Benton-Stephens Neighborhood
Location: 1511 Windsor St., between Ripley and William
Land provided by: Mark Stevenson, REMI
Maintained by: gardeners mainly from the neighborhood
Garden leaders: Kip Kendrick & Elan Colello
Web page: bscgarden.org
2009 Plots: This year, the garden is being organized communally instead of in individual plots, in an attempt to maximize production. Interested gardeners are still welcome to apply through the form on this site. Or, contact Kip and Elan to find out how to get involved.
This garden was founded in 2006 by Kip Kendrick and few other fellow community focused gardners. The garden grows out of the ruined foundation of the former home of beloved community member Ernie Koenig. Even after his death, he is still remembered by his friends and neighbors for his stunningly colorful flower beds that used line the front of his house, cheering up the neighborhood.
The land now acts as a temporary refuge, a place for the community to come together. By working side-by-side and sharing our harvests with each other, we hope to learn more about how to better sustain ourselves and our community.
Everyone can participate in the garden, including Benton Elementary School whose student are adding food scraps from home to our garden compost while learning about the benefits of compost and where food comes from.
During last weekend’s warm and dry weather, I finally had the chance to turn over and work up part of my garden plot at the Ash Street garden. To my disappointment, I discovered that my plot is full of heavy, sticky clay. I suspect the soil had been disturbed when the three houses that used to reside on the garden were removed. If you’ve ever worked with heavy clay soil, you know that it can be quite challenging. On the other hand, it offers the chance to use some good gardening practices to turn poor soil into productive soil… if you’re up for it.
When working with clay soil, it’s important to add and incorporate A LOT of compost and avoid working the soil when it is too wet. Adding compost improves the structure and tilth of the soil, which improves drainage and makes it easier for the roots of your plants to spread and grow. Working wet soil (whether clay or otherwise) damages the structure of the soil by reducing its natural air pockets. You know that you’ve worked wet soil when it dries out later and you’re left with rock hard clods. To know if soil is dry enough to work, loosen a small patch and take a handful and gently form the soil into a ball. If it breaks apart when you poke it, or is otherwise crumbly, it is generally dry enough to work.
Typically, at least in the first couple of years, it may be necessary to either turn the soil over by hand and then run a tiller through it or turn and work the soil entirely by hand with a sturdy garden fork and hoe. I can promise that the first couple of years will be challenging. It will take more labor and time to prepare your beds and your yields may be somewhat reduced. However, over time, the work will get easier. I once made great improvements over the course of three to five years in a garden of mine in Kansas City. After starting with some really poor, disturbed, clay soil in raised beds, I was eventually able to turn the soil over with very little effort. In places, I didn’t even need to use a tool. The soil was so light and fluffy that I could simply use my bare hands to prepare the beds for planting.
For more information on improving clay soils, check out this Fine Gardening article at http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/improving-clay-soils.aspx
The Benton-Stephens garden reports on it’s new web site that they have had good success so far getting things planted.
We now have the following vegetables and seeds in the ground:
Peas, Lettuce, Spinach, Carrots, Radish, Beets, Onions, Swiss Chard
They have work days currently scheduled every Thursday from 3:30-6:30 pm and every Saturday from 12-4 pm
Read about the Benton-Stephens Garden in this Missourian article.
Sunday, February 15 • 2 p.m.
1601 Windsor St. (Kip’s house)
It is that time of year again! (Time to begin the planning for this next garden season.) All those who are interested in having a garden spot, please contact me. We are also looking for people to take a leadership role in coordinating garden efforts. I will soon have a list of leadership roles to be filled. One part of this will be co-coordinator of the garden. There is much that can be done this year to increase yields. Our initial meeting will be to assign garden plots, assign roles, and set garden work-days for the early spring. I invite all who are interested to attend this meeting.