One Yard of Garden

One Yard of Garden is a project organized to convert grass based lawns into environmentally friendly, flowering and edible landscapes one square “yard” at a time. “One Yard of Garden” will provide information to gardeners and others on how to create environmentally friendly backyard (and front yard) environments that abandon traditional “Industrial Lawns,” with their enormous chemical and water dependencies. Gardeners will be: 1) educated on the existence and cultivation of specialty crops in the Washington Metropolitan region, 2) encouraged to use “one square yard” of their yards to plant their own specialty crops, 3) trained how to implement “good gardening and handling practices,” and 4) taught how to prepare nutritional and delicious meals from the crops they harvest. The project will be coordinated by Groundwork Anacostia River (GWARDC). Components of the project will be implemented in association with our community partners, including Healthy Living, Inc. and Healthy Solutions, Inc. The project is designed to not only encourage urban gardening in the District of Columbia, but also to build a deeper sense of community among neighbors, and cultivate stewardship and a sense of ownership in the environment.

The One Yard of Garden project is a three-year project funded by the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program-Farm Bill. In the first year, a minimum of eight gardens will be created in communities east of the Anacostia River. Outreach for participants included residents, community groups, garden clubs, and schools. Applicants are required to attend the ROOTING DC 2010 forum for urban gardeners and people interested in learning more about small-scale food production and preparation. Applications will not be accepted prior to this forum. Applicants will be required to complete a pre-project and post-project evaluation, participate in four garden season workshops and volunteer eight hours supporting our demonstration garden or a fellow participating gardener’s garden.

GWARDC will provide tools, materials and management expertise for this project.

Each participant will be required to:

  • Attend the Rooting DC gardening forum
  • Complete a Groundwork Garden application and pre-evaluation
  • Schedule a site visit to survey for garden plot
  • Attend the garden orientation meeting
  • Sign-up for cooking classes
  • Sign-up for garden workshops
  • Volunteer at least 8 hours to support the garden project
  • Participate in the end of season closing activity
  • Complete a post-evaluation

Visit the following websites for more information:

Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

University of the District of Columbia Cooperative Extension