Tufts University College of Citizenship & Public Service
Hormel/Mystic River Task Force
City of Medford
UPDATES
Interested owning a plot? We are keeping a waiting list for the 2010 garden season. E-mail the garden coordinator, at jam72584@msm.com, with your name, address and telephone number to be added to the waiting list.
More community gardens you say? Check out potential future community gardens in Medford. Go to the Future Community Gardens page!
See a landscape archiect's rendering of the Mystic Riverbend Garden! Go to the Pictures page!
SPONSORS OF MYSTIC RIVERBEND GARDEN
The Mystic Riverbend Garden was established formerly in May 2003 through the funding and dedication of Tufts University, the Hormel/Mystic River Task Force, and the City of Medford.
In November 2002, the implementation of a community garden in Medford was presented as a community service project to the Citizenship & Public Service (CPS) Scholars program of the University College at Tufts University. The CPS scholars program is a student organization that promotes and encourages active citizenship in the Tufts, local, and global communities. In addiiton to learning leadership and public service skills, scholars are required to design and implement their own community service projects. The Mystic Riverbend Garden is one of dozens of projects that the CPS scholars have undertaken. To faciliate these projects, funds from the University College at Tufts University are available to scholars.
The Univeristy College granted the Medford Garden Committee, a committee formed to implement the community garden and comprised of Medford residents and one Tufts CPS scholar, approximately $9000 to fund the design and implementation of the garden. Key highlights include a homemade tool shed, tools for the garden, compost bins, and a 16' x 14' pergola, the main cosmetic feature of the garden. This pergola was custom made from Trellis Structures, located in Beverly, MA.
If you would like more information about the Citizenship & Public Service Scholars or of the University College, please visit www.uccps.tufts.edu.
The various Trees surrounding the garden as well as the wysteria and grass surrounding the pergola were funded by the Hormel/Mystic River Task Force.
Mayor Michael McGlynn, Head of Medford DPW Paul Gere, and the DPW staff greatly contributed their services towards the garden's construction and support.
INTRODUCTION
Victory Gardens were very popular in the 1940's. Medford and other cities allowed public parkland and vacant lots to be used for family gardens. Some of the larger gardens were located off Grove Street, Riverside avenue and Washington Street according to local history enthusiast Harold George. Victory gardening enabled people to be self-reliant as they worked the soil to raise food for their families, friends, and neighbors. Once again Medford has made public land available for a community garden.
The new community garden in Medford is part of the Mystic Riverbend Park, located off Riverside Avenue. This neighborhood park, developed by the city with federal funding last year as part of the new schools project, is near several schools, federal housing and large apartment complexes. Read more about the park by clicking on the link About Mystic Riverbend Park.
The park has winding walkways, interpretive panels, new plantings and some great views. If you haven't been to this area in awhile, take a walk around the park to find this once stark area is becoming a community resource for a variety of activities beyond field sports. The city has protected the natural resources and planted grasses and bushes that will attract birds.
Riverbend Park is a wonderful place for meeting your neighbors, taking a birding walk and gardening. a fenced section of the park is divided into 37 plots that will be assigned to individuals, families, groups or classrooms wishing to garden according to a lottery system. All Medford residents are welcomed to apply for a community garden plot, but a majority of plots will be reserved for the neighborhood. The annual fee for a garden plot is $20 (with waivers for extreme hardship applicants).
It's a wonderful area for growing with full exposure to the sun, a spigot to provide water and rich topsoil. Planting soil is eighteen inches deep and trucked in from off site. Underneath the soil, there is a fabric membrane and crushed stone for drainage. While the gardens were being constructed an annual rye was planted. This grass grows fast to hold the soil and is later plowed into the soil as a nutrient. Owners of a plot at the Medford Community graden will be provided with tool storage, tools, some seeds, and resources for novice gardeners.
The new gardens are particularly convenient for the neighborhood residents of Rockwell Terrace, Lightguard Drive, Mystic Towers and nearby Medford school students but all Medford residents are welcomed to get involved. Visit the gardens to watch the growth or join the Mystic Riverbend Garden group and help with current projects.
If you wish to be added to the waiting list, please contact the garden coordinator with your name, address and telephone number at da_kelly@comcast.net
