SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – It was a job for the big scissors Tuesday morning at Enos Park Neighborhood Gardens. They dedicated a new greenhouse, which came together from “tremendous community support” in grants and donors.

“It took less than a week to put up the actual kit,” said gardens manager Carey Smith (pictured, second from right). “We raised almost $45,000, and that included getting electrical access to the garden, the concrete floor, the kit, the labor to put it together, the water spigot that’s there, so it took a lot of different pieces.”

Smith said the site is a true community resource. “We had 2,400 visitor and volunteer engagements this year, so it’s definitely a place where the community can come during our open hours and just take part in what’s here.”

As for how the gardens will actually use the greenhouse, Smith said, “We’ll be able to have a larger variety of seedlings for our own garden, because we have more control over that, but also sharing with our neighbors, especially culturally relevant foods like okra and mustard greens and things like that. We hope our neighbors who can garden at home will also benefit from that.”

The gardens’ season is April through September.