The Worcester Street garden received a grant in 2009 to improve the garden layout, remediate the tainted soil on-site (tainted from contaminated railroad ties bordering the 110 gardens and which have been removed from the garden), install new bordering materials and create a handicapped accessible path to the tool shed and compost area.
Worcester Street Community Garden
Our Purpose
To provide a source of nutritious food, community connection, and a rewarding personal experience. This garden in Boston's South End is a collective effort of over 130 gardeners with deep roots. Some of our members have had plots in their family for generations.We aim to create a vibrant community space in the heart of Boston that gives people the chance to meet their neighbors, engage in a community, and enjoy gardening and the fruits of their labors. There are not a lot of open and welcoming spaces that allow for a sense of community, and we hope to provide an environment that allows these communal relationships to flourish and for people to engage in their hobby of gardening in a city that does not have a lot of space for residents to do so.WSCG wants to be a sanctuary for all. The garden is located near a long row of low income housing through the Boston housing authority. We offer a low-income rate of just $20 per year for members that have fallen upon hard times. 25% of our membership is over the age 65, 20% of our membership is on low-income, and our overall population is very diverse. We have no paid staff and are 100% volunteer run. We receive no other money from any source other than member dues. In fact, the city excludes community gardens from curbside trash pickup, so our gardeners have to haul their own yard waste home themselves or we have to try and find someone to come pick it up.