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Madeline Oden, left, and Louise Labbe-Fahy help clean up the community garden. Linda Lemmon photos.

 

Theresa Desilets

 

 

 

Knowledge

will grow

in garden

By Linda Lemmon

Town Crier Editor

PUTNAM --- Saying it would be nice to see more young people in the town's community garden, Theresa Desilets is planning to teach gardening when the season cranks up next spring.

Desilets, who calls herself, "just a gardener," has been gardening at the town's community garden off Smith Street, for two years. This year she expanded from a raised bed to a ground patch and grew corn, peppers, lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage and more.

Although she's gardened in the past at her home, she believes the community garden setting promoted her expanded interest in gardening. "It really took off when I went to ground gardening," she said.

As far as wanting to teach young people more about the rewards of gardening, she said she guesses she just has "a natural desire to teach."

When the young members of the Putnam Lions' Leos Club came to the garden, Desilets said she thought it was nice to have young people back in the garden. 

Those who are interested in learning in the spring will have to meet a financial obligation, though. It's $15 for a raised bed (a box) and $20 for a ground patch. 

The entire garden contains 10 ground garden patches and 15 raised beds.

Anyone interested in reaching Desilets should contact her through the town's Community and Economic Director Delpha Very at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Very said the community garden was dedicated to Dr. Robert R. Johnston in honor of his service to Putnam as a community caregiver and advocate for all citizens.

The garden was funded with a grant from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection under the Open Space and Community Garden Program. Along with state funding as well as private donations and in-kind services, the 4,150 square foot garden was officially established in 2012.

The garden also fits perfectly within the NECT HealthQuest goal as a regional collaborative partnership to establish programs and initiatives to build strong, healthy communities.

Very added the benefits of the community gardens are a sense of community ownership and stewardship of municipally owned property.

"Our garden has provided a unique opportunity to meet neighbors in a safe and friendly environment while unknowingly, getting a great no-cost workout at the same time. Our gardeners have forged relationships that have gone beyond growing fresh fruits and vegetables for their families ... they have nurtured each other; helped take care of neighbor's gardens when they could not, and educated fellow 'farmers' about pests and disease control, all while becoming a community family," she added.