Bellevue community garden gets upgrades

BELLEVUE — In its 11th year, The Bellevue Hospital's community garden is getting some upgrades. All 18 original garden boxes, which had weather damage, have been replaced and a stone gravel driveway has been added to provide easier access to the garden. Steve Arp, plant operations, and Bob Beck, a volunteer and master gardener, lead the project. These renovations come ahead of the 2022 growing season. Over the years, an estimated five tons, or 10,000 pounds, have been donated from the garden. The Bellevue Hospital's community garden started in 2011 and donates its crops to Bellevue Fish and Loaves and Clyde Back Door Food Pantry. The garden is a co-partnership between the hospital and the city of Bellevue. The garden is maintained by the hospital volunteers and Huron County Master Gardeners, led by Beck. In addition to the master gardeners and hospital volunteers, other organizations like Bellevue High School's Teen Leadership Corps class, have helped with the garden over the years. The garden usually harvests its final plants in September. The community garden began as a small garden on the east side of the hospital's campus. In 2015, the garden was expanded and members of Bellevue Boy Scout Troop 203 constructed 18 raised garden boxes. Over the years, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables have been grown and donated such as green beans, onions, sweet potatoes, squash, cucumbers, okra, eggplant, carrots, strawberries, a variety of lettuce and an array of herbs. An herb garden was started five years ago, and its herbs are used in the Main Station Cafe at the hospital and provided to employees. It's dedicated to Patti Keller, the hospital's previous dietitian who was instrumental in starting the community garden and the separate herb garden. Due to her research and work over the years, the Patricia S. Keller Butterfly & Herb Garden was dedicated in January 2020.