BOYS & GIRLS CLUB GARDEN

When COVID-19 arrived in New Jersey in March 2020, the Boys & Girls Club of Hudson County realized the need to quickly create an outdoor space to host their youth summer programming. After securing a short-term land use agreement with a real estate investment company, the nonprofit partnered with a local landscape architecture firm to provide pro-bono design services transforming their 5,100 sq. ft. vacant lot into a pop up garden in Jersey City’s Powerhouse Arts District. Through this partnership and with help from a community fundraising campaign, The Boys & Girls Club Garden emerged, showcasing how design and investment can rapidly be deployed to solve social challenges and improve lives.

In April 2020, the landscape architects started conceptualizing the garden, focusing on integrating three major design requirements as outlined by the client. These included the creation of raised beds for youth to grow their own fruits and vegetables; planting beds to feature pollinator and native planting palettes; and flexible social-distance friendly seating options around a main open area supporting play and performance. With design intent identified, the landscape architects selected Lafayette Greens (ASLA Honor Award, 2012) in Detroit, MI and PHS Farm for the City in Philadelphia, PA as project precedence to reference in the Boys & Girls Club Garden’s unfolding built form.

Over Spring 2020, the Boys & Girls Club of Hudson County and volunteers installed their new garden following design with guidance from the landscape architects. The built design incorporates (26) 4’x8’ raised beds, generous perimeter pollinator garden beds, and multiple socially-distance-friendly outdoor classroom areas. The garden also features various art installations further transforming the site’s existing concrete backdrop into an uplifting space. A flower mural located in the middle of the garden was laid out and painted by the Boys & Girls Club Summer Camp. Further, raised garden beds were re-imagined as personal canvases for participating youth to paint their own expressions.

One of the biggest design challenges for the landscape architects involved in this project was relinquishing design control of the final built product. By empowering participating youth to make art throughout the garden, authentic expressions emerged reflecting the hopes, fears, joys, and sorrows experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and concurrent fight for racial justice in America. Built by and for the youth, the Boys & Girls Club Garden has succeeded in creating a critical healing space, growing nature, art and hope for a brighter year to come.

Halloween Celebration 2020 at the B+G Pop-Up Garden

Boys & Girls Club Youth learning about veggies in the garden; Spring 2020

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