BELFAST — A group recently gathered in the heart of Belfast to mark the successful completion of the Wales Park Community Garden’s pilot phase, according to Wales Park organizers, in a news release. 

The idea for a community garden in Belfast was seeded last summer by members of the Belfast Garden Club and came to fruition about a year later in Wales Park. Many hands dug in to create garden plots for growing vegetables. Then a group of ten gardeners gathered in the Park early one July morning to surround the plots with colorful pollinator plants, some donated and others dug from their own gardens. Aubuchon Hardware of Belfast and Honey Petal Plants of Brooks also contributed a variety of shrubs, flowering plants, and vegetable plants.

“Beyond the joy this project will bring to residents and visitors, it has already cultivated community as many individuals, government agencies, nonprofits, and local businesses have pitched in to contribute to its development,” said Wales Park.

This grassroots effort was grown with the oversight of the UMaine Cooperative Extension and the help of Waldo County Soil and Water Conservation District, which performed the soil analysis and laid out the garden design; the Belfast Parks and Recreation Department, which tilled the plots; Whitecap Builders, which built and donated the garden shed, provided and installed split-rail fencing, and dug the water line; Belmont Boatworks, which lifted the garden shed and placed it on its footings; and Nordic Aquafarms, which contributed the final dollars needed to acquire a water line. 

“Those who pitched in to create the garden are too numerous to mention; however, a good number of them are pictured (above),” said the Park. “Others dug into their pockets to help purchase a water line for the garden through a GoFundMe campaign, spearheaded by Mike Hurley, who himself donated two water spigots.”

The garden will formally open in time for the spring 2021 growing season. Garden guidelines and garden plot allocation procedures will be made available with prior public notice. This information will also be posted on the Wales Park Community Garden Facebook page and the Belfast Parks and Recreation website.   

The Wales Park Community Garden is located at the corner of Main Street and Lincolnville Avenue in Belfast.

“While still a work in progress, the public is invited to drop by to enjoy this oasis before frost brings the wonderful display to an end,” said the Park.

Follow and like Wales Park Community Garden on Facebook.