In A Time Of Uncertainty, Bostonians Embrace Their Community Gardens

In Dorchester, where the clatter of a passing train gives way to the scrape of a rake, the Greenwood Street Community Garden is thriving. It’s one of roughly 175 community gardens scattered like jewels through the city of Boston. And at this time of pandemic and social upheaval, these gardens are being treasured.

On a recent sunny day, retired teacher Barry Lawton separated his corn stalks, while gently singing Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy, Mercy Me.” He catalogued the variety coaxed from his narrow plot.

“I am growing potatoes, red and white melons, cantaloupe, watermelon, five different types of lettuce. Red, yellow and green peppers, corn, as you can see, cucumbers,” Lawton said. “And I’m waiting for the asparagus, the broccoli and the spinach, they just haven’t showed up yet.”

Harkening to the days when people began growing food during World War II, Lawton sees his bounty as a modern day victory garden, in the fight against COVID.

“We’re at war with an invisible virus,” Lawton said, “One of the things that people did while they were at war was have a victory garden to look down the line and know that we are eventually going to get rid of this. We’re eventually going to have a victory.”

Renee Burgess, manager of the Greenwood Street Community Garden, said this year there’s a waiting list for plots.

“The garden is a safe space that we’ve created, just a respite for people to come,” Burgess said. “I definitely think that the pandemic has a lot to do with it. A lot of people are home. They don’t have places that they can go. Here there’s so much space and room, you can social distance and feel still part of community.”

And, Burgess added, people want to supplement their food because the area has little access to fresh produce.

Read the rest of this story at WGBH’s website.