The Pine River Library Community Garden in Bayfield didn’t yield its typical bounty this year. For local gardeners, it’s yet another consequence of the coronavirus pandemic.
Normally, the Pine River Garden Club holds events throughout the year to bring people together and encourage them to spend time caring for the plants.
The club hasn’t been able to hold those events because of COVID-19, which means fewer people are putting time into the garden, said Ana Zeilar, a garden club board member.
“It’s not quite what it was in the past,” Zeilar said.
A smaller harvest also limits how much food goes to the Pine River Shares food bank, where families normally donate their excess greens, vegetables and fruit.
“I don’t know that we’re going to be able to do that this year because there’s just not that much produce out there,” Zeilar said.
Still, the blackberry bush is thriving and the fig tree is bursting with fruit. Chard, kale, spinach and other garden bounties are ready to be plucked.
Children can mill around the garden beds or feed the fish in the grow dome. Soon, the plums and pears will be ripe for picking, said Andrew Trujillo, another board member.
The root purpose of the garden is still there – bringing people together to connect with the soil.
“People from the community contact the club and ask if they can go harvest,” Trujillo said. “That’s what it’s all about, is people being able to take part in the garden.”
smullane@durangoherald.com
