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“Community gardens offer that manageablesized sunny plot to grow some veggies,” Conrad said. “And then there’s the whole social aspect. There’s a garden club you belong to.”

‘The time and the patience’ Atlanta Community Food Bank volunteers were set to help out at Dunwoody Community Garden & Orchard (DCGO) at Brook Run last month, by helping fill some of the garden’s 12 charity plots with a delivery of compost from DeKalb County. DCGO volunteers produce more than 3,000 pounds of food annually for donation to area food pantries.

The organization’s chairperson, Ann Bone, said most of DCGO’s members and its best volunteers are older adults. “They have the time and the patience,” said Bone, 66. “Gardening is only for the patient optimist.” for their plots and donate 12 hours a year on garden projects.

Bone, a retired real estate broker, bought her plot in 2014 after spotting DCGO during a walk at Brook Run Park.

“The first year, I planted radishes and carrots and they were beautiful … and I thought, ‘This was easy,’” Bone said. “The second year I expected the same results, and that didn’t happen.”

She didn’t fertilize, didn’t fluff the soil and “got a little lazy,” Bone said. “It was humbling.”

These days, she’s flexing a powerful green thumb with not issued by our bank. “Monthly Qualification Cycle” means a period beginning one (1) business day prior to the first day of the current statement cycle through one (1) business day prior to the close of the current statement cycle. Reward Information: When your Kasasa Cash account qualifications are met during a Monthly Qualification Cycle, the following rewards will be distributed to your account(s): (1) Balances up to $25,000 receive an APY of 2.95%; and balances over $25,000 earn 1.00% interest rate on the portion of balance over $25,000, resulting in a range from 2.95% to 1.39% APY depending on the account’s balance and (2) ATM Fee Reimbursements: You will receive reimbursements for nationwide ATM fees incurred during the Monthly Qualification Cycle in which you met your Kasasa Cash qualifications. An ATM receipt must be presented within sixty (60) calendar days of transaction for reimbursements of individual ATM fees of $5.00 or higher.

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The DCGO garden includes 92 member plots, a fruit orchard, a bee colony and a pollinator garden on two acres of city park land. The garden provides compost, mulch and tools for members and offers gardening education for everyone.

All of this is accomplished with no paid staff, except for two boys paid to mow in the orchard once a month. Members pay $60 a year mustard greens, garlic, arugula and Tokyo bekana, a leafy Asian green.

Other DCGO gardeners are growing tomatoes, cabbages, radishes, arugula, herbs and much more — “anything that’s legal,” Bone said. Blueberries, plums, pears, figs and other fruits are produced in the orchard.

The garden is a short walk from DCGO’s greenhouse, the last structure standing of Brook Run Park’s past, when it was the sprawling campus of the Georgia Retardation Center. Bone said the greenhouse was used for vocational training and to produce food for the institution, which closed in 1997 and was later demolished. DCGO has used the greenhouse since 2009.

Art Simon, 80, serves DCGO as the greenhouse manager. He’s a five-day-a-week fixture in the facility where flowers and a smorgasbord of vegetables flourish under his watchful eye.

A DCGO member since 2011, Simon buys the seeds and cultivates most everything grown in the greenhouse, selling the plants to garden members and

Ready, set, plant!

Here are some more of the hundreds of community gardens in the metro area.

Blue Heron Nature Preserve — More than 30 plots are managed by groups, individuals and Blue Heron. The largest plot grows vegetables for St. Luke’s Crossroads Kitchen, which feeds the homeless. Located in Buckhead at 4055 Roswell Road, Atlanta 30342. Info: bhnp.org/community-garden. Phone: 404-946-6394.

Grove Park Community Garden — The northwest Atlanta garden has 11 member plots, several common area garden beds and a public garden. Located across from 730 Hortense Place N.W., Atlanta 30318. Info: groveparkgardens.club.

Little Nancy Creek Park Community Garden — Features 20 garden plots with a 21st plot dedicated to charities such as Buckhead Christian Ministries’ food pantry or the Atlanta Food Bank. Located in north Buckhead at 4012 Peachtree-Dunwoody Road, Atlanta 30342. Info: littlenancycreekpark.org.

Stone Mountain Community Garden — Operated in partnership with the city of Stone Mountain, this garden has 50 individual garden plots, a composting site, herb garden and a food pantry garden. Located in VFW Park, 888 Gordon St., Stone Mountain 30083. Info: stonemountaincity.org/ residents/community_garden. php.

sale. About 4,000 to 5,000 plants are sold each year at that sale, which is scheduled for April 5-7 this year.

Plucking a piece of wild arugula to munch one day last month, Simon made a quick pitch for more volunteers to “come out and play in the garden” and help with some of the heavy lifting.

“You don’t have to be real knowledgeable,” he said. “We’ll train you on everything.”

Faithful volunteer Bud Henderson, 88, sat nearby in his own little oasis of peace, quietly potting tomatoes. He works in the greenhouse about once a week, Simon said.

Henderson’s explanation for his dedication was short and sweet. “I like to work in the dirt,” he said, his whole face a smile.

Done for the day, Henderson put up a hose and waved goodbye to Simon. Then he turned and walked out of the greenhouse and back into the world.

Maybe you don’t want a community garden plot of your own, but you do enjoy gardening and helping others. Community gardens love volunteers, and sites like the Unity Garden at the Chattahoochee Nature Center depend heavily on them.

Most of the produce grown at the nature center is donated weekly to the food pantry at North Fulton Community Charities. To date, more than 27,000 pounds of fresh produce have been delivered. The nature center is located at 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell 30075. Info: chattnaturecenter.org. Phone: 770-992-2055.