MCKINLEY PARK — Just in time for the growing season, the McKinley Park Community Garden is hosting an organic plant sale.
Scheduled for 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, the sale takes place at the garden in the 1900 block of West Pershing Road — don't speed getting there or you'll get a ticket — and features multiple varieties of peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and herbs. Here's a link to the complete list of plants for sale.
All plants cost $3 each or four for $10.
Proceeds will benefit the community garden, which sprouted last year after a group of committed volunteers took over a vacant Southwest Side lot.
"We have all sorts of events going on all throughout the summer, so the money will help pay for programming and we're adding more "giving gardens" [for donations]. So, with that there's more soil to purchase. Oh, and we're planting a pumpkin patch at the end of May," said Corenna Roozeboom, the project's founder.
The garden's 58 plots are already sold out for the year.
Since the garden's inception, the green space between Winchester and Wolcott avenues has become a hub for grassroots, do-it-yourself activities including bike repair workshops, community barbecues and cleanup activities.
This is year is no different. Already planned for 2014 are canning classes, a cocktail soiree, a hot salsa contest and more. A complete roster of events can be found at the garden club's official website.
On Saturday, guests at the sale are welcome to stick around for a bring-your-own dish potluck picnic from 12:30-2:30 p.m. A grill will be provided to anyone wishing to use it.
"It's just been been really amazing to see so many community members pitch in and get excited about so many ways to participate," Roozeboom said. "I've especially been amazed that people who don't have their own plot here are signing up for events. We want to that as much of that as possible. We want to build community."
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