The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

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  • Kimberly Bellamy

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July 9, 2008

COMMUNITY GARDEN

Community garden links Tarboro residents together

KIMBERLY BELLAMY

In a little over a month, Tarboro residents have watched their grass and seeds develop into big healthy leaves and vegetables at the Community Garden located on St. David Street.

The Community Garden was just started in May and since then multiple vegetables have grown and many people have bonded.

The garden gives residents a chance to individually take control of their portion of the garden and meet and reconnect with other residents who participate in the community garden.

Carol Quigless, creator of the Community Garden, said that everyone has the freedom to work on their own plants.

Quigless said that the garden is an organic garden that allows the community to learn how to plant and gives children knowledge about where foods come from.

The garden also encourages people to not depend on buying vegetables from the grocery store.

"It is important to be self sufficient," Quigless said.

Garden participant Anita Barnes has utilized both of the concepts that Quigless wanted to evoke.

Barnes not only is learning how to plant over time, but is also getting the children involved that she watches during the day.

Every morning, Barnes brings Donavan Glass and Trinity Rich, both one, out to the garden with her to let them explore and learn.

Barnes said that she started planting in the garden on May 25 and has zucchini, squash, cucumbers, hot peppers, onions, collard greens, watermelon, beets and carrots in the garden now.

On top of those foods, Barnes said that she is "learning as I go along" how to plant other things.

Since May, Barnes said that she has learned from other gardeners that putting down mulch and paper can prevent the growth of weeds.

The community garden has promoted so much unity that resident Torrie Bellamy agreed that a gutter be put on the side of her barn so rain water can fall in the two barrels that sit parallel under the gutter. Bellamy lives directly beside the garden.

The rain water in the barrels give the gardeners a sufficient amount of water to bring their plants to life.

Quigless has supporters that has carried on from other projects to this one such as Danielle Armstrong who comes to work in the Community Garden when she gets a chance.

Armstrong said that she originally began helping Quigless out at the Quigless Clinic and her garden at home.

The Community Garden has about four or five participants but anyone who is interested in joining should contact Quigless.

The Boy and Girls Club signed up for the Community Garden but their bus broke down before the children were able to make a trip over.

Quigless has entertained that idea of having a winter garden as well.

The effort to teach the residents how to garden didn't stop with those who are just planting at the Community Garden.

An innovative alternative to working in the garden was recommended to neighbor Virginia Jones.

Jones was given a barrel of hay by Quigless to take her interest in gardening a step further.

Jones said that she already had experience with planting flowers but the concept of planting with a barrel of hay was new to her despite her farm background.

"I grew up on a farm and I knew about things like hay ... " Jones said.

What she didn't realize was that you can plant vegetables in hay just as you plant them in the ground.

Jones started growing tomatoes and squash in her hay about a month ago and has been making sure that they grow by watering them as needed.

"Because of the barrel of hay, I know the moisture is inside," Jones said.

This is another way that Quigless is striving to give the community knowledge about gardening.

"I am learning, definitely," Jones said.

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