BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (WLOX) - Spring is the time for new growth, and in Bay St. Louis, the latest harvest is sprouting in the community garden.
“We work very hard and enjoy what we do,” Katharine Ohman said.
Ohman and a large team of volunteers grow all kinds of fruits and vegetables.
“We love to plant tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplant,” volunteer Mary Whavers said. “Those are some of our favorite things. We usually plant at least one of those every year.”
88-year-old Barbara Huet and her 92-year-old husband are regulars at the Bay St. Louis Community Garden.
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“I love digging in the dirt and it’s just part of my life,” Huet said. “I think it’s about the healthiest thing you can do. If you have frustrations, you just dig those weeds out and it’s just good therapy.”
From gardeners with decades of experience like Huet to wannabe green thumbs, all are welcome.
“We have highly educated in this area, as well as those who say, ‘I don’t know how to do it, but I want to learn,’” Ohman said. “This is the place to do it.”
About a decade ago, Ohman got the idea to bring a community garden back to her hometown from the other side of the world.
“I would travel to England, look at their allotments, ask questions about how it works for their community,” Ohman said. “I would come back, sit down with the mayor [Les Fillingame] and say, we can do this, and figure out what the needs are for this community. I was so thankful to be able to discuss it with the former mayor, have his support and it’s just flourished.”
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The city maintains the grounds around the garden, and the property is lined with an edible forest of fruit trees. The harvest is plentiful. About two tons of food from the garden are donated to the Hancock County Senior Center.
“We’re doing this for charity and it really makes a difference. I feel good that we can give the elders, I’m an elder myself, but I’m in pretty good shape,” Whavers said. “We share the food with the elders and that makes me feel really good.”
“They [the seniors] are absolutely thrilled,” Ohman said. “Every time we walk over to deliver, they are so thankful because it is just such wonderful produce.”
The example of this garden is sprouting up successful crops in other places.
“Community gardens all over have come here to evaluate how we’ve done it, and we share all the information,” Ohman said. “It doesn’t have to be just from Hancock County. If you’re coming from another state, we’ve helped in Texas and Georgia. If they call and want to know stuff, we supply the information and help them out.”
This is a year-round activity for the volunteers. They usually get together on Mondays at the garden to work the soil, plant and pick.
To learn more about the Bay St. Louis Community Garden, visit their Facebook.
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