Emphasizing the 'community' in Highland Community Garden

Julie Heath wants me to get one thing straight when we meet for an interview at the Highland Community Garden off North York Street in west Gastonia.

"This place is more than a garden," she says. "Way much more than a garden. It's about relationships. It's about community. It's about art. It's about pride. It's about being a part of something special."

The morning we meet is absolutely perfect for talking about a community garden — April at its finest with crystal blue skies, a dazzlingly radiant sun, the promise of spring seen in every blooming flower, every greening leaf.

Julie is special projects coordinator with the city's Keep Gastonia Beautiful effort and the Highland Community Garden falls under her responsibilities. The garden has been in place since 2013 but each year it keeps changing and growing.

For 2022, 31 garden beds are in place on the corner lot which offers a commanding view of the Gaston County Jail, Courthouse, and Health and Human Services building to the south.

"This garden is all about partnerships," she continues. "I see it as an opportunity to bring together churches, schools, community organizations. It's a place for environmental education and a place to build friendships."

What sets the physical layout of the garden apart from other community gardens is its incorporation of art and of recycled "objects" into useful items.

Case in point?

An old Gaston Gazette paper box which serves as a handy storage spot for the collection of communal gardening tools.

Julie, who scouts trash bins, roadsides, and the piles at the city curbs during Excess Household Trash Week, says, "When people no longer want an item, we look at it in a creative light. We say, 'How can we use that in the garden as a planter or a piece of art?'''

The raised garden beds are made from discarded boat docks. Old metal bed frames and bicycle wheels have been turned into trellises for climbing plants like green beans, cucumbers, and flowers.

Old glass bottles have been repurposed as bedding borders and visual art. Unwanted wrought-iron lawn furniture is now painted in bright colors, providing an inviting place to sit.

And no, the beds are not numbered "1, 2, 3..." Instead, each of the beds is identified by an old license plate from one of a variety of states.

"Rather than renting beds by number," Julie said, "they can rent the South Carolina bed or the Pennsylvania bed."

The spaces in the community garden are designed for people who either don't have the land for gardening around their homes or who prefer the convenience of raised beds, water, and tools being provided.

The cost of renting a bed starts at $3 per year and goes up, depending on size. Gardeners must provide their own seeds or bedding plants, must water the plants and pull the weeds in their assigned bed, and get to keep whatever they grow.

Julie has so far held five large beds in reserve this year for possible use by churches, schools, or community groups

"We're definitely open to more partnerships as we move forward," she said. "Gaston Early College has provided us with a lot of volunteer labor. We're not exactly sure who else may join us, but we're certainly open."

If you want to know more about the Highland Community Garden or perhaps want to rent a bed for the season, call Julie at 704-869-1047 or email her at julieH@cityofgastonia.com.

Bill Poteat, who loves being outside but not working outside, may be reached at 828-448-0195 or bpoteat@gastongazette.com.