Community Garden--What I Saw Wednesday

Some people refer to where we live as the "Barrio." I always took exception to that thinking it had a negative connotation. However, I looked it up and since it simply means "a community" I find it very appropriate for what Tarzan and I saw as we rimmed around on his birthday.

We saw this next to a Senior Citizen's home and wondered what they were doing, so we stopped and asked.
We walked closer and could clearly see it was what we suspected, a garden with several people working in it. This is on a main street not the place you expect to see such a thing.

Look at this beautiful lettuce and look at those greens and onions. Yum. We were told anyone could participate and harvest what they grow. The land was donated so all you have to do is provide seeds and some good old fashioned sweat.

We soon learned this great idea is in several places, not just this one. Several plots are laid out. There is a gardener "organizer" and there were several others there who are from different non-profit organizations helping out. They are laying donated sawdust for those who are in wheelchairs so they can get around. The Seniors in the center next to this piece of land are invited to participate. If they cannot garden, they are invited to harvest anyway. Anyone who will take care of their plot is welcome to plant here. We met a woman from Sierra Leon, she was planting vegetables native to Africa.

Some told us this was the first time they had gardened and showed us what they were growing with great pride.

Tarzan and I were so impressed, we visited another site they had started a garden on. It was in the middle of some commercial property and someone had put up a shaded gazebo in it.

It does my heart good to see communities work together for the betterment of the whole. We are going to get involved in a community garden and hopefully, the idea will spread across our entire community, thus bringing us closer together.