FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio -- A decade ago, new Fairview Park resident Amy Brennan came to the realization that her shady yard -- thanks to a black walnut tree -- wasn't going to cooperate with her interest in home gardening.

"There's actually a long history of community gardening in the Cleveland area, so I reached out to the city," Brennan said.

"The word I got back from Mayor (Eileen Ann) Patton was that they had talked about a community garden, but there wasn't really energy about it. But If I was willing to lead it, they would help me find a place for it," Brennan said.

Less than a year later, Brennan and her green thumb made the 1.5-acre Fairview Park Community Garden a reality. The Maple Drive location, situated between West 227th Street and West 229th Street, just north of Interstate 480, started out with 15 gardens.

Today, there are 72 plots that produce everything from tomatoes, peppers, herbs and zucchini to winter squash, eggplant, kale and salad greens.

The Community Garden also donates produce to the Fairview Park Hunger Center.

"Most people choose to grow vegetables," Brennan said. "The only restrictions are they cannot grow anything that's perennial, just in case they decided not to garden next year, and they can't plant anything invasive."

Patton said she's happy to have the Community Garden as a city asset.

"It's remarkable what a group of volunteers can do to bring neighbors together," Patton said. "It's really great how the gardeners donate some of their products to the Fairview Hunger Center."

Each of the plots, which range in size from 10 feet by 20 feet to 5 feet by 20 feet, costs $25. Gardeners are required to weed and keep up the area. Non-organic fertilizers and pesticides are not allowed.

"Our plots are restricted for Fairview Park residents only," Brennan said. "There's a huge amount of interest. I think probably our biggest problem is visibility. We're on a quiet little residential street. People don't know we do this."

Those who do participate tend to have Brennan's shady back yard issue, as well as problems with deer and other critters eating the crops. The fenced-in Community Garden -- which is actually owned by ODOT, with the city having a long-term agreement for community purposes -- keeps evolving over the years.

Added recently were grape trellises, a pergola with a seating area and a fledgling orchard.

"We broke ground for a butterfly garden last year, which we're planning on planting this year," Brennan said. "We'll be buying some plant material and seeds for that. We use our garden fees for all of the projects.

"We also buy tools and wheelbarrows, although we get a lot of hand-me-downs on that front, as well. We're also making it a prettier place, a place where you might want to hang out."