The Two Rivers Community Garden & Park is 108 acres of beautiful rural land adjacent to the northeastern end of the community at 1451 Meyers Station Road. This gated, private property is surrounded by mature trees, and includes raised garden beds for residents to grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. The individual garden plots opened in June of 2018 with 50 beds, and 8 more were quickly added to meet demand.

This past spring and summer residents grew sunflowers, zucchini, basil, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, and a variety of colorful flowers. Prior to opening, the Two Rivers Home Owner’s Association invited a master gardener to present helpful tips on what would grow well in the Maryland soil and climate.

The raised beds are protected by 6 foot deer fencing and rabbit guards. There are multiple sources for water on site, as well as mulch and a composting area. Gardening tools and equipment are easily accessible in the community tool shed. There are open planting fields that have been cultivated for bulk crops that take up more space (such as sweet corn, potatoes, melons, pumpkins) and could be tended to by local organizations interested in agricultural development.

"Good health starts by building healthy communities,” says Bill Gerald, Vice President of Land Acquisition for Classic Group, the master developer of Two Rivers. “We see gardens as a way to strengthen our neighborhood, provide access to healthy foods, and a space for physical activity and socialization to help our residents thrive.”

In addition to the individual garden beds, the park will offer recreational amenities in Phase II of development including; a covered pavilion with picnic tables, outdoor grills, horseshoe pits, fishing pond, natural surface trails, and large open fields for sports. Estimated completion for these amenities is late spring 2019.

Nancy Teng, a resident of the 55+ Villages and self-taught gardener, had large gardens before she moved to Two Rivers. “We had ten acres in Bodkin Point on the Bay,” said Nancy. When she moved, she missed her garden and had to have one of the raised beds. She has a 3’ x 6’ plot where she planted peppers, basil, okra and more. “My garden shows what you can do with a small space.” Nancy says that when you are there, working on your garden, watering, planting and weeding, you get to know your neighbors who are working on their gardens.

The site can be expanded to host 80 raised beds. As the program expands and neighbors come together, Two Rivers will respond by increasing the number of garden plots available.

Residents have taken the farm-to-table technique to heart and developed a cooking demonstration series called “Sundays at the Stove” utilizing the demonstration kitchen in the Village Clubhouse. The series includes guest chefs like Chef Egg who lent his culinary expertise and showed residents how to prepare grilled pineapple salsa, cilantro jalapeño sauce, pickled onions and mango margaritas. Chef Jeff’s Greek-inspired class demonstrated how to prepare arugula salad with watermelon, tiropita stuffed with feta cheese, plus moussaka and baklava.

Donation of of garden tools (tillers to garden hoses) are always appreciated.