Whitridge Garden

A small stretch of Greenmount Avenue in the Harwood neighborhood is looking a little greener these days thanks to some dedicated local residents. Residents of the 400 block of Whitridge Ave. gathered last weekend to transform a vacant lot on the corner of Whitridge and Greenmount into a new neighborhood garden. After obtaining a $500 Home Depot gift card as part of the Love Your Block grant,  project leader Amanda Ruthven was able to buy soil, paving stones, and mulch for the lot. Native plants and shrubs were purchased from the Herring Run Nursery, a native plant nursery run by Blue Water Baltimore. On the workday, dozens of neighborhood residents worked the entire day to clean up the lot, dig up the grass, and install the garden. The stars of the workday were the neighborhood kids who helped out all day, and who unanimously agreed that "its fun to play in the dirt." By turning a trash strewn vacant lot into a neighborhood green space, the Whitridge Avenue Community Garden is a testament to how even the smallest projects can have a big impact on a neighborhood.

 before

 

hauling dirt

putting in the plants

 

 

kids helping out

 

after

Community Pumpkin and Cabbage Patch

Carmine Garden

Carmine Garden of Franklintown was recently awarded a Love Your Block grant through Power in Dirt to add community pumpkin and cabbage patches to their wonderful garden. The garden, on the 5100 block of Carmine Avenue, has been growing for years under the faithful guidance of Christina Kirkland.

Pumpkin Patch

 

The pumpkin and cabbage patches will provide food and fun for the neighborhood kids who help out with gardening all year long.

Cabbage Patch

Tree of Life

Minister Lisa Kim has adopted a lot on the bustling corner of North Ave and Collington. 

She has been conducting all her services outside on this lot.

 Additionally,  Minister Kim and Colleen Spriggs hold multiple food and clothing give away days on the space. Many members of the community assist with maintenance such as grass cutting, but they desire more funding to edge the space with roses and/or a fence. Filling in empty tree pits would also give a sense of serenity to the garden. The largest necessity is some form of cover for the approaching winter season.

The Lot.

The community secures these lawn chairs on the space for services.

Minister Kim with members of the Tree of Life ministry.

Meet the Power in Dirt Team- Kristen!

Kristen is a recent graduate of Hood College with degrees in Law & Society and Studio Art. She is excited to get other programs involved with Power in Dirt and hopes to do some work on murals while helping communities turn their neighborhoods into beautiful and safe places to be!

Kristen represents South/SouthWest Baltimore. She works out of Bon Secours at 26 N Fulton Ave and can be reached at kristen@powerindirt.com or 410-362-3185.

Pen Lucy Gets a New Pocket Park!

On Saturday July 28th, residents of the North Baltimore neighborhood of Pen-Lucy came together with volunteers from across Maryland to help transform a vacant lot in their neighborhood. The lot, located at the intersection of Frisby St. and Argonne Drive just east of Greenmount Ave., has been vacant and weed-filled for decades. However, the lot is large, flat, and located on a prominent location right at the entrance to the community. Recognizing this potential, members of the Pen-Lucy Action Network, a neighborhood improvement organization affiliated with the Faith Christian Fellowship, got together to transform the lot into a green space that the entire community could enjoy. Spearheaded by Tim Cannon, PLAN created a proposal to turn the lot into a small neighborhood "pocket park" that would both beautify the neighborhood and create a community space for everyone to enjoy. On Saturday the first step was taken towards this goal, as volunteers cleaned trash and brush from the lot, cut the grass, and started to install a split-rail fence around the property. Another work day is planned for September to continue on the progress that was made in July. While plenty of work remains to be done, the Frisby St. lot already exemplifies the way that hardworking, committed neighbors can help to transform their community.

the lot

volunteers start to clean brush and debris from the back of the lot

 starting to build the fence

 a neighbor and his dog already enjoying the lot

The finished product! Next step, plants, benches, and a walkway!

Meet the Power in Dirt Team -- Ellen!

Ellen Meyer hails from the rough and tumble land of Central NY. She recently graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Environmental Economics. She is enjoying living in Baltimore and can't wait to help turn vacant lots into green spaces!

Ellen represents West/Northwest Baltimore. She works out of Parks and People Foundation at
800 Wyman Park Dr., Suite 010. She can be reached at (410) 929-5605 or ellen@powerindirt.com.

Outdoor Films and Vegetables- Oh my!

Estelle and Tony Goff have recently brought their creativity to Baltimore from Washington DC! Already having landscaping backgrounds, they adopted two city owned vacant lots on Monroe in West Baltimore. The plan is to create a beautiful vegetable garden and to sell some of the produce at The New Fayette Street Deli and Market through the owner, David Brown, giving back to the West Baltimore community.

Great progress has been made so far! A raised bed has been installed and many flowers have been planted at the entrance of the garden. The Goffs are also getting creative and using recycled bricks to create columns at the entrance.

In addition to the garden, the Goffs have partnered with Fayette Street Outreach Organization in order to create an outdoor movie theatre on the lot behind theirs on Vine Street. A large white wall is available that can be used to project films and bring the community together, much like in Little Italy! Their first showing will be on August 7^th, National Night Out, from 5:00pm-midnight.