Everybody can dig right in

POTTSTOWN PA – Information sessions are scheduled twice next week for Pottstown borough residents to learn about how they might take advantage of the first community garden being established at 423 Chestnut St. by the MOSAIC Community Land Trust.

Meetings on the garden and the availability of its 40 raised-bed plots for the 2012 growing season will be held

• next Tuesday (Feb. 21) from 7-8 p.m. at MOSAIC’s office, 10 S. Hanover St., Pottstown; and
• next Saturday (Feb. 25) from 2-3 p.m. at Victory Christian Life Center, 28-30 N. Washington St., Pottstown.

If you ever wanted to have your own garden but lacked enough room in your yard, or hoped your children could learn to grow their own fresh vegetables but don’t know where to begin … well, here’s your chance.

The MOSAIC garden is being built with a $30,000 grant from the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation. The Chestnut Street property was donated by the Pottstown School District last spring, and other major donors and volunteers include Genesis Housing and Susquehanna Bank, Lowes, Davey Tree Experts, attorney Andrew Monastra, the Borough of Pottstown, Montgomery County Workforce Development, and many other individuals and volunteers.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

In addition to the garden plots, which should be ready this spring, there will be compost bins, rain barrels, pavers, fencing, trellis, perennial gardens, a storage shed, and water service for irrigation.

Residents will be asked to pay a small annual fee to lease their plot and actively cultivate it throughout the entire growing season. MOSAIC plans to provide educational workshops for new and experienced gardeners. Individuals, families, community organizations, youth groups, and local restaurants are all welcome to apply for a plot.

Applications will be available at the meetings, and can be dropped off at or mailed to MOSAIC Community Land Trust by March 1. In the event that there are more applications than garden plots, a public lottery will be held March 11 (Sunday) at 2 p.m. in MOSAIC’s offices. For more information, call MOSAIC Executive Director Sue Repko at 609-658-9043.

The American Community Gardening Association claims that a community garden is “any piece of land gardened by a group of people.” Typically, community gardens transform vacant lots into beautiful and positive community gathering places.

Photo from Google Images