B
“You have to enjoy
gardening, because it is a
lot of work having to go
after the weeds. But if you
keep after it once a week,
the garden will be fine.”
ecause of Jerry Kender’s expert green
thumb, there are usually more than 10
varieties of heirloom tomatoes in his
garden plot each growing season at Boyce
Gardens. But sometimes that dedication
worries Jerry’s wife, Phyllis.
“I’ll say to my wife, ‘I’m going out to the
garden and I’ll be back in an hour,’ and then
all of the sudden she’ll call me on the phone
three hours later,” says Kender. “She’ll ask me
if something is wrong and I’ll tell her that I am
still at the garden enjoying myself.”
And that kind of passion was apparent at
Boyce Gardens’ End of the Year Fair, held
last August. Complete with a cookout and
contest, you couldn’t help but notice that the
community gardeners were as vibrant as the
colorful fruits and vegetables that they had
entered for judging.
“We have people from all walks of life —
doctors, engineers, a pilot, college professors,
lawyers and retired people like me,” says
Kender. “People come back every year
because they like it.”
Located in Boyce Mayview Park, the Boyce
Gardens were established in 1975 by the
Boyce Road Gardeners’ Corporation and are
the oldest community garden in Allegheny
County. Managed by dedicated volunteers
Jerry and Phyllis Kender, the gardens give
residents the opportunity to rent a plot of
land to grow seasonal vegetables and fruits
organically.
Sandy Feather, a Penn State Extension
educator, horticulturist, and newspaper
columnist, judges the gardeners’ fruit and
vegetable entries each year at the fair.
“I have been working with the Boyce
Gardens group for many years,” says Feather.
“They are all such nice people. Judging
enables me to explain why I am picking this
one over that one and the gardeners can see
that and understand.”
She also enjoys interacting with the kids
who help take care of their parents’ garden
plots there.
“I love the kids,” says Feather. “They all
get blue ribbons for their entries; that is the
philosophy there. It’s important to ‘grow’ new
gardeners and, by exposing kids to gardening,
it’s a positive experience for them and is one
of the best gifts we can give them.”
Feather’s passion for gardening started as
a teen. “My grandmother was a really good
gardener and people ask me if I had good
memories of gardening with her, but I was
terrified of that woman,” laughs Feather. “I did
Continued
Upper St. Clair | Spring 2016 | icmags.com 41