Seed sorting

More than 30 people attended the Community Garden Party last night (May 12) at Poet's Park in southeast Cedar Rapids.

Steve Hanken, who is leading the planting efforts at the park for the Oak Hill Jackson Neighborhood Association, has dug out a 10-by-24 foot wide garden bed in the park to start the community garden. Steve said he hopes to plant tomatoes soon, but it's been too cold to start. A tiller he tried to use did little on the impacted ground, so Steve has been using a spade to ready the soil.

The Neighborhood Association hopes to offer gardening classes throughout the summer. Seeds handed out for residents to plant their own gardens have been donated to the project. If anyone would like to donate time or materials to the garden, contact Neighborhood Association President Michael Richards at (319) 213-2051.