Photo by Amanda DePerro
Photo by Amanda DePerro
Since 1945, Grandview Heights’ Wallace Gardens has given the community a place to gather, enjoy nature and reconnect with its roots – no pun intended.
The sprawling community garden is home to 99 plots of various sizes, host to crops both common and unusual. Though the gardens will always exist as a way to rejoin with the earth, longtime Wallace Gardens residents might notice some changes in the near future.
“We put out a survey this spring to our returning gardeners and asked 10 questions related to practices, desires and what they wanted to see out of the gardens,” says Mike Patterson, director of Grandview Heights Parks and Recreation. “We’ve taken that and adjusted our practices, inspections and weed management practices.”
Parks and Recreation is working with one of the Wallace Gardens gardeners, a professor with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, to make some of these changes.
“Pesticide application is definitely a hot topic; we got feedback on both sides of that argument,” says Patterson. “The practices we’re looking at are a lot of mowing and maintaining plots, prevention before seed growth occurs and seed transfer.”
Photo by Amanda DePerro
Plots come in three sizes; 40-by-30 at $80, 20-by-30 at $50 and 15-by-20 at $35. With the popularity and long-standing history of Wallace Gardens, it should come as no surprise that interested future gardeners might have to wait before they can take on a plot.
“We always have a running waiting list,” says Patterson. “We have people call throughout the year to our office.”
Plots are only open to residents of Grandview Heights, but the garden area is a place all can enjoy, as the surrounding green space is perfect for getting some fresh air or having a picnic. It’s a great way to get to know your neighbors better and grow your relationship with the community.
“People definitely take pride in their individual plots,” says Patterson. “Getting to know your community neighbor down there; there’s a lot of communication between neighboring plots.”
The city typically tries to open the garden on April 1 and, weather permitting, closes mid-November. However, if the weather is good during a particular year, the garden might open earlier and close later. In addition to being a place for the community to enjoy the outdoors and to get to know neighbors better, the garden also serves as an outlet for those interested in the environment and the growing trend in self-sufficiency.
“There’s definitely an interest in gardening and sustainability within the community,” says Patterson. “A lot of folks simply don’t have the yard space, so that offers them that ability.”
Amanda DePerro is an editor. Feedback welcome at adeperro@cityscenemediagroup.com.
