The Garden of Hope Esperanza Garden, located on Magnolia Street in Dorchester, Massachusetts, was dedicated to Fannie Lee Robinson in July 2000. The garden is a gem where residents enjoy growing their flowers, vegetables, and herbs yearly.
I had the pleasure of visiting a long-time community gardener and friend Rahill on my last visit to the Boston area. Naturally, I could not miss the opportunity to savor some of her harvests while at the same time capturing the moment with pictures.
Flowers at the Garden of Hope
Community gardens are typically converted from vacant land, providing residents an open space to enjoy nature and grow food. Additionally, the garden allows residents to collaborate, build friendships, and learn new skills.
One research study spotlighted the need for urban community gardeners to plant and harvest vegetables that will sustain their families year-round (Modibedi et al., 20121). In another study, researchers found that community gardens are seldom included in resiliency plans despite the calls to address global climate change.
Vegetables and Herbs
They claim that community gardens serve multiple benefits in the fight against climate change, including heat reduction and assistance in stormwater problems moreover, community participation and engagement go a long way in natural disaster response and food security (Clarke et al., 2018). An urgent plea was made for policymakers to include community gardens in any climate change plans.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many turned to home gardening to help alleviate the food shortages and high prices. Lal (2020) believes that home gardening and local community gardens play a vital role in improving food production and is a strategy that must not be ignored.
Delicious Peaches
Sources
Clarke, M., Davidson, M., Egerer, M., Anderson, E., & Fouch, N. (2018). The underutilized role of community gardens in improving cities’ adaptation to climate change: A review. People, Place & Policy Online, 12(3).
Modibedi, T. P., Masekoameng, M. R., & Maake, M. (2021). The contribution of urban community gardens to food availability in Emfuleni Local Municipality, Gauteng Province. Urban Ecosystems, 24(2), 301-309.
Lal, R. (2020). Home gardening and urban agriculture for advancing food and nutritional security in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Food security, 12(4), 871-876.
