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Uncle Sam asked citizens to plant gardens to support the war effort, and like the troops overseas, America responded in a big way. In 1943, Americans planted more than 20 million victory gardens. Nearly a third of all vegetables consumed in the country that year came from victory gardens.
Beaufort now has a chance to re-live that success.
A group of volunteers wants to transform 2.77 acres downtown near the Beaufort Federal Courthouse into a community garden.
John Trask and Steve Tully own the land -- a full city block with nothing on it. The tract is for sale, but the owners have graciously agreed to let it be used as a community garden until it sells.
The idea has the support of the Clemson Extension service and master gardeners. Up to 40 garden plots -- each a 4-by-10-foot bed filled with fresh topsoil -- could be ready for public use as soon as next month.
We wish them all the best.
It won't be easy. Gardening in the Lowcountry cannot be a passing fancy. It requires dedication. It requires knowledge, practice, experimentation and a lot of sweat.
But we know it can work. Community garden plots in residential areas throughout the county -- includingHabersham, Sea Pines and Hilton Head Plantation -- are successful. By coming together in community plots, local gardeners can find key ingredients, such as sunshine, irrigation and protection from the deer. To succeed, the community gardeners find they need rules, organization, leadership and shared expertise -- as well as more mundane things, such as timers on water stations.
The labor is hard, but the success is sweet. The Sea Pines gardeners have been helping feed the needy for many years. Hilton Head Plantation gardeners sell fresh produce Saturday mornings -- with flowers a big seller -- and enjoy monthly social gatherings for potlucks or shrimp boils.
The social advantages of the Beaufort common garden could be as important as any food it puts on the table.
"We're looking for a big, broad base of people who not only come out and grow a garden but have a place to get together outside in the community," said Laura Lee Rose, Clemson Extension agent in Beaufort County.
That would be a victory even if bugs get most of the crop.
As for gardening in the city, that too is a proven success. The last remaining victory gardens are the Fenway Victory Gardens in Boston and the Dowling Community Garden in Minneapolis.
