Liz Christy Garden

The Liz Christy Bowery Houston Garden, started in 1973, is the first and oldest community garden in New York City. Located at the corner of the Bowery and Houston Street in Manhattan and running across to 2nd Avenue, it is now a part of New York City Parks Department.[1][2]

Liz Christy Garden
Location
Liz Christy Garden (New York City)
Liz Christy Garden (New York)
Liz Christy Garden (the United States)
TypeCommunity garden
LocationManhattan, New York City
Coordinates40.72403°N 73.99170°W / 40.72403; -73.99170
Created1973
FounderLiz Christy
Websitewww.lizchristygarden.us

History

The Liz Christy Bowery Houston Garden, originally named "Bowery-Houston Community Farm and Garden," was established in 1973 when neighbor Liz Christy successfully petitioned the City of New York for access to make the vacant lot a garden for $1 a month. In 1973, Christy founded urban community garden group, the Green Guerrillas, and in 1974 led the group in cleanup and creation of the garden.[3][4][5][6] The Liz Christy Bowery Houston Garden was the first winner of the American Forestry Association's Urban Forestry Award.[7]

In 1985, the garden was renamed in Christy's honor upon her death due to cancer.[8] In 2002, it became one of the protected community gardens by law. In 2013, it was included in the Bowery Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.[9]

The Garden

The garden feels like a private place despite the din of traffic with a varied terrain and mature trees and shrubs, and is maintained by approximately 20 volunteer gardeners. Magnolia and weeping birch trees are among the lush vegetation to be found there. Two ponds support fish and turtles, there is a perennial lotus, a native plant habitat, vegetables, herbs, and many flowering plants.[10][11] The tallest Dawn Redwood tree in the city is located at the garden.[12] The garden is open to the public on Saturday from noon until 4PM, all year, on Sundays from noon until 4 PM, May to October, and Tuesday & Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. until dusk from May until October.[10][11]

Media

The garden is included in many broadcast programs, magazines and papers, it is also featured in the BBC series, "Around the World In 80 Gardens" with Monty Don.[13]

See also

References
  1. "Liz Christy Community Garden | The Cultural Landscape Foundation". tclf.org. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  2. "Find Your Community Garden : NYC Parks GreenThumb". greenthumb.nycgovparks.org. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  3. "Liz Christy Community Garden". tclf.org. The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  4. "Our History | Green Guerillas". Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  5. Donloggins. "Liz Christy Community Garden". Community of Gardens. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  6. "Gardeners Dig and Create". The New York Times. February 24, 1976. p. 39. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  7. "Elizabeth "Liz" Christy | The Cultural Landscape Foundation". tclf.org. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  8. "Time to Plant and Harvest in New York". The New York Times. October 5, 1986. p. 53. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  9. "The Bowery Historic District". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  10. ""Liz Christy Community Garden"". www.lizchristygarden.us. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  11. Lee, Denny (2001-06-10). "East Village – Friends of a Celebrated Garden Don't View a Pathway as Progress". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  12. Times, The New York (2008-02-25). "Answers About Nature in New York". City Room. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  13. "BBC Two - Around the World in 80 Gardens, USA". BBC. Retrieved 2019-04-26.


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