Barbara Lester has been gardening for a long time. After moving at age seven from Macon, Georgia to Cream Ridge, New Jersey, Barbara lived with her family in a farmhouse where she helped pick blueberries, potatoes and tomatoes. Years later, after traveling around the world with her military husband, and living for 35 years in Palo Alto, California, Barbara returned to New Jersey in 1989 and started a garden.
In 1990, the land where Barbara had been gardening was converted into a hospital parking lot, so Barbara and her neighbor started looking for a new gardening spot. They found a property at 10 Cole Street, owned by the Trenton Sheet Metal Company, which was being used for dumping.
When the company eagerly granted permission, Barbara and the other gardeners got to work. They cleaned and fenced the area and enhanced the soil with dirt from the construction of the new parking lot. At the beginning, they used oxen to plow the land. Quickly the number of gardeners expanded to 18, and Barbara became the head gardener.
The gardeners grow both flowers and vegetables. Produce that ranges from cabbage, collards and tomatoes to black-eyed peas, watermelon, mustard greens, and okra is shared among the gardeners, senior citizens in the community, and church groups.
The gardeners represent several cultures, and by working together, they learn tolerance and acceptance of each others’ customs. This builds a sense of community and partnership. The garden also beautifies the neighborhood and nurtures a sense of pride, and the presence of gardeners keeps crime down in what would otherwise be a difficult neighborhood.