The Garden Of Resilience is the only active community garden within the tri-community of Laurelton, Springfield Gardens and Rosedale. The garden provides free vegetables to all community members. The green space is in partnership with Greenthumb, a division of The Park & Recreation Department. With any green space, maintenance is key to ensure a healthy space for community members. Through Greenthumb the garden received native plants that students from P.S 156 took the time to plant three weeks ago. The more native plants that are placed in the grounds , the better control the green space will have of weeds. Last year when the native plants were placed in the ground, one of the neighbors of the garden decided to spray weedkiller on their side of the gate to kill the sprawling weeds on the fence but directly effected our native plants, killing them. For three weeks in June ,garden members worked to clean up the weeding of the garden to prepare the planting of the native plants. After children planted the native plants, the neighbor told fellow gardeners they would spray weed killer because of the mulch that ended up on their side after the weeding was done. The garden member explained that when they put the weed killer down it killed the native plants and the neighbor denied putting it down last year. The main ingredient in weed killer is glyphosate-based herbicides, and example is Roundup, it can trigger loss of biodiversity, making ecosystems more vulnerable to pollution and climate change.
The neighbor of the garden waited until 4th of July weekend to spray the weed killer thus damaging our native plants and spraying the front of the gardens property line where sunflowers are grown damaging these plants as well.
Garden Of Resilience understands the importance of educating the greater community about the importance of a healthy ecosystem in communities of color. It is critical that we not only concentrate on the outward appearances of our landscapes and but the inner systems of the our environment to help make Southeast Queens more healthy and just. The garden plans to reach out the the local block association to have a scheduled meeting regarding best practices for all with green spaces.
