Five years ago, the lot at the end of Denise Holloway's street was overgrown and fenced off. Today it is home to twenty raised beds, a pollinator patch, and a Saturday-morning work crew that ranges in age from six to eighty-one.
How it started
"I just asked the city if I could clean it up," Denise laughs. A few neighbors showed up with shovels, a local nursery donated seedlings, and by the end of that first summer the garden had produced more collards and tomatoes than anyone could eat. The extra went to families down the street.
Why it matters
For Denise, the food is only part of the story. The garden has become a gathering place: a spot for kids to learn where their food comes from, for retirees to share what they know, and for neighbors who had lived side by side for years to finally learn each other's names.
What's next
This fall the Collective is building a small greenhouse so the beds can grow year-round. If you want to lend a hand, Saturday work days start at 9am, and Denise promises there is always a job for every skill level.
