Rotary Discovery Garden
by John C. Nitta
The Rotary Club of Rocklin/Loomis Basin, which I’ve been a member of for over 20 years, is embarking on an exciting community project that will educate the community about making “green” choices about landscaping. In addition, it will allow families to cultivate and grow their own fruits and vegetables. Our club is calling this project the “Rotary Discovery Garden”, and it is located in Rocklin, CA, at Lone Tree Park.
Our club has been working with the City of Rocklin to get an agreement in place, and we now have the “green light” to go ahead. On Saturday, July 16th, we had our first workday and groundbreaking ceremony. Club members and other volunteers cleared the site of weeds and picked out the many rocks endemic to the site. Our club President, Scott Lillibridge, led the groundbreaking. We had local leaders to dedicate the project - Jim Holmes, Placer County Supervisor, Diana Ruslin, City of Rocklin Council Member, and Jack Haycock, City of Rocklin Parks and Recreation Commission.
Phase I of this project is a demonstration garden. We’ll have sections of a landscaped area showing use of sustainable plant choices, such as drought tolerant lawn substitutes, native and Mediterranean plants, examples of recycled landscape materials, low water irrigation systems, and more. In the garden, there will be a central gazebo and gathering spot where garden workshops and other small gatherings can take place. Our goal is to have this first phase completed this fall.
Phase II is a community vegetable garden and orchard. We’ll have raised garden beds that will be rented to the community at a nominal cost. We’ll provide soil mix, automated irrigation, composting facilities, and basic tools and well as advice. We hope to have this available by next spring.
Since I’m the “project manager” for this very ambitious undertaking, I’m proud of it as a great addition and resource to our local community. I also realize that with my commitment to seeing it through to completion, it will take several hundred hours of my own time, which I’m very willing to give for this very worthy project. Look for news on its progress in the months ahead!
The Rotary Discovery Garden was featured in the Placer Herald-Tribune.
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