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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2017)
Wednesday, March 15, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 15 A garden grows in Sisters By Sue Stafford Correspondent With a decade of opera- tion under its belt, the Sisters Community Garden is gear- ing up for its 11th growing season and reservations are being taken for garden plots. All plots are four feet wide, with large plots mea- suring 20 feet long and small plots 10 feet long. Included in the garden fee is all the water provided for the season. For those hoping to become a member of the garden this summer, signups are avail- able in the green garden shed in the garden or for more information and an appli- cation form check the gar- den website at www.sisters communitygarden.org. This summer will be the fifth year at the garden’s cur- rent location at the Sisters Eagle Airport, entrance off Barclay Drive. Prior to 2013, it was located on South Adams Street on a city lot belonging to Habitat for Humanity and leased for $1 per year. The garden represents much more than a collection of raised beds, wood chip paths, and a greenhouse. The original garden was begun as a project in response to a segment of the 2005 Sisters Country vision statement, creating a place to promote community connections. From its humble begin- nings, the garden has become a horticultural showplace with 49 cedar raised beds, fully irrigated with spigots at each garden plot, and a substantial greenhouse engi- neered and built to with- stand any type of Central Oregon weather. Grants from the Cultivating Local Food Program and the Sisters Garden Club helped with the purchase of materials for the perimeter fence, cedar two- by-10s for the raised beds, and an irrigation system. The garden serves as a learning environment for novice gardeners and sea- soned veterans. The Sisters High School Life Skills class works in the garden spreading wood chips, pull- ing weeds, and planting and tending an elevated garden plot of their own. Last summer the garden donated about 450 pounds of produce worth around $300 to the Kiwanis Food Bank. One of the garden plots is dedicated to produce solely for the food bank and donations come from other gardeners’ plots as well. Longtime gardener Donna Parker spearheads the dona- tions to the food bank. The garden is also a lovely venue for a variety of social activities. Each Thursday of Quilt Show week, garden members provide a tasty lunch for over 150 visitors and locals participating in the annual Sisters Garden Club Garden Tour. Quilts hanging from the garden fence flut- ter in the summer breeze and table and chairs are scattered throughout the garden to pro- vide spots for visitors to relax and enjoy their lunches. The funds raised by the lunch ser- vice help cover some of the annual expenses for the gar- den. This year’s lunch will take place July 6. For the past two sum- mers, the garden has hosted an appreciation dinner in the garden for donors who have provided monetary and in- kind materials for the garden. Live music was provided by The Anvil Blasters and PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD Sisters’ Community Garden is getting set for spring. people gathered for food, fun, and fellowship as they watched the sun set behind the Three Sisters. Bob Lawton, vice president of the garden board, indicated they plan to make the dinner an annual event due to its popu- larity. There are also plans for events such as Music in the Garden, cooking classes, and benefit fundraisers for local charities. Garden participants are encouraged to help tend the six communal flowerbeds, herb gardens, and fruit trees and berries, and to share in their bounty. Last year the first apple harvest consisted of one Honey Crisp apple. There are multiple black- berry, gooseberry, rasp- berry, and blueberry bushes throughout the garden. Besides tending their own garden plots, members are expected to participate in two garden-wide workdays held at the beginning, middle, and end of the gardening season. The greenhouse now has heat-activated roof vents that will automatically open when the temperature reaches a certain degree inside the greenhouse. A community grant from the City of Sisters See GARDEN on page 20 COMFORT FOR LIFE Free s! Estimate A new HVAC system can save you 15 per- cent over older systems on your heating bill — and up to 50 percent over a straight resistance heat- ing system. And new ductless systems are a great alternative. Action Air offers you state-of-the-art equip- ment and top-notch customer service — whether you’re installing a new system in new construc- tion, or retrofitting your home or commercial building. Chris Gulick offers you quality service, a great product — and a fair price (often about 20 percent less than the competition). 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