A photographer captures the people behind NYC’s community gardens
Schulman says he has photographed and interviewed over 115 gardeners in more than 25 neighborhoods across the city since 2018.
By Amanda Rozon
Gothamist
Published Sep 4, 2023
Excerpt:
There are more than 550 community gardens across the five boroughs, according to NYC Parks GreenThumb, the agency that runs the city’s community gardens. They serve various purposes, from providing space to grow fresh food to creating community among neighbors.
And a good portion of these spaces are on land that once looked incredibly different from the lush, green plots we see today.
Zachary Schulman, a New York City-based photographer, set out to capture this transformation through his lens. He focuses his work on the volunteer gardeners who saved plots of land from abandonment and built green havens for local community members, many of whom are still volunteering at the gardens today.
Soon, his work will also be displayed inside a Brooklyn garden to help local residents put faces to the people who help keep their gardens vibrant and productive.
The gardeners “feel a deep sense of pride and character that comes through in the photos,” Schulman said. “The community that they build, the history and the legacy of the gardens, and to some extent where they see the gardens going in the future.”
