Holy pea pods, plotters. Can it be true? I remember sitting in the basement room of the Gardenia Center in early 2009 with a whole bunch of truly enthusiastic people interested in the sustainability of our community. It all started with the Sandpoint Transition Initiative and the Great Unleashing in November 2008.

Fast forward to January 2018. The Community Garden has survived, thrived and we’re ready to take new reservations for this season’s garden plots. The price of plots has stayed the same since the beginning of this project. Plot sizes are 4-foot by 8-foot ($20) and 7-foot by 7-foot ($25) and the fees cover water, use of garden tools, and any items donated by the community.

The Sandpoint Community Garden is located at Dub’s Field on the corner of Pine and Highway 2. Garden plots are already 70 percent sold so if you’re interested in growing your own veggies, flowers, berries or (legal) herbs, the time to act is now. Thanks to Sandpoint Parks and Recreation’s new computerized plot reservation system you can secure and pay for your plots via the internet. Call Sandpoint Parks and Recreation at 208-263-3613. between 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Friday and they will walk you through the sign-up process.

Each season brings with it a need for new supplies. Our alliance with the Parks and Recreation Department has helped us immensely yet there are still items you can donate to help us keep the cost of the garden beds affordable to all.

This season we will need more garden soil, aged manure and composting material (non-chemically treated grass clippings, straw, and leaves). We also are in need of another wheelbarrow or two to help make garden maintenance easier and wheelbarrow races more competitive.

Finally, seed and vegetable starts are greatly appreciated and are used for planting in the seven plots we reserve for donations to the Bonner Community Food Bank and other community food organizations. All donations can be dropped off at the garden and put in the shed.

Don’t let the current weather lull you into a sense of “Oh, I can sign up later.” I have nine years of recorded sob stories from plot procrastinators that I may eventually turn into a book. I think I’ll title it How Many Times Can Someone Plotz?

I’m looking forward to another great year with all of you wonderful seasoned plotters and pre-seasoned newbies. Thanks for making the Community Garden possible.