Michael Tatum and his grandmother, Cindy Halverson, both gardeners at Pagosa Springs Community Garden, stand with Sally Geren, Pagosa Springs Elementary School administrative assistant.
By Leslie Wustrack | Pagosa Springs Community Garden
The Pagosa Springs Community Garden, located downtown on the San Juan River at 5th Street, is wrapping up another successful season with two announcements: 2023’s donations to area schools and 2024’s expansion for accessibility.
Founded in 2006, the garden is on land owned by the Town of Pagosa Springs, and plots are granted to the town’s citizens free of charge. To maintain the aesthetic values and ecological health of the beautiful space, each member of the volunteer gardening group takes on tasks to care for the garden throughout the growing season. Thanks to the generosity of Pagosa Springs merchants, goods have been donated annually to ensure the garden’s perpetuity. This year, as in the preceding seven years, all plots were full.
Every year a relevant component is added to the gardening program. Last year (repeated this year), heritage farmer LeRoy Salazar donated an enormous amount of certified seed potatoes to enable the volunteer gardeners to continue their community contributions.
This year, the garden is donating its excess inventory of new seed-starting trays, seed starting mix and seeds to all schools in the Archuleta School District, the charter school and to the Archuleta Seniors Inc. growing dome.
Thus far supplies have been delivered to the Pagosa Springs High School growing dome, Pagosa Springs Middle School garden project, Pagosa Springs Elementary School, and to the Archuleta Seniors Inc. 42-foot growing dome. The resources will be distributed until exhausted.
2024 will present an additional opportunity for the Pagosa Springs Community Garden to align with core services of ensuring maximum availability of town facilities to residents and visitors alike. Offering solutions to accessibility, the Pagosa Springs Community Garden’s current borders will be expanded in close proximity to the adjacent sidewalk system that follows the river and appropriate beds will be added. The welcomed expansion will allow easy entry and use of the garden for all.
To be kept informed and/or to be added to the garden’s plot waiting list for next year, send an email to PagosaSpringsCommunityGarden@gmail.com.
The Pagosa Springs Community Garden is free and open to all 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To inquire about a bed for 2024, please send an email to PagosaSpringsCommunityGarden@gmail.com.
With the assistance of local donors and the Town of Pagosa Springs, the garden was designated a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. Residents and town visitors are invited to stop by and enjoy the peaceful space.
