TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Community Garden: Each Piece In Its Place

Tribune illustration by NICOLE STOMPOR

Everyone gets an education when planning a community garden that provides shady places to play, private areas, drought tolerance and hurricane resistance - all on a budget.

ADVERTISEMENT

By PENNY CARNATHAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 27, 2008

Updated:

By the time Shimberg Gardens opens in the spring, some of the Town 'N Country children who helped inspire it will have grown up and moved away.

Some of the residents who helped dream it will have passed away.

Those remaining will celebrate a gargantuan feat: After almost a decade of collaborating with government agencies and horticulture professionals, they'll have created a 4-acre community garden.

It's been an unusual experience, says project manager Israel Grajales, a county employee who has helped create about 40 parks. Residents have been an integral part of planning, problem-solving and even raising money for their garden.

"The community is not usually involved to this extent," he says.

Two tireless collaborators are Rob and Fran Gamester of the Town 'N Country Garden Circle, a group that wanted something more than the standard county park for the heart of the community.

"We hope this will be like a demonstration garden - landscaping in Florida for the future," Rob says.

Shady maples, magnolias, oaks and pines, flowering shrubs and a large gazebo will transform the nearly featureless field that passed as a park for years. Parents visiting the little West Gate Regional Library next door had no choice but to sit on hot metal benches and sweat in the sun if the kids wanted to play before heading home. It was no surprise that "instant shade" topped the residents' wish list for improvements.

The project isn't finished, but it's already full of lessons for homeowners looking to create attractive, easy-to-maintain landscapes.

Trees, in particular, represent a big investment, so the expertise of urban forester Rob Northrop with Hillsborough County Extension was especially valuable.

Though residents pine for quick shade, he advised against fast-growing trees. "The faster-growing trees tend to be weaker and shorter-lived," he says.

Instead, the garden club is raising money to buy much bigger saplings than the county could have purchased. They're also going with No. 1-graded stock.

"If you don't put good quality stock in now, you'll pay later," Northrop says.

Don't plant trees that will grow to be enormous near buildings, where they'll have to be pruned constantly. Or in an area surrounded by pavement, which will interfere with their vast root systems. Instead, try a smaller cultivar with the same look.

The gardens will have drought-tolerant native trees and shrubs, but even those must be well-watered initially to ensure they develop deep root systems. The garden club's fundraising includes money for a low-flow irrigation system.

The gardens are part of a bigger project called Town 'N Country Commons, the fruit of community planning that began in 2000. In forums and meetings, residents shared their visions for the sun-baked intersection of Paula and Ambassador drives, home to the post office, library, shops and a small playground. The centerpiece of the project is a big new library scheduled to open in December.

Butterfly Garden

What they did: A butterfly garden was something many residents wanted. The garden club will plant one along the north side of the new library.

The take-home lesson: A true butterfly garden includes larval plants and supports the life cycle of the butterfly. But that can get too messy-looking for a garden in a very public place, club President Fran Gamester says. The compromise is a garden of brightly colored nectar plants, which invite butterfly visitors.

Southern Red Cedar

What they did: Plans call for a pair of Florida's Christmas trees on either side of the gazebo, to be strung with lights at the holidays. The same trees didn't do so well at Joe Chillura Courthouse Square downtown, so the garden club will have the soil tested before committing. Southern red cedars prefer a more alkaline soil.

The take-home lesson: Before you invest in expensive plants, know what soil pH they prefer and have your soil tested. The Hillsborough Extension tests soil samples for $3. Go to www .hillsborough_fyn.ifas.ufl.edu, click Home Gardening Homepage, then Diagnostic Tests for more information.

Fire Bush

What they did: A hedge of 261 fire bushes will line the rear of the property, which abuts a shopping center. They're native plants that can grow up to 15 feet tall and produce big, red, butterfly-loving blossoms much of the year.

The take-home lesson: Consider Florida natives, rather than traditional plants, for sight- and sound-blocking hedges. Many look attractive in their natural state, so constant shaping and manicuring isn't necessary. Fire bush is a particularly colorful, hardy choice.

Bald Cypress

What they did: Plants surrounding a pond or lake are usually in a drainage basin, an area that collects rainwater runoff. After heavy rains, they may be standing in water, so choose plants that are just as happy with wet feet as dry.

The take-home lesson: Know whether the ground you're planting is high and dry or a water collector. Other native wet-dry plants include sand cord grass and Juncus effuses (soft rushes.) In the water, try blue pickerel weed in depths up to 12 inches, and water lilies where it's deeper.

Walter's Viburnum

What they did: In addition to being low-maintenance, native shrubs often have colorful blooms and provide food and shelter to wildlife. Some forms of Walter's viburnum can grow to 25 feet tall; the choice for Shimberg's Garden is a dwarf. It can grow in sun or shade and has few problems with pests.

The take-home lesson: Many native plants are available in several forms - the same plant may grow as a vine, shrub or tree. A database of smart choices is available at www.florida yards.org, sponsored by the University of Florida.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT