Ferndale church starting community garden

It may not seem like a square foot of soil is enough space to grow anything, but by next spring, area residents will be able to get the most out of a tiny bit of dirt by subscribing to "Square Foot Gardening" behind St. Patrick's Episcopal Church in Ferndale.

The church, along with a group of community volunteers and the Essential Stuff Project, is planning to start a community garden on a plot of land to the east of the sanctuary, but since they got a late start this year, use will be limited to church members for a sort of trial run.

"For now it's only 100 square feet," said parish member Michelle Patterson. "We'll start earlier next year and have a community get together."

Not only would such an event help create interest in the garden, but Patterson said it would be a chance to espouse the specifics of the "Square Foot Gardening" technique.

Created by author Mel Bartholomew in the 1980s, the technique requires a 4'x4' box that is filled with carefully pH balanced soil. It is divided into single square foot parcels that can handle more than one might think.

Lee Murphy, another parish member helping with the garden and an avid gardener himself, said one square foot is enough for a tomato plant, six to eight spinach plants, or quite a few beets, onions, chives or a head of lettuce or two.

"In this economy, we look at it as an opportunity to save money and make friends," Murphy said. "We don't expect to implement all our ideas this year."

For this year, though, the church is planning to plant most of the 100 square feet with potatoes, with just a few of the square foot gardens for Sunday school children to tend to.

Tentatively, Patterson said, there could be some sort of potato festival at the end of the summer to get the community together and get excited about the following spring.

Sometime down the road, Patterson said they would like to integrate a bee and butterfly garden on a portion of the property as well as some sort of elevated gardening area, where seniors or other people unable to bend down could tend to a plot at a higher level.

"Our community garden can be a place…for gardeners who still want to raise crops but find it difficult to do so from a kneeling position," Patterson said.

For more information or to participate in the garden, contact Michelle Patterson at 837-0982, Catherine Haug at cat@essentialstuff.org or Lee Murphy at 837-6893.