Community Gardens: Growing, Together

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Saturday, April 09, 2011

Frank Carini, GoLocalProv Contributor

For nearly four decades, Richard Espeut has been so busy owning and operating Frey Florist in the city's Smith Hill district that he hasn't had time to make good use of the land behind his greenhouse.
For close to 15 years, a Laotian family maintained a garden on his property, growing the usual suspects, plus oriental-style vegetables, bok choy and small squashes.

"The whole family would be out there before the growing season started and they'd have the garden ready in one day," an impressed Espeut recalled. "They didn't buy anything. They used scrap wood and branches to support plants. They recycled and reused everything."

Sharing land and resources

He's also had others try their hand at urban farming. Last year, the backyard of the business featured three plots, including one tended to by Providence College graduate and former City Farm apprentice Sean O'Brien. The season's bounty included cabbage, peppers and strawberry berries.

While O'Brien is returning for a second growing season, Espeut and his wife Sharyn O'Leary are looking for a few other urban farmers to make use of their property. The flower business keeps him and his full-time staff of four busy seven days a week, and when he's not working, he's growing vegetables and tending to his home garden.

"There's plenty of room and I would hate to see it go unused," said Espeut, whose home property next door featured 24 tomato plants last season, the fruits of which were often given to neighbors and customers. "We share what we grow."

If you are interested in taking up Espeut on his offer, contact him at 521-3539 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Community Gardens with Open Spaces

If you are interested in working a piece of land closer to you, the following is a list of some of Rhode Island's community gardens that may have space available to growers.
Warren Community Farm & Garden
Learner's Journey Community Garden, 32 Dexter St in Newport
GROWUP Community Garden, 303 Clinton St. in Woonsocket
Good Shepherd Church Community Garden, 490 Broadway in Pawtucket
Roger Williams Park Community Garden, Washington Park/South Elmwood/Reservoir Avenue in Providence. Call 785-9450, ext. 250
Southside Community Land Trust community garden map

Frank Carini is the executive director of ecoRI,org, a nonprofit organization devoted to covering Rhode Island environmental/social justice news.