Two of the county's three community gardens have been expanded to provide more plots for residents' use and also to grow fresh produce for the Howard County Food Bank.

Forty-seven new plots have been added to the Long Reach garden and 57 have been added to the Elkhorn garden, both located in east Columbia. Five of the new plots will be used to grow vegetables for clients of the county Food Bank, operated by Howard County's Community Action Council.

County leaders, along with representatives of the Community Action Council and Columbia Gardeners, who manage the garden plots, will gather Saturday, June 5 at 11 a.m. for a dedication ceremony and planting at the Long Reach garden, at 6110 Old Dobbin Lane, across from Long Reach High School.

Prior to the expansion, about 400 gardeners rented the roughly 500 plots at the Long Reach, Elkhorn and Westside gardens, and the garden club had a waiting list of about 200 people, according to Columbia Gardeners president Clyde Pyers.

"We found the interest in community gardening has just exploded in the past couple years," Pyers said, adding that he attributes the growing popularity to national trends toward eating healthy, local foods and saving money.

Residents rent the garden plots for an annual fee. Full-size plots measure 20 feet by 25 feet and half-size plots are 12 1/2 feet by 20 feet.

The expansion will increase the total amount of garden space by more than 20 percent, with three acres at Long Reach, five acres at Elkhorn, located along Oakland Mills Road near Dobbin Road, and four acres at Westside garden, along Martin Road near Freetown Road, in west Columbia.

-- Jennifer Broadwater

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