The Hot Springs Community Garden

Hot Springs is a picturesque town nestled in the Black Hills. Its claim to fame is the warm water springs that flow naturally from the hills surrounding the town. For decades the town has been known as the Veteran’s Town because of a large beautiful sandstone sanatorium constructed in the early 1900’s for veterans.

I moved to Hot Springs in the month of April and was looking forward to enjoying fresh garden produce in June, but was rather disappointed. This is partially due to a profusion of wild life that roams freely around town and enjoys snacking on tender green sprouts. Also the majority of the ground is rocky and the soil is not naturally plentiful. Added to this is a shorter growing season due to the more northern location. Consequently, there is a dearth of fresh produce. Gardening is challenging and impossible for a lot of residents. It was for me, which started me wondering about a Community Garden.

There have been a few endeavors in this area previously, but none have come to fruition for various reasons. I’ve been the lucky recipient of a thick informative folder from one of these prior efforts. The City of Hot Springs has generously donated the land for the garden, which gave a huge boost to the project. The site is 100 ft square and right now there is nothing on it.

We are needing money for fencing, to plumb the water from the meter pit, and to build garden beds. We also need soil and composted material to fill the beds. Yes, we are literally starting from ground zero. We also need several able-bodied individuals to help put in the fence posts and build the raised beds.

This is just the beginning of so much more. Come grow with us, Hot Springs Community Garden!

#1 Run a trench to each of the water hydrants (3)

#2 Install the pipes and spigots

#3 Install fence posts

#4 Attach wire fence to the posts

#5 Build 49 raised garden beds. Need to be 18" high (In conjunction with building the fence)

#6 Fill the beds with top soil & organic compost mix

#7 Attach gates

Gardening fosters a spirit of wellness and achievement that is hard to match. The satisfaction of tasting the first vine ripened tomato or tender leaf lettuce that you grew from a small seed you stuck in the ground and nurtured to harvest is hard to beat. Freshly picked, pesticide-free, organically grown vegetables have the greatest nutritious value. Consequently, they provide the healthiest food available. 

This project has already fostered a positive community spirit, and as we pull together the sense of teamwork and pride in the town can only increase. The Community Garden will go a long way towards supplying the residents with fresh produce which has been in short supply in this small relatively isolated community.