Staff Writer

It’s never too late to try something new.

That, said Lisa Hoffman, was one reason she decided to rent a plot in the Saco Community Garden. At 52, her gardening experience is limited to a small garden she had for a short time years ago.

With the last possible frost of the season fast approaching, she has spent the past few weeks planning what exactly will go into her 10-foot by 10-foot plot.

The new Saco Community Garden is located on city-owned land in Haley Park on King Street. All 48 plots are rented and the garden has a waiting list of gardeners eager to take part in the first year of the project.

The mission of the organic garden is to provide affordable plots to grow healthy food, support a community of gardeners and promote a green and sustainable Saco.

Hoffman said she decided to rent a plot because she has no place for a garden at her apartment. Before the creation of the Saco garden, she considered going to a community garden in another town. When she first heard of the project early this year, she jumped at the opportunity to garden close to home.

“I thought that would be perfect for me, I could ride by bike there or walk there,” Hoffman said. “It’s not so much to grow fruit and vegetables, it’s more to have something that’s mine, a place where I can go get my hands in the dirt.”

In the past week Hoffman has dug up her plot and tended to seedlings at home. She will fill her plot with strawberries, cucumbers, lima beans, string beans, lettuce and a few flowers. As the weather gets warmer, she anticipates stopping by her garden five days a week.

“It’s kind of spiritual. I’ll watch with amazement,” Hoffman said. “I’m learning an awful lot from people who are Master Gardeners. It’s a real good learning experience.”

Peg Mills, a city councilor and chairman of the garden’s steering committee, had her first experience with community gardening at the University of Maine in Orono. She currently is working toward certification as a Master Gardener and said she enjoys gardening at home.

Recognizing that not everyone has space to garden or the resources to feed their families well, Mills gathered a group of people in March 2009 to talk about creating a community garden. As a city councilor, she often is part of discussions about Saco’s dedication to employing green practices throughout the city. A garden was a “logical” addition to the city, she said.

“It’s a very popular effort in a lot of communities right now. I think the real success will be when people are able to harvest vegetables and fruit from their gardens,” Mills said.

The group visited other community gardens and consulted garden directors about things they should and shouldn’t do in Saco. Mills said talking to directors of other gardens was helpful because it allowed the Saco garden to develop quickly. Advice from other gardeners included prohibiting growth of potatoes because potato beetles are hard to control in an organic setting and banning smoking near the garden because of the danger of tobacco mosaic  virus from tobacco.

“Those two things I never would have thought of,” Mills said.

While group members spent time learning about other community gardens and developing guidelines of their own, they also tended a demonstration garden plot at the Dyer Library. Harvested produce was donated to the Saco Food Pantry.

“We found we could grow quite a few vegetables in a 10-foot by 10-foot plot. I’m encouraged people can really get something done in a 10-foot by 10-foot plot,” Mills said. “It was a pretty little garden. It also gave people a sense that the community garden was coming.”

The garden proved popular with gardeners even before they had a chance to get their hands in the soil, Mills said. All 48 plots are rented for this season and five interested gardeners are on a waiting list. Renters include 32 Saco residents and 15 people from other communities.

The First Parish Church of Saco rented two plots to grow vegetables for a local food pantry and the Saco Parks and Recreation Department will use another plot for children’s programs. Mills said renters are of all ages and have varying levels of experience.

Plots are $25 for residents and $30 for non-residents. The garden does not have a budget from the city, although the city has allowed the use of Haley Park and the council has expressed support, Mills said. Grants and sponsorships from local businesses will pay for a storage shed, fencing and the extension of plumbing to the garden for a water source.

Mills said much work has been done at the garden in the past few weeks, but more is needed. Students at the Center of Technology in Biddeford began to build a shed this week for community garden tools. Fencing will soon go up to keep out groundhogs, which residents say are a problem in the neighborhood. Water will be available soon as gardeners begin to spend more time in their plots, she said.

After staking out plots and watching gardeners trickle in to prepare soil for planting, Mills said she is excited to see the community aspect of the garden develop. Several Master Gardeners have rented plots and are eager to offer advice and answer questions for new gardeners, she said.

Diane Lambert of Saco is a Master Gardener and communications secretary for the steering committee. She was drawn to the garden because it is an “opportunity to bring people a place to gather socially and grow something for themselves,” she said.

Though she keeps a garden at home, Lambert is sharing a community garden plot with a friend who has less experience. They plan to grow basil, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and flowers. Lambert said they will grow cucumbers on a cone-shaped pyramid to make better use of the space.

Lambert said she is excited to see more people working in their gardens and building a community over a common bond.

“Hopefully we’ll have some good successes. We’re looking for everyone to have a good season,” she said.

Mills, who has planted brussels sprouts and flowers in her plot, said she also is looking forward to seeing more people in the garden.

“We’re excited about things like when people are in the garden talking and helping each other out,” she said. “So far people are having fun, they’re happy, they feel good about the project. I think this is a positive thing for the greater community of Saco.”

Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.