Bay Village Community Garden ready to sprout

Mackenzie Clark and Lori Sprosty staking out the Community Garden plots

The Bay Community Garden is a unique 2010 collaboration between the City of Bay Village, the Bay Schools and the Bay Village Green Team. After months of careful planning and partnership, the latest major development recently resulted in garden volunteers carefully staking out 4’ x 8’ plots, which can be purchased by the general public for personal use. Churches, schools and local organizations are using the planting process both as a learning area and as a way to provide food for the needy in Bay Village. 

Square Foot Gardening will be the preferred method of planting, which carries with it many positive benefits, including: 1) efficient use of gardening time with less required physical work; 2) increased crop harvest; and 3) efficient water usage. The Bay Growing Guide is available online and can be viewed on the city’s homepage at www.cityofbayvillage.com. The first five pages of the Guide provide a helpful explanation of this specific gardening method. The Growing Guide also gives many examples of vegetables, spacing and efficient planting within a square foot area.

Here is a quick update on what’s currently going on: The garden area has been tilled—twice! The City has delivered leaf humus to the site (parking lot area) which is available for use by all to further assist in the conditioning of the soil beds. Only organic fertilizers and compost are permitted in the community garden; NO chemical fertilizers are allowed. The City of Cleveland Water Department has been working to install a water meter at the site. 

In addition, several rain barrels will be placed in the garden for water collection, increasing the project’s sustainability. Deer fencing will be installed within the next two weeks. Each individual gardener is responsible for bringing their own tools; we recommend using a shovel or spade, a hand trowel and fork, an unsharpened pencil, a layout of what will be planted and, of course, seeds/plants. A large bucket would be recommended and helpful for transporting humus to your specific garden plot.

Many varieties of summer vegetables, seeds, seedlings and organic fertilizers are available locally at a number of our fine retailers, including Cahoon Nursery, Canterbury Gardens and Landmark. Our local True Value Hardware store also carries a full line of garden tools, utensils and organic fertilizers.

To purchase a plot(s) and begin planting, application and waiver forms are available on the city's website. Plots are only $40 each, but remaining ones are going very fast! Checks can be made payable the City of Bay Village; note Community Garden in memo area. For additional information, please call 440-835-2504. An official grand opening will happen later this summer, but for now....let's start planting! Have additional questions? Please send an e-mail message to either baygarden10@gmail.com; or bayvillagegreenteam@gmail.com.

Thanks to everyone participating in this exciting initiative; your participation will make the undertaking a citywide success for the Bay Village community. We look forward to meeting you this summer at the Community Garden, located at the southwest corner of Wolf and Forestview Roads. Don’t miss out!

Nancy Clark lives in Bay Village.