This is the first year that Jamie Patton planted vegetables at the Dreams of Green gardens next to Zion Lutheran Church in Shawano.
Patton, who is the University of Wisconsin-Extension agriculture agent for Shawano County, lives in the country and said she didn’t even attempt to plant a garden there because of the many animals that would help themselves.
The community garden was developed through the cooperative efforts of UW-Extension, the Women Infant and Children Nutrition Program and Zion Lutheran Church.
Located at the corner of Zingler and Lincoln streets, the garden has grown from 21 plots in 2005 to 99 plots of varying sizes in 2014. There are plans to increase the number of plots next year.
“There was actually a waiting list this year,” Patton said.
Patton has been holding workshops at the gardens throughout the summer. The next one is at 6 p.m. Aug. 6. The topic is “Giving Your Garden a Second Wind.” On Aug. 20, the topic will be “From Plot to Plate.”
There has been enough rain until recently, Patton said, when she had to water for the first time. Her garden has green, yellow and purple beans, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, corn, pumpkins and melons.
Patton said her son, Sawyer, 4, enjoys helping pick the beans and other vegetables but isn’t so big on weeding.
For information about the community garden, contact Patton or Nancy Schultz at the Shawano County UW-Extension office, 715-526-6136.
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