Neighborhood Notes

My parents were gardeners, Dad especially. We had a good-sized lot in Menlo Park, about half way between San Francisco and San Jose. On it were two apple trees, two walnut trees, a plum tree, and space for a vegetable garden. Every spring, Dad would clear the plot for the vegetables and do whatever needed to be done to the trees. Once that was done, my parents would turn their attention to the flowers and shrubs around the house. All summer they would work around the yard this way.

Of course, when the vegetables started coming in, we all enjoyed their efforts. In late summer the apples would ripen and my parents would get busy canning apple butter, baking, and passing apples out to the neighbors. The plums were used for plum jam and the occasional "plum fight" with my friends in the neighborhood. The walnuts were stored until the holidays when we would crack them open for mom to use in her holiday baking.

As we grew up and Dad got tired of the mess from the fruit trees, he took them out, which of course made space for a larger vegetable garden. I can remember a few years in which we had rows of corn, beans, squash, various leafy vegetables, cantaloupe, and of course tomatoes. Those were some really good summer dinners!

As the kids moved out, my parents turned their attention to the decorative gardening. Dad really enjoyed coming up with different ways to landscape different parts of the yard, and the house looked great. The plum tree finally went because it was the messiest of the fruit trees and pretty much prevented the lawn from growing. The garden around my parents' house was an immense source of pleasure and pride for them.

I thought about all this when I read this article in today's Portland Tribune.

Gardening is popular in Portland, so popular that the city-sponsored community gardens have huge waiting lists. Those waiting lists aren't going away anytime soon, because funding for expanding the gardens, or even to adequately manage the program, was cut from this year's budget. We're not talking huge dollar amounts here, something like $215,000.

This would have built four new gardens, bought a second truck and gardening equipment. The truck is needed for the Parks department to manage the program. Right now they have just one truck to police the gardens, finding plots that aren't being used and making those available to the waiting list.

The community garden program is an inexpensive way to bring a simple pleasure to so many people. One of the most important things these gardens do is build community. The common interest breaks down barriers; neighbors get to know one another while working in their plots. This gathering place benefits the community as well as the individuals. Let's hope that the City Council sees fit to expand this program in next year's budget.

Visit Portland Parks Community Gardens website. They have all kinds of gardening related classes and programs.

Here's a list of community gardens in Portland:

Northwest Portland

• Adams Community Garden Hillside

Southwest Portland

• Front & Curry Community Garden South Portland

• Fulton Community Garden South Burlingame

• Gabriel Community Garden & Orchard Multnomah

• Vermont Hills Community Garden Hayhurst

• Water & Gibbs Community Garden South Portland

North Portland

• Beach Community Garden Overlook

• Johns Community Garden Cathedral Park

•  McCoy Community Garden Portsmouth

• Pier Community Garden St Johns

• Portsmouth Community Garden Portsmouth