The magic of Oak Park’s community garden

Published on June 27, 2024

The Oak Park Community Garden at 2250 Oakwood Ave. NE has served Huntsville for nearly a decade. Though what's planted has changed over the years, the mission to build community and provide improvements to the neighborhood remains the same.

"What I plant is for everyone to enjoy, no matter where you're from, and the only limitation is requesting that herbs or fruit that are still immature be given the appropriate time to grow and fill-out before harvesting," said garden caretaker Patricia Sanderson Gill.

Through experimenting with different types of plants, Gill said a focus on planting as many perennial herbs and beneficial pollinator plants, and working those into the design of the garden, has proven to be most successful and beautiful. She is planning long-term so that requirements to maintain the beds becomes less demanding while still offering edibles and ornaments for the community to enjoy.

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"This garden, in my mind, isn't a 'my' thing," Gill said. "It's an 'our' thing. Why do I keep doing this? Because it makes people genuinely glad that it's there, and that is a mighty reward for the effort."

Patricia also welcomes anyone who wants to pitch in to help with the garden, including watering, which is needed several times a week in the summer. Material goods are also in need, such as pavers for the walkways and plant markers. You can follow the garden on Instagram here.

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