The Picton Community Gardens is a project on the grow.

The communal growing space at Delhi Park has even deeper roots now, thanks to a volunteer governance structure and local business buy-in.

Picton Community Gardens Chair Barb Mason visited the Gazette offices Tuesday to share a three-year vision to revamp the existing Community Gardens into an expanded, diverse, beautified, and secure gathering and growing space.

Founded in 2016 and rehabilitated in 2019, the gardens are due for a serious makeover. The project, which inspired similar initiatives in Napanee, Wellington, and Bloomfield, hosts 38 raised beds and has a waiting list of gardeners who wish to join.

Vandalism and theft have hindered work. Hand implements and supplies were stolen from the service shed. Unwelcome visitors, including tourists, raided the produce beds,
and deer and other wildlife dined on the leftovers.

Yet despite its popularity, over the past couple of growing seasons, vandalism and theft have hindered work. Hand implements and supplies were stolen from the service shed. Unwelcome visitors, including tourists, raided the produce beds, and deer and other wildlife dined on the leftovers.

“With a lot of beds falling apart, we met as a group and decided if we wanted to see the Picton Community Gardens grow on, we needed to ‘grow up’ and gete organized,” said Ms. Mason.

Phase two will see a covered learning space and picnic area.
Also included in the phase two designs is a central pollinator
garden with adjoining trellis and benches to create a
quiet place of solitude and peace. Accessible kitchen-cutting gardens
of rosemary, thyme, and other herbs outside the perimeter
fencing are also a possibility.

The group formed a temporary board that will allow the volunteer body to more easily apply for grant funding, donations, and in-kind services as well as mete out organizational and logistical tasks.

Work on making the new vision blossom will take place in three phases. This year, the Picton Community Gardens Board hopes to enhance and rehabilitate the existing footprint. Plans include a wood-chip base atop a black fabric underlay to keep weeds under control, and the installation of a perimeter fence to keep scavengers and vandals at bay.

Phase two will see a covered learning space and picnic area. Also included in the phase two designs is a central pollinator garden with adjoining trellis and benches to create a quiet place of solitude and peace. Accessible kitchen-cutting gardens of rosemary, thyme, and other herbs outside the perimeter fencing are also a possibility.

Ms. Mason noted the gardeners are in discussions with the municipality for a written agreement designating the communal garden before any work commences. The gardeners welcome the Delhi Park revitalization plans and the prospect of the Prince Edward Pickleball courts next door.

“What’s so serendipitous is that we really didn’t know about anything else going on. We learned about the Delhi project in the fall and the pickleball courts more recently,” said Ms. Mason. “We want to create a sustainable, accessible and environmental jewel for Picton that everybody and anybody can enjoy and be part of.”