Welcome to the Dowling Community Garden

Sixtieth Anniversary

In 2003 the Dowling Community Garden celebrated it's 60th anniversary as a community garden. The Dowling Community Garden was a former World War II "Victory Garden", begun in 1943 to supplement urban and rural communities with fresh fruits and vegetables. The Dowling Community Garden is one of only a few original World War II Victory Gardens still being gardened today and is probably the second oldest in the nation (second only to the Fenway Victory Gardens in Boston).

Three types of Cover crops including Buckwheat, Hairy Vetch and Winter Rye were demonstrated. A seminar on Heirloom tomatoes was given along with a demonstration on saving tomato seeds. There was a raffle along with free seed givaways. Everyone enjoyed cake and lemonade. We would like to thank Mother Earth Gardens and Minnehaha Nursery for donating the raffle prizes.

  • Young Dowling Gardener
  • Raffle Registration Tent
  • Seed Demonstration
  • Display and Demonstration tent
  • Cover Crop Demonstration Bed
  • Emilie cuts the Anniversary Cake
  • 60th Anniversary Raffle Winners
  • Lucky Raffle Winners
  • Larry checks out Dowling History
  • Gathering around Demonstration Tent
  • Garden view with seed-saving cages