Community members participate in planting day
Planting day for the Ancestral Roots Community Garden in the Menlo Park Neighborhood of Chattanooga was a phenomenal success. Dozens of community members participated in the planting of fruits and vegetables in this garden at the corner of Shallowford and Gillespie Roads.
Volunteers, including Menlo Park Neighborhood Association President Sean Daniels and 9th District City Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod, helped dig and plant everything from watermelons to Romaine lettuce to muscadine vines. Heirloom irises and other flowers border the garden. And plans to add benches and more walkways are in the works.
RISE Chattanooga sponsors the community garden and was designed by Whole Earth Garden Services and RISE volunteer James McKissic. It is inspired by African-American home and yard gardens of the past.
“This garden is an example of some of the creative solutions to empty lots in Chattanooga,” RISE Director Shane Morrow said. “It’s a source of food and a peaceful place where community members can gather.”
The public is invited to volunteer on an ongoing basis at the garden. Please email info@jazzanooga.org for more information.
