Volunteers lend a hand - and backs

To take part in a morning of sunshine, laughter and gardening, volunteers flocked to Sunset View Farm in Andover Township for its annual Zinnia Madness event Saturday, June 21.

The small cut-flower farm is owned by the Grinthal family: Andy; his wife, Linda; and their sons, Michael, Dan and John.

In 2013, they began selling zinnias and now are “spreading smiles through local flower stands that we just can’t seem to keep full,” according to the farm’s website.

Andy Grinthal started about 4,500 zinnia plants in crates in March. Those were loaded onto his Farmall Cub tractor to be transported into the field for planting.

About 10 a.m., he taught the volunteers how to handle a dibble, a gardening tool used to put holes in the ground for planting. He then showed them how to remove the zinnias from the garden trays and place them in the holes.

He even had a taller dibble that volunteers could use while standing. That saved them from having to bend down in the heat.

“It’s nasty out there, so if we last until 12 that would be marvelous,” he said before the planting commenced.

Then volunteers helped plant the baby zinnias in the garden, moving them from the crates into the ground, for close to two hours.

They talked and cracked jokes while working diligently throughout the morning.

By noon, the group had planted five rows of zinnias - in rows of salmon, coral, purple, scarlet and carmine - all Benary Giant seeds, meaning big blooms.

At the end of the weekend, 10 rows were planted, with about 450 plants per row.

At lunchtime, volunteers were invited to enjoy Grinthal’s hot dogs and homemade French fries as they sat on the back porch, overlooking the farm.

Robin and Scott Henderson of Sparta were two of the volunteers at the Zinnia Madness event.

“I love being able to garden ... . Since I came for an event and saw the final product, I just thought it would be fun to plant them and do a part and contribute and volunteer,” Robin Henderson said.

Scott Henderson said they both have missed gardening. “We miss having the ability to go out and play with plants and put them in the ground. And it’s the best weather on the weekend.”

Sharing the gardens

Linda Grinthal said the farm has the second-largest community garden in New Jersey. It also has an accessible garden, called the Sunshine Garden, with raised beds for those with disabilities or who are in wheelchairs.

The space was funded through a grant from Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, a New Jersey-based nonprofit organization working to cure spinal cord injuries.

“We just wanted to help them to be in here with us and enjoy the farm and our events,” she said. “We hold our own events just for the gardeners, pasta on the porch and harvest time, and they can participate in that.”

Linda Grinthal manages the farm’s community events, such as Dessert in the Dahlias on Sept. 12, Tuscan Sunset Dahlias and Dessert on Sept. 19 and a Flower Power ’60s Dance on Sept. 26.

When the Grinthals first moved to the property, they were unsure what they were going to do with the 20 acres. So they started a nature-focused day-care center called Farm Fun. The “outdoor classroom” allowed them to share the space with other people. It was open for about five years.

They also hosted school trips, teaching students where their food came from and the benefits of growing organically with activities such as worm composting.

In addition, Linda Grinthal taught workshops and ran the nonprofit community garden for 10 years.

When she stopped running it, Andy Grinthal took over, charging members $200 for the year. Linda Grinthal said that is a good price for plot size and the materials are supplied.

She started hosting dance-themed events - even giving line dance instruction, recognizing a demand among residents for things to do on weekends.

“It’s just a way for people to gather in our community and get to know each other,” she said. “I try to get people interacting by having a trivia quiz that they have to be in groups for, so they have to get to know each other.”

The family has worked with several local organizations, such as schools and the YMCA, during the years to draw more people to the farm.