Gardening is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, beautify your surroundings and improve your health. But for those of us who don’t have the space or the know how, community gardening offers the location and the “tools” for successful gardening. It’s also a wonderful way to bring communities together.

Our community is working hard to bring the Purple Heart Park Community Garden project to fruition. There are lots of steps to starting a community garden. First there’s getting the go ahead from all local jurisdictions. Then a location needs to be determined and plans need to be drawn up.

Next comes creating a budget: (fence, water meter, planting beds, mulch, plants, ramada, solar lighting, storage shed, tools, plants, seeds, etc, etc). Then comes the fundraising, once the funds are acquired, construction can begin. And all along this process, it’s about people combining talents and resources to make it happen.

Education is also a big part of the PHP Community Garden’s mission statement so we will be doing a variety of gardening classes in conjunction with the Vail School District’s new Adult Education Program starting in August. Right now, the PHP Community Garden is at the fundraising stage (ex: last month’s Rita Ranch Backyard Garden Tour).

If you would like help us and join others in this fun community project, call 591-2255, go to www.facebook.com/RitaGardens or email TheCommunityGardeners@gmail.com

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