The Delano Garden

2011 is the 5th year for the Delano Community garden. This year we hope to get a fence, fix the shed and find more space.

2010 Garden Pictures

For more information on the Delano Garden contact
Jim Martinson • 706-6283
garden@historicdelano.com

Community Gardens

The Delano Community Garden is one of about a dozen gardens that are coordinated by Infinite Growth Opportunities (IGO)

For more information on the Community Gardens visit IGO's Website or contact
Susan Schocket • 204-3985
schoket@gmail.com

Delano Community Farmers' Market

The Delano Community Farmers' Market will provide an outlet for excess produce grown in Community Gardens or back-yard plots.

For more information on the Delano Market contact
Jim Martinson • 706-6283
market@historicdelano.com

Welcome to the
Delano Community Garden!

The Delano Community Garden (started in 2007) provides space for people who have no place of their own to garden, primarily urban dwellers. Gardeners pay for the cost of water and each is assigned their own plot or planter.

The Delano Community Garden exists to provide an opportunity to those who want to garden - not to provide free food for the neighborhood.

Theft at the Community Garden

On Sunday, June 26th someone crept into the garden under cover of darkness and took nearly all of the onions (they missed a few that they apparently did not see in the dark). All of the plots were robbed and one gardener lost over 200 onions!

Most of the gardeners rely on the garden to supply part of their food, yet would be happy to share with someone in need if they were asked. Offers of help with weeding or other chores in exchange for a share of the produce would be welcomed, but losing food is disheartening.

Local Farmer Replaces Onions

When the theft of the onions was reported in the news, one of the vendors at the Delano Community Farmers Market decided to help out.

Dave Naramore and his granddaughter Lexi (who is in charge of onions at Naramore Farms) donated hundreds of Red and Vidalia onions to replace those that had been stolen.

It is really good to know that, in the hard times we are in, when something bad happens, someone good always steps in to help. The gardeners want to thank Dave and Lexi for their generous gift.

Lightning Strikes!

Three of our gardeners were in the garden last Saturday evening (July 9th) as the storms were moving in to Wichita. While they were inspecting a plant in the northeast corner of the garden one of the trees on the north got hit by lightning.

They were about 30 feet away from the tree that got struck, were hit by shrapnel made of bark and one of them got knocked to the ground. Another man across the street also got knocked down. Two of them received minor cuts and the others are bruised, but everyone is fine.

Heirloom Seeds & the Delano Seed Bank

El Dorado Heirloom Seeds has donated several of their All-In-One Heirloom Seed Kits to Infinite Growth Opportunities (IGO) for use in Community Gardens in and around Wichita. Each kit contains 67 different types of Heirloom Seeds treated with micro-nutrients, microbial soil treatment, a planting guide and how-to videos. It's a complete Heirloom garden in a box.

The Delano Community Garden is fortunate to be the recipient of one of the kits. We plan to use it as the basis for our garden this year, and to teach seed harvesting and saving techniques. The Delano Neighborhood Association received another and plans to add the seeds with some other Heirloom varieties and use the collection as the basis for the Delano Seed Bank.

Don't know what an Heirloom Seed is? Don't know what a Seed Bank is? Check back...

A Garden Fence

Every garden needs a fence. Last year we marked the north-east corner of the garden with a flower bed & sign facing the intersection of Handley and Texas.

This year we would like to construct a fence along the north & east sides of the garden... but not just any fence! Click here for more information on our Garden Fence Project.

Fixing up the Shed

Last summer a generous donor gave us an old metal garden shed. It's paint is faded and at some point it's roof has been damaged by a tree limb. It has seen it's share of use but it is sturdy and large enough for our purposes.

This year we need to replace the roof panels, make some minor repairs and paint it.

A New Water Source

When the garden was first started in 2007 water was provided by the Senior Center.
When the garden was expanded in 2009 the gardeners started paying for their water use.

Now that the garden is well established we have asked the City to install a meter and a plumber has offered to trench and lay pipe.

Container Demonstration Garden

This spring we will be helping set up a Container Demonstration Garden at West Side Baptist Church. The garden will be located in the concrete courtyard which faces west along Seneca.

The garden is being created to demonstrate that a garden can be planted almost anywhere by almost anyone. The containers will all be raised high enough above the ground so that they may be tended from a standing or seated position. Rain barrels will be procured to capture water for irrigation. Strategically placed shade cloths will be used against the heat in late summer.