St. Augustine’s Home for the Aged at 2345 West 86th Street offered their property for an urban garden, some Master Gardener volunteers and I started this vegetable and flower garden in the spring of 1997. What began as a limited-variety garden has now grown to include flowerbeds, fruit trees, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, pecan and walnut trees and over 50 specimens of medicinal and culinary herbs.

In addition to healthy organic produce for the 100 residents, the gardens provide an outdoor environment that residents and their guests enjoy throughout the year. Rows are separated by four-foot paths of grass to allow residents in wheelchairs access to harvest vegetables and cut flowers. An outdoor sink is available at the edge of the garden so produce can be cleaned, washed and packaged on the premises.

Master Gardeners provide expertise and manpower to keep things growing and productive throughout the gardening season. Bill Wagner tends to more than 25 roses. Dick Wheeler cares for the onions and started perennial plantings of asparagus, blueberries, rhubarb and grapes. Joe Juriss attends to a large area of watermelons and many varieties of cantaloupes. Tina Meeks planned and planted aromatic and colorful flowers around the outdoor gazebo that serves as gathering point for the residents. Diane Stippler, Carla Nelson and Phyllis Fulford planted and tend to over 50 varieties of the medicinal and culinary herbs. Graduates from recent Master Gardener classes completed volunteer service hours weeding, planting and harvesting.

Our garden has a long productive season starting with the crocuses and daffodils in the early spring and holding on until the dead of winter yielding root crops that retain their vigor and taste well into December. Of course, the season everyone looks forward to is the arrival of those tasty tomatoes in early summer!