By Beth Harris
In the fall of 2016, Hurricane Matthew brought down a large tree in front of West Raleigh Presbyterian Church. This is how we learned that the overgrown lot where the tree once stood actually belonged to the church and had sat vacant for more than 30 years. The lot was originally purchased with plans of creating another parking lot, a plan prevented by circumstance. In the meantime, a quarter-acre urban lot, just two blocks from North Carolina State University, had become an overgrown eyesore.
As a gardener and beekeeper, I saw the opportunity to create something useful to the church and community on the land while modeling environmentally responsible gardening. In true Presbyterian fashion, I gathered some like-minded folks, and we formed a committee.
We contacted local extension agents, who analyzed the amount of sunlight the lot received and discovered that because of the large trees and tall neighboring houses, a vegetable garden wasn’t possible. However, we knew there were other options, and the Beeloved Community Garden was created. The mission of the garden is to bring neighbors together with God, creation, and each other. The name is inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s vision of a world where love will transform, redeem, and bring people together in a new way.
This project started with a small question: Why aren’t we doing anything with that vacant lot? A very small group of dedicated souls saw the promise and slowly started to draw others in. As the lot was cleared and its potential revealed, more people began to see the possibilities—picnic tables in the shade; a meditation labyrinth; a free little library; space for the feeding ministry, campus ministry, and the arts ministry. The inspiration built slowly, and as the vision becomes a reality, we are continually inspired to expand the vision.
We began at the bottom by bringing in soil and amendments and worked our way up with a lot of help. A church member who works as a professional gardener assisted with planning and layout. We sought guidance on native plants for pollinators from local extension agents, and the Simple Gifts Garden in Apex donated our first plants. Eagle Scout projects provided benches and a gravel pathway. A rental house next to the garden agreed to let us connect rain barrels for watering. Another church member created labels for all the plants (86 different species and counting!).
At every challenge, the church and community came through with a solution, not to mention the people power for moving a LOT of garden soil. Students from a nearby fraternity house worked alongside church members, local high school students, and neighbors. Grants, donations, and ingenuity funded the soil and plants needed to create the garden with a focus on native plants for pollinators, rain barrels for watering, compost bins, and chemical-free maintenance.
Progress was steady until March 2020, when the pandemic brought it all to a halt. This past year, as we learned how to work together safely outdoors during a pandemic, we made surprising growth.
With the garden established, we are addressing the mission of bringing people together. The latest partnership is with Apiopolis, a nonprofit that rescues honey bees, which is hosting a hive in the garden for the Student Veterans Association to use to address anxiety and PTSD. Plans are being developed to extend the reach of the garden by educating volunteers and neighbors about native plants, composting, and regenerative gardening.
Just last month, a member of the church’s youth group created a solar-powered cell phone charger he wants to place at the garden so those experiencing homelessness can stay connected. The garden committee is exploring ways to expand our compost bins to accommodate food waste from our neighbors.
The garden was even recognized as a runner-up in the Sacred Grounds category of Interfaith Power & Light’s Cool Congregations Challenge. We continue to be inspired by how this garden finds new ways to bring neighbors together with God, creation, and each other.
Please follow the garden on Instagram @beelovedgarden and online at http://westraleighpres.org/mission-ministry/beeloved-community-garden
