The garden box at Memorial Nottingham is filled with vegetable plants from Cavotta's Garden Center on East 185th Street in Collinwood. A growing number of community gardens fill Cleveland's urban brown fields, and demolished lots, but not everyone has access to fresh produce or gardens. 

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The land surrounding Memorial Nottingham Library is an expanse of woods and vast rolling lawn, perfect for introduction to local families into community gardening. 

Peter Quinn was hired to build the 4'x8' garden box,

Setser's Yard Supply dumped soil into the box with near

perfect aim, and Melvin Price was hired to help install the rain barrel and prime the boxes' exterior.

 

I built a bamboo fence and hung old CD's to twirl in the wind, acting as shiny scarecrows: this seemed to work for a month, but the wildlife became unimpressed and ate the plants with a renewed vigor.

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I added 4 foot branches and sticks to close the bamboo gaps, and so far, the plants are bouncing back. The only pressing issue now is creating a garlic and dish-soap spray to coat the collard greens which are under insect assault; That, and watering - we always need help watering on hot summer days, with so little rainfall this Summer.

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I created the Collinwood Painted Rain Barrel Project to help city residents have more fun with water conservation: free water along with preventing excess rainwater from sweeping untreated waste into Lake Erie is the purpose; since we're a block away from the beaches. I donated this barrel, painted by local artist, Michael Greenwald, to be installed at the nearest downspout.

 

Branch Manager Kevin Ray and his staff have embraced watering with help from Gloria Flowers and Children's Librarian Libby Hampton, who can be contacted at (216) 623-7038 to learn more about the garden and how to volunteer.

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