Dr. Johnson & the MLK Community Garden

The MLK Community Garden, in existence since 1981 in North Avondale, is currently undergoing a makeover. Managed for many years by Dr. A. H. Johnson, this tireless North Avondale resident is ready to turn the reins of the garden over to a new generation of neighborhood residents. But first she was determined to restore it to some of its former glory.

Concerned about the dwindling number of gardeners growing there, Dr. Johnson reached out in 2022 to see if CGC could help. We saw that the garden needed a lot of hands-on work: weeding inside and outside of the garden beds, some ground cover to suppress weeds, reconstruction of some of the garden beds, invasive plant removal, and completion of a seed starting effort.

Through our network of volunteers and in collaboration with Cincinnati Parks, and with the help of some Givaudan volunteers, we were able to conduct a very productive workday. Cincinnati Parks provided several tons of wood chips and UCHealth donated several truckloads of cardboard to help suppress the weeds. After the weeds were successfully removed, volunteers were able to sow their first seeds. They planted cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, melons, and peppers. 

But without enough active gardeners, the garden quickly became overrun once again with weeds. So we gathered up our Givaudan volunteers and repeated some of our efforts from the first workday. Only this time the volunteers were able to see, taste, and smell the fresh vegetables growing from the seeds they had sown earlier in the season. Over the winter we moved on to our second plan of action: removal of the invasive foliage along the garden fence which revealed an inviting garden with endless possibilities. 

There is much work still to be done at the MLK garden. Garden beds to be reconstructed, composting efforts need to be shored up, and native plants need to be planted around the garden’s perimeter. But through the greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council, we were able to find a group of local growers from the neighboring Walnut Hills community. Queen Mother’s Market (QMM) has created a regional buyer's club in Walnut Hills that provides access to healthy, affordable foods. They are working toward opening a Black- and women-led co-op grocery store in the neighborhood by 2024. With the help of volunteers, including a new bunch ready to help out from Whole Foods market, this group plans to garden there in 2023. Dr. Johnson is grateful and so are we.