The community garden concept was initiated in Blue Ash in 2009 with a pilot program, providing the opportunity for seven gardeners to have garden plots within the field area of the City’s Historical Hunt House property. Given the success of that pilot year, the program was expanded in 2010 to allow the opportunity for 25 gardeners to work 20 (8’x10’) plots, with some plots being shared. The City provides the land, soil preparation (including additional compost), and water (via rain barrels collecting run-off from the Hunt House parlor roof) – the gardeners do all the planting, provide all the seeds and materials, and are required to provide continual maintenance of their plot throughout the growing season.

The official opening planting event was held on a beautiful Saturday in mid May. The gardeners planted a variety of vegetables, with just a few examples including corn, squash, tomatoes, peppers, beans, and cucumbers.

Blue Ash resident and volunteer Ann Scranton of the Kenridge Lake neighborhood has been the main coordinator for this project. Ann arranged for a home vegetable gardening educational seminar held in April in Blue Ash (with over 50 participants), held a pre-planting orientation for the participating gardeners, and coordinates other social interaction opportunities for group members. Ann has informed the City that she is very pleased with the project and is impressed with the participants. She noted that “on planting day, everyone was positive, helpful, and very interested in making the garden the best it can be.”

Community gardens have been utilized successfully in other communities both locally and nationwide. Just some examples of the benefits of a community garden include that it can give people from different cultures and socio-economic groups the opportunity to interact, it can improve social networks between neighbors and can foster networking between geographically separate neighborhoods, and it can teach leadership skills and a sense of community responsibility. “I am grateful that the City has allowed this community garden project to continue into 2010,“ noted Ann. “I am certain that the garden project has the potential to produce much more than just vegetables,” she added.

While the City is not currently accepting participants for this program, interested Blue Ash residents should look for information posted at the garden site this fall, beginning with the Heritage Day event. Questions regarding the community garden project may be directed to Kelly Osler at 745-8503 or via E-mail to kosler@blueash.com.