Meet the Loveland Presbyterian Community Garden

By Dot and Jeff Jamison, LPC Community Garden Coordinators

As an extension of Loveland Presbyterian Church’s outreach commitment to our community, a partnership with the Civic Garden Center began in 2015. With the help of a Boy Scout Eagle project, our community garden was constructed with (21) 4’ x 10’ raised beds and a deer fence surrounding them. Over the years, we have added several handicap access raised beds, berry bushes, fruit trees and a church roof rainwater collection system that consists of (8) 55-gallon drums.

Through our partnership with the CGC, the gardeners receive seeds, seasonal vegetable starts, young fruit trees and opportunities to learn organic gardening practices in classes that have increased their gardening skills. Not only that, through their education, the gardeners have been able to increase their productivity and donate fresh produce to Loveland Life Food Pantry, putting fresh, clean produce in the hands of low-income families.

In 2022, a flower garden was added next to the community garden to encourage pollinators. This year as an added benefit, the Cincinnati Dahlia Society donated a bumper crop of dahlia tubers to the CGC. These tubers were distributed to the 70 gardens in the network that spans Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana to be grown for pollinators.

As a member of both organizations, I want to thank Kymisha from the CGC and Nan from the Cincinnati Dahlia Society for their contributions for another successful growing season.