Community gardening is a nationwide trend that is definitely catching on here in Irving. Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) began its adventure in gardening in 2012 by attending the groundbreaking of the Gerald Taylor Memorial Garden, and then planting in the spring using newly learned techniques like “square foot” gardening and planting seeds using wooden templates to properly space them depending on the amount of room each plant needs. KIB has been very successful in growing tomatoes, radishes, peppers and a variety of herbs. Other attempts, like strawberries and carrots, fell a little short of expectations, but gardening is nothing if not a learning experience. This spring KIB is focusing on herbs by planting basil, chives, oregano and thyme in their raised bed to join two rosemary bushes that not only survived the winter, but are thriving. The other beds, which have been adopted by community members, are a vibrant, colorful mix of many different vegetables, flowers and herbs, while the common areas have fruit trees like lemon and peach.
“One of the things I really like about the garden is how willing everyone is to share,” said KIB staff member Julie Schmitt. “One Saturday when I was here, I experienced fellow gardeners loaning their tools, giving me cuttings to transplant into our bed, and sharing their extra vegetables and herbs. One gentleman just pitched in and started pulling weeds next to me without my having to ask, and shared his knowledge of gardening during the process. Gardeners bring varying levels of experience and expertise with them, and we all seem to learn from each other. The garden also has benefitted from the generosity of companies like Lowe’s, who donated and built the shed, and Bonnie Plants, who supplied many, many plants and seeds, especially during the first year, to get gardeners excited about growing.”
Irving North Christian Church has also started a community garden on the church grounds which they call “Sacred Ground.” There are currently nine beds built, with more to come, that are open to anyone to lease for a small yearly fee. Like the Gerald Taylor Memorial Garden, they ask that gardeners donate a portion of what they grow to a local food pantry.
Keep Irving Beautiful is a non-profit, grassroots, leadership organization dedicated to educating our community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification in order to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of our city. To find out how you can volunteer, go to www.keepirvingbeautiful.org or call the KIB office at 972-721-2175.