Green thumb book worms Growing communities through gardening at the library

It is not unusual to see people gardening at their homes throughout the summer, but how about at your local library?

This summer, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Libraries are coordinating two sustainable garden projects—Growing Communities and the Children’s Garden.

Growing Communities
Designed and monitored by local sustainable gardening expert, Michael Jerman, the Growing Communities gardens are filled with a variety of herbs and vegetables, including tomatoes, dill, scarlet runner beans, collard greens, chard, anise hyssop, perilla, fennel and much more.

“We wanted the garden to be colorful, edible, and most importantly, to be representative of the many different cultures that populate this community,” said Nancy Levin, Heights Library director.

The gardens were created primarily as a service to the community and thus all the herbs and vegetables will be available to the public. A “Take Some, Leave Some” table at each branch is stocked daily with the bounty of the gardens. Library patrons are welcome to take anything from the table, or, if their personal gardens are producing abundantly, to donate produce for others to consume.

In August, when crops yield the most, the library makes a bulk delivery of produce to the Heights Emergency Food Center for use in their community meal program.

The Growing Communities project is supported by a $5,600 Library Services and Technology Grant through the State of Ohio Library. “We started the program last year, but were eager to continue and expand the scope of the project,” said deputy library director Cathy Hakala-Ausperk. “The grant allowed us to do just that.”

Grant funding has enabled the library to create sustainable gardens at each of the four branches in 2010 (last year there was only one, at Lee Road). Funding has also allowed the library to purchase books on gardening, vegetables, cooking and nutrition, and to offer a variety of programs during the summer.

Children’s Garden

Funded through a grant from the Cyrus Eaton Foundation, the Children’s Garden is a sustainable environment that is aesthetically pleasing and provides space for children and adults to relax and reflect. Although the Children’s Garden  offer some vegetables, it is stocked primarily with flowers. Located just outside of the large bay windows in the children’s room at Lee Road, the garden was planted this summer and is gradually developing. One of the major additions slated for the garden is a work by local sculptor Raymond Bugelski, who is employing recycled bicycles in his creation to reinforce the sustainability goals of the library.

The library has also developed special programming related to gardening for children, teens, and adults, including cooking demonstrations on how to use home-grown produce. Programs is offered July through September and can be reviewed at www.heightslibrary.org. Finally, special book collections are on display that promote cooking, gardening and nutrition.

Community effort
The gardening projects have been a true community collaboration and their success is due in large part to the many volunteers who have contributed time and energy preparing the grounds, planting the seeds and flowers, and watering and cultivating on a daily basis.

“My mother and brother were gardeners and I wanted to follow in that family ‘green thumb’ tradition,” said Phillip Martin Noble Neighborhood Library-based volunteer. “I’m always happy to help at the library, and with gardening you really get to see the fruits of your labors,” said Martin, as he headed out the door to water the flowers.

A core of 16 volunteers supported the efforts of staff and contractors. “We rely heavily on the contributions of our Friends and volunteers,” said Levin. “We certainly could not have achieved so much without them.” Levin also credited several individuals and groups who made donations to the gardening projects, including several trees from the Wolpert Family and enormous pots from Bremec on the Heights.

August, Levin promises, will bring the big harvest: “The tables will be overflowing with vegetables.”

Dean Schnurr is the marketing and community relations manager for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library.