The Berkeley Community Garden in Boston's South End is one of the largest community gardens in the city. Located on East Berkeley Street, between Tremont Street and Shawmut Avenue, has more than 150 plots that were first cultivated in the mid-1970s. In 1992, ownership was transferred from the City to the South End/Lower Roxbury Open Space Land Trust (SELROST), a volunteer-led nonprofit that has raised significant public and private funds for the garden's renovation. The reconstruction of the central path was completed several years ago. Look closely at the water basins and the thresholds leading to side paths to read poetic fragments excerpted from gardeners' conversations. The reconstruction of the Berkeley Street edge, including a fence, a path and irrigation is currently underway.
Today, visitors can expect to see a wide variety of plants and planting styles ranging from Asian to English to kindergarten to South End eccentric. The gardeners speak English and Chinese (Cantonese and some Mandarin), as well as Creole, Spanish and Portuguese. Volunteers translate meetings and all garden documents into Chinese. All gardeners participate in maintaining and managing the garden's public spaces so gardeners, neighbors and tourists alike can enjoy them.
Please visit us at
www.berkeleygardens.org
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