DALTON, Ga. — Catherine Massop says she grows some unusual vegetables at the Lakeshore Community Garden, like Russian red kale and three types of eggplants: black beauty, Japanese and white.

Massop, 52, was one of about 15 people at the community garden recently for opening day. She said she started gardening two years ago as a way to relieve stress.

Last year Massop had six plots, but due to her work schedule she’s only able to manage three now.

“I somehow seem to have a green thumb,” she said. “I also have romaine lettuce, Swiss chard, celery, beets and asparagus.”

The garden was started in 2010 by the Master Gardener program of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension to “allow community members access to gardening structure, otherwise unavailable due to lack of land or knowledge,” said longtime member Caron Peavy in an email. The garden is a collaboration of the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department and University of Georgia Extension, Whitfield County.

There are 75 plots in the garden at 1212 Dennard Drive near the dog park on the south side of Lakeshore Park. The plots are 5 by 16 feet and cost $20 a year.

Forty plots had already been leased, and regular and handicap plots are still available.

“The (location) works out perfectly, because I take my dogs to the dog park and work in the garden,” Massop said.

The community garden is open to anyone interested in joining, no experience is needed. For more information and an application, visit the Lakeshore Community Garden Facebook page.

Cecilia Booker said she likes to garden because it’s an opportunity to grow food and she enjoys seeing seeds sprout from the ground.

“I find it satisfying and calming,” she said.

She said there are several seasons to gardening.

“You have a winter garden, which is nice because there are no bugs,” Booker said. “You can grow broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and turnips.”

This is Booker’s fifth year gardening at Lakeshore. She said during spring season squash, cucumbers, green peppers, tomatoes and corn are popular.

“There are some things that love hot weather like corn and okra,” she said. “Tomatoes will grow like crazy, until it gets too hot, then they quit producing.”

Booker said strawberries are also hard to grow because things like rabbits and ants want to eat them.

Michele Corbin of Dalton joined the community garden a few years ago because of the challenge of growing a garden at home. She said there was too much shade, which isn’t good for gardening.

“I like the option to garden here because I get an abundance of sunshine,” she said. “Everything grows super large. I grew sunflowers one year that were about 15 feet tall.”

Margaret Brandel also had problems with sunlight at her Dalton home. She and daughter Justine Shaheen have two plots together.

“We grow easy things like squash, peppers and tomatoes,” Brandel said.

She said gardening is “very relaxing and the community here is fun, too.”

Peavy said maintaining a garden isn’t easy.

“You have to devote time to it,” she said. “You need to weed, water and pick produce often.”

Peavy said last year some of the gardeners went to a cannery in Murray County and made vegetable soup mix.

“I even had enough vegetables to can about a dozen containers of green beans,” she said.

Peavy plans to grow green beans, peas and okra this year. She and husband Jim have four plots.

“It’s a commitment, but we think it’s well worth it,” she said.