders, but houses. The birds need larvae to feed their young and they do a wonderful job of keeping tomato, and other plants from being devoured by the tomato worm and other larvae like cabbage worms.

At the garden, we have seen no tomato worms for at least three years and no Japanese beetles either. There are bad bugs and good bugs. It is a great study if you want to research insects and also pollinators. There is a good movement going on now to plant native plants to attract pollinators. If we have no pollinators like bees and ants, we have no food.

Before you plant your garden, put up your fencing system with wire, wood, or other means of keeping the varmints out. Your garden is a big salad bar for deer, rabbits, whistle pigs and chipmunks. They say about ten percent of our garden is for the animals, but protect what you can and you will sleep better, from one who has experience. We have tried many ways and now have a good way of protecting the crops without harming the animals. Come and see how we do it and learn about our trials.

We encourage everyone to come and take a tour of The People’s Garden and learn how you can grow some of your own food in soil, pots, grow bags, or even in water -hydroponics or aquaponics. We can help get you started with information and sometimes with items you need to get your food garden going. Some things to learn about are permaculture, organic gardening, composting, soil testing, closed-loop systems, hugelkultur, and gardening without chemicals.

Look things up in books, on the internet, and go to the informational talks at the Amos Library. Watch for news of the talks and come and learn from Master Gardeners and other gifted gardeners.

We, at The People’s Garden are eager to give talks to any groups in the area about gardening, so if you are in an organization or group that needs a speaker, call this number to set that up. (937 726 9525)

Looking on the internet for information works best if you type in your subject, like “how to grow lettuce” and type OSU.edu after it. That way you get correct Master Gardener information from OSU.

The writer is a Master Gardener and a coordinator of the People’s Garden. Reach her at 937-726-9525.