Building on a year of volunteer-supported garden rehabilitation efforts and after school programming, we devised a formal redesign of the Children’s Garden at St. Ann’s Church in Mott Haven, the Bronx
After creating a design featuring areas for vegetables, pollinator-friendly perennials, and cut flowers for church services, we commenced the build by knocking down last seasons cover crop, a soil-building mix of vetch, rye grass, field peas, and winter wheat and unearthing the rocks that would eventually frame the pollinator beds.
New interlinking pathways were created to encourage exploration and support the tenant "there is no one right path in life" . Shaped raised beds were framed with existing rocks native to the space, reducing our use of store bought materials and creating a naturalistic starting point for perennials and sensory plants.
Staff and volunteers planting native perennials .
Gardening in newly established perennial sensory bed.
Perennial elderberry, sage, and anise hyssop 1 year after planting.