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Orrville Community Gardens

July 30th, 2010

Last summer I drove through Orrville a lot to go to physical therapy. Each week I would look at the small community garden that’s near the hospital. I kept wanting to stop to look at the gardens, but I would always forget after my appointments. A couple weeks ago, my mom and I stopped when we were out running errands.

There were probably about 10-12 plots in the garden, each one delineated by an alternating fence. Some people were using the fence for a bean trellis or to support their corn.


Some plots were planted up very handsomely, others weren’t planted at all. Some had built raised beds and added beautiful trellises, others simply planted in rows. Some plots were filled with corn, tomatoes and peppers, and some were filled entirely with one kind of vegetable. Others were filled with interesting varieties of vegetables, like this variegated pepper.






I love that they have a rain barrel system on their little garage. It looks like they’re making compost tea in it for the gardens.


I love the idea of community gardens. If we had one locally I’d get a plot. I most likely wouldn’t grow food, since I wouldn’t know what chemicals those around me were using, but I’d fill it will all kinds of beneficial flowers and beautiful plants (perhaps I’d grow a few edible things, who knows). I keep thinking about trying to start one in my community, but I’m just too busy. Maybe when I have a few less plates in the air I’ll do that.

Do you have a community garden in your town? Do you have a plot at a community garden?

11 Comments to “Orrville Community Gardens”
  1. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by mark mile, Susy Morris. Susy Morris said: #Orrville Community Gardens http://goo.gl/fb/NETZT #miscellaneus #communitygardens […]

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  2. Rose on July 30, 2010 at 5:46 am

    I’m currently working on getting a empty stretch of land turned into a community plot here – it’s a bit of a faff as trying to convince people that growing their own food is a worthwhile endeavour is half the challenge, but we’ll get there. Allotments in the UK are still very popular but they’re not very family-friendly, so that’s the first thing to address for the plot here.

    There’s a meeting for this coming up soon, actually, I need to chase up.

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  3. Corrie Carswell on July 30, 2010 at 7:50 am

    We had a plot at the “city garden” in my small community for several years. The soil was fantastic, and we got free water! The water in our town is very expensive, so that was a big deal. The main problem was the fencing– there was no fence around the whole perimeter, just some makeshift and ramshackle fences around individual plots. There were a lot of wildlife issues. When I moved to my current house, the yard was big enough for me to have my own garden, so we gave up the city plot.

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  4. Mike on July 30, 2010 at 9:14 am

    We do have a community garden in a city near by and now you have made me want to visit it.:) I loved the looks of that pepper and tomato plant, really neat. Thanks for the tour.

    Reply to Mike's comment

  5. Lisa on July 30, 2010 at 10:42 am

    I had a plot in a community garden in 2008, during my second summer of graduate school. It was fantastic. The lawn of my rental house was completely shaded, so a rental plot was pretty much my only gardening option. It was only $30 for the entire summer, they provided hoses, and there were no limitations on what you could plant. I had delicious vegetables all summer long and saved a lot of money at the grocery store. I did fence my plot with chicken wire… and there were occasional issues with veggie theft, but overall it was a great experience. I wish that a rental garden were an option where I currently live. Again, I’m in a rental house with a shaded yard. We planted 7 tomato plants in the sunniest spot- but there isn’t room for much more.

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  6. MAYBELLINE on July 30, 2010 at 12:23 pm

    There used to be one but I’m not sure if it still exists. I use my own garden.

    Reply to MAYBELLINE's comment

  7. Jackie on July 30, 2010 at 2:02 pm

    I’m working on starting a community garden at a local church. It’s purpose will be somewhat different from the usual community garden, though. We will (hopefully) be giving away (most of ) the food and flowers to those in need.

    Reply to Jackie's comment

    • Susy on July 30, 2010 at 3:48 pm

      Great idea! I always think of that when I see churches with huge rolling lawns.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  8. Kate Bodmann on July 31, 2010 at 12:39 am

    I love our community garden. It is about so much more than just gardening. It is actually the reason (and what it represents) that we chose to live in this neighborhood.
    http://www.giffordparkomaha.org/Community_Garden.html
    http://www.giffordparkomaha.org/Youth_Garden.html

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  9. Kaytee on July 31, 2010 at 12:49 pm

    That’s pretty neat! I drove all around Orrville in June, and never saw this. I must not have gone down that road. But I didn’t find Smucker’s either, so I must have missed a lot of that town!

    I’ve never lived where there’s been a community garden, but I always find it to be such a great idea for those who can’t have a garden on their own property.

    Reply to Kaytee's comment

  10. Jaspenelle on August 4, 2010 at 11:58 am

    We have a couple in my area but until I get my full drivers license it is too impractical for me to get to on the bus with two young children. That said we have a nice backyard garden so it is not a necessity either (though the Pumpkin Patch community garden has more sun then my yard and with an organic focus I don’t have to worry about my neighbors chemicals…)

    Reply to Jaspenelle's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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