One of the most frustrating aspects of being a gardener is never having enough space to do all of the things we want to do. This is especially true for those that live in apartments or condominiums, and either do not have the space for a garden or cannot use the area that is available for anything except lawn. Even those who own their own homes may be hampered by too much shade or poor soil. A Community Garden is an ideal solution for these issues!

A community garden provides space, good soil, and plenty of sunlight for those that are ready to have a garden of their own. They improve quality of life for people in the garden, and encourages social interaction. You never know who you’ll meet pulling weeds! Gardening also provides an opportunity for outdoor exercise; get out and haul wheelbarrows around for a while, and you’ll probably discover newfound energy and ambition for other projects.

Most community gardens focus on vegetable gardening, which helps provide nutritious food and lower family food budgets. Food pantries and other charitable organizations can benefit as well, as extra produce can be donated and enjoyed by all. In cities, preservation and creation of green spaces is another benefit; we are lucky here in Windham to have so many fields and trees to enjoy in addition to our own gardens.

This year will see the groundbreaking of Windham’s brand new Community Garden. It will be located next to the skate park on Rt. 202, and is open to residents of Windham. Applications for this year are still being accepted, as well as tool donations. The groundbreaking ceremony and grand opening will be May 1, with a rain date of May 2. Come out and see what community gardening is all about!

And speaking of vegetables and gardening, though the weather has been most unusually seasonable, don’t jump too far ahead on your veggie seedlings! It still gets cold at night, and a late frost will kill all but the hardiest of seedlings. Tomatoes, peppers, all warm season crops should be kept inside till at least Mother’s Day, just in case we get a typical Maine spring, and the skies decide to dump a foot of snow on us… Go ahead and plant or transplant your perennials, shrubs and trees, though! The frost is definitely gone from the ground, and anything that’s been outside is acclimated to the cooler temperatures, and will be just fine.

For more information  visit the Windham Community Garden.