CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 55 Road neighborhood. Williams spent the next two years sitting on front porches, map in hand, convincing locals the garden was a vi- able idea. She relied on buy-in from com- munity organizations to push the idea through political channels. "is project was about beautifying a neighborhood and bringing all walks of life together. Every one of the people I sat with had felt something, a need they couldn't put their finger on. I just walked in cold turkey, sat down and told them about the garden," Williams said. ere was a fair amount of push back, but ultimately the garden became a re- ality. Still, Williams sees it as a work in progress. In addition to the almost one hundred plots, the garden is home to a gazebo, a pergola and two tool sheds. Funds to build a tiered-roof pavilion would finish off the plans drawn up by architect Jeff Blake. Williams would also like the gar- den to have a part-time coordinator who could organize events and synchronize efforts. Several of the gardeners, for ex- ample, donate their bounty to local char- ities. It would be great, Williams says, to have these efforts centralized. Potluck dinners and gardening dem- onstrations are an aspect of the garden Williams would like to see grown to expand the sense of community. As she learned in Boston, the power of fresh food and a grill can quickly break down cultural barriers. For Williams, budding friendships have been the garden's biggest payoff. "Without the garden, I never would have met Mitchell [McCoy]. He's a dear friend now and I can rely on him," Wil- liams said. McCoy thinks this year will be the fullest the garden has been, with a good mix of returning plot-holders and brand new gardeners. On any given aernoon, you'll find McCoy walking the grounds, offering help to anyone who needs it or stretched out beside his rows of greens, soaking up the activity of the garden the way his plants take in the sunlight. "You learn from how everybody else does their work," McCoy said. "And any time you add to what you already know, you come out alright." CV The City of Fayetteville wants you to can the waste! With our can do commitment to service, we make curbside pick-up convenient for household waste, yard waste and recyclables. For details, see CityofFayetteville.org/environmental_services/ . You Can Make the Difference To encourage City residents to make recycling second nature, we make curbside recycling easy. Just can all types of recyclables together in your blue cart. For more information, see CityofFayetteville.org/curbside/. When it comes to littering, please Keep it . . . then can it! Make "responsible" trash disposal a habit and help keep our great city clean and beautiful. www.CityofFayetteville.org 433-1FAY (1329)

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