A social justice project founded by the Unitarian Universalist Ocean County Congregation in 2013, partnered with Berkeley Township to create a half acre of vacant land into a garden for vegetables, flowers and fun along the banks of the Wrangle Brook.  In July 2015 the long awaited fence was completed, protecting the garden from deer and other rascals.  Members of the garden helped to erect a shed, donated by a Holiday City neighbor to keep the garden tools and equipment.  On August 13 nine 8th graders from Murray Grove in Lanoka Harbor Camping at the Grove program showed up with their counselor to create a children’s garden in the center of the enclosed fence.

They filled wheelbarrows several times with soil, shoveled it into planters made from corrugated plastic sewer pipes and planted seedlings of donated herbs, flowers and vegetables.  Another group of younger campers at Murray Grove participated in making signs for the vegetable rows and scarecrows for the garden.  There are five 8 feet tall, five feet wide fully dressed scarecrows to keep out the pests.    

Plans are in progress to drill a well for water for the garden.  Meanwhile, members of the community garden and community service workers are building raised beds and turning over the soil in preparation for planting.  It is hoped that a late fall crop can be planted in the Common Ground- one-quarter acre designated for vegetables for the food banks.

The members of the community garden and the scarecrows will be staffing a table at Berkeley Pride Day on September 12 at Veteran’s Park in Bayville.

SEE PHOTOS HERE