Up the road from the Estes Valley Dog Park and down the hill from the Estes Valley Community Center is an oasis of greenery. This is the Estes Valley Community Garden.
The EVCG began in 2014 as an idea among friends interested in the health of the environment. Someone suggested a community garden, and the idea took root.
There are 91 garden plots, each 10 feet by 4 feet, edged with lumber and filled with rich gardening soil. For a modest fee, residents of the Estes Valley can sign up for a plot as spring approaches each year. Returning gardeners receive priority, and there is usually a waiting list.
The Public Works Department of the Town of Estes Park helped with the construction. The Estes Valley Recreation and Parks District provided the land. Local businesses contributed building materials. The garden opened in 2015 and has expanded and improved several times since then.
Tom Carosello, Executive Director of the Estes Valley Recreation and Park District, is an enthusiastic supporter. “Our mission is to enrich lives through quality recreation,” he said, emphasizing that recreation is not limited to sports and exercise. “It’s one of my favorite projects,” he added. “We’re happy to have it down there.”
He had high compliments for the dedication, organization and work ethic of the people who took the garden from idea to reality. “They have been a pleasure to work with,” he said. “It truly was a community effort.”
A board of directors manages the garden with the help of volunteers. They organize the assignment of plots, maintain the property, pay the bills and watch out for the integrity of the garden. “The gardeners sign a contract,” said Leslie Alexander, Board Secretary. “Everything they put on the plots has to be organic.”
Besides the contract, the garden runs on an honor system. Gardeners tend and harvest from their own plots, put away the hoses and tools, and carry off the weeds. As a result, the garden always looks neat and organized.
Gardening can be a lot of back-breaking work, but the garden has made some accommodations for gardeners with “mobility issues,” as Leslie Alexander put it. Some of the beds are raised up a few feet to make it easier for gardeners who are not as flexible as they once were. Water hoses are nearby. And knowledgeable veteran gardeners are available for advice on selecting varieties and managing a plot.
“For me, it’s a miracle,” one gardener said. “You plant a seed, and up comes a plant.”
Popular vegetables include tomatoes, turnips, beets, zucchini, yellow squash, daikon, string beans and lettuce. Gardeners are always searching for the right vegetable and the right variety. Some varieties cannot tolerate our chilly nights or windy days, or the abbreviated growing season.
Flowers are also popular. Marigolds, sunflowers and other flowers add dashes of color. “Sunflowers to the best,” said Alexander, watching the bright yellow blossoms wave in the breeze.
Holly Rogers and her children, first-time gardeners, tend their plot every day. “Slowly but surely things started sprouting,” she recalled. “The kids were so excited every time we went. It was the highlight of their summer.” The whole family pitched in to water, weed and harvest.
The community continues to support the mission of the EVCG. At a recent board meeting, Ren Gobris, who serves as the president, announced grants from the Village Thrift Store, Estes Valley Sunrise Rotary, and Estes Park Lumber.
The garden gives back as well. Several gardeners grow and harvest vegetables and flowers for Crossroads. The board has also reached out to the Housing Authority to encourage their residents to sign up for a plot at a reduced rate.
As winter approaches, the the community gardeners are harvesting their crops and hoping their squash, pumpkins and tomatoes will have a few more weeks to ripen.
The benefit of gardening, however, are much greater than the harvest of tasty vegetables and colorful flowers.
As in the lyrics in “The Garden Song” go: “Mother Earth will make you strong, if you give her loving care.”