Local community gardens in Canton and Woodstock will soon need extra space to grow.

As part of Canton's Heron Square Community Gardens fifth anniversary, a tomato sandwich festival will be conducted on July 10 at the gardens on the corner of East and West Marietta streets in downtown Canton.

There will be a contest for the best homegrown tomatoes and best homemade bread. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Roy Taylor, who started the Canton garden, said that during this political season, no matter what your views are, a tomato sandwich is something we all can rally around.

Taylor said the garden is experiencing the best season it has ever had, but it is facing a problem of space.

"That spot is maxed out. I don't think we can fit any more there," he said, adding he hopes the city government will allow the use of some of its property elsewhere in town for the project.

Canton Mayor Gene Hobgood said searching for suitable property for more community gardens would be a worthwhile effort for the city.

"Doing that, to me, is as important as having a field to play on. It is part of recreation and you get a product out of it," he said. "It is a good idea if we can find a place for it."

The Canton community garden, like the one operated by the City of Woodstock, offers free garden plots to residents, but space is limited.

The Woodstock community gardens also are running out of room to grow.

Preston Pooser, the city's parks and recreation director, said most of the people farming on its 24 plots already are harvesting crops such as summer squash and zucchini. It is the garden's first harvest since starting earlier this year.

"We can expand a little," Pooser said about the current location on Dobbs Road behind the Chattahoochee Technical College campus downtown.

He said to really expand, though, it would take more land.

"I would love to expand. We are trying to look for more land."

For information about the Canton community garden and tomato sandwich festival, call (770) 720-1048. For information on the Woodstock community garden, call (770) 517-6788.