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New community garden part of Campbell’s Pride Project
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Nick Galantis and Annette Tovarnak of the residents group Campbell Pride Project show off the work the group has done so far at the new community garden near the corner of Penhale Avenue and 10th Street in Campbell. The garden was planted on a site that housed an old elementary school.
By jeanne starmack
Campbell
Campbell, how does your garden grow?
It grows like any good idea — with a lot of hard work, patience and cooperation.
Some water in the barrels in the irrigation system would help, too, said Campbell Pride Project officers Annette Tovarnak and Nick Galantis as they showed off what’s been done so far at the city’s new community garden near the corner of Penhale Avenue and 10th Street.
The fire department usually takes care of the barrels for them, they said. Nonetheless, they still could use volunteers to water and weed the plants — flowers and vegetables showing the promise of continued growth toward a blue and white sky in the cool, breezy Tuesday morning.
Tomato, pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro, potato, watermelon and berry plants are soundly rooted in raised beds on around an acre, part of a larger site where an elementary school once stood.
There’s basil there as well, announced by wafts of its distinctive perfume.
Flowers, still small, peek above red shreds of mulch in a long, L-shaped bed on the ground.
The garden was largely Tovarnak’s idea, Galantis said.
Tovarnak is president of the Pride Project, a residents group that has worked on several city beautification projects since it formed last year.
“Annette said we should think about a community garden,” Galantis said.
“I petitioned the school board to let us use the property,” Tovarnak said. “We applied for a grant and we needed a spot.”
The group obtained a $3,000 grant from the Youngstown Neighborhood Association, and has already spent $3,500 on the garden.
There have been other donations, Tovarnak said.
“We actually used our own money,” she added. “We don’t mind. It’s for a good cause.”
In mid-May, volunteers from Pride Project built the raised beds. They filled them a week later, and on Memorial Day the group planted the flowers and vegetables. It also cleaned up Roosevelt Park and planted flowers there.
The garden truly does belong to the community, Galantis and Tovarnak said.
“If somebody needs it, come and get it,” he said. “If somebody was down and out, I’d tell them, ‘Go down to the community garden, pick some tomatoes — take what you need,’” Galantis said.
People are also welcome to plant and harvest their own vegetables and herbs, Tovarnak said.
How will the garden grow into the future? The Pride Project has plans.
Benches, a picnic table and a brick walkway that people can help to build by buying the bricks are some ideas that have sprouted.
Tovarnak’s daughters Alexa, 8, and Ava, 5, are pushing for swings.
The city could also easily add a waterline to the property, said Tovarnak. “My goal is to get the elementary school involved with planting seeds and make it a children’s community garden,” Galantis said. A pumpkin patch could spice up the fall with more fun, Tovarnak added.
It’s worth the work, they believe.
“Campbell really is a phenomenal community,” said Galantis.