The Community Garden is located on the site of The Dorothy Day Center (4909 N State Street, Oklahoma City).

The St. Charles Community Garden was designed, funded and built by Justin Sine of St. Charles' Boy Scout Troop 179 as an Eagle Scout project. From 2007 to today, the garden has served as a source of fresh food for the wider community and our food recipients, a place to pray and relax and a teaching garden for new and experienced gardeners. In 2016, the garden was expanded and remodeled for a total of 18 4x8' beds. With each bed claimed by individual gardeners, they agree to share half or more of their crops with the Dorothy Day Center or other food pantry. Our thanks also go to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, which provides us with plants and seeds through their Urban Harvest Program.

Rules of the Garden

The St. Charles Community Garden shall serve as:

                -A demonstration of a sustainable organic urban garden

                -A location for people to procure fresh organically grown vegetables, herbs and fruit

                -An opportunity for parishioners, neighbors, and volunteers to exercise good stewardship for God’s creation

                -A peaceful environment

                -An opportunity for gardeners to discover the Catholic principle of “The universal destination of God’s created goods”

This is an organic garden and all methods shall be organic gardening methods thus:

                1. No pesticides are allowed

                2. No herbicides are allowed

                3. No gasoline or diesel powered equipment is allowed

                4. No commercially produced fertilizers are allowed

                5. All food produced belongs to anyone who would like to enjoy it, regardless of income status or situation

                6. You may plant any herb, vegetable, or fruit in your area.  Consider other gardener’s plots, especially when planting perennials

The following gardening methods are encouraged:

                1. Composting

                2. The use of beneficial insects

                3. The use of well-rotted cow or horse manure as a fertilizer

                4. All tilling of the soil shall be with hand tools

                5. Stepping into or walking in the raised beds is not allowed

                6. Sheet mulching to control grass, weeds and promote healthy soil with an abundance of earthworms

                7. Mulching is encouraged to help prevent the drying out of the soil.

                8. The use of harvested rainwater for watering the plants

                9. Companion planting