CRESTVIEW — It’s a hot summer in the Common Ground Community Garden, but thanks to an Okaloosa County commissioner, a caterer and a California manufacturer of shade sails, there’s a place in the garden to duck out of the sun.
The project started with a fall 2014 celebrity chef fundraiser dinner sponsored by Commissioner Nathan and Crystal Boyles, community garden founder Dr. Cathy Ward said.
The event, held at the family’s home west of Baker, featured cooking demonstrations by A Grand Elegance owner and chef Mary Richard.
While the fundraiser brought in enough to hoist two sails in the Main Street garden, the third came through a grant from the equipment’s San Marcos, California, manufacturer.
“The third shade sail was donated by Shazeebo’s ‘Stay in the Shade’ program, which selects one community non-profit nationally each month for a free shade sail and hardware,” Ward said.
“They were so pleasant to deal with,” she said. “When I saw about their program, I called them and they said, ‘Yeah, we can do this.’ Here we are in little Crestview and they did it for us. We are just so thankful for them.”
To help the community gardeners mount their new shade sails, Richard Eldridge of We Can Shade It in Fort Walton Beach drew up a set of technical plans.
This spring, team leader John Bouton and his able assistants Tray Shuford, Bob Benson and Joe Phelps felt like sailors as they hoisted masts into place and hauled lines to raise the sails.
“It’s made a huge difference to the people who work in the garden because they can finally get out of the sun,” Ward said.
And, as an added benefit, “The sails almost look like art!” she said.
Common Ground Community Garden welcomes new gardeners. Plots cost $50 per year. Financial assistance is available. Visit www.crestviewcommunitygarden.org for an application and information, or call Dr. Cathy Ward, 758-8481.
The community garden’s farmers’ market is every third Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 157 S. Main St. Produce and craft vendors and entertainers are welcome. There is no charge for vendor space.
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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview community garden in the shade after fundraiser