Carrollton Community Garden Grows Civic Bonds, by the Tons

CARROLLTON -- When Laura Margadonna first read about the Giving Garden of Carrollton, the city's first community garden, she saw it as an opportunity to reach back to her roots.Margadonna said she grew up gardening on a farm in South Carolina, but her small, shaded Carrollton backyard did not give her the freedom to plant what she wanted. The community garden has allowed her the space and sunlight she needs to grow her vegetables, she said. "I've been gardening here since it started," she said. "It's great. You can also sit on the bench and cool off and watch the wild flowers and the butterflies." Margadonna now serves as one of the garden's seven board members. Community gardeners are allowed to plant whatever they choose in the garden as long as they agree to donate half of their produce to local food pantries. Since it broke ground in 2010, the garden has donated five tons of organic fruits and vegetables, said Terri Barrlett, a garden board member. "I think it’s a good idea that everyone has healthy nutritious food," she said. "We are just one community working for the good of the community. That’s what I like about it."  Continue reading...