Pleasant Street Community Garden

There was substantial discussion about the demise of the lawn on Garden Rant recently. One question was what will replace lawns, especially on municipal sites. I’m not against all lawns, but some municipal space could very well be used for community gardens. This one in Greenfield (MA) is right in the center of town. It occupies part of the lawn surrounding an old elementary school that now houses the school systems’ administrative offices.

Eveline MacDougall found the site, originally a school playground with sandy compacted soil. Through her persistance and work with town departments the garden was born. Nine years of cultivation by all kinds of energetic gardeners with lots of compost have resulted in beautiful, lush and productive plots. In addition to personal plots, some of which have been important to new immigrants, there is a plot for the local food pantry, a communal herb plot, an experimental permaculture plot and a kids plot that are all tended communally.

It is not only the gardeners who benefit. Many local people find the community garden a pleasant place to walk, or to sit in the shade of a temporary pavillion to visit with friends. community for everyone!

It’s amazing to see what 9 years of conscientious cultivation will accomplish!