A place for growth
The Town of Pittsboro has invited Chatham Alliance to develop an Educational Demonstration Garden in the Pop-Up Park being developed on Salisbury Street. The Rotary Club of Pittsboro has joined the partnership as the major financial sponsor of the project, which is already in the early stages of development. The garden will focus on easy and inexpensive methods for growing fresh fruits and vegetables at home, even with only very limited space. Additionally, the garden will cultivate flowers to beautify the park itself.
The garden is being established on the foundations of a demolished Piggly Wiggly store located at the Pop-Up Park site. The project will not only transform an existing eyesore but will also demonstrate that successful home gardening does not require more than a patio corner, a balcony, or the side of a house along a driveway.
The garden will be maintained as a “working garden,” with its operational aspects on display. Emphasis will be placed on tidy, workman-like infrastructure, including planting beds made from repurposed building materials, and garden operations such as composting conducted openly as part of the educational presentation.
A focus on flowers, as possible throughout the seasons, will present a colorful and attractive appearance visible throughout the park, encouraging park users to enter the garden and experience it directly.
Recognized experts from the local horticultural community are assisting the volunteer garden staff and will help develop and present educational demonstrations, including both static displays and occasional live events, which reflect seasonal emphases.
The educational opportunities at the garden site will seek to build public awareness of sound nutritional principles, food resources available in our community, and simple methods for growing healthful food with minimum expense in individual homes.
Home gardening activities appropriate for children will be emphasized. “Kids Love Community,” an existing component of the Alliance’s program, will be expanded to encourage local classrooms to grow “starter plants” at their schools and either bring them for planting themselves or make them available to garden visitors.
The garden will provide Chatham Alliance with an additional public forum to publicize its charitable mission and to offer information regarding the Alliance’s services, which are available without charge to all residents.
Chatham Alliance volunteers already active in our other programs and members of the community at large interested in the gardening program are encouraged to become involved as the program grows.