Playing Dirty: Gardeners Begin Planting at Tinton Falls Community Gardens

They came on Saturday--masters and amateurs--with dreams of crunchy lettuces and creamy potatoes, to begin planting in the Tinton Falls Community Garden for its second season.

Volunteer gardeners arrived on Saturday morning to weed, hoe, fertilize, and plant. The 50-by-90-foot plot of land behind the 19th-century historic Crawford House on Tinton Avenue is fenced and divided down the middle. Master gardeners and amateurs alike will grow their own produce to keep or give away on one side of the fence, and on the other side, they grow produce to sell to the public and  raise money later in the season for the preservation of Crawford House.

"We always sell out early so get here early," said Stacey Slowinski, chairperson of Tinton Falls' historic preservation commission, who planted green beans on Saturday morning, spaced six inches apart in neat rows. 

Starting in early July, produce will be sold right outside the Crawford House on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Last year, gardeners sold over $1,200 worth of fruits and veggies, according to Slowinski. She told Patch earlier in the month that organizers will increase the amount of produce they plant this season as they sold out each week last year.

As Memorial Day weekend is still relatively early in the planting season, gardeners were tilling the soil on Saturday with hand tools to plant seedlings, which were sold at a discount to the gardeners on Saturday by Tinton Falls farmer Richie Giuliano, who also supplies Delicious Orchards.

Plants growing in the garden this season include garlic, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, string beans, peppers, melons, zucchini, broccoli and eggplant.

"I came here with my girlfriend's daughter, Willow, because we wanted to learn more about vegetables," said newcomer Brandon Cadalzo, as he spread compost on a plot from a wheelbarrow. "It's a great way to do that and help out at the same time."

Geoff Bray, a master gardener from Tinton Falls who took a gardening course at Rutgers last year, tended Norland red potato plants and picked off troublesome bugs.

"Our archenemy is the Colorado Beetle," said Bray, holding up a small jar full of soapy water, which he said kills bugs without a mess, with one fat, striped beetle floating at the bottom. "I've caught 14 of them in the last three days."

Bray poked around his potato plants and plucked a pair of turnip beetles off a leaf to toss in the jar. On a plant next to the beetles was a baby praying mantis, who will help Bray rid the garden of pests as it grows.

Bea Gardella, who has been a master gardener for over 20 years, grows potatoes and tomatoes which she said she gives away to seniors in her retirement community of Seabrook Village. "They don't have a place to garden and I love doing it," she said. "It's my passion."

All of the personal plots in the community garden are taken this year, but you can contact Teresa Maltz at tmaltz@comcast.net in the winter to reserve a plot for next season. Residents of Tinton Falls get first priority.

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