An organic garden grows in Bellmore

Walking quickly down Bellmore Avenue, it’s easy to pass St. Mark the Evangelist Episcopal Church, but for those curious enough to enter the grounds through the wooden archway, a hidden gem awaits. The small parish will turn 100 in 2013 and has long boasted an expanse of open, untouched land, rare on the South Shore. Few were even aware of the space. That’s rapidly changing.

A 500-square-foot organic garden now adorns a large portion of the land that had once been home to little but trees. Volunteers planted the garden, which was organized by Susan Salem and Ann McPartlin. They saw the space as an opportunity to get the community outdoors and supply the less fortunate with healthy, fresh food.

Salem said parishioners were brainstorming ways to help those in need. Growing food seemed like a logical idea. “We have this gorgeous property,” she said. “Let’s use what we have and cultivate some of the land.”

The garden is partially funded by a grant from the Episcopal Charities of Long Island, which provided the supplies to get the garden started. All of the food harvested from the garden is sent to the Long Island Council of Churches’ food pantry in Freeport, one of the few that offers fresh vegetables to its members.

Salem and McPartlin said they have witnessed an outpouring of support from neighbors. Parents walking their children to the nearby Newbridge Road Elementary School have stopped to admire the changes to the land, and many have returned to check in and occasionally lend a hand. Salem and McPartlin were particularly taken by the generosity of Island Greenery of Bellmore, which donated a small greenhouse that was no longer in use. The greenhouse will allow gardeners to begin seeding vegetables and flowers in February for planting in the ground in the spring, extending the growing season by four months.