Subject: Re: Community Gardens

From: [email-masked] (Piddipat)
Date: 28 Feb 1995 23:10:19 -0500

re jen mayer's question:
i know who the owner of the land in question is. he's an "alleged" drug
dealer who walked away from the two garage/dwellings that were on the
land, which fell into deplorable shape. it took three years of calling the
city every month to get the dwellings condemned and torn down. this "drug
dealer," i hear, has fallen upon hard times and doesn't care one bit about
the property. so ... i'm gonna get it one way or the other--in fact, i
talked to the gardening director of the dept. of human services today, and
she told me that she's going to work with me to grab the land (legally)
and turn it into a community garden!!!!!!! i'll keep you posted on what
happens. :D

--pat murray

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From: [email-masked] (Sara Larson)
Date: 1 Mar 1995 16:05:28 GMT

Piddipat ([email-masked]) wrote:
: the property. so ... i'm gonna get it one way or the other--in fact,
: i talked to the gardening director of the dept. of human services
: today, and she told me that she's going to work with me to grab the
: land (legally) and turn it into a community garden!!!!!!! i'll keep
: you posted on what happens. :D

I gave a big silent whoop when I read your message. Three cheers for
your gardening director, and may this year's harvest be ample.

-Sara

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 02 Mar 95 15:14:12 EST

Community Gardens - what a wonderful concept.  There are so many
areas if an inner city I visit where I find a sign of life and
evidence of caring folks.
 
I'm sure the effort to reclaim - or put to a more productive
use even if on a temporary basis have been addressed a number
of times.  It seems that there are few new questions.  For help
in sharing and passing on this information you might contact
the National Association of Community Gardens in Philadelphia, PA
(on Walnut Street - I believe).  Philadelphia Green, the grandparent
of modern community gardens has a nice write-up, with photos, in
the Seeds of Change '95 catalog.  A story of the success of a
community garden reclaiming a drug neighborhood is told.
 
Philadelphia Green is a $1.5 million annual project.  All who visit
the Philadelphia Flower Show starting this weekend contribute to its
success.  Community gardens are not only for the neglected inner city.
I recall moving into Reston, VA in 1972 and being pleased to find well
cared for garden plots.
 
A number of garden supply and seed co's offer support and assistance.
Shepard's offer in the front of their catalog is an example.
 
Now get in there and show that drug what to plant.  Beware of the high
lead content of the soil.  Raised beds and lots of compost is the fix.

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 02 Mar 95 15:14:12 EST