Tomato plants taken from church garden in Richmond

Sharing with the community was the idea behind God's Garden on Porter Street, just not so soon.

Instead of waiting for a share of the harvest, someone dug up and removed 25 tomato plants near Central United Methodist Church on Mother's Day evening.

Members of the South Richmond church's Kids Club had helped plant the garden about a month ago, pastor Tom Sweat said. In addition to tomatoes, the garden has corn, potatoes, collards, spinach and lettuce.

"We were taken aback that someone would come in and take the tomatoes," Sweat said.

"I suppose they've been replanted or sold. Plants at that size cost about $5 each. . . . We're starting with smaller ones again and going from there."

Yesterday, Sweat worked with two members of the congregation to replace the tomato plants with a flat of 48 smaller ones.

The church created God's Garden this spring on a vacant lot in the same block where the church has been a landmark since 1899.

"We wanted to do something to pull people together in the neighborhood," Sweat said.

"With the way the economy is going, we thought a garden would be a good way to do it. Our aim is to share with the community and also to bring the community together to work on it."

The church has been operating in the South Richmond area since 1786.

"We decided to stay here. We want to be in ministry here, to try to do what we can to reach out to people and care for people," Sweat said.

That outreach also includes encouragement to let the garden grow. Below the sign that says "God's Garden," another one soon will remind potential thieves, "God and our cameras are watching you."

Contact Katherine Calos at (804) 649-6433 or .