Garden Architecture
The Physical Layout of the Cherry Street Community Garden
The garden can be divided into the following major areas: major and minor entrance points, a triangular flower bed dedicated to the memory of gardeners who have passed; a produce zone with multiple garden beds tended by local gardeners, and the orchard area with cherry, apple and plum trees. Entrances The main entrance to the garden is located on 23rd Street A sign post with "Cherry Street Community Garden" written on it marks the beginning of a long paved walkway. There are 4 more entrance points to the garden. Smaller entrances lead directly into the garden beds located along the northern edge. Boundaries Careful planting marks the edges of the garden. Cherry, plum and apple trees line up along the south and west side, a triangular flower garden marks the northwest corner, and the row of bushes delineates the north edge. Plants and vegetation The garden not only produces plenty of vegetables but also flowers. The flowers bring beauty to the garden and attract pollinator bees. Sandra Webb, one of the gardeners, explained that she plants marigolds along the edge of her garden bed because these beautiful and bright flowers attract bees and their strong fragrance keeps the rabbits and squirrels away. Gardeners call the triangular flower bed at the northwest corner "the memory garden" because this area is dedicated to the memory of gardeners who have passed. There are thirty-six garden beds. These beds are not uniform in height. Their heights are designed to help different age groups bend and to tend the plants. The high ones are for elderly gardeners (around 24”), the mid-height ones are for children (around 18”), and the low ones (around 10”) are for gardeners who can bend easily. There are also a few garden beds that produce food for the community. A bed marked "young farmers" serves as a teaching tool for children who visit the site. The garden also has eight fully grown cherry trees, nine apple trees, and two plum trees. The south side of the garden is more open and houses two walnut trees, two box elder trees, and two green ash trees. This shady and open area is kept for community get togethers and celebration parties. |
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