Shade Garden at DeWitt Clinton Park

The location of my garden within Dewitt Clinton Park used to be a dumping area for leaves and garbage. Over a hundred bags of this were removed by me with the occasional aid of several homeless people. So many people came out of their way to thank me for what I was doing even before a single plant was planted. They just appreciated seeing some improvement to their environment. They still do. Many of these people are workers that live elsewhere, some are locals. There are also several other volunteers and together we lighten the work load for understaffed employees by taking care of our areas.

I started this project several years ago and there has already been a beautiful and much appreciated transformation. Some of the cost has come out of my pocket because the resources provided by the Parks Department are limited. I would like to continue maintaining this garden and would need more supplies for this spring such as good quality mulch, fencing material and possibly more plants to replace occasional losses. I would also like to get professional assistance in dealing with the rat population.

Besides creating an aesthetically pleasing environment in Hell's Kitchen, it is also a means of assisting understaffed park employees with maintenance.