Like any true gardener, Shannon McNicholas is diligent and patient.
McNicholas first came before Westover City Council in June 2022 with little more than enthusiasm and a vision to create a community garden in Westover City Park.
Fast forward one year and she was back before the body on June 21, this time as head of a five-member board of directors overseeing a newly formed nonprofit, West Virginia Garden Collaborative.
Her efforts were rewarded by Westover City Council, which unanimously approved a plot of land in the park for the future garden.
Initial plans show the garden will include about a dozen raised beds, including ADA-accessible beds and pathways, in a fenced-in area near the city’s tennis/pickle ball courts, next to Lake Harry.
The garden will use a catch barrel and a solar-powered pump to keep things watered.
But that’s all going to take some time and plenty of work, most of which will initially take the form of fundraising.
McNicholas said she anticipates the group will need at least $55,000 to get the garden built and launched. Most of that, she continued, will consist of one-time expenses associated with materials and construction.
The garden will not only be a benefit to would-be gardeners living in apartments and townhouses, but combat Westover’s status as a food desert and provide all the physical and mental health benefits of being in the sunshine with your hands in the dirt.
“The garden will have sliding scale fees, which will allow all members of the community to participate whether they have a lot of money or a very little amount of money, they’ll still be welcome to participate in the garden program,” McNicholas said.
As for a timeline, the board would like to see the garden launch about a year from now, but depending on fundraising efforts and grant schedules, it may be 2025.
“As I’m sure you can see already, we’re pretty good with the follow through and will continue to work hard at every stage to make this project successful in the long run,” McNicholas said.
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