This garden is about community

Ostensibly, this is a gardening blog. I am a co-founder of a community garden and Riverhead Local asked me to contribute my musings on gardening. But I’ve been pretty upfront about my back-door approach to gardening. It’s not my passion. I’ve struggled a bit with trying to put together pieces that pertain to the green earth around us and how one should cultivate said earth.

Usually, (and you know this well if you read my columns) I fail.

I write instead on the other aspect of this adventure we have embarked upon: community. After some time feeling inadequate in my ability to write about what this blog is intended to be, I’ve accepted my shortcomings in the area of growing plants and happily hand that over to Amy. If it’s alright with you, I think I’ll continue to focus on the “C” part of community gardening.

When we started this project, there was some concern that the regulars who spent time in the lot that became the community garden would feel displeased with us for taking away their spot. Some felt the fence would be an insult and that it may meet an untimely demise. Amy and I were unconvinced, but had already planned to include these residents, while simultaneously discouraging theft from individual garden plots. Our idea was to plant the perimeter of the fence with edibles for those who were not keyholders of River and Roots. And we did. Last year we planted raspberries, both red and golden, along the north and west sides of the fence. We also planted blackberries, a beach plum, a fig tree, blueberries, strawberries, sorrel and purple beans.

Whenever I was at the garden, I made sure to speak to the people outside the fence, often in a terrible imitation of Spanish, and encourage them to pick the fruits and veggies, and tell their friends, too.

We were warned that once people found out we were growing food, the lot would be ravaged. What happened next was indeed terrible, and sad. The fruits and vegetables began to…fall of the plants and rot on the ground. No one was picking. Unless I picked the produce myself and handed it to people sitting on the benches, the food went untouched. When the purple beans were past their prime and only good as shelling beans, Amy and I were tasked with removing the plants and adding them to the compost tumbler. I was thrilled when a quiet, polite gentleman asked me if instead of getting rid of them, he could have the plants. He then recruited a friend and helped us pull the old plants, which the two of them bagged and carried home.

I vowed that this year would be different. We’ve been around a year and word must have gotten out that the perimeter was planted for all residents and passers by to enjoy. We busily planted sugar snap and snow peas, moved some of the raspberry runners to the south side of the fence, and were happy to see that some edible nasturtium flowers had self-seeded.

The plants grew quickly and soon we had beautiful peas! I went down to the garden, hoping to see people enjoying this early bounty. I was once again, disappointed. So last weekend I spent an hour harvesting peas. About a half hour into it, I noticed the benches beginning to fill and started talking to some of the guys. It turns out some just don’t like peas (who knew?). But the overwhelming response seemed to be, “Really? I can pick these? It’s OK?” For the last half hour I had company and together we picked peas, lettuces and herbs while we chatted and I heard about the father who was waiting at home and would be the recipient of the peas, and the plans another had to make himself a fresh salad, laden with young herbs and sauteed peas.

This is why I go down to main street and weed, though it’s a chore I find abhorrent. This is why I spent countless hours talking, calling, meeting, and planning for a community garden when I have a hard time distinguishing between seedlings and young weeds.

This is why I always believed that River and Roots would be a success, because it’s not just a garden, it’s a community garden. That’s a title we don’t take lightly. We believe in the good people who thank us for being there, who are respectful of the work we’ve done, and who won’t even take a pea after we’ve told them it’s all right, please help yourself.

So if you’re down by the garden, please help yourself. The peas are coming to an end, but the raspberries and blackberries will soon be ready and plentiful, though the birds may take their share. Nothing tastes so amazing as fresh berries, but if you’ve had your fill and there are still a few in your basket, try making this smoothie that my family enjoys immensely.

Berry Smoothie

1 cup plain yogurt
1 banana
1 cup berries (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, any or all)
1 cup ice (optional-omit if using frozen fruit)
½ cup milk
2 tsp honey or maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix in a blender on high until smooth.

Laurie Nigro is a mother of two, wife of a gardener, and co-founder of River and Roots Community Garden. Laurie resides downtown and though she came to gardening by accident, has welcomed it into her life.