SILVER SPRING, MD—The Montgomery County Department of Parks is now accepting applications for the second community garden in the Montgomery parks system—Briggs Chaney Community Garden located at 2161 Briggs Chaney Road in Silver Spring.
“The launch of our new community gardening program has been quite a success,” said Director of Parks Mary Bradford. “As demand for additional garden lots throughout the county continues to remain high, we are excited to usher in this second addition to the Montgomery Parks system at Briggs Chaney.”
The Department of Parks opened the first community garden in the parks at Sligo Mill Overlook, 6400 Orchard Avenue in Takoma Park on May 16, 2009, with support from Councilmember Valerie Ervin and the Takoma Park community. For an annual fee, area residents at the Sligo Mill Overlook Community Garden have been growing vegetables, herbs and flowers, and forming new friendships with their neighbors. Currently there is a 25 person waiting list for gardening at this location however, applications are still being accepted.
“One of the most pleasant surprises from starting up these community gardens has been watching the way the gardens bring neighbors together,” said Department of Parks Community Gardens Coordinator Ursula Sabia Sukinik. “A lot of the neighbors at Sligo Mill told us that they had never met before gardening together there.”
The Briggs Chaney Community Garden includes plots that are 625 square feet each in size. Interested community gardeners can rent a plot at Briggs Chaney for a fee of $70 per plot, annually. A one page application, which is available online at www.MontgomeryParks.org, is required. The Department of Parks is now accepting applications for a lottery to assign garden plots by February 15. Notification of plot assignments will be emailed after that date.
“We are considering more community gardening sites across the county; we’ve explored potential sites at Bradley Local Park in Bethesda, South Germantown Recreational Park, opportunities on privately-owned property in Takoma Park and potential sites in the northern part of the county,” added Sukinik. “Of course, public meetings for any and all future sites will be held to gather input from neighbors and interested parties. Our goal is to have 250 plots available for gardening in the spring of 2010.”
In addition to expanding the community gardening program in the New Year, the Department of Parks is also hoping to bring community garden planners from across the Washington Metropolitan region together to network and share information during Community Gardens Networking Day, planned for Thursday, February 4, 2010 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at Brookside Gardens.
For more on the Montgomery County Department of Parks community gardening program, including upcoming information on Community Gardens Networking Day, visit www.MontgomeryParks.org.
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Contact:
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
301-650-2866