Is it too early for a pumpkin photo? I think not since Oktoberfest craft beers are already in stores and Starbucks began selling Pumpkin Spiced Lattes in August.
This hiking venue came to us through an Instagram Reel touting “7 Great Hikes in Cincinnati”. Most of the others we had already done, and this one offered a trifecta of our interests: hiking, community gardens, and history.
Being gardeners ourselves, we find community gardens interesting. The creativity, passion, sense of community, and optimism demonstrated brings a simple joy and energy. In these gardens the land is subdivided into smaller plots and allotted to interested folks who usually pay a small annual fee to raise a garden. Sometimes the entire garden area is fenced, only open to those participating. Other times the larger garden will be open to the public, with the individual plots fenced off. So wherever we are in the world we will seek out open community gardens to stroll, studying the differences in administration, layout, culture, and plantings. Here we found one close to home.
Locating the garden was a bit confusing. It is sponsored by the Village of Mariemont but some sites listed its address as Anderson Township. When we used Google Maps it took us to a commercial and industrial area off Wooster Road and the suggested entry drive had “no trespassing” warnings. We called the Mariemont city building and were directed to the Mariemont Pool parking lot.
At the lot there is signage directing you down to the 80 acres of community garden and trails. It is a bit utilitarian as you pass through an aged tunnel that lies beneath a defunct railway spur.
From there you cross over active twin railroad tracks and look down on the the flood plain that hosts the garden and trail system.
What catches your attention immediately are the groupings of sunflowers seen at many of the allotments.
We turned right and headed down a gravel drive, breezing past the gardens, enjoying them from a distance, and noted a collection of Morning Glory specimens growing around the compost bins. One gardener’s weed is another gardener’s show flower.
At the end of drive we entered onto the Outer Loop Trail. There was an interesting tunnel effect provided by a collection of uniquely shaped Box-elder trees. The shade was a nice benefit on this hot August day.
The wood was made up of the usual tree species that you would expect to find on a flood plain in the Midwest: Box-elder, Cottonwood, Silver Maple, and Sycamore. The dominant understory plant was Woodland Nettle. It had cloud-like racemes of small white flowers arising off its central stem that was armed with little prickles, a characteristic of all the nettles. These can be bothersome and cause some stinging and burning for an hour after penetrating the skin. Luckily none encroached on the path. The leaves of Wood Nettle are considered a good foraging food and are prepared much like cooked spinach. Several species of butterflies use Wood Nettle as a larval food source including some uncommon ones: Commas, Question Marks, and Red Admirals.
For much of the hike the trail is perched on a silt bluff above some back waters of the scenic Little Miami River. Given the drought conditions in the Ohio River Valley however, the backwaters had no current and ecologically presented itself as a series of ponds.
But it is still a wetland teeming with wildlife as we witnessed Kingfishers flitting by and numerous turtles sunning themselves.
Along this stretch of trail were large Sycamores and Cottonwoods.
Both species allow for dabbled sunlight to hit the woodland floor, causing micro-environments suitable for wildflowers and fruiting plants.
Mist Flower and Touch-me-not – Mist flower is a native argeratum and Touch-me-not a native impatien – flower families common in garden nurseries.
Woodland Phlox and Thin-leaved Sunflower – Thin-leaved Sunflower can bloom from June into November and can be found in shade, partial shade, or full sun.
Cutleaf Coneflower and Elderberry – I believe that the Cutleaf Coneflower was a new identification for us.
The leaf of the Cutleaf was very atypical for the Coneflower family, and clearly “cut” with deep lobes. It should be an easy one to remember.
Eventually the trail came upon the full breadth of the lovely Little Miami River. While the trailside vegetation limited sight lines, one could still appreciate the beauty of this designated National Scenic River.
As we followed the river we realized that we had probably missed a turn of the formal Outer Loop Trail and doubled back. When the trail leaves the shoreline it encircles a couple of fields that were planted with soybean, but also appeared to be managed for wildlife with informal borders hosting many wildflowers.
In amongst the soybean was this interesting plant – Apple-of-Peru. It is a native of western South America. Its dried seed pods are frequently used in flower arrangements. While foreign, it is not invasive as it needs a disturbed soil surface to germinate. In its native regions it is also known as “Shoo Fly Plant”, as a concoction of juice from the leaves or roots of the plant, with milk, would be set out to attract flies. When flies consumed the mixture they died.
These soybean fields lie on a flood plain that was the site of a Fort Ancient Native American village from 1450 to 1670. It is the largest and most studied village of Fort Ancient culture, and artifacts were so abundant that locals referred to the area as “the pottery fields”. From 1879 to 1911 Harvard’s archeology department led excavations and trained here. Branching off from the sign below was a trail that will warrant study on another day.
After completing the loop we found ourselves back at the community garden and were ready to indulge that part of ourselves. These gardens, like many of those we visit, were not pristine. Frequently the cherished plants were battling it out with some weedy volunteers. But the beauty remained. While each plot was fenced off, the community garden itself is unfenced and has wide pathways inviting visitors to stroll and observe.
At South 80 there seemed to be more of an emphasis on flowers for cutting than produce. That reflects that people have different motivations and goals when they embark on gardening. Zinnias were the flower of the day,
and the butterflies appreciated the Zinnias as much as we did.
But for me, summer gardening is about the tomato – any tomato in fact – sunshine captured in a thin skin. Nothing better.
As we walked the rows of garden plots we enjoyed seeing how people personalized their allotments.
And many gardeners added sun shelters for respite from the heat.
We have a lot of respect for those folks who try to wrestle bounty from the Earth, while at the same time facing the many challenges that life puts in their path. Sometimes watering and weeding no longer become the priority. But still they persist, and often the interaction with nature, plants, and the soil is the salve for the abrasiveness of life.
Plant of the Day – Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica). We found it growing on a short bluff just above the Little Miami River in dabbled sunlight – the exact habitat where field guides say it will be found. It is a cousin of Cardinal Flower, which has similar shaped flowers of scarlet red. It was once considered a cure for syphilis, which led to the species name siphilitica.
In summary, this was a great local find just 16 miles from home. Despite its proximity to an older Cincinnati suburb, we only heard the sounds of nature – especially the hum of the annual cicada. Our experience tells us that this would be an outstanding birding venue, especially when the leaves are off the trees, and a winter walk would offer better views on the Little Miami River. The stroll through the community garden was nice with the annual flowers at peak bloom, and we enjoyed talking to some of the gardeners who were toiling away. The “open” garden concept gives true meaning to the term “community” garden. Well done Mariemont.
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Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns
Overview:
Location – Park at 6000 Mariemont Avenue which is at the Mariemont Pool parking lot. It is 9 miles east of downtown Cincinnati.
Parking – large asphalt lot.
Facilities – None.
Trail Conditions – gravel path at times and bare dirt.
Print Trail Map Link – none.
Benches – none noted.
Picnic Tables – yes, up near the parking area.
Kids – Kids 4 and over will do well on the trail. If they fatigue you can abort the hike by heading left to the gravel oval that surrounds the garden area. Large wheeled strollers can be used on the gravel loop surrounding the gardens and soybean field.
Dogs – Welcomed on a leash.
Paired Hiking Trails – there is a gravel loop that goes around the gardens as well a trail that heads out from the from the Native American village site.
Links:
http://www.mariemont.com/the-south-80-in-mariemont-history-transformation-and-future/