More Garden Photos

With enthusiastic support from Mayor FitzGerald, the Lakewood Earth & Food (LEAF) Community has officially broken ground at plots in Cove, Kauffman, Madison, and Webb Parks, as well as the Plover Garden, for its community gardening initiative in 2008. Beginning last year with the Plover Garden (6 plots) in Bird Town, LEAF has expanded its efforts in community gardening to more than 130 plots across Lakewood, including about 20 at Cove and Kauffman Parks, 30 at Madison, and more than 50 at Webb. These plots are now available to the Lakewood community for a small fee.

The four new sites have been carefully chosen by LEAF board members, and approved by the Mayor, in order to appeal to a wide array of community members, from Webb in the west to Madison in the southeast. More specifically, plots are located in the southwest corner of Cove Park, on the south sides of Kauffman and Madison Park, near right field of the baseball diamonds, and along the west side of the tennis court in Webb Park. Each location has ample space for a number of 10' x 10' plots and leaves plenty of the park areas intact for continued use of baseball diamonds and playground equipment at the sites. View a map with photos of each site.

Aside from providing apartment and condo dwellers with green space and room to garden, community gardens have been shown to raise nearby property values, lower crime rates in adjacent areas, and provide hours of enjoyment to those who work them. They provide physical activity, camaraderie with neighbors, and stress relief, and have been shown to contribute to overall wellness. Gardening is a great platform for intergenerational bonding, provides a wholesome (and fun) activity for the whole family, teaches children where food comes from, and improves the nutrition of those who participate. Growing vegetables in community gardens can help offset rising food prices and bring the community together in the process.

To learn more about the LEAF Community and its community gardening initiative in Lakewood, e-mail: leafcommunity+gardens@gmail.com

Also, check out the LEAF Community Garden at Webb Park Wiki for information on the garden at Webb Park.