Tag Archives: gardener

Garden Portraits

Roy is one of the most committed stewards of our garden. Every week he spends many volunteer hours keeping the garden open, planting and watering crops, identifying problems and helping less experienced members get started. He is a great resource, chat with him when you see him! One of Roy’s pet peeves is crops rotting on the ground or vine. He has lots of experience and is always willing to help. If you plan to be away you can let him know your harvest schedule and how you want your plot tended to.

Roy with cucumber and very large tomato

It’s not always the amount of produce but the quality time spent outdoors without going far from home that makes community gardens a great experience. Justin is a third-year grower with the garden, having planted sunflowers the past two years. This year his mom and dad started seeds indoors, joined the garden and have their own planting space. They are now harvesting the fruits of their labor and family unity.

Justin enjoys the garden with his family

Star gardeners Sage and Tiana with a tomato picked from our garden today. Thanks to Lydia for sharing these lovely photos. Lydia also invites artists interested in performing or presenting in the garden to reach out to us!

Tiana and Sage with gorgeous August tomato

 

Gardeners win community leadership award

Harlem Children’s Zone honored the Carrie McCracken Community Gardeners with their Community Leadership award, recognizing our Most Improved Garden. TRUCE and other components of the Harlem Children’s Zone program saluted an inspiring group of community organizers, activists and volunteers at a reception in the Rio II Gallery on Friday, September 18th .

Representing the gardeners

Co-contacts representing all of our dedicated gardeners

garden society page

We wished all the gardeners had been invited to the Harlem Children’s Zone awards ceremony, here is the report!

Denise and Steve

Denise and Steve

You usually see us in our work clothes in the garden, but not tonight!

These pens will be useful for planning next season.

HCZ swag

HCZ swag

Watch Steve’s acceptance speech here:

The venue was the stunning Rio II galleries, a penthouse non-profit showcase for emerging Latino and African-American artists. Broadway Housing Corporation lends the space to worthy local organizations for meetings and events.

view of Hudson River and George Washington Bridge

view of Hudson River and George Washington Bridge

Spectacular view from this uptown Riverside Drive address.

parent volunteers

parent volunteers

Nice photography on display.

community leaders improve housing

community leaders improve housing

This was a chance to meet other Harlem’s Children Zone contacts.

Fernando from Community Pride

Fernando from Community Pride

Yvette from TRUCE celebrates with us

Yvette from TRUCE celebrates with us

Swing band at Minton's

Swing band at Minton's where more gardeners gathered later, across Saint Nicholas from the garden

Garden Anniversary…a toast

Steve salutes the Stone Soup crew’s first year in the garden and TRUCE activity on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 4th:

Time spent in the garden; is so transcendental. The rush of Greens and other ” Disney”
colors transporting our Spirits and emotions away from concerns outside the gates.

There is a change in one’s attention to Time; which consumes you. It becomes so easy, and often pleasurable, to forget the life and concerns we have to contend with once we leave the garden’s embrace. But for a time, with each visit; we are able to just Be; another pretty part of Nature: to halt the drives for possession and survival; and be possessed by the wonder and beauty of the natural Order.

We become refreshed for the struggle’s, we each have, to reface. But, better than a drink, or drug, or laughter at some one’s expense: regular doses of the garden; are good for recharging our stressed urban psyches. Only music and artwork rank with garden time for therapeutic value and delight.
… And with any Luck;
our Carrie McCracken TRUCE Garden will. soon, have those elements included.
There is always some new challenge for improvement with gardeing. And, at each juncture; with this garden, someone has stepped forward with the needed knowledge, effort, or contribution. I really Love being part of this ” Stone Soup” crew.

Today marks one year since I received access to the garden; in the form of a key.So; I wanted to send word of my Thankfulness for, and to, those of you who joined with me to become a force for the third resurrection of this community space.

You all, have made my boast about the capacity of this community to come together and better manage this resource; come True. At least, up to this point.
We have climbed a mountain. Now we have to descend into the Valley and possess the Land and its Bounty.
So on this my Garden Anniversary; I gratefully thank you for your past support and ask: As I invited you to be; not just members; but Leaders in this:that you all actively recruit and extend the challenge: to the next wave of community leaders for this effort. We have more to grow!!! We don’t need more passengers on this lifeboat. We need more people who row.

On August 4th there will be ceremonial return of TRUCE to the garden. I hope you come by that day; key in hand, to welcome them and let them meet the people who redeemed their pledge to keep Mrs. McCracken’s garden alive.

Love, Peace, and Justice
Steve