The People’s Garden is a well-known community garden in the area, where food is grown for the Agape Distribution food pantry. Crops tended by volunteers have been growing for 10 years now. You might have heard of the garden but not know how to visit it. The 55 raised beds are located between Brooklyn Avenue and The Great Miami River behind the Agape building on the corner of Court Street and Brooklyn Avenue in Sidney. Please come, visit, enjoy the beauty and serenity and even bring your lunch, sit at the picnic table or on a bench. Listen to the birds and let your senses soak in the natural surroundings of the river, the woods and the pretty garden.

The garden is so pleasant that the volunteers consider it their serene workplace and often come to use hands and feet to tend the vegetables, to serve the community by feeding people in the area that need food. Fresh vegetables like green onions, green tomatoes, okra, squash, salad items, herbs, hot peppers and other things are offered in the pantry free of charge. It is our pleasure to see the smile from someone who likes turnip greens or hot peppers.

Early in the season, in March, planting begins with cool weather crops like onions, kale, radishes and turnips. Garlic is planted in November! In winter, planning begins on our crop map, using companion planting and crop rotation. We do not just throw the seeds in the ground and hope for the best. In May warm weather crops are planted. There is a soil temperature at which all seeds will germinate or start to grow, and they are all different. Google is helpful for many things, including seed germination. Examples are pumpkins’ best germination at 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit, cucumbers 70-95 degrees Fahrenheit, tomatoes 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit is best. So, you see there is no hurry to poke your seeds in soil that is too cold. I found that my cucumber seedlings that I started in my house were having a hard time because I turned my heat down to 68 degrees at night. They did better when I put them near a heat register. Some people use better methods, a “heat mat” for early starting of seeds or a grow light. Transplanting seedlings slows down the growth too, so even though you might be eager to work in your garden, it will be wise to wait for the sun to warm the soil, and then plant the warm weather crops right in the garden.

Crops need about one inch of water per week. We have a 1,500-gallon rain tank to supplement in case of dry weather and we can reach any of the 55 beds with our hoses. We do not use chemicals to control pesky insects, relying on birds and nature to work. We attract pollinators with flowers and herbs. We mix our own soil by mixing farm soil, leaf mulch and compost, and maybe a little coffee grounds or kitchen vegetable scraps, weed material and other naturally occurring items. It works, we have had no tomato worms and no Japanese beetles for at least two years now. We believe that the more variety of plants in the garden, the better.

Here are some things we need currently: donations — money and gift cards. It takes from $3,000-$4,000 to maintain the garden, paying for plants, seeds, repairs, gasoline for mowers, and now, we really need less shade, so some tree service is needed. Volunteers to help weed, pick up sticks that fall from the trees, help build the new enclosures for the beds, and plant crops. Rhubarb crowns and gutter guards — rain goes into the rain tank from the gutter on the Learning Center. Bird houses, not bird feeders to help control insects. Donations can be taken to Agape Agency store at 801 Vandemark Road or to the pantry at 209 Brooklyn Ave., note “for The People’s Garden” when dropping off donations.

A job list is posted and kept up to date on the porch of the Learning Center building at the garden so volunteers can see what needs to be done. You may come anytime and help (please do). There is a phone number posted on the porch in case we are not there, and you have questions or need help.

The People’s Garden will be at the Farmers’ Market once a month. Please stop and see us, receive a packet of seeds and enjoy a learning opportunity too.

Our mission statement is “Planting seeds of change and harvesting hope.” Help us “be the change.” Call 937-726-9525 for questions and/or comments.

Thank you for your continued support!

The writer is a Master Gardener and a coordinator of the People’s Garden. Reach her at 937-726-9525.