GMG's Friday Find: Welcome to the Garden of Nash

There has been some chatter over the years about Gen Y's not picking up the mantle when it comes to gardening.  I beg to differ.

In Jamaica Plain, not far from downtown Boston, there is a renaissance happening, where cultures meld and mix, just like the landscape.  On a busy street where homes and businesses coincide, a little postage stamp backyard has been transformed from a weed patch to a sustainable oasis.  

Welcome to the Garden of Nash.

Nash is 23 and knows a thing or two about sustainable living.  Although his family were not gardeners, fresh fruits and veggies were readily available in his hometown of Miami.  When he moved to Boston he wanted the accessibility and affordability of fresh produce, so he did his research.  With the help of his fellow apartment dwellers, he brought his vision into fruition.

First he cleared the little plot, leaving some of the weeds because “they’re pretty and add texture” to the space. Knotweed can also be eaten when the rhubarb runs out. 

They made a picnic table out of pallets, leaving natural moss on the underside of the table.  The chairs will be be hand painted by people from each apartment, expressing the individual artistic designs of the residents.

Nash even added a  pond with water lilies and a small filter fountain.  Koi fish will be added shortly.

A heartshape firepit was made with a nice size log for seating.  A hammock was hung for the occasional afternoon snooze. Sweet planters accent the yard with repurposing always in mind.

Nash made, so far, 3 raised bed gardens where the lettuces and other spring veggies are flourishing. Tomato plants are growing and many little seedlings came in with the compost soil which they’re saving and replanting. They have many garden containers as well, some with flowers, others with veggies.

 

They installed a solar panel!  It connects to the second floor apartment where music can be piped from, as well as solar powered lights strung high for ambient lighting at night.

A large water basin collects water from the winter snow, which in Boston is plentiful, and now it's providing water for the gardens and containers.

A community compost bin continues to be a source of nutrient rich soil.  Bagged up leaves are scooped up from curbside and used for brown matter in the compost.  The worms love their bin and help circulate and aerate the super fertile soil.

Vertical gardening is also shaping up in the garden of  Nash.  After covering pallets with burlap and filling with soil, strawberries and herbs will spill over for handy picking.  Succession planting is planned, and melons are starting their journey with vines along the garden boundary.

Nash and his friends came together for designing and digging, planting and participating in the fulfillment gardening brings...the fruits of their labor will be enjoyed throughout the summer, and probably well into their future gardening years.

We’ll visit the garden of Nash later in the season to see how it’s thriving..  The GenY’s are not only picking up the torch when it comes to sustainability, they are running with it.  

Happy DIY gardening!

~Peggy

Garden Media Group