Avon Lake Community Garden's Season Canceled

The rain has wreaked plenty of havoc this year. Basements have flooded. Spring sports games have been canceled. Lawns have become overgrown while homeowners wait for a break in the relentless rain. 

And now, the , in its inaugural year, has had its first growing season canceled.

“Nobody is as disappointed as the committee is,” Dale Cracas, one of the project’s founders, said. “About five of us have been working since November on this.”

The concept is a success. The approximately 100 garden plots were quickly rented  out at $25 each. Plans to erect fencing and construct the beds were moved from mid May to June 1. When it became evident the ground at , where the garden will be built is totally flooded out and won’t be ready for another month, the decision was made to cancel the 2011 summer growing season.

As rain continued to pour down May 26, project leaders began making phone calls to those who rented spaces.

“The committee had a construction engineer inspect the site,” Laurie Heinrichsen, who is handling communications for the garden group, wrote in an email. “He estimates it will take a minimum of four solid weeks of dry weather to be able to plow the site without irreparably damaging and compacting the soil.”

And while the growing season has been canceled, the project will move forward.

Work on the garden will proceed as soon as the soil is workable. The garden installation will be completed this year, so the garden will be ready to go for the 2012 growing season. 

Audrey Roberts, the go between for the Avon-on-the-Lake Garden Club with the Avon Lake Community Gardens, said she was disappointed but understood the decision was unavoidable.

“I was excited  for the Community Gardens to begin,” Roberts said. “When I got the call saying the gardens would not happen this year, I was truly disappointed. But it was a situation no one had control over.   

For gardeners like Roberts, there is “always next year.”

“I will make new plans for a dryer plot next spring,” she said. “I will take out my vegetable books again and plan a wonderful layout for my new plot and I will pray for a perfect beginning for a new planting season in 2012.”

Community garden organizers will refund the $25, but are hoping renters will opt instead to let the money roll over to next season, which will guarantee their spot.

Cracas said he expects the fencing and beds to be completed this year and volunteers will eventually be need to rototill and then rake plots. He also said there is a slight possibility the garden would be ready this year to plant fall vegetables.

“Those include cauliflower, broccoli, radishes, lettuce, turnips, onions, kohlrabi, carrots cabbage, bush beans,” Cracas said. “It depends on whether the weather cooperates.”

A brief informational meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 2 at 7 p.m.  at the Avon Lake United Church of Christ on Electric Boulevard to gain input from our gardeners and answer their questions. Albert Hobar, a local organic farmer on the committee, will provide a brief overview of the site conditions and the next steps to be taken once the site has drained sufficiently. 

Scheduled gardening educational workshops at the Avon Lake Public Library will continue as planned including rain barrels on June 15, Good Bugs (kids’ program) on July 23 and freezing and canning on Aug. 17. Additional sessions are being planned.

Information will also be posted on the community garden’s website: www.avonlakecommunitygarden.org.