The Renovation of a Garden--or Not! Problem-Solving During Budget Cuts

By: Renée Portanova

Over the past three seasons, we have witnessed the effects of budget cuts within the Department of Corrections, but our programs really started to feel it last season. Our programming relies heavily on the collaboration and availability of Recreational Officers (rec. officers) at the prisons we serve.  They are our escorts when we are facilitating programs, and chaperone participants into the garden while responsibilities are performed  on ‘off-program’ days.  We think of them as colleagues, and the coordination of our programs rely on their involvement.

At the inception of programming in 2013, Bridgewater State Hospital had five rec. officers on duty during our program time.  Officer V. ran programming in collaboration with us, while the remainder managed other daily recreational responsibilities.  With adequate staff coverage, programming went off without a hitch, and participants made it outside several times a week to water, weed and maintain the garden.   

Since then, staff has been reduced to just two rec. officers, causing access to the garden during ‘off-program’ days to be near impossible.  Staff limitations have caused the productivity and aesthetic of the garden and, quite frankly, the morale of the gardeners to suffer. With limited access to the garden, seedlings were swallowed by lambsquarter and ragweed, or weakened by inadequate watering.

In response, The New Garden Society came up with a strategy for minimizing maintenance needs in the garden. The renovation of the garden aimed to reduce weeds, reduce watering needs, and organize the garden, delineating pathways from beds.

We can’t solve the larger issue of reduction in staff, but we have been able to teach and implement known methods for reducing garden maintenance, boosting productivity and spirit.

Our recipe for a lower-maintenance garden:

• Apply wood chips to pathways to reduce sunlight for weed seeds.

• Plant more perennials, especially those resistant to drought.

• Sheet mulch beds rather than disturbing the soil (and weed seed bed).

• Water deeply and less frequently.

• Add organic material (such as compost and leaf mulch) to the soil, helping to retain moisture and build the soil food web.

• Work with maintenance staff to combat weeds in neighboring areas in a timely manner.

Sisters Unchained

By Ayana Aubourg

In July, The New Garden Society had the honor of collaborating with Sisters Unchained, a Boston based collective which supports young women of color with formerly or currently incarcerated parents, through healing and community empowerment initiatives.  This year, as part of their first 6-week summer learning program, TNGS led an Introduction to Gardening workshop, hosted at the Old Oak Dojo.  The session was co-facilitated by Renee Portanova, Hadas Yanay and Sisters Unchained mentors: Ayana and Meron.  Read Ayana's take away from the workshop and about the powerful work of Sisters Unchained.

We always begin our day with morning circle. This is a time to eat breakfast, check in, read an affirmation, and celebrate a women of the day. As a group we made a ritual statement that is recited before we honor and learn about a revolutionary women of color. A typical day in our space usually consists of workshops, collective visioning and art.

Everyday we are excited to be part of Sisters Unchained because we bring our true selves to the space and everyone is so real with one another. 

The past couple of weeks, our sisters have chose to focus on how issues of homelessness and incarceration are intertwined. We have made and passed out free lunches and water for the homeless population at Downtown Crossing with the intent of building stronger communities and listening to peoples stories. We are currently working on a mini poetry book that encompasses the stories we have heard while passing out free food. 

This summer, we have been learning about autonomous communities. STRONG COMMUNITIES. What does this look like? Is this possible? What are the barriers? How can we start working towards our vision? 

Our experience with the New Garden Society aligned perfectly with the questions we've been exploring. Hadas and Reneé led us through a full day of gardening and showed us what it truly means to grow our own food. Our sisters had a lot of burning questions, some hesitation, but all in all, were ready to be hands on and active in the Dojo garden. After the workshop, one of the young women explained how inspired she was to help her mother garden. Another sister expressed her interest for volunteering with the New Garden Society. We appreciate the facilitators for bringing a ton of knowledge, patience, and enthusiasm to our space!! One thing that striked us all is how tiny a cabbage seed is... We were so shocked! PURE MAGIC. The lessons we learn from Mama Earth never cease to amaze us. 

The power of planting seeds, whether in a garden, or in our communities and selves, shows us that transformation IS possible. 

We thank the New Garden Society for their vision and inspiring work. 

A wall is just a wall...

Sisters Unchained! 

Volunteer Spotlight: Sara Riegler

In March 2016,  The New Garden Society welcomed Sara Riegler as a volunteer horticulture educator to share her extensive experience and knowledge in sustainable agriculture with our students. Learn more about what motivates Sara to give time to The New Garden Society.

Why do you give your time to The New Garden Society? How did you get involved?

I got involved with TNGS because I am passionate about agricultural work being used as a tool for both physical and mental healing and wellness, connecting a person to their own body and mind, as well as to their greater community. Working with plants has been such a force for good in my own life and I want to share this work with people who may not otherwise come across it. I am passionate also about the vocational training side of this work, and about providing people with adequate training in horticultural skills to give them the option of working in this field - in the case of the prison population, upon their release.

What do you do as a volunteer with The New Garden Society?

I spend an average of two days per month working with the participants at the Bridgewater State Hospital gardening program. They have quite a large garden, with a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, flowers, and some fruit, and I assist them in tending to it. The garden is lead by the participants, and I am there to answer their questions and guide them in their work if they are uncertain of what to do or how to do it.

What do you look forward to when you volunteer?

I really look forward to relating with the participants. I love to hear their perspective on the garden, the plants, and on life in general. Our life experiences have been so different up until this point, and I so appreciate the ways in which the plants give us common ground -- we can all experience how incredibly delicious a fresh-picked strawberry is! I love seeing how invested they are in the garden and the ways in which it brings them joy, connects them with their pasts, and allows them to be fully present, in the sunshine (or rain...or snow…).

What have you gained from your volunteer experience?

I have gained a new perspective on prison populations and the value of creating and cultivating healthy, life-giving spaces for inmates. I have loved getting to know the inmates and working together to create something beautiful within the prison.