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Community Corner

A Garden for Tolland

The Tolland Garden Paths Club is breaking ground on a community youth garden on October 22.

Tolland is about to get a lot greener. The Tolland Garden Paths Club has made its dream of starting a community youth garden a reality, as the club members will break ground for the garden on Saturday, October 22. 

According to club member Sandie Benjamin, the groundbreaking and subsequent “lasagna” layering of the garden in preparation of the next growing season, is just the first of many times the garden will bring the town together.

“It’s going to be all hands on, so we’re going to need lots of help,” she said. Benjamin explained how the group already has a detailed plan to get youth groups involved in tending for the garden, as well as teaching the volunteers the important skills needed to develop a green thumb.

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Children enrolled in the town’s summer camp will have the opportunity to work in the garden and attend lectures about soil, bugs and all the tricks used to grow a successful garden.

Benjamin stressed that the lessons will be fun and varied for the campers.

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“This is not going to be botany lessons,” she said. “This is going to be fun.” She hopes that campers will be able to make crafts as well, such as birdhouses, bird feeders and scarecrows.

The garden club is also planning on starting a junior stewardship for older kids in middle and high school. Boy and girl scout troops are also getting involved, and may be able to earn badges through their work in the garden. Benjamin added that several youth church groups have also indicated an interest in volunteering.

Benjamin said that the she is thankful for the enthusiasm and interest in the plot, which is situated next to Lions Field on Cider Mill Road.

“We’re very fortunate,” she said, adding that she is glad that the garden will promote the importance of agriculture and horticulture for Tolland youth.

“We really think that kids need to know how to treat the earth and how to share it, how to share out of the abundance of what we grow.”

Food grown in the 20-foot by 40-foot lot will be donated to local food banks and soup kitchens such as the Cornerstone Kitchen in Rockville, according to Benjamin. She said that the garden will contain vegetables, herbs and companion flowers to help keep pests away from the rest of the garden.

Benjamin said that she is hoping to hold seed workshops starting in March and to plant in April. 

The garden is also a gathering place for Tolland adults, as well. Benjamin asks any Tolland resident with knowledge in botany, soil, insects or any related topic to consider donating an hour of their time to pass their expertise on to the town’s youth.

The club is also looking for volunteers for its groundbreaking day on October 22, starting at 10 a.m. and continuing until 2 p.m. Beginner and experienced gardeners alike are welcome.

For more information on the garden and to volunteer, contact Sandie Benjamin at dsbenj43@comcast.net or visit the Tolland Garden Paths Club’s Web site.

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