The Houston Community Garden’s season is coming to a close as fall continues to draw nearer, and its been a strong one for crop growing as well as community involvement.

Houston Today spoke to Garden Manager Cheryl Gatzke, who spoke to some of the ways the garden helps bring the local community together. “The Houston Community Garden is operated by Houston Link to Learning (HLL) so we are more than just a garden. HLL provides learning opportunities for families and individuals in Houston. The garden box to anyone who would like to grow their own nutritious food. The only requirement is that participants volunteer at the main garden. We also host a variety of free workshops, children’s programs and events,” she said.

In terms of the crop yield, it was a very good summer for a lot of vegetables. “We are pleased with the crops harvested at the community garden. Cucumbers, squash and root vegetables did well. We had challenges with tomatoes this year, but veteran gardeners assured us it was a difficult year. The addition of our greenhouse has extended the growing season to include warmer climate plants like eggplant, cantaloupe, and peppers,” said Gazkte.

Over 30 families and local agencies accessed the garden this year, which has a total of 37 garden plots. The remaining beds were used for HLL’s Grow & Learn Early Years program, food kitchen, as well as produce to sell at the Houston farmers market.

The garden is also undergoing a construction project that began in late August to create an accessible outdoor space for programming including workshops, yoga, community BBQs and children’s programs.

The last day for harvest at the garden will be on Sept. 24, with everything being wrapped up and winterized the following week for the fall and winter seasons. A workshop is being held on Sept. 15 to show members of the garden how to preserve what they have grown.

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