A little known, but great benefit of Bluffton is the community garden. The Icon talked with Victoria Zeits of the Gardeners of the Bluffton/Pandora Area about the garden, just in time for viewers to consider renting a plot or two.

Icon: Where is the garden?
Zeits: 9900 block of South Main Street. A new sign has just been installed under the "Welcome to Bluffton" sign.

Icon: What rental options are available?
Zeits:  The traditional size plots are 25'x50', or 20'x60' depending on the location in the garden. The soil is prepped and stakes are set to define each plot location. 

This size plot is great for folks that like to grow large quantities of vegetables, flowers, or drying items in a full sun location. 

All new this spring, we are offering the option to rent a "Discovery Plot."  The new discovery plots will be 4'x8' semi-raised beds. They come with seeds, plants, tools and access to experienced gardeners once a week to teach folks how to grow their own veggies and flowers. 

It’s a great way to dip your toe into gardening if you've never gardened before, or to grow a variety a plants in a smaller more controlled setting that has full sun.

Icon: Is there a water supply at the garden?
Zeits: There is no connection to the village water supply (drinkable). There is a tank of water that is filled by pumping water out of the creek that is available for use. Last summer, after initially watering in the small starter plants, the Scouts did not water anything in their garden.

Icon: How many plots are available?
Zeits: There are 18 traditional sized plots, and 12 learning plots.

Icon: What has typically been grown there?
Zeits: There is a vast array of vegetables and flowers that are grown in the traditional-sized plots. Popular items are green beans, tomatoes, pepper, onions, sweet corn, summer and winter squash, cabbage, kale, cucumbers, basil, parsley, celery, pumpkins and gourds. 

Flowers that are grown are sometimes meant to stay in the garden, while others are planted as cutting flowers for fresh or dried bouquets – zinnia, marigolds, Lithonia, dahlia, cosmos, gladiolus, nasturtiums. 

There are also gardeners who like to experiment with growing unusual items for our climate, like cotton and broom corn – used for dried arrangements.

Icon: What group oversees the garden?
Zeits: The local garden club, The Gardener’s of the Bluffton/Pandora Area, has managed the community garden for over 40 years, and there are several members who have been personally gardening in the community garden for over 30 years.

Icon: Who owns the property?
Zeits: the Village of Bluffton owns the land.

Icon: Who do I contact to rent a plot and what is the cost per plot?
Zeits: To rent either a traditional plot (ground only), or a discovery plot (4'x8' and includes seeds, plants, tools, and instruction), the cost is $10 per season, or $5 per season for garden club members. 

Please note that a large variety of seeds and plants will be made available to folks using a learning plot, but no cost decrease will be made if gardeners decide to grow their own specialty items. To rent a plot contact Patrick Flynn at 419-358-6766.

Icon: When does it officially open for the season?
Zeits: The garden is open for use starting mid- to late-May.  It is heavily dependent upon the weather. May 15 is considered the first "frost free" date, and over the last couple years we have had some hard frosts on or very near that date. 

All those using the community garden are required to clean up their sites and remove all stakes, fencing, twine or heavy mulching by Oct. 15. This allows time between the late fall rains, to get the entire garden plowed to reduce insects and plant diseases, the following year.

Icon: Should someone hurry to rent a spot? Is space limited?
Zeits: Spaces are still available in both size ranges.

About the photographs
With this story are two photographs of the garden from last year. In the photos are six Bluffton Boy Scouts from Troop 256.

The scouts used one of the traditional-sized plots. Each scout had his own discovery plot. The difference between the two photographs is just six weeks.

In the individual discovery plots the scouts grew tomatoes, basil, green beans, peppers and lots of radishes.  They also grew sweet potatoes and different types of pole beans up and over their trellises.  

In a large sharing area, which this year’s discovery plots will also have, the scouts grew like zucchini, pumpkin and large sunflowers.  

The third week of each month the scouts donated their harvest to the Bluffton Food Pantry.