RATHDRUM - Three years ago, the quarter-acre lot wedged between buildings in downtown Rathdrum was a depressing place, a forgotten square thick with weeds.

But a different sight greeted the eyes on Saturday.

Where weeds were once prominent, flowers and trim greenery now ringed a gravel walkway. Fruit trees spilled color against the gray sky. Black soil with green tendrils were packed into labeled plots. A solar waterfall trickled in the corner.

Now called the Goodness Grows Community Garden, the lot has transformed.

All that, in three years.

And achieved by but five adults, and roughly 100 children.

"It's been a labor of love, it really has," said Diane Corsi, coordinator of the Goodness Grows gardening group.

It all started when Corsi and some fellow gardening aficionados mulled over ideas for a new club. Something about gardening, "but not just bragging about roses," Corsi said.

A community garden could work, they conceived. They started holding meetings, collaborated with teacher Fonda Stewart from John Brown Elementary on developing both an adult and children's gardening club simultaneously.

Kids from John Brown wrote letters to the city council, pleading for the overgrown lot to be donated for a community garden.

Donations pouring in from local businesses, the garden sprang to life. Kids armed with hoes, seeds and rakes tended to the lot, through both classes at John Brown and through Diane's gardening classes with the Rathdrum Parks and Recreation Department.

The result: Rathdrum kids have learned about gardening skills, the origin of food and to take pride in a group effort.

The produce they grow is donated to the local food bank.

"We want them to learn to garden for a good purpose," said Stewart, who also conducts a week-long summer camp at the garden.

They're learning to commit, too.

On Saturday, in step with national Make A Difference Day, about 20 kids and adults attacked the garden, raking, hoeing, planting, trimming as the scent of mint filled the air.

"It's fun. If you make plants grow, you can give food to those who need the food," said Jonis Gardiner, 11, as he dumped weeds into a wheelbarrow. "You can help make the world look like a better place."

Lauren Cooper, 9, smiled and tucked her chin down as she dutifully raked the grass.

She now plans to have her own garden, someday, after working in the community lot.

"In the summer, I like to come out here and look at the flowers, and see how much they've grown," Cooper said.

Education was still part of Saturday's efforts. Jodee Fyfe, member of the adult gardening group, ushered kids over to a collection of leafy plants.

"Have you guys tasted this? It tastes like lemon," she said, passing leafs to kids and adults, who munched thoughtfully. "And this one tastes like cucumber!"

Donna Morse said her son Cody, 8, finally started eating vegetables after sampling what he grew at the garden.

"And to see food donations go to the food bank, he has an appreciation that not everyone has good," the Rathdrum woman said.

Mandy Kiefer's children, Lila, Addie and Harrison, 6, 8 and 11, have helped the lot evolve from weed-filled to beautiful, she said.

"I just feel like we need to take more pride in our community, make it prettier," Mandy said, adding that she hopes the group will improve other areas in town. "Downtown should be a place people want to go, not just drive by."

Corsi and Fyfe agreed the gardening group could really use more volunteers.

"It's a hidden treasure," Fyfe said. "A lot of people still don't know it's here."

Anyone interested can call Corsi at 687-3619.