Politics & Government
Lehigh County Community Garden So Popular, There's a Waiting Listing
Fences are up and gardeners are planting and weeding out rocks at the new Cedarbrook Community Garden.
When Lehigh County decided last year to move the plots to another location in South Whitehall township, gardeners were naturally resistant.
Many had tended the same plot for years, and had planted grape vines, trees or other fruitful perennials. With paths, benches and beautiful flowers, their gardens were comfortable places that felt like home.
The community gardens’ new location promises to be just as picturesque. It also has something the former site didn’t have: an unlimited water supply.
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“We never had enough water at the other place,” said gardener William Derr as he filled his water containers from a large open trough of continuously replenished municipal water.
At the former location, he said, water had to be trucked in, and the 100-gallon tank would run dry in a day. And if gardeners at the new location don’t want to use chlorinated water from the tank, they can dip their water from Cedar Creek.
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Gardens were previously located on the north side of the ; the new location is on the south side of the fields, close to the county’s .
The old gardens had deep, loamy soil, thanks to 20 years of and conditioning. The soil at the new site is very good, even though initially a lot of grass and rocks made it tough to till, said gardener Doug Treichler of South Whitehall Township while taking a break from hoeing cabbages.
Dora Gensemer, garden plot program administrator, said soil tests of the new site showed its soil pH is at a good place, and the other nutrients are in the right zone. “Our plants are very healthy,” she said. Compost is available for gardeners to apply, and the Lehigh County Parks Department has set up barrels to collect rocks to take away.
“It’s good to start over,” said Don Henry of Allentown, even though his plot was in a rocky area and there was work to do before planting seedlings of basil, okra, cucumbers and cosmos.
“Everybody’s been real positive about the new site considering the stress of the move,” said Jeff Zehr, director of the , which oversees the gardens.
Frank Lopiccolo had already erected garden trellises for his Italian squash to climb; Joseph Hernandez had already found a comfortable spot to sit and watch birds fly in and out of his garden.
Gardeners had until May 1 to move their perennial crops and ornamentals from the old location, although construction for the proposed Cetronia Ambulance Corps to be built there has not yet been scheduled.
Gensemer says all 110 plots at the new South Whitehall location are taken, and about 12 people are on a waiting list. She also coordinates the county’s other community garden in Jordan Creek Parkway in Whitehall Township, which also has a waiting list for its 93 plots.
“I get calls constantly,” says Gensemer. “People get so sad when I tell them they may not even get a garden next year, because there’s not a big turnover. It’s the healthy thing right now, raising your own food.”