Greening Up the Bronx

Posted in Programs and Events on September 18 2008, by Plant Talk

Written by Genna Federico, a senior at St. John’s University, with additional reporting by Kate Murphy, a junior at Fordham University. Both were interns in the Communications Department this summer.

Imagine a small sanctuary filled with green grass, bold flowers, and bountiful fruits. Now imagine that you are in the middle of the Bronx—and no, you are not at the NYBG. You are in one of the more than 100 community gardens throughout the area that Bronx Green- Up has helped make over and maintain.

Bronx Green- Up, celebrating 20 years as a program of the Botanical Garden, transforms vacant lots into vibrant green spaces, involving the community and people of all ages and cultures. Besides renovating the space, Bronx Green-Up (BGU) staff continue supporting the site through periodic visits to give ideas, supply materials, and catch up with friends. This Saturday BGU celebrates with community gardeners throughout the Bronx at its annual Harvest Festival, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Padre Plaza Community Garden.

During our field trip as volunteers for a day, we got a chance to see four of these urban oases and to witness Bronx Green-Up at work. Follow us on our field trip visits after the jump.

The first stop of the day, Franklin Memorial Garden, is where we put our green thumbs to use. Our time there was hard work—see our September 4 blog entry—but there was much more to see and do.

Our next stop was Padre Plaza (site of this weekend’s Harvest Festival), located in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx. Along with being a place for flowers, and vegetables, the garden is also used as a community gathering place. On the day we stopped by, a children’s summer camp was conducting activities there. The kids were enjoying themselves learning about animals and the environment and respect for their neighborhood. BGU dropped off some plants for the members of this community garden to plant on their own.

If you ever doubted that so much fruit and vegetables could grow in the Bronx, just stop by the Bruckner Mott Haven community garden. From grapes, peaches, and plums to tomatoes, they have it all. The people that maintain the community gardens appreciate all the work BGU does. W So when the BGU crew delivered a large tree to the site, they gave advice and tips on how to maintain the tree. In return, samples of the sweet treats came our way by the plenty! It truly was a sight to see, but if, for even a moment, we forgot where we were for even a moment, the Bruckner Expressway zooming past above us was but a humble reminder that this is achievable anywhere.

If the name alone doesn’t make you smile, the Garden of Happiness was filled with laughter and camaraderie. Not only did we find a group of men gathered, enjoying time together, but they were shelling snap peas grown in that very garden! Each community garden has its own “flavor.” The Garden of Happiness had its own chicken coop, with about a dozen chickens running around and producing eggs. We even stepped inside the coop and checked out the nesting situation. It was such a unique experience, and definitely one of my favorites.

The Bronx is filled with flourishing greens. And with the help of Bronx Green- Up, these gardens If the name alone doesn’t make you smile, the Garden of Happiness was filled with laughter and camaraderie. Not only did we find a group of men gathered, enjoying time together, but they were shelling snap peas grown in that very garden! Community gardens, like this one, make the space their own. The Garden of Happiness had its own chicken coop, with about a dozen running around and producing eggs. Yes, we even stepped inside the coop and checked out the nesting situation. It was such a unique experience, and definitely one of my favorites.

So besides our own garden, the Bronx is filled with flourishing greens. Bronx Green Up makes it possible to restore, and maintain these gardens, grow fruits and vegetables and even raise chickens, right in our own backyard!