You’ve heard that “eat local” is the new “organic.”  While organically grown food offers many benefits, so does locally grown produce.  Naperville gardeners say that there’s nothing quite like growing the vegetables and fruits yourself.  If you have too much shade in your yard, or too many rabbits, or no yard at all, the Naperville Park District has a solution for you:  rent a garden plot!

The Community Garden Plots on West Street offer full size, half size, organic, and raised garden plots for first-time and returning gardeners.  Registration for garden plots will open to Naperville Park District residents on February 22nd and to nonresidents on March 8th.  Click here to see registration details and to view the 2010 Garden Plot Map.

Naperville residents, Don and Lorie Piel, have tended 2 garden plots at West Street for 19 years. “We really like connecting with the soil, working with our hands, and getting outside in all sorts of weather,” says Don Piel.  “It’s a calming influence.”  His wife, Lorie, agrees. “I love the beauty, the quiet, the alone time.  It’s a place to think, pray, and recharge.”

While gardeners enjoy the quiet time, they also value the feeling of community that grows each season. “We see our neighbors there, and meet people from different cultures as well.  We all go to the pump for water, and while we’re there, we swap recipes and ask advice,” says Lorie.

Gardening provides a well-rounded workout, including strength, flexibility, and endurance training.  Everyone can participate, from the smallest child to the grandparents, including those with special needs.

How does a beginning gardener get started?  Several organizations in our area are ready to answer your questions and to give instruction as you go, from selecting the seeds to enjoying the harvest. The University of Illinois Extension in DuPage County offers gardening classes and a gardening help line. Our local gardening clubs, the Naperville Community Gardeners and the Naperville Garden Club, offer programs and a wealth of information about gardening. Additionally, you can count on the other gardeners at the West Street Garden Plots to share advice as to what has worked for them.
 
As for the rewards of gardening, the harvest speaks for itself. “We have plenty for our family and lots to share with others,” says Lorie Piel. 

Many gardeners regularly donate fresh produce to Loaves and Fishes. Jody Bender, Community Relations Director for Loaves and Fishes, appreciates the gardeners’ generosity. “The community gardener program offered by the Naperville Park District has been an important part of the ability of Loaves & Fishes Community Pantry to provide fresh produce for our client families," said Bender.

To the gardeners, giving is part of the gardening culture and just one of the many benefits of time spent tending their crops. “We feel healthy,” remarked Lorie Piel.  “It’s the exercise, being out in nature, and actually eating the vegetables.  You do feel obliged to eat what you have grown, and that’s a good thing!”


One day's harvest from the Piels' garden in 2009