Thoughts of hungrily biting into a bright red, juicy sun-warmed tomato or anticipation of abundant, colorful fragrant flowers are part of what draws Northampton-area gardeners to rent space at the Northampton Community Garden each year.
Tucked next to Village Hill just off Route 66, the city-owned site is a 7-acre patchwork quilt of 426 unique 20-by-20-foot plots.
Most gardeners return season after season; this year there are about 50 plots available to rent at $25 a piece. Registration takes place at the Northampton Recreation Department March 24 from 9 a.m. until noon.
Those with green thumbs and those with slightly brown ones, too, come to enjoy a verdant respite from life’s daily hustle and bustle and have been doing so for decades.
On any given day between April and October, people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities can be found there digging, planting, watering and weeding.
The seeds for this community garden space were sown long ago as the land once served as the kitchen garden of the former Northampton State Hospital which was located on the Village Hill site. Over the years the land was passed from one county agency to another until 1984 when it was turned over to the City of Northampton. It has been administered by the city’s Recreation Department ever since.
An all-volunteer gardening committee manages the day-to-day operations, including garden plot registration, maintenance, producing an NCG newsletter and programming.
This spring, new events include a speaker series entitled “Under the Mulberry Tree” that begins in April with several free classes presented by Master Gardeners from the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association and other specialists, including Worcester Polytechnic Institute professor Rob Gegear who will talk about the endangered bumblebee.
Also new this year is Garden Friends, a program in which NCG volunteers will be available to gardeners age 65 and older to help with physical tasks such as digging and weeding throughout the season.
The Garden Neighbors service continues this year with an experienced, long-term NCG gardener assigned to each quadrant of the gardens, offering an extra level of communication and support for both plot renters and NCG garden management.
Leading these innovations are co-directors Larri Cochran and Betsy Wolfson who have taken over responsibility for the NCG Garden Committee from Mimi Teghtsoonian who is stepping down after many years of dedicated service as committee head. “Northampton Community Garden is a magical place with a vibrant community of gardeners of all ages and abilities,” says Cochran. “We are excited to support it in these new roles.”
Renters have on-site access to free wood chips, free garden-made compost, city water, free rock dust, communal tools, carts and mowers, plus four issues of the garden newsletter and free workshops along with a community of gardeners.
To help with the maintenance, renters are required to provide two hours of volunteer time over the course of the season on a community project such as organizing the tool shed, helping with clean up at the end of the season, mowing the paths, managing the hoses, or similar tasks.
There are as many different uses of the space as there are gardeners who range from apartment dwellers to homeowners.
Young families rent plots and show their children how to garden. Retirees come to garden, relax and socialize. Some plot renters grow their seasonal produce, others focus on flowers and creating attractive oases.
Visitors to the gardens walk on a grassy green lattice grid of mown pathways and see a symphony of colors, textures and designs with each square garden plot reflecting the personal style and tastes of their individual gardeners. Tomatoes, basil, chard, sweetpeas and sunflowers have long been staples in the gardens while each year brings new plants reflecting current gardening trends.
The Western Massachusetts Master Gardeners have four demonstration plots and offer classes on-site. They donate all of the produce they grow to the Northampton Survival Center. Additionally, they are available at the gardens every Monday morning during the season beginning 8:30 a.m. to answer questions.
The number of pollinator gardens at NCG is increasing with bold red zinnias, airy purple Verbena bonariensis, feathery green dill, and other pollinator-habitat friendly plants drawing so many butterflies, including rare ones, that butterfly clubs come to visit.
Tree Northampton, a private citizens group promoting shade trees in Northampton, also has four NCG plots and Historic Northampton offers tours at the gardens.
Recent physical improvements include an upgraded road to the garden, the installation of a Master Gardener kiosk for information sharing, and an improved compost pile.
The gardens are on city property, so anyone can walk through them, but all contents of the plots belong to the renters. Other typical rules apply, such as no smoking, dogs allowed only on leashes and the requirement to clean up after pets.
Registration for plots is March 24, 9 a.m. to noon at the Northampton Recreation Department, 100A Bridge Road, Florence in a modular building next to JFK Middle School. Plots, at $25 a piece, are available on a first-come, first-served basis. First-timers may rent one; returning gardeners may take up to four plots.
Visit the Northampton Community Garden website at https://nohogarden.org/ for more information.
Priscilla Touhey of Florence is a Master Gardener with the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association who does volunteer work at the Northampton Community Gardens. She hopes to get her own plot this season.