As the plants in the Temple Terrace Community Garden grow, so does the group itself.

On Oct. 24, the Greater Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce officially welcomed the Community Garden at Riverhills Park with a ribbon cutting.

Those in attendance included City Manager Kim Leinbach and Leisure Services Director James Chambers.

Gardeners gave tours of the garden and served lemonade and homemade beautyberry jelly and boniata bread.

During a speech after the ceremony, Elizabeth Leib, president of the Community Garden, encouraged residents to join the group.

"Spread the word," she said. "There's a list. You can get on it."

The list she was referring to is a waiting list for those who would like an individual plot in the second quadrant of the garden. As of earlier this month, the first quadrant is spoken for. There are already a few people on the waiting list, and construction on the second section could start soon, depending on how much interest the group drums up.

"We just need enough people to collect the money to buy the wood," Leib said earlier in October.

Gardeners have been working together since November 2011 to build a place where Temple Terrace residents could cultivate crops and a sense of community.

In January, they began working a communal garden that already existed at Riverhills Elementary Gifted Academy for Learning. Over the summer, they began building their second plot (the one with individual beds at Riverhills Park where the ribbon cutting took place). They're also working with Greco Middle School to build a garden there.

On Nov. 3, they'll have a membership meeting, which will be open to the public. They'll talk about seasonal planting, building organic garden beds, and opportunities to volunteer at upcoming events.

For more information, visit the Temple Terrace Community Garden online or on Facebook.

See also:
Community Garden Membership Meeting