Community Gardener Portrait Project

This was an eyesore. There were two abandoned buildings in this lot. Mattresses were hanging out of the window and rats were running all over. I started the garden because I was from the South and knew about the value of a garden. Plus, the garden was next to my home. We tried to make it presentable for the community. We wanted it to be a safe haven and to demonstrate to people the value of growing vegetables in the neighborhood. I think the garden has kept me moving.

Sometimes you don’t feel well, but you come out to the garden and do something. You bend, your back hurts or whatever, but once you do that little exercise, you feel a little stronger.

Leila Jamison
Good Shepherds Community Garden
East New York, Brooklyn, New York

It’s a place that reminds me of my childhood growing up in Alabama and visiting and working on my cousin's farm. I really enjoy the chickens. My grandmother had chickens in our backyard. My cousin had chickens on the farm. My first job on a farm was taking care of the chickens and the pigs. I wanted that experience again, and I wanted my family—my children and wife who grew up in the city—to have experience with farm animals.

Gregory Anderson
Walt L. Shamel Community Garden
Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York

I have been in this garden for about 10 years maybe. I've seen how it transformed, how things were built, and how the community evolved. I like eating the vegetables that are planted here by my parents. I like coming here with my grandfather who also likes gardening. I play basketball here. There are plants, animals, butterflies and birds chirping. It's just a good vibe. It's a happy place that you can come to when your thoughts are down or whether you're mad, you can just come and hang out in the garden. I feel calm here. I feel like it's a chill place to let your thoughts loose and to focus on gardening, on playing basketball, on grilling, or on the birds and animals.

Albe Arnob
Euclid 500 Community Garden
East New York, Brooklyn, New York

Alexx Caceres
ENY Youth Farrm
East New York, Brooklyn, New York

It really became more apparent that this is a place of mental health. There was a time during this pandemic where we were one of the only places people could come and sit down. A lot of people were suffering from anxiety or depression, which is common in our neighborhood. I’d get text messages from people asking if I could open the garden for a couple of hours because they were feeling very dark and lonely and just wanted to sit outside.

Kofi Thomas
The People’s Garden
Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York

We're a huge carbon sponge for the neighborhood. We are sequestering carbon with our soils. The soil is the unsung hero of the climate crisis and everything that we can do to keep our soil healthy is going to help the climate crisis.

Jennie Plewka
Smiling Hogshead Ranch
Long Island City, Queens, New York

I’m the one that takes care of the animals. I feed them, clean, build anything that needs to be built, and pull some weeds. I’ve been here since 2008. I had a friend that used to be here, so I came by one day and I liked it, so I stayed here. I haven’t missed one day since — 365 days a year. It's my second home. It’s like therapy for me. It’s what keeps me young. I’m 72 years old.

Gabriel Maldonado
Green Gems Community Garden
East New York, Brooklyn, New York

I'm from the church, The House of David. It's how I got involved, and I've been here for the last ten years trying to make it nice in the neighborhood. I came from the South. I'm a farmer. I came from a farm. This is part of my therapy because I come out here every morning and do a little something. I'm retired. I'm 74 years old, and the garden keeps me going. I give away clothes here, and we have churches that bring stuff for me to give away. For my part, while I'm alive, I want to keep it growing because a lot of people come here and eat a lot of stuff out of here. It makes me feel happy to be able to do this and bring our community together. A lot of people give me respect for just doing this.

Herman Loadholt
Dumont Garden of Green
East New York, Brooklyn, New York

I got involved way before Brooklyn Queens Land Trust existed. This garden was abandoned in 1996 and it had no structures, no kitchen, no dance area, and an old wooden fence. I climbed that old wooden fence and started to work. I always kept the gate open. And I always will keep it open because I discovered that everything you need in your garden is in your neighborhood. How do you attract people? You make it their garden, so now it’s The People's Garden and they construct everything. There are professional people who come here pro bono. People come here with their families when it's time to party. Slowly the garden kept growing, and people kept building things. And because the garden is open to anyone and everyone, it doesn't allow for friction to exist. If you say there is a private garden, then there is friction, so we leave it open.

Hernan Pagan
The People’s Garden
Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York

Alexandra Madsen
64th Street Community Garden
Sunset Park, Brooklyn, New York

Ada Smothers
McIntosh Neighborhood Association Garden
Elmhurst, Queens, New York

I feel secure here. When you come inside, you feel the difference.

Freilyn Vargas
Green Gems Community Garden
East New York, Brooklyn, New York

Anita Chan
Wortman Avenue Garden
East New York, Brooklyn New York

Charles Joyner
Amboy Street Community Garden
Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York

Craig Shepherd
45 Somers Street Community Garden
Ocean Hill-Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York

Donovan Fuller
Westbrook Memorial Garden
Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York

Efrain Estrada
United We Stand Garden
Mott Haven, Bronx, New York

Favor Igoni
Amboy Street Community Garden
Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York

Patti Hagan
St. Marks Avenue / Prospect Heights Community Garden
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, New York

George Lennan
Dumont Garden of Green
East New York, Brooklyn, New York

Gemma Garcia
New Jersey Avenue Community Garden
East New York, Brooklyn, New York

Johnny Raghuvir
Euclid 500 Community Garden
East New York, Brooklyn, New York

This is a place of harmony. This is a place of learning, beauty. It's a place to relax.

Marty Rogers
Neighborhood Advisory Committee Community Garden
Melrose, Bronx, New York

Yonnette Fleming
Hattie Carthan Community Garden
Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York

Tam Green
45 Somers Street Community Garden
Ocean Hill-Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York

I fill up the water drums every week. It's something I look forward to. Nobody really wants to fill up 110 gallons, right? You got to carry this huge hose thing that's half filled with water and hook it up to the fire hydrant. But for me, I like meeting people. I like talking to people. I like lifting weights. I like being healthy. I like helping out. It’s fun to operate the fire hydrant, and the more I do it, the more I look forward to it. I get to meet my neighbors. It's one of my favorite things. It became a cornerstone of my life.

Jamie Freeland
Gates Harvest Garden
Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York

Lillian Vailes
Crystal Wells Community Garden
East New York, Brooklyn, New York

I'm proud that it's a community garden and that we're able to grow vegetables to distribute among the neighbors.

Joan Belton
Merrick Marsden Neighbors Association II Garden
South Jamaica, Queens, New York

Marlene Wilkes
Hands and Heart Garden
East New York, Brooklyn New York

Taleyah Robinson
ENY Youth Farm
East New York, Brooklyn, New York

Rasheem Williams
Westbrook Memorial Garden
Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York

Robert Florin
David Foulke Memorial Garden
Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, New York