SAN ANGELO, Texas —
The first of several rainwater harvesting tanks was installed at the Southside Recreation Center on Feb. 1, by Chuck Hartgrove, owner of Angelo Seamless Gutters. It will be used to capture rainwater for the educational garden being built by The People/Plant Connection, a local nonprofit organization. Funding for the rain tank was provided by a grant from the San Angelo Area Foundation. The tank holds 3,000 gallons of rainwater.
A misconception is we don’t get enough rain to collect rainwater. According to the weather station at Mathis Field, since September 2012, we have received about 9.01 inches of rain. Since September 2012, with the size of the roof, the rain tank would have collected more than 14,000 gallons of rainwater.
Water conservation is one of the main subjects of The People/Plant Connection. Their educational garden will be built to inform people in the Concho Valley about how to garden in drought situations, taking care of the environment and how to raise vegetables for themselves and their families. The garden will be on about three acres of land in front of and around the Southside Recreation Center on Ben Ficklin Road.
This unique garden will have four smaller gardens inside the perimeter. There will be a children’s adventure garden, an accessible garden for people with disabilities, a community garden where gardeners rent a small space for their own garden and a serenity rose garden where people can sit and relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of the garden. The main gardens will be connected with sever smaller pocket gardens for demonstration of how to have beautiful plants that don’t need a lot of water.
The People/Plant Connection has been in operation since July 2009 when they started a horticulture program at the Concho Valley Community Women’s Correctional Facility and the Roy K. Robb Community Men’s Correctional Facility. Since 2010, they have sponsored two monthly gardening seminars. One is a Lunch ‘n’ Learn class taught by Allison Watkins, Texas AM AgriLife Extension horticulturist. They meet at the Edd B. Keys Building, 113 W. Beauregard Ave., on the second floor, in the commissioner’s court. The class is from noon to 1 p.m. and cost $5. Watkins covers different subjects about gardening in West Texas to help homeowners and business owners get the most of their gardening efforts.
The Saturday Gardening Seminars are held at the Water Education Center, 417 S. Oakes St.,from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Speakers are professionals from the community speaking about different aspects of gardening. Rainwater harvesting, gardening with Texas native plants, drip irrigation and more. These classes are $10 each. All proceeds from their classes go toward the programs and building the garden.
Gardening and art classes will also be held in conjunction with the summer camp programs at the Southside Recreation Center and the Carl Ray Johnson Recreation Center beginning in June. These classes are for children registered at the City Recreation Program Summer Camp. Children’s gardening classes will also be offered at the Goodfellow AFB Youth Center. Special student memberships are $15 per month with an additional $5 for each additional child. Parents get discounts from our seven industry sponsors with the student memberships.
If you would like to become a PPC volunteer and be part of this unique project, call 325-656-3104. Volunteers will help start the garden by landscaping the front of the Southside Recreation Center and the side garden around the outdoor classroom. As a PPC volunteer, you will get gardening information, discounts at the monthly gardening seminars, an appreciation dinner at the end of the year to recognize your hours and contribution to The People/Plant Connection.
If you would like to become a member of The People/Plant Connection, call 325-656-3104 to receive an application. The cost is $25 per year and members receive discounts from seven industry sponsors from the community. The industry sponsors are All-Tex Irrigation Supply, Brannan Nursery Landscape, Britton’s Garden Landscape, Concho Natives, Native Ornamentals-Mertzon, Olive’s Nursery and Scherz Landscape Co. Other benefits include a quarterly e-newsletter with information about what is going on with our garden project, class schedules and articles by Watkins and master gardeners about gardening in West Texas.
We also accept donations of cash or gift cards. The People/Plant Connection is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization making your donations tax deductible. Send your donations to: The People/Plant Connection, P.O. Box 62841, San Angelo, TX 76906.
For information about The People/Plant Connection and their programs call Susan Stanfield at 325-656-3104.
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