Norwich – Erica Sullivan-Corbett freely admitted she is no expert when it comes to gardening, so when the owner of Small Potatoes Crafts & Gifts on Otrobando Avenue wanted to create a vegetable garden to supply the St. Vincent de Paul Place soup kitchen, she consulted with the experts.

Those experts – local gardening, supply and landscaping businesses – came through with much more than advice on how to grow tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, kale, lettuce and herbs. They provided the plants, the dirt, fertilizer, netting to protect the plants from nearby wildlife, wooden pallets to create a rustic fence and even some flowering plants to attract butterflies and other pollinating insects.

Her landlord at 309 Otrobando Ave., Hugh Schnip, who owned the former River Run nursery that used to occupy the property, donated use of the land for the project.

“I put it on Facebook,” Sullivan-Corbett said. “‘Anyone got any ideas?’”

A short time later, Michelle Algiere of Algiere’s Landscaping in Preston volunteered to till the garden. Algiere stayed with the project, offering tips on how best to space the plants.

“She’s been such a help,” Sullivan-Corbett said.

Hart’s Greenhouse & Florist donated vegetable seedlings, Malerba’s Farm donated herbs. Surplus Unlimited donated dirt, and Norwich Agway lime fertilizer. Holdridge Nursery in Ledyard offered a gift certificate to pay for the butterfly attracting plants. And Small Potatoes’ crafters loaned tomato cages. Ace Hardware provided the protective netting.

She asked her crafters for whatever leftover paint they might have. Sullivan-Corbett plans to paint the fence in multiple colors, maybe enlisting local students to help.

“We did this the right way,” Sullivan-Corbett said. “Now I just hope it takes off.”

The 22-by-15-foot “Seed to Soup Garden” has more than 50 vegetable plants. Sullivan-Corbett planted dozens more herb plants in six large pots and two boxes. Sullivan-Corbett said she went to St. Vincent before starting the project to ask Executive Director Jillian Corbin what they need. She was surprised when Corbin said “herbs.”

Corbin said the soup kitchen uses herbs every day.

“We just don’t always have fresh ones,” she said.

The garden now has two types of tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow and zucchini squash, kale, lettuce and strawberries.

In the herb pots, Sullivan-Corbett is growing rosemary, parsley, dill, basil, oregano, anis, thyme and chives. Malerba’s also gave her some catnip, but that’s in a separate pot not heading to the soup kitchen.

“I’m ecstatic about it,” Corbin said of the dedicated garden. St. Vincent serves about 100 meals at breakfast and another 140 to 150 at lunch, Corbin said.

She said some community gardens reserve a row or surplus produce for the soup kitchen and local food pantries. Herbs also are used for the monthly community meal and extras are offered to families for use at home.

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday