Flooding Doesn't Deter Medlock Community Gardeners

A low-lying hollow on the backside of Medlock Park suffered such severe flooding the federal government bought a house there and leveled it.

Today on that spot at Willivee Drive and Scott Circle, local gardeners–aided by the DeKalb County government–have built a thriving garden. When the flooding returned, they dug deep for resourcefulness and perseverance to produce flowers, crops and a model of community renaissance for passersby on the PATH boardwalk. 

Flooding soaked the acreage so much that “we joked about planting rice, and one garden member did,” said Sharon Johnson, a garden founder who lives on Gaylemont. “And it worked!”

The garden “has become a central spot for our community, and especially if we lose our school [nearby , slated for closing], it might become even more.”

The Medlock Community Garden is leasing plots for $60 each for the 2011 season [contact medlockgarden@gmail.com], and gardeners have seized the occasional warm winter weekend day to ready their 4 x 10 foot plots for spring planting.

One participant is Dave Butler who lives on Sunstede Drive. As the county's greenspace environment manager, he helped the local gardeners navigate various government departments. Butler also planted a plot of snap peas, tomatoes, green beans, okra, cucumbers, cabbage, herbs and irises. 

The garden “is a huge asset to our community which includes Clairmont Heights Civic Association and Medlock Area Neighborhood Association,” said Nancy Ciliax, who lives on Densley Drive.

She described the first season as “a learn-as-you-go experience both botanically and in physically setting up the garden.”

Medlock’s harvest was among the first in DeKalb County’s Garden in the Parks program, which charges $200 to register a community garden and a $200 yearly fee.

To help other neighborhood groups break ground in other parks, the volunteers in Medlock offer the following hard-earned knowledge:

• Garden in the Parks is part of DeKalb County’s Natural Resources Management Office and Parks and Recreation. Contact Charlie Monroe at 770-484-3060.
• Find a risk taker like Johnson. “Someone has to be willing to sign for the water bill, so I did it,” she said. “Other than that, a core group of four to five neighbors is what you need.”
• Share leadership. This year, Medlock divided up the garden manager job into four separate volunteer duties including manager, treasurer, and communications and workday coordinator.
• Be prepared for expenses. In 2010, gardeners in Medlock ponied up $20 to start. They ended up paying an extra $26 for a fence and water line with agricultural (non-sewage) billing. This year’s $60 membership fee will pay for water and county fees and may help fund a tool shed, tools or other shared items approved by member vote.
• Rules help spread the work around and solve conflict. Mandatory meetings and workdays make sure that everyone does their part. Medlock gardeners also established guidelines for water use and planting – such as no tall species that shadow other plots.
• Invite non-gardeners. Medlock offers a “supporting membership” for no fee, as a way to involve anyone interested in the garden to keep up with the garden’s social events and pitch in as needed.
• Install a sturdy fence. Medlock avoided further flood damage because their welded wire fence contained the floating wooden frames from each garden plot. “All we did was take the intact frames and drop them back down on our plots,” Johnson said. “If we didn’t have the fence, we would have lost those frames. The fence was the first thing we did.”
• Raised beds help protect a garden prone to flooding, but also usually require more water.
• Beware the county’s free mulch: “We weren’t sure what was in it and that it probably was not organic,” Ciliax said. “Many of us found that using the county mulch was not a good idea… some gardeners used their own mulch and organic fertilizer and had good results.”
• Expect wildlife. “When the area flooded, we even had a beaver come around,” Ciliax said. “Neighbors saw it swimming around the boardwalk and it gnawed off a small tree nearby.  We see lots of hawks and of course squirrels. Our fence keeps the bunnies out but the squirrels have free rein.”
• Keep trying. Medlock planned to give the harvest from one communal area to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. “That didn’t work out as well as we thought because giving them three tomatoes at one time didn’t feel right,” Johnson said.
• Gather in the garden for fun, too. Medlock hosted several potlucks. “I brought my fire pit one night, and it was wonderful sitting around it, sharing stories, watching the sunset and listening to the bird songs,” Ciliax said. 
• Welcome serendipity. Medlock’s gate is a one-of-a kind wood design made by member Steiph Zargon, who lives on Scott Circle. Fellow gardeners Kaye Smith, Cathy Quinones and Shenoa Creer have also worked hard to shape areas of the garden meant to help others besides themselves.
• If your neighborhood puts on a garden tour, make your community garden a venue. The Third Annual Funky Elegant Lush Summer Medlock Garden Tour in July 2010 “gave the community an opportunity to stop by, see what we were up to and ask questions,” Ciliax said.