Aspiring gardeners looking for a site to grow fresh produce need to act fast

City gardens that are leased to the public have already been spoken for in Marion and two of three sites in Cedar Rapids. Those in Iowa City are also predicted to be a sellout.

The leased plots are a way for Corridor residents to grow their own edibles, especially for people with little land of their own.

According to the National Gardening Association, more than 35 million Americans grow their own fruit, vegetables or herbs.

The group notes that number has increased in recent years as more people recognize the benefits of growing their own produce, including cost savings and improved quality and taste.

“There definitely seems to be more interest,” said Tammy Neumann, administrative secretary for the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department. “We end up with a waiting list.”

Neumann coordinates rentals of the 70 or so 10-by-50-foot plots at Weatherby Park in Iowa City.

Residents line up at 6 a.m. the day the $20 leases are up for grabs on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registration this year is April 4 at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center.

Numbered tickets are distributed, which Neumann calls in order when the office opens at 7:30 a.m.

“Last year they were gone within the first day,” she said.

The 102 garden plots at Squaw Creek Park and 60 at Tuma Park that are leased through the Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department have been taken.

About 60 of the 150 plots remain at Ellis Park, said Dean Middaugh, office manager at the Ambroz Recreation Center, where residents sign up to lease the 20-by-50-foot plots.

“It's just like real estate,” he said. “It's location, location, location.”

Middaugh said water is available at the Tuma and Squaw Creek sites, but not at Ellis, near the Cedar River.

“The lack of water is a drawback,” he said. “And sometimes there's too much water when it floods.”

Rental rates are $22 for the first plot and $18 for the second plot, regardless of whether or not the renter is a Cedar Rapids resident.

Marion tilled a site at Lowe Park for leased gardens for the first time last year, said Richard Fox, Parks and Recreation director.

All 22 plots are spoken for, he said, but the city might consider adding more in future years.

Marion residents get first dibs on the 20-by-40-foot plots, at $20 each.

Rosalie Dempsey has limited space at her mobile home park in Marion but was able to plant a variety of vegetables last year at her Lowe Park plot, including squash, cucumbers, peppers and beans.

Dempsey, 67, previously lived on a farm near Waterloo and wanted to garden again.

“I look at it as a means of getting exercise - something to do to get out of the house,” the retired school custodial supervisor said, adding that there is a social aspect. “It gives me a chance to visit with other people.”