Are you stunned when you see lettuce at $2.50 a head in the supermarket? Do you pass up bell peppers because the ‘sale price’ is $1.25 each? Is growing fresh vegetables for your family something you would like to do? Have you tried to grow them in your back yard, but found you had too much shade? Do you live in a condo or apartment that has no space for gardens? If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, and if you live in Medfield, there’s a great solution for you: the Medfield Community Garden.
Registration for spaces at the garden – located on Plain Street off Route 27 – is now open, and ends when the last remaining spaces are filled. At least fifteen 300 or 600 square-foot plots are available for the 2023 season. These plots are available on a first-request basis and usually go quickly. A 300-square-foot plot provides ample room for a wide variety of vegetables.
Both novice or experienced gardeners will find the Community Garden offers a great opportunity to learn and grow. The Garden is located on Conservation Commission land at the former Holmquist Farm on the south side of town. The site, which formally opens on April 1, provides all-day sun, a scarce commodity for many Medfield residents.
Never had a vegetable garden, or feel you’d like a refresher course, or more information on growing in this area? Lifetime Master Gardener and lecturer Betty Sanders will offer a freshly updated program on planning, planting and growing a garden in New England. The presentation will be held on Saturday, March 18, at 10:30 a.m. in the Medfield Library.
The town provides a ready-to-plant site, wood chips for paths, and on-site-water. Gardeners provide their own seeds or seedlings and agree to abide by the gardening guidelines; which includes fencing your plot and keeping it weed-free throughout the season. Because the Community Garden is on town-owned conservation land, gardeners are not allowed to use any herbicides, inorganic insecticides, or plastic mulches.
The Community Garden has been on Plain Street for more than twenty years and now has 75 full and half plots. As a result of good gardening practices, the site is rich in organic nutrients, eliminating the need for almost all fertilizers and additives.
Residents can apply for a plot by contacting garden co-manager Neal Sanders at 508-359-9453 or n_h_sanders@yahoo.com. Plots measuring 15 feet by 20 feet are $18, plus a one-time fee for joining the garden of $20. A few larger plots are available for gardeners with considerable experience.
