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from The Telegraph
March 12, 2007
Tired of winter? Ring in spring:
Community plant-in is March 17 at Hellrung Park
By LINDA N. WELLER
The Telegraph
ALTON - People tired of winter can celebrate spring's arrival soon by coming to Hellrung Park, digging in the dirt, and planting potatoes and peas in a community plant-in on St.: :Patrick's Day.
The 2 p.m. dig on March 17 will kick off the first growing season at the planned Hellrung Park Community Garden. While adults garden, children will be able to paint flowerpots and plant shamrocks to take home in commemoration of the Irish holiday.
Hellrung Park is bounded by Central Avenue and Union, Brown and East Seventh streets.
Organizers say anyone, whether a resident of the midtown area or not, is welcome to help out. Those who work this spring and summer in the 1,024-square-foot area will be able to enjoy some fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers later in the year, they said.
The volunteers also will get a say-so in what is planted, and if they want to, may donate any of the bounty to a church or food pantry.
"It won't allow for a family to garden all their vegetables for the summer," said Christine Favilla of the Piasa Palisades Group of the Sierra Club. "It will allow for them to grab a few tomatoes and herbs after work to make a homemade tomato sauce for their pasta that evening; some zucchinis or carrots to make delicious, healthy bread with their grandchildren; and some peas or beans to go along with their lunch that next day."
The garden is not a project of the Sierra Club or Community Cultivators garden in Godfrey, with which Favilla also is involved.
She said there are no rules so far, other than doing work in the communal garden, which will not be split into individuals' "own" plots. The four raised planting beds are 3 feet high and measure 16feet-by-16-feet each. The area meets accessibility standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Other participants in the garden project are the. Alton Park and Recreation Department, Alton Weed and Seed Strategy, and citizens Vera Bojic and Richard Holman, among others.
Favilla said while it is time to plant cool-weather crops, people are needed now to start herb seedlings indoors that will be transplanted later into the garden.
She said some of the Community Garden goals are to include providing educational opportunities for the neighborhood, such as learning about the community, while gaining information about gardening, stewardship and where food comes from; for the neighbors to feel ownership of the park and encourage involvement of citizens; and to encourage respect of the environment through respect of their park.
For more information or to volunteer, contact Favilla at (618) 465-1725 or (618) 4626802, or e-mail at: cfavilla10@sbcglobal.net.
linda_weller@thetelegraph.com
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