The day of the annual Portland Community Gardens Tour was predicted to hit nearly 90 degrees, but as we jumped off the bus at the first stop, it was still a cool and breezy morning. We started the tour at Sewallcrest, a southeast Portland site in the Richmond neighborhood, that is one of the earliest gardens, dating back to the year the program began—1975. It seemed a virtual food forest—every single one of the 50 plots seemed to be bursting with flowers and vegetables. So many plants were represented: corn, tomatoes, poppies and cosmos, grapes and berries. Some grown in terraced raised beds, some on trellises, some with row covers to maintain temperature and sunlight. It was clear that these folks took growing food seriously, though they were not too busy to talk to the inquisitive tour group.
Sewallcrest Community Garden
I met David Hata, who has been gardening here since 1977 (the first two years the plots were sold out, so he took a plot at a community garden a little further away). He said there wasn't enough room on his city lot to grow all he wanted, so this 400 square foot plot just three blocks from his home, filled the void.
A few rows away was Kathleen with her beautifully appointed rectangle of flowers and vegetables. A birdbath sat in the center, and a lilac bush she received for a Mother's day gift 18 years ago, borders one edge.
"It really has no business being here," She said of the lilac bush, but she keeps it trimmed so it doesn't invade her neighbors' space.
She admitted to having lots of plants at home, too, but said that she enjoys coming here, away from the pressures of home, to decompress in a beautiful way.
We pass one bed which we're told, is tended by a woman in Gresham, who comes out to the garden a couple of times a week on the Max train. Leslie Pohl-Kosbau, the Community Gardens Director, told us that 60% of people drive to their garden plots, and that number continues to grow as more and more people are looking for a space in the city to grow food. Virtually all of the gardens have waiting lists; currently 100 people are waiting for plots in Sewallcrest to become available.
Colonel Summers Community Garden
The second garden on our tour, Colonel Summers, also in Southeast in the Buckman neighborhood, recently added new plots to help shorten the waiting list there estimated to be 6 years long. The new sections reflect the change to 200 square foot plots—an effort to keep up with the high demand of Portlanders. Interest in the program is certainly not a problem here; though acquiring land—and having the funds to acquire land—remains a challenge.
Colonel Summers Community Garden
The community gardeners seem to take the "community" part of the garden quite seriously, sharing from their own plots, as well as working in designated plots, with Produce for People, a program that connects community gardens with local emergency food agencies. Since 1995, the program has provided more than 25 tons of food to more than 10 local participating agencies.
Colonel Summers' volunteer garden manager Seth proudly showed me the posted tally that records 336 pounds of produce that have been donated to Produce for People this growing season alone. He also told me that 93 pounds of potatoes were produced and donated last year from one bed alone.
I also spoke to Justin, whose garden plot he tends with girlfriend Noela. It is their first year here, and Noela's first foray into gardening. He said they almost can't eat what they're producing fast enough—and Noela can't believe what can be accomplished in just a few months. He said her excitement for an upcoming, long-awaited vacation is dwindling. "She is bummed to spend any time away from the garden."
Woodlawn Community Garden and Children's Garden
Our third stop was at the Woodlawn Community Garden, in the Woodlawn section of Northeast Portland. A newer garden—though still 11 years old—it reflects more of the current philosophy for finding new garden sites. It was intentionally planted near both a park and a school, for greater visibility and to hopefully encourage more community involvement. They were able to generate a lot of interest and support for this garden that also serves the school with the adjacent Woodlawn's Children's Garden (co-sponsored by Portland Community Gardens and Friends of Portland Community Gardens). With financial support provided by grants, they were able to put in amenities (like concrete paths, tool sheds and an "outdoor classroom" sitting area) with. The children's garden—currently the only one affiliated with the community garden program—attracted a lot of attention that was certainly good publicity for Portland Community Gardens. Alice Waters, famed chef and founder of the Edible Schoolyard program, was on hand for the garden dedication, and even former President Bill Clinton helped pull weeds on a recent visit to Portland. Although the attention has been great, Pohl-Kosbau maintains that funding for the children's garden, and for the community garden system as a whole, is always scarce and perpetually in danger of disappearing.
Woodlawn Children's Garden
The community gardeners at Woodlawn try to help out in the children's garden, and also work together to maintain the 700 square foot space they've set aside for Produce for People. Dave Thomas, in his third year at Woodlawn, has worked extensively in the Produce for People plot, says that the biggest challenge he's found there is reaching out to the community effectively.
The 700 sq ft space for Produce for People in Woodlawn's Community Garden
"We want to strike a balance between welcoming people into this space and also helping them to understand that there is a certain amount of personal space to be respected."
In most of the gardens set in more urban spaces, the problem of "veggie theft" and vandalism are a bit of a problem. Woodlawn was recently the target of vandals who damaged some of the hoses, and tore out plants. The culprits there were caught, and the hope at all of the sites is that community involvement and vigilance will prevent these kinds of incidents from multiplying.
Gabriel Community Garden
Gabriel Community Garden, located in Southwest neighborhood Multnomah Village, is a little more off the beaten path, and so doesn't suffer from quite as many unwanted guests, though Deanna Wilson battles the moles quite regularly. Adjacent to the 90-acre Gabriel Park, the 33-year-old garden site added an orchard in 1991. There are classes available to volunteers who are interested in pruning the trees, and anyone is invited to attend. A sloped site in southwest Portland, it is a study in raised bed construction. Ken, who has been walking a mile to his plot for 15 years, showed off his system for growing squash on livestock fencing panels, which are moveable as he rotates his crops to keep his soil healthy.
Roger said there are all sorts of gardeners here and they all share ideas. They seem to have a good community going; they tout the event they hold each fall, pressing the apples they pick from the orchard, and sharing their garden plans for the next season. Another very popular site, Roger Aldridge, Gabriel's garden manager, told us that they are looking for space to expand.
Hazelwood Community Garden
The Hazelwood garden, which we visited next, is quite young (this is its second season), but already bustling with activity and community support. Richard Larsen is the garden manager, but his wife, Olive proudly talks about the garden and the neighborhood surrounding it. Richard shows us the ways in which he is making the most out of his space, with collapsible trellises to use for a variety of vines. Dorothy, who, despite a serious hip injury, still tends to her raised bed (almost all of the garden sites feature raised beds for elderly or less-abled gardeners) teeming with tomatoes and other plants. Commenting on the abundance of squash in many of the plots, Dorothy joked, "This is a neighborhood where many people don't lock their car doors. Now they do, for fear someone will fill their backseat up with zucchini!"
Brentwood Community Garden
Our last stop on the tour was a visit to Brentwood in the southeast Portland neighborhood, Brentwood-Darlington. Greeted by co-managers Abbey and Bill, we are handed ice-cold water and tea, and served guacamole served on leaves of Abbey's own cabbage.
"Gardening is good for you," Abbey assured me, "It nourishes your inner child." She also admitted that when she was in the market for a new house, she made sure it would be in close proximity to the garden. Richard chuckled, admitting he did the same thing.
"I drew a circle on a map with the garden in the center," He explained. "I made sure to only look inside the circle."
They both agreed that, along with plants, strong friendships grow in the garden.
"We might not know their last name," Abbey admitted, "But we definitely know what they like to eat, which is a fair level of intimacy, I think."
As the managers, they try to seek out all newcomers to welcome them and offer them support and advice if they need it. Abbey says that there is also a lot of positive reinforcement between gardeners.
"Sometimes when someone checks out a garden they admire and the gardener isn't there, they'll leave sticky notes with compliments for them."The heat was definitely rising while I walked through this last stop on the tour, but I found it hard to leave this beautiful spot of industry. Gardeners, heads bent in concentration, worked among the humming of bees, the whispery sound of corn stalks fluttering in the wind, humming birds diving in fearlessly to sip the nectar from lavender blooms. It is truly inspiring to see the level of dedication that the gardeners have, but also to imagine this program, 34 years after its inception, still thriving despite all of the challenges it has faced. It's difficult to imagine a Portland that wouldn't fight to preserve such a program, and the miles long waiting list for community garden plots is a testament to this city's resolve.
View the slideshow for more images of Portland community gardens or visit our Flickr gallery:
A beautiful article about the Portland Community Gardens. The photographs are outstanding. It brings the experience of the day so close that the reader can see the bees on the artichoke and the abundance of the garden as if it were alive in the room.
Thanks, Leslie. Jennifer and Ken had an amazing time on the tour. Loved visiting with the neighbors and learning more about Portland's community gardens. They even scored some zucchini!