Seeds of a proposed community garden project in Leetsdale are starting to sprout as a site has been selected and a partnership with a Pittsburgh nonprofit formed.
The borough has teamed up with Grow Pittsburgh to create a garden at Henle Park.
The proposed location is a few dozen feet away from the splash pad and on level soil near the playground.
It was a toss-up between Henle Park and Kohlmeyer Park with the former determined to have better accessibility for residents and easier access to water.
Council president Maria Napolitano recently acquired a grant for materials, labor and mentorship from the food-focused charity, which also assisted with site selection.
“They mentor you for two years, and during the growing season they do weekly site visits,” Napolitano said about Grow Pittsburgh. “That’s the awesome thing about this program. During these two years, they are helping (our) group get started to learn what works and what doesn’t work. Have the support of an experienced gardener so we actually duplicate best practices.
“Hopefully, we’ll end up with a self-supporting garden and we can join a gardening network. It gives us opportunities for continuing education, working with other gardens and things like that.”
Preliminary garden plans include several three-foot-by-12-foot beds with at least one raised bed. Garden planting will take place sometime in the spring.
Resident Kristin Dietrich came up with the community garden idea at least a year ago.
“I grow mostly flowers because I don’t have enough sun in my yard to do vegetables,” Dietrich said. “I have a giant oak tree and most of my yard is actually in shade.”
Dietrich, a lifestyle coach and nutritionist with Adagio Health WIC of Beaver County, wanted to create a space for community engagement and fresh produce for her borough.
She also worked for years as a nutritionist with the Allegheny County Health Department.
“I’ve seen every day for the last 29 years what happens when people don’t have access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables,” Dietrich said. “We can help them with that and give them a space to do it.”
Actual plants for Leetsdale’s garden have yet to be determined.
Napolitano suggested zucchini. Dietrich wants to see a berry patch, a pumpkin patch and some native plants to keep the bugs busy.
“One of the best ways to avoid your vegetables being eaten by insects is to give them something else to eat,” she said.
Other Leetsdale garden volunteers include Wendy Shepard and Quaker Valley Middle School teacher Brian Wolowich.
Dietrich and Shepard recently participated in a Grow Pittsburgh seminar.
“There were participants from different communities all around Allegheny County, and it was a good way to interact and hear about other people’s successes and challenges,” Shepard said of the experience. “The overwhelming thing was everybody had a really positive feeling. There were some bumps in the road, but overall everybody’s excited to finish out this year and get started for next year.”
Dietrich and Shepard are also expected to visit a Grow Pittsburgh garden in Millvale sometime in October.
“I think it’s important for people to get together and maintain traditions and grow your own food and enjoy the variety and the flavor,” Shepard said. “We’re still in the very beginning (stages).”
More volunteers are needed. Those interested in the garden project can contact the borough office at 724-266-4820.
Multiple messages with Grow Pittsburgh were not returned at press time.