Growing A Community At The Groves

The cold weather hasn’t affected the vegetable harvesting at The Groves garden. In fact, the vegetables are flourishing.  

The 25 raised beds in the garden are filled with huge cabbages, collard greens, Swiss chard, onions, cauliflower, broccoli and a small spattering of herbs.  Each one of the plots are at different stages of growth; most have vegetables that are ready to be harvested, while others have small seedlings barely peeking out of the rich soil. 

Blaine Neville is the manager of the garden. He and his wife Jane have lived in The Groves for four years, and remember when the garden was just an open stretch of ground parallel to U.S. 41.  

Dane and Betty Lonborg, who also lives in The Groves, petitioned the Community Development District (CDD) board to donate the land for the garden project. The board agreed and in August 2009 work began to construct the garden. Residents came out to volunteer, turning the soil, building the raised beds and preparing the soil for the first planting season.  

“We learned that August is not the best time to start a garden,” Neville said grinning at the obvious error.  The Groves is a retirement community, and many of the volunteers were working for long stretches of time in the hot August sun. 

Once the garden was prepared, the Pasco County Cooperative Extension came out and tested the soil. Many of the gardeners were concerned about the soil, as the ground was an area used by the developer during construction phase for storage and prep work. The soil passed and the garden was under way. Throughout the first year, the extension office provided follow-up workshops with tips and advice about growing fruit and vegetables in Florida. 

The initial charge for residents to use an 8-foot-by-16-foot plot was $50, and an 8-foot-by-8-foot plot $25. The charge went to help buy a storage shed, hoses, and other miscellaneous items needed in the garden. The new fees for 2011 were cut in half, once start up materials were acquired. 

Residents donated other items such as compost bins, tools and fertilizers.  Warren and Judy Groomes donate the use of their tiller and help each plot owner till their plot at the end of the season. Even Jan Johnson, the golf pro at the golf course, regularly donates manure from her nearby farm.

The garden became a formal club, and created by-laws, and elected officers.  To date, there are 23 members of the club with only two plots remaining.  

“The garden gives us a chance to get outside and play in the dirt,” said Neville. Some members find the garden therapeutic, while others find it to be a social outlet. Still others tend to their gardens as a memory of planting gardens in the past. 

Whatever the reason, the garden brings this community together to grow fruits and vegetables that are organic and fresh. 

“We over planted in many of the plots last year, so whatever we had extra, we just put in a basket in the lobby of the clubhouse so that residents could take whatever they needed, said Neville. 

The Groves Garden Club is only open to residents living in The Groves.