Would you like some fresh produce, but don’t have room at home for your own garden? The Smyrna Community Garden just completed Phase II recently and there are still a few plots available for lease. Located at 4201 N. Cooper Lake Road, Smyrna Georgia 30082, the Smyrna Community Garden is in the North Cooper Lake Park.

The park features a paved walking trail loop, 2/3 mile intermediate level off-road bike trail, an open meadow and the first official City of Smyrna Community Garden.

The park is a 52-acre wooded site, part of which was an inert landfill. The first phase of development was made possible through Parks Bond Referendum funding. (The 2005 referendum yielded $22 million for new park development, existing park rehab, and park land acquisition. Nearly $6 million in funds from other sources were added for a total of $28 million in park growth and improvement.)

The first official City of Smyrna Community Garden is managed through the Keep Smyrna Beautiful program and a group of dedicated community volunteers who make up the steering committee. The Garden is fenced with an 8-foot chain-link fence that was paid for with a $10,000 grant to Keep Smyrna Beautiful from United Parcel Service of America, Inc. (UPS). With the help of IBM volunteers, raised beds were constructed from cedar lumber.

Phase I of the garden included 59 plots of four different sizes and were quickly leased out last year. Phase II consisted of another 39 plots, bringing the garden total to 98 plots. The new plots have been leasing quickly and only 20 plots remain.

For information about availability and pricing, please contact Keep Smyrna Beautiful at 770-431-2863 or email akirk@ci.smyrna.ga.us.

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