Volunteers turn out to get Tarentum's community garden ready for spring

A Boy Scout pointed out a big worm in the freshly placed compost, and Widgie Carson picked it up.

“They’re not like a snake,” she said to a few Scouts she was giving tiny red beets to plant. “They won’t hurt you.”

The Scouts, members of Troop 180, and Carson, a member of First United Presbyterian Church, were among the volunteers who turned out Saturday to get Tarentum’s Greg Blythe Friendship Garden ready for the spring season.

The work at the garden, located next to Dreshar Stadium along First Avenue, included cleaning up after winter, fixing and replacing some of the raised beds, spreading compost and wood chips and planting seeds and seedlings.

The first crops, including radishes and mixed greens, should be ready in about three weeks, said the Rev. Phil Beck of First United Presbyterian.

At least 50 people came out to help, many from Abundant Joy Fellowship, the church Greg Blythe led until he died in November. The garden has been renamed in his memory.

“It’s a great day,” Beck said. “I know Pastor Greg would be smiling. He would absolutely love this.”

Members of his family including his wife, sons, daughter-in-law and grandchildren were among those working in the dirt on Saturday.

Cathy Blythe said her husband and others started the garden to bring change to Tarentum.

The garden is set up so that anyone can take whatever they want or need from it.

“We just feel like this is something that will be here for years and years to come,” she said. “It will feed people and also bring people together. When people work together they get to know each other. That’s a really, really good thing.”

Laurie Curry, a member of Abundant Joy Fellowship from West Deer, was weeding around one of the beds.

“I’m just glad to do it, glad to help out,” she said.

The summer planting day is set for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 18.