Older adults have turned the soil. It’s time we give them their flowers.
This project seeks to gather, honor, and amplify the stories and perspectives of older adults who steward New York City’s community gardens. Through garden visits, interviews, direct partnership, and hands-on service, we set out to cultivate existing and blooming intergenerational relationships with local garden stewards.
Our Vision
We envision vibrant NYC communities where older adults are seen, valued, and empowered as leaders and stewards of shared spaces. By honoring older adults’ contributions, amplifying their voices, and investing in their stewardship, we grow and nurture vital neighborly relationships across all ages, cultivating a future where their legacy enriches generations to come.
Their Stories
The Story Stewards Present: What’s Growing at Ujima Generational Garden
“ We come together, we grow. Not just vegetation, but grow in relationships as well. ”
– Mr. Rochelle, age 73
Their Stewardship
In New York City, our Community Gardens are as diverse as our communities. Each with their own rules, routines, and rhythms, gardens provide an abundance of learning opportunities and ways to get involved. But, there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to supporting these vital community hubs. Often, the best way to learn about a garden is to experience it in person. Plan a visit and ask a steward about their story!
Check out these garden profiles for a glimpse into what older adults have created in greenspaces big and small throughout our City. (Or download as a pdf, here.)
Our Call to Action: The Garden Is For Everyone
Step 1: Sow Seeds of Recognition
Every NYC neighborhood benefits from acts of stewardship, both visible and hidden, that older adults devote themselves to.
Take a moment to recognize an older adult in your community today.
Let them know they are seen and appreciated.
Surprise them with a small token of recognition.
Tell them what you notice about their efforts.
Say “thank-you.”
Personal gestures like these are small but bold, and are crucial to shifting societal narratives about aging.
Step 2: Start the Conversation
Show up. Say hello. Ask questions. Be curious.
Then, listen and let the story (and the storyteller) lead you.
We think “Ask Me What I’m Growing” is an excellent conversation-starter, whether taken literally or used to embrace the concept of the proverbial garden…
Step 3. Dig In, Learn, & Return
There’s something powerful in the physicality of planting seeds, pulling weeds and turning soil that reconnects us to nature, and to ourselves.
Older adults often carry deep knowledge passed down through generations, memories tied to crops or traditions. In the garden, those stories bloom, and being there to listen is a seed-saving effort
Growth takes time. One visit is great, but coming back is key. Showing up, ready to spend some time or lend a hand. That’s how trust is built. That’s how gardens and relationships grow.
Our Call to City Agencies
Resources > Regulation
Through storytelling, mentorship, and hands-on engagement, older adults shape public spaces into hubs of connection and wisdom. To protect and preserve these spaces, we must first recognize the skilled leadership that is already in place.
Let’s support those who are already stewarding community spaces across our City’s public realm. They have the expertise and they’re doing the work. What they need most are relationships and resources – not regulation.
- Fund the informal, make room for the messy, and celebrate the unsanctioned third spaces that make our City what it is.
- Think creatively and collaboratively about what support can look like for community gardens and all of our vital shared spaces.
Learn More
- Visit our Seed Vault for more stories, resources, and information about this project.
- Download the Project Pamphlet.
- This story is still being written, and you could be a part of it! Reach out to the project team at storystewards@urbandesignforum.org with questions or to discuss future collaboration.
Acknowledgements
A sincere thank-you to our partners, neighbors, and friends who are the heart of this project: Rochelle Covington, Juliette Davis, Wallace Hargrove, James McCrae, Tony Mendez, William Pape, Zachary Shulman, Ed Wright, and all of the gardeners, volunteers, and lifelong learners at Ujima Generational Garden!
We also wish to acknowledge the support and generosity of the following organizations and the teams who carry out the work of their missions through every season: Center for Justice Innovation, Good Shepherd Services, Prince Joshua Avitto Community Center, Queens Botanical Garden, The High Line, and Urban Design Forum.
Meet the Project Team
Kristen Corey
Allison Currier
Wei Du
Danielle Hendricks
Fatemeh Shirpour
