Photos and story by Lisa Carolin
A quintessential example of the spirit of Chelsea is the Community Garden, which is now in its tenth year.
It’s Chelsea resident Yvonne DeParis’ first year as a member of the Community Garden. She has a flourishing garden at her home, but like many Community Garden members, takes great pride and joy in her “other” garden.
“I love the camaraderie between people who care about the earth, about eating healthy foods, about creativity and beauty,” said DeParis. “People actually want to see the garden early in the morning before work or in the evening after a long day, and it’s a joy to explore what the other gardeners are growing in their plots.”
She says the benefits of full sun and the deer fence are also good reasons to belong to the Chelsea Community Garden as well as the opportunity to participate in its composting program.
Located between Timbertown, Veterans Park, and Letts Creek. it costs $20 per year per plot and a one-time deposit of $20 when you join the Community Garden and a commitment of at least eight hours of work per season.
The Community Garden is organic, which means no chemical fertilizers or pesticides can be used. Each plot measures 20’X20’ and plots are separated by 2’ wide grass paths. There are two tool sheds with hand and power tools.
The Community Garden was the idea of Lucy Silverio and Karen Chalmer. Silverio and husband Gonzalo have continued to maintain plots at the Community Garden for the last ten years.
“Our garden at home is too shady,” said Gonzalo Silverio. “We’ve grown many things over the years but I’m proudest of the artichokes.”
One of the major accomplishments in the early years of the Community Garden was the construction of a water tower designed by member Steven Wright, who has a background in agricultural engineering. Water is pumped via solar power from Letts Creek into the garden’s water tower and gravity-fed through pipes and hoses to use for watering crops. The Wrights’ garden plot is one of the many beneficiaries of the water tower.
“We have built a really good plot here with good soil and find the sunlight here great for growing,” said Wright.
Mully Todd and Deb Harrington have been members of the Community Garden since its inception.
“We just harvested 366 bulbs of garlic,” said Harrington.
“We know what happens with our food when we’re growing it,” said Todd. “We’re still finishing up last year’s harvest, which we have in our freezer.”
Deparis, who spends about four hours a week at the Community Garden, divides her 20 foot square with four crossing paths.
“I have eight sections with a central water feature,” she said. “I grow strawberries, kale, purple kohlrabi, French bush beans, fava beans, leeks, Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, purple basil, zinnias, marigolds, Cardinal flower vines, Burgundy sunflowers, nasturtiums, dill, and several types of lettuces.”
Like a number of Community Garden members, DeParis, Harrington, and Todd donate bags of produce to Faith in Action.
Harrington speaks for many of the Garden’s members when she says, ““It’s the community part that keeps us coming back.”
For more information on the Chelsea Community Garden, go to https://sites.google.com/site/chelseacommunitygardens/.
