In 1986, a local minister
came up with an idea for a community garden. He made the suggestion
to Dick Hague, a long time Madisonville resident. Dick contacted
the Civic Garden Center of Cincinnati to see how to go about starting
the garden. The Civic Garden Center helped Dick acquire a lease
from the City of Cincinnati for a vacant lot located at 6007 Madison
Road. Through the help of the Civic Garden Center and several volunteers,
a local eyesore filled with trash and weeds was converted to a community
garden. Local volunteers who helped Dick the first few years included
Byron and Jodie Coaston, Missy, Ashley and Haven Eaves, Rick and
Peggy Lisak, Chris Meyer, Bill Pollack, Marcia and Michael Richardson,
Karen Roberts, Edye Fletcher, and Mary Ann Westendorf. Throughout
the years, more than fifty students from Purcell Marian High School
have worked at the garden to fulfill their community service requirements.
It seems the
garden has always run on a shoestring budget. The gardeners pay
an annual fee of $5.00 to rent two 10' X 4' plots. Several years
ago, the Madisonville Community Garden was awarded the title of
“ Most Independent Community Garden ” from the Civic Garden Center.
In 2002, several
of our gardeners formed the Madisonville Garden Club. The purpose
of the club was to meet other local gardeners and help create a
positive image for our neighborhood. The club is responsible for
placing 17 planter boxes in the business district and a small garden
at the Little Duck Creek Nature Preserve on Settle Rd. The garden
club meets once a month at the community garden to help maintain
the common areas. Last year we decided to make the Madisonville
Community Garden and the Garden Club one organization.
