How we began……
Soon after Grant’s View Library Branch opened December 2015, the St. Louis County Library partnered with Gateway Greening (now Seed St. Louis) to establish a community garden.
First St. Louis County Library flier representing our garden below.
People interested in becoming a garden member attended an informational meeting followed by a series of meetings that established the garden guidelines, the officers/committees and their roles, garden design, a list of supplies needed and more. This four phase system was facilitated by a representative from Gateway Greening using their Garden Project Guidebook and Resource Packet.
The garden was installed the morning of Saturday, May 14, 2016. Frames of 28 garden beds were assembled, placed on the slope, lined with cardboard and filled with soil.
Press Release:
SLCL Installs Third Community Garden at the Grant’s View Branch
St. Louis County Library and Gateway Greening are pleased to announce the installation of the newest library garden on Saturday, May 14 at 8:30 a.m. at the Grant’s View Branch. This is the third community garden for the Library District–the Cliff Cave and Prairie Commons Branches also have gardens, but are both currently closed for construction. The Grant’s View Branch is located in South St. Louis County at 9700 Musick Road, directly across from Grant’s Farm.
Garden volunteers will gather at the Grant’s View Branch on Saturday, May 14 at 8:30 a.m. to construct 24 4’x12′ raised beds and four easily accessible raised beds for individuals with disability issues. The garden area is already equipped with a waterline and a sidewalk; a tool shed will be added at a later date. Aetna is the corporate sponsor of the Grant’s View community garden.
SLCL’s community garden program has been extremely popular. All 28 garden beds at the Grant’s View location have been reserved for the 2016 growing season, and a waiting list has begun for next year.
Similar to the library’s other community gardens, the Grant’s View garden will offer programming and educational opportunities. Plans for an adjacent children’s garden are still in progress.
SLCL’s partnership with Gateway Greening began in 2012, creating the first library community garden at the Prairie Commons Branch. The program was so successful that a second garden was installed at the Cliff Cave Branch in 2013–with garden expansions taking place at both locations. The Grant’s View Community Garden is the third collaboration between Gateway Greening and SLCL. The project will be the largest garden installation ever undertaken by Gateway Greening.
The photos, courtesy of St. Louis County Library, display the collective effort to construct the community garden bed installation we have present today.