The Charlottesville and Rivanna garden clubs are joining forces to create a beautiful garden in a desolate and isolated spot. The location is behind a prison fence topped by razor wire on the site of the Blue Ridge Juvenile Detention in Albemarle County. Rivanna member Sally Nelson has been a visitor to this facility for many years, and it was at her insistence that the two clubs visited last October.
The BRJD serves approximately 300 residents per year ranging in age from 10 to 17. Residents come from several counties in central Virginia and their length of stay varies. This 40-bed facility provides educational, mental and medical services and is part of the Charlottesville City School System and the Virginia Department of Corrections. It currently has a small garden with two greenhouses and nine raised beds. The counselor in charge is an accomplished gardener and is eager to expand the garden to teach the residents building and small business skills.
The clubs’ plan is to enlarge this garden from its current size of less than 0.4 acres to 1.5 acres. Heirloom vegetables, fruit trees, berries, native trees and shrubs grown organically will be offered for sale. We will need support from the entire gardening community to make this garden flourish. In addition to raising funds, we will be helping with the design and management of the project, including reaching out to businesses and fellow gardeners to help create a beautiful garden to inspire and engage the young people living there.
