A Season to Forget at Garden Plots

Now is the time when gardeners reap the bounty of their harvest, but for many who planted at the Naperville Park District Garden Plots, 2010 will be a year to forget.

Heavy rains and drainage issues made growing a trial for some gardeners this year, with some trying desperately to harvest anything. The flowers did well; the tomatoes did not.

Susan Church has been gardening at the Garden Plots, located at 811 S. West St., near Naperville Central, for four years. Her plot originally was located on the south side of the gardens, but she had to relocate to the north side of the plots this year.

The relocation of garden plots was necessitated because of a development agreement that was reached between School District 203 and the Naperville Park District. The land, specifically the south plot, once used for gardens is being transformed into two athletic fields. It was an issue that was highly contentious last year.

Rain and drainage were the two biggest problems this year, Church said. When she planted at her new spot, she said the soil seemed even better than at the previous location, which also was a low spot. But once the rain started falling, drainage problems became noticeable.

Church said the plot next to hers was much higher. Normally her tomatoes, Swiss chard and okra grow like crazy, but this year they didn't produce much, she said. The only things that seemed to do well were her flowers.

The first year in the new spot was a "learning year," she said, adding that the plots need as much organic material as possible to improve the soil.

"I hope next year they do a better job with drainage and leveling," she said.

Brad Wilson, Naperville Park District's director of recreation, said the district would be doing drainage work in the off season, noting that weeds were another problem many gardeners encountered because of the rain.

With the relocation of plots, some spots were lost, Wilson said. Last year there were 590 plots, while this year there were 518, including some half-size plots. The standard garden plot is 19 feet by 30 feet.

Overall, registration for the plots went well, Wilson said, though he acknowledged that some people were wait-listed and others were upset that they couldn't rent multiple plots during the priority registration. In the past, some gardeners worked plots that were adjacent to one another. This year some were unable to do that.

The district did its best to accommodate the gardeners, Wilson said. The registration process was a result of direct feedback from gardeners.

Mary Smith has gardened for four years at the plots, three of them being consecutive years.

"I really enjoy the city offering this because it's not an option where I live," she said.

While she is thankful the park district offers the garden plots, she wasn't pleased with the way the plots were tilled this year.

"When they re-did the plots, they didn't even it out (the soil)," Smith said.

Because of flooding in her plot, she was unable to plant until July, and then she trucked in 20 to 25 bags of soil to try to even out the land. A slope from the plot next to hers was clearly visible.

Some of Smith's garden neighbors had been planting at the site for years, she said, but some just gave up. Smith had to replant because she was flooded out. Last year she had surplus produce to share, but this year that was not the case, she said, pointing out the sparse garden plot. Even some of her sunflowers didn't survive.

"It was a frustrating season," Smith said.

A mother with three children, Smith was still upset about the garden plot relocations. While she understands the need for the playing fields, she said the garden plots also offer a way for children to learn and grow outside of sports.

"My sons had such pride showing their grandfather — a lifelong farmer — what they had grown, and in sharing with friends and others the various vegetables and tomatoes that we had harvested from our garden last year," she said in a follow-up e-mail. "It was something that they had planted, watered, and nurtured —something for them to give to others.  It taught them hard work can result in something that they can obtain and share, not to mention the educational aspect of how food is grown and where it comes from. It has also helped the kids realize that things don't always turn out so favorable, no matter how hard you work at it, and learning to deal with those frustrations."

For both Smith and Church, the gardening season was frustrating, but both were still hard at work tending to their plots.

So why bother working on a garden that isn't produce good results?

"I just like being out here in the dirt," Church said. "I like to work in the dirt. … It's very therapeutic. I like looking at my space. It's your own place to do with whatever you want."