Gardeners Ready for More Community Plots

Lemuel Mandell prepared gardeners for growing during the summer heat during a recent Dunedin Community Garden Association meeting.

“We can grow in Florida all year round — just not the same thing all year round,” Mandell of Dunedin said. “We can grow tomatoes in the spring, kale and bok choy in the winter, but must switch to plants that can handle the heat and moisture of the summer.”

The Garden Association is preparing gardeners at for more summer growth. At the meeting, garden manager Jim McGinity announced plans for Phase II of the group's long-awaited build out — eight to 12 more plots slated for August or September.

“We plan to build accessible beds designed for people who cannot bend and move with ease,” McGinity said. “This will be a garden for all stages of life.”

The additional plots are good news for the organization, which began in 2009.

The group — six 4-by-8-foot cedar beds — on Feb. 26, with widespread community support. It has since obtained federal nonprofit status, enabling organizers to apply for additional funding through grants.

McGinity explained plans to install rain barrels at the pavilion shortly after the completion of Phase II construction, but that it needed structural work before it could be done. The Garden Association stated in February that after Phase I, it needed $10,000 to complete an additional 42 plots of varying sizes. The completion of Phase II brings the number down to 30.

In the meantime, tomatoes, herbs and flowers thrive in the initial six plots, which were raffled to members at a one-time $25 membership fee at the time they were constructed. Mandell suggested growing Callaloo for the summer. It can endure the Florida heat, he said. He also taught members about companion planting.

“If you plant things like beans, squash and corn in a small area, they each feed off of each other’s natural growth,” Mandell said.

Want to know more?

Those who purchase a membership can get on the waiting list for an upcoming plot, which will be raffled off after they are built.

The design plan can be seen here, at the City of Dunedin's website.

For more information on how to get involved, visit the Dunedin Community Garden Facebook page.