Author - Suzanne Gooding
Vacant lots are common in cities, especially in today’s economic climate. A building demolished with plans to re-build becomes a lot with overgrown grass, trash and questionable social activities. Neighbors walk past the lot and warn their children to stay out of it. Perhaps the city will maintain the lot, given its deterioration, as the owner waits for the right economic climate or for a potential buyer to relieve their burden. People tend to accept things with time, including overgrown lots, not feeling any personal obligation towards them. We’ve all walked passed these lots and probably picked up our step a bit, being drawn closer to active city life, away from the decay of an empty lot. This scenario, common as it is, did not happen in one neighborhood in Charleston, SC. Four individuals considered a lot in the Elliotborough area of Charleston and saw something in it which proved to be quite unique; they saw promise. They envisioned a public space that would lift their community and tie it together with a common thread, food.
Vacant lots are common in cities, especially in today’s economic climate. A building demolished with plans to re-build becomes a lot with overgrown grass, trash and questionable social activities. Neighbors walk past the lot and warn their children to stay out of it. Perhaps the city will maintain the lot, given its deterioration, as the owner waits for the right economic climate or for a potential buyer to relieve their burden. People tend to accept things with time, including overgrown lots, not feeling any personal obligation towards them. We’ve all walked passed these lots and probably picked up our step a bit, being drawn closer to active city life, away from the decay of an empty lot. This scenario, common as it is, did not happen in one neighborhood in Charleston, SC. Four individuals considered a lot in the Elliotborough area of Charleston and saw something in it which proved to be quite unique; they saw promise. They envisioned a public space that would lift their community and tie it together with a common thread, food.
One of these individuals, I have the honor of knowing personally. Nikki Seibert, a College of Charleston masters graduate, and I worked together, years ago. We spent a summer riding on golf carts at a public garden, teaching young ones the value of wetlands and generally playing outside. Nikki is hardworking, passionate about the environment, extremely intelligent and down-to-earth. She, along with three friends, decided to create a community garden on a vacant lot in a transitioning neighborhood in Charleston, subsequently teaching local residents the value of growing their own food. The neighborhood is vibrant, busy and represents a mix of older, renovated homes and newer infill development.
Photo courtesy of Nikki Seibert
The Bogarden, as it is called, is named after one of its cross streets, Bogard. The owner planned to develop the site, but when the economy didn’t cooperate, the lot sat empty. Grass grew, trash made its home and the lot became a community eyesore. Instead of complaining or accepting the decay, Nikki and her colleagues acted. They used the county’s GIS (Geographic Information System) software to find the owner, contacted him and negotiated a $1 lease in order to create a point of pride for the neighborhood. Walking door-to-door, they gathered the consent of the neighbors in creating the community garden. The lot, which now produces food, acts as a gathering spot and absorbs local art, is fueled by donations and volunteers, watered by rain barrels and serves as a focus, instead of a blemish. Nikki led the effort in volunteer coordination, outreach and grant writing. She’s also on-site regularly planting, weeding and watering the garden. She speaks to everyone who walks by the garden, inviting them to participate or learn about the public space. The reaction in the community has been overwhelmingly positive. Some neighbors help plant, while others have discovered the convenience of growing food close to their homes.
When I visited, a child who had just moved to the neighborhood excitedly helped Nikki weed and plant. His parents looked on and smiled, and I wondered if they ever imagined their son would be provided the opportunity to be an urban farmer. Beyond producing food, this space has become a gathering spot for the community, opening dialogue and creating networks for those who would not normally interact. Donations arrive without warning from the surrounding area. A small boat hull is now a planting container and an old gate painted hot pink allows vines to climb towards the sun.
Photo courtesy of Nikki Seibert
It’s amazing what initiative can do. The power of motivated individuals and creative thinking is too often overlooked when we read about the problems facing our communities and our nation. What do you do when you pass an empty lot? Does your step quicken, or do you stop and think about the potential of the soil, the creativity of your neighbors and the determination of true leadership?
If you think your community could benefit from a community garden, “you must have a strong group of leaders that are committed to seeing it through, support from the adjacent community, experience in working on a zero dollar budget, and the ability to reach out and host a range of volunteers”, Nikki advises.
Visit the virtual Bogarden or visit the physical space if you are in the Charleston area. It’s on the corner of Rutledge and Bogard. The garden relies on volunteers to create and maintain a space that not only produces food, but flourishes with community and art. A short video introduces you to the garden… Watch it here. The Bogarden accepts donations from local farmers, mulch vendors, community members, as well as interested blog readers.
Nikki is the Director of Sustainable Agriculture at Lowcountry Local First, a non-profit whose mission reads “Lowcountry Local First advocates the benefits of a local living economy by strengthening community support for independent locally owned businesses and farmers”. She led the effort for the Bogarden on her own time as a volunteer. She used resources in her community to make it a better place to live. A simple concept, but one that is not easy to implement.
