About this Sacred Place
City Blossoms cultivates the well-being of communities through creative programming in kid-driven gardens. The organization originated to address the lack of access to nature experienced by many children in Washington, DC. Since 2008, City Blossoms has designed, developed, collaborated on, and provided programming or trainings for over 100 projects throughout Washington, DC and nationwide. With community input, they build green spaces that are free and safe places for children to explore the outdoors, express themselves, and cultivate their community. Each year, thousands of Black and Latino children and children of immigrant backgrounds, from toddlers through teens, engage as cultivators using their creativity, intellect, and energy to shape their communities through fantastic and functional gardens.
Girard Children’s Community Garden (GCCG) is City Blossoms’ oldest Community Green Space. Built in 2008, this small linear vegetative garden is directly adjacent to the Community Heights playground and community center. The space is split into multiple zones by the array of planting beds located within it, each colorfully labeled with a painted sign. Artwork displays decorate the perimeter of the garden, while a small covered structure near the entrance serves as the hub for programming and the beginnings of group activities. The Nature Sacred Bench was placed immediately outside of the garden space so that visitors to the playground can spend time journaling when GCCG is not open, with an additional Nature Sacred backless bench cozily integrated into the reading nook at the back of the garden under an apple tree. A little free library hosts the garden’s book collection. City Blossoms regularly uses this site for kid-centered programming and has built a core group of kids who come regularly to this space to participate in their events and activities.
