The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

Five Fall pictures of Brookside Community Gardens in Wellesley

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The temperatures have turned cooler and the gardeners of Brookside Community Gardens are harvesting their last flowers, fruits and vegetables. I stopped by to take a few pics before the weather really takes a turn and the colors of fall give way to frozen ground.

Brookside Community Gardens, Wellesley
This cluster of cherry tomatoes likely doesn’t have time to ripen on the vine. A warm, sunny windowsill might do the trick. There are 40 garden plots at Brookside, and they cover a total of about 2.4 acres. They land is located on the south side of Oakland Street between Standish Rd. and Brookside Rd. in a residential area. Part of the property abuts the Wellesley Country Club, and Rosemary Town Forest is across the street. The Natural Resources Council serves as administrator for Brookside and for its more famous cousin, the Weston Road Community Gardens.
Brookside Community Gardens
This plot had a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes, ready to be tossed into a salad or eaten straight off the vine. I did not snack on any of the tempting produce, I swear. Brookside plots are licensed by independent resident gardening boards. Prospective gardeners may apply beginning in January. There is a waitlist for plots. For information, email [email protected]
Brookside Community Garden, Wellesley
According to the Community Garden Rules and Regulations, gardeners must be residents or members of local non-profit organizations located in the Town of Wellesley. Irrigation is provided by municipal water. They run a pretty tight ship there. The rules state, “Gardeners may not play music at high volume,” nor may gardeners “…barbeque, grill, or light a fire unless a permit is obtained from the town of Wellesley.”
Brookside Gardens, Wellesley
If you are interested in gardening at Brookside, don’t let a little thing like a waitlist scare you off. The rules state that if there is no clear evidence of active gardening by June 1, the absentee Gardener will be contacted and given two weeks to respond. If no response is received, the plot will be considered abandoned. During my brief visit, there appeared to be a couple plots that looked a little forlorn, so perhaps some time-pressed gardeners will be willing to cede their spots.
Brookside Community Gardens, Wellesley
Organic practices are the only way to go at Brookside. The rules state, “To protect the Town’s water supply and the health of fellow gardeners the use of any non-organic chemicals including fertilizers, weed killers (herbicides), pesticides, and fungicides is prohibited.” The space abuts the Wellesley Country Club, which doesn’t appear to the hew to the same organic standards as its neighbor.

MORE:

Spring 2018 at Brookside Community Gardens

Cool drone demonstration at Weston Rd. Community Gardens

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