Gardens for a better future

ST. PETERSBURG - Community gardens may reduce or even stop crimes in neighborhoods, some local gardeners say.

On a warm Saturday morning, they gathered to clean up and weed a community garden in a neighborhood where sirens and gunshots have been the norm recently.

The site at Bartlett Community Garden was empty two years ago, but now native Florida plants and vegetables flourish on the leased lot under the care of some dedicated gardeners. They grow habanero peppers, jalapeños, and cherry tomatoes, among many other vegetables.

They also hope to weed out the violence that has plagued the area.

"When people see a 'Paris Garden' I want them to remember Paris but I also want them to remember how we can do better for this neighborhood to change and stop the violence," said Andrea Hildebran, founder of the community garden.

Hildrebran is referring to Paris Whitehead-Hamilton, the 8-year-old girl killed in a drive-by shooting in April. Hildebran plans to build more gardens in the neighborhood in the memory of the little girl.

"Having a 'Paris Garden' in Bartlett Park is a memorial for the little girl," Hildebran said. "Her death was also a point when a lot of people decided to make a difference in the community. I want to keep that alive."

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A college student, a community nurse, an owner of a bookstore in Tampa, an organic chef, and other community members are among those who have come together to share tips about organic gardening and healthy. From the existing 44 gardening plots, 10 plots are still available.

To garden here, the members need to pick out a 50 square foot plot and pay $3 monthly or a $25 yearly membership fee. For a $100, members can have a plot for a lifetime, said Angie Honda, coordinator for the garden.

"We are raising money to buy the land because we want the land to stay as a resource for the community," said Honda, who spreads mulch on the garden plot.

Honda's inspiration is her itinerant organic farmer sister, who lives in different places during the growing season. During the winter, she lives in a house in Springfield, IL and prepares plants for the growing season. In the growing season, she moves to North Carolina to an organic mountain farm.

"She lives off the cash economy, she does not work for money, she barters, and she doesn't use electricity, except if it is solar generated, and she uses water from the mountains," Honda said.

Gardening is a trade-off for Honda and an escape from her mundane job.

"I think humans have a real connection with the soil. I work in a cubicle. The garden helps me stay sane and get out of the everyday habits," Honda said.

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Bartlett Park Community Garden is the dream of one woman who sees it as a way to bring the community together.

Andrea Hildebran planted this idea in other gardeners’ heads. Since she opened the organic garden in March 1, 2008, more and more locals ask her for plants and gardening advice.

"We built this garden in hope of bringing people together, creating a different atmosphere in the neighborhood. I think it is working, but more needs to be done," she said.

She is also president of Green Florida, an organization that builds community gardens in the neighborhood.

"I love having a place where people can come. It's exciting to see folks approaching gardening from different perspectives, and you can only do that with a location where people can come and garden together," Hildebran said.

Volunteers and local gardeners keep the garden alive. Some of the youngest gardeners are 6-year-old Abby M. Brown and her 9-year-old brother R.J. Rufus. They ride their bikes to the garden, and they say they like to come there because it's fun.

"I like the raking. I like tomatoes the best. I am gardening tomatoes right there," Abby said.

Rufus says that rather than purchasing produce from the store, he prefers to grow his own vegetables because they stay fresh longer.

"We planted tomatoes and peppers with my father," Rufus said. "And I will also plant orange and mango trees."

The kids also planted a mandarin-orange tree in honor of Paris Hamilton.

Angie Honda says for some children, the harvests are an eye-opening experience.

"Some children who come to the garden believe that Publix created the food behind the counter," Honda said. "When they pull the first carrot out of the ground, they eat it."

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The gardens are a lifeline for those who opt for a healthier diet on a shoestring budget.

People buy plots and start to garden from different reasons.

"I lost my house in a divorce and I wanted to dig in the ground," said Tom Elman. He found out about the garden on the Saturday Market in St. Petersburg.

"I recently harvested one of the best cucumbers I had in years," he said. "I got some cherry tomatoes and bok choy last week. I am having a great time here, and it gives me an opportunity to do some volunteer work."

Elman, an acupuncture specialist by profession, joined the garden three months ago.

"Once it gets too hot for tomatoes, I plan to grow some