Making a dense city more livable, by Brian Abate

Old timers might remember an urban gardener from the last century. Adam Purple, who dressed in purple and drove a purple bike, created a large spiraling garden on the lower East Side which became famous as it was threatened and eventually destroyed by real estate developers.

These days, many community gardens in the city are safe from development due to the city’s GreenThumb program.  There are 14 community gardens around here. Spring has arrived and that means community gardeners are getting back to work.

Urban Meadow

Mike Golub runs the Urban Meadow, across from the docks on Van Brunt and President.

“I’ve been living in the neighborhood for about 33 years years,” said Golub, originally from Long Island but now a Columbia Waterfront District resident.

“My wife is a native Brooklynite and we were living on Henry St. but our landlord sold the building so we got a little place right down the street.

“She is a gardener, my mother-in-law is a gardener, and I have friends who are gardeners so I learned from them.”

In 1987 the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary parish, where Mother Cabrini once taught, was torn down after a roof collapse. The space where the garden is now became an empty lot that was filled with overgrown weeds.

At the start, there were approximately 100 volunteers in the garden, and getting the weeds out was grueling work .

Golub and the volunteers kept adding more plants to the garden, which looks like a beautiful jungle when in bloom. In addition to providing a green space, Urban Meadow has been the site of annual Halloween parades, jazz festivals, and even a wedding.

“If anyone is interested in joining, they can call me and it’s $30 to join per year,” Golub said. “Then you get a key. We only have a finite number of boxes [small designated spaces within the garden where people can plant what they please for a little money]. I think we’re up to 13 boxes now.

“The way we approached it when we first started the garden was everyone just did everything because there was so much work to do. More recently, we started developing family plots which has worked out great since it has gotten more people involved and folks like to grow their own flowers, herbs, and vegetables.”

The garden’s Facebook page lists contact information and those interested in joining can email [email protected]   

Dave Lutz, gardener

Dave Lutz is another prominent local garden keeper.

“A garden was being started in the Columbia Street part of Red Hook and since I was the director of an open space organization, it thought I should know more about community gardening,” Lutz said. “I came in and I was absolutely charmed by it. Here’s a group of people starting from a garbage-filled lot making plans to turn it into a community garden. The people felt so empowered by it and they were turning it into this little piece of paradise. That was what got me started.

For the Summit Street Garden, Lutz and other volunteers cleaned up the space. There used to be apartments in the area but they had fallen to the ground so volunteers dug up the bricks from the buildings.

“You look at the Summit Street Garden today and it has beautiful brick walks,” Lutz said.

Lutz gave credit to Claire Merlino, who was “instrumental,” in making the Summit Street Garden and the nearby Amazing Garden what they are today, and helping create a gardening culture in the community.

“One of the changes to a number of the gardens this year is that GreenThumb has provided us with some help doing some tree care,” Lutz said.

“Some of the trees that were loaded with lantern fly were removed and a lot of the trees have been trimmed down a little bit and it also means there will be more light in the garden.”

Lutz also spoke about what makes a community garden unique.

“Gardening is such a solitary activity for most people,” Lutz said. “People go in their garden and get lost in their own thoughts but here in New York City we garden in groups which requires group decisions and group discussions. We have to work together and that’s part of the fun of it.”

Red Hook

While the Red Hook Houses has no community gardens, there is a farm on Wolcott Street and is now run by the Red Hook Initiative, who also runs the Red Hook Farm across from IKEA. Perhaps once the current construction is finished, there can be some gardens created adjacent to other buildings. For examples of NYCHA gardens at other developments, check out this website: https://www.grownyceducation.org/gardensatnycha

GreenThumb community gardens around here

Following is a list of local gardens. Many offer individual plots, Google them for more information. Many have their own Facebook pages.

Urban Meadow 125 Van Brunt St. Open Thursday-Sunday from 6 am to 9 pm in April through October

Amazing Garden 265 Columbia St.

Backyard Garden 69 Hamilton Ave. Open 10 am to 3 pm Saturday & Sunday from April through October

Dolly’s Park 503 President St. Open 8 am to 5 pm every day from April through October.

Garden of Union Annie’s Garden 634 Union St. Open Tuesday 5-7 pm April through October

Gil Hodges Carroll Street Garden 534 Carroll St.

Green Space at President St. 222 5th Ave. Open every day except Saturday from 9 am to 5:30 pm from April through October

GreenSpace Native Plant Community Garden 207 4th Ave.

Human Compass Community Garden 134 Sackett St. Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm from April through October

Lincoln-Berkeley Community Garden 20 Lincoln Pl.

Pirate’s Cove Garden 313 Columbia St. Open Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday from 11 am to 4 pm from April through October

South Brooklyn Children’s Garden 204 Columbia St. Open from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday and 10 am to 2 pm on Wednesday from April through October

Summit Street Community Garden 281 Columbia St. Open Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm from April through October

Urban Meadow, next to Cabrini Park on President and Van Brunt, 917 751-8347

Warren-St.Marks Community Garden 623 Warren St. Open 8:30-9:30 am and 6-7 pm on weekdays, 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday, and 9 am to 6 pm on Sunday from April through October