BEDFORD – The Bedford Garden Park sits on the northside of Bedford between 4th and 5th streets on H Street.
Whether you want to walk around the quarter-mile pathway, take the kids to the playground, have a picnic, or grow a few vegetables you can do it all at this one location.
There are garden spaces available to rent for free each year by contacting the Bedford Parks Department. At this time there are 13 spots still available.
“We started back when this was over by the Green Hill Cemetery, and have used the community garden every year since. We like to plant tomatoes,” said Dan Jacobson who was busy planting for this year’s growing season.
The park does have an ADA-friendly garden space, but that section is already filled up this year.
The park has a quarter-mile pathway that residents can enjoy a safe walk on. There is a shelter house to have a picnic, playground equipment that is ADA compliant, restrooms, birdhouses, beehives, fruit trees, and park benches if you just want to visit and sit.
Many have partnered with the City of Bedford on the project including Purdue Extension Agency, North Lawrence Career Center, Bedford Bee Keepers Association, and local gardening groups.
A share tool program is also available where tools are shared and stored on the property. You can have access to the shed and tools for a low fee of $15.
A local church put in the birdhouses and, with the new ordinance, they hope to add another set of beehives. The bees could be seen working the plants and flowers Monday afternoon. Bees pollinate a third of the food supply and were incorporated into the design of the park.
The fruit trees are managed by the Bedford Parks Department and residents can pick an apple off of the tree if so inclined.
“I plant tomatoes, peppers, and a row of beans. I have used this park to plant a garden because my yard at home does not get enough sunlight to grow a garden,” said Richard Bohling retired principal Lincoln Elementary School.
“I have used this since 2014, some years are better than others depending on how much rain we get. One year I had to replant because we got too much rain, but this is something I look forward to each year,” added Bohling.
Park hours are from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. and city residents are encouraged to come and see what this park has to offer.
