By Gregory Harris, assistant editor

The project was conceived to beautify a weedy vacant city lot and to be a an attractive gateway and central unifying common area to bring identity to the Olde Towne East neighborhood in the city of York, Pa.

York, Pennsylvania has a long and storied history in the story of the United States of America. York was founded in 1741 and during the Revolutionary War, the town served as the temporary capital of the Continental Congress.

York, located a little more than 100 miles west of Philadelphia ?EUR??,,????'??+ site of the 2008 ASLA Annual Meeting and Expo ?EUR??,,????'??+ is also the site of the Community Peace Garden, planned and installed as a cooperative effort between the YWCA and York?EUR??,,????'???s Habitat for Humanity.

Dan Wise, a landscape architect with the firm Herbert, Rowland and Grubic, Inc., became involved with the Peace Garden project as a result of serving on Habitat for Humanity?EUR??,,????'???s Property and Building Selection Committee.

?EUR??,,????'??The project was conceived to beautify a weedy vacant city lot and to be a an attractive gateway and central unifying common area to bring identity to the Olde Towne East neighborhood in the city of York,?EUR??,,????'?? Wise said.

The garden ?EUR??,,????'??+ one year after completion ?EUR??,,????'??+ features a mix of perennials and a welcome (Bienvinedo) sign.
Photos by Dan Wise

Wise?EUR??,,????'???s donated services included providing sketch plans and assisting with phase I of the garden?EUR??,,????'???s construction. The lot is less than 1/4 acre in size, and Wise said the installation to about two weeks to complete, after about one year of planning. The planning process included several meetings with neighborhood residents to get their input on the features of the garden.

?EUR??,,????'??A sign to identify the neighborhood was among the first installations,?EUR??,,????'?? Wise said. ?EUR??,,????'??Plants, a walk and benches were added to bring beauty to the site and to serve as a means to pass by or sit and enjoy nature and feel at peace.?EUR??,,????'??

Wise noted that specific plants were chosen that symbolize and celebrate peace, unity, and diversity in the neighborhood. More plantings are planned in the future in the beds along the sides of the garden to help define the garden space and add to the lushness of the site.

York’s Habitat for Humanity’s Youth United program ?EUR??,,????'??+ comprised of volunteers between the ages of five and 25 ?EUR??,,????'??+ organized the planting of over 900 perennials and 1500 daffodils, all donated by local businesses. Wise said donations of time by local contractors and additional materials by businesses were made to the project. To further support the project, Herbert, Rowland and Grubic, Inc. purchased a memorial brick on site at the facility.

Youth United Volunteers were instrumental in making the dream of a community garden become a reality. Here, the volunteers are planting a mix of perennials and ornamental grass.

Improvements to the community garden are in the works, including the installation of a four-panel painted mural designed to beautify adjacent building walls. Overall, the project has been deemed a success.

?EUR??,,????'??After the project was completed, neighborhood kids wrote thank you notes to those of us who participated on the project,?EUR??,,????'?? Wise said. ?EUR??,,????'??One note said ?EUR??,,????'??This is my garden and nobody?EUR??,,????'???s going to mess with it,?EUR??,,????'??? which shows the community is taking ownership of the project and respects the project.?EUR??,,????'??

The York County Community Foundation?EUR??,,????'???s YorkScape grant program, the PA Department of Community and Economic Development?EUR??,,????'???s Elm Street Program, Keep PA Beautiful, area churches and schools and individual donors donated funding for the project.