BETHESDA, MD—The Montgomery County Department of Parks is now accepting applications for the third community garden opening in the Montgomery parks system at Bradley Local Park, 8701 Hartsdale Avenue in Bethesda.
“We’re requesting applications now through March 3 for gardening at this new location,” said Department of Parks Community Gardens Coordinator Ursula Sabia Sukinik. “We intend to assign plots in early-March for an anticipated April opening of the Bradley Local Park Community Garden, weather permitting.”
The Department of Parks opened the first community garden in the parks at Sligo Mill Overlook, 6400 Orchard Avenue in Takoma Park, in May 2009 with support from Montgomery County Council Vice President Valerie Ervin and the Takoma Park community. The Briggs Chaney Community Garden located at 2161 Briggs Chaney Road in Silver Spring was the second, and opened in December 2009. For an annual fee, area residents can rent garden plots to grow vegetables, herbs and flowers and enjoy forming new friendships with their neighbors.
“One of the most pleasant surprises from starting up these community gardens has been watching the way the gardens bring neighbors together,” added Sukinik. “A lot of the neighbors at Sligo Mill told us that they had never even met before gardening together there.”
Currently there is a 30-person waiting list for gardening at the Sligo Mill Overlook Community Garden. Applications, however, are still being accepted currently for gardening at the Briggs Chaney Community Garden. 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.
At the Bradley Local Park location, nineteen 200 square feet plots are available for an annual fee of $30 per plot. Like the other two locations, water and deer fencing is also available at Bradley Local Park for community gardeners.
To rent a community garden plot, visit www.ParksCommunityGardens.org and complete a one page application. Names of interested community gardeners who submit applications are placed in a lottery for the location and assigned plots and notified of plot assignments by the Department of Parks.
Also, for more about current or proposed community garden locations, call the Department of Parks Community Gardens line at 301-650-2635 or email MCP-CommunityGardens@MontgomeryParks.org.
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Contact:
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
301-650-2866