Totally Enjoyable

by Mary Jasch

The iron gate at W. 149th Street in Harlem beckons the seeker of solitude and quiet. The sign for the sanctum says "Maggie's Garden."

Inside, a woman primps the plants and tidies the beds. She is Maggie Burnett and this is her baby -- this garden that has survived the ages in frumpery and now frippery, freshly decked out in shiny black steel and the prettiest green in town.

But it wasn't always so.

Burnett, who lives across the street, has been caring for this space a long time, even before it was a garden. For quite a few years she tended the abandoned lot, picking up debris, keeping it clean until, eventually, it was put under the care of GreenThumb, a city run Parks Department program.

In 1999 when the attorney general sued the city of New York and many community gardens were put up for auction, New York Restoration Project (NYRP) scoped them out and bought 50 of them, including Maggie's. The neighborhood landkeepers scraped the soil and found asphalt. There were two clumps of grey birch on the lot and a rose bush with one big rose hanging over the fence.

"NYRP's symbol is the rose. It was a sign," says Joseph Pupello, president of NYRP. They heard about Maggie and searched her out where she worked at the laundromat. "It was important for us to meet the people who took care of the place and understand the site in its entirety," he says.

"I was in shock. I couldn't believe it was true," says Burnett, Maggie's Garden manager.

Diane and Clyde Brownstone provided the gift to NYRP for the site's purchase and renovations, with money left to properly maintain it. Garden designer Billie Cohen designed the space, incorporating wooden benches and an arbor, built by NYRP staff and volunteers. But on a day-to-day basis, it's Burnett who mothers the site. "This garden took because we met Maggie," Pupello says. "It's really a blessing for everybody to work with Maggie and it's a great site."

Burnett spends three or four hours a day here and does a little of everything. "I like to come in the morning and water about 6 o'clock," she says. "I make sure it's clean and the right type of people come in. I have help but I'd rather do it myself so I know it's done right. When I come out here I can see what it means. Everybody loves this garden."

Recently, a block party was held in the garden with a seven-piece band and catering. The street was closed and the benches were filled. "There were no fights and when I looked out and saw these kids on bicycles, it was worth every penny. I don't regret anything," she says.

Pupello says "the street is part of New York's cultural life" and by extension, so is the garden. "We're a pedestrian-based city. We have a real street culture," he says.

"It's totally enjoyable," she says.

"Gardens are very important to the health of the community," says Brian Sahd, director of the New York Garden Trust, subsidiary of NYRP and whose mission it is to save as many open spaces as possible. "Sometimes they are the only place kids can play or neighbors can relax in a green space. These are the communities' Central Park."

Burnett opens Maggie's Garden every day with her keys from 4:30 to 6:30pm. "People coming in from work sit and enjoy themselves." NYRP's minimum requirement is five hours a week open to the public. "Maggie is in charge," says Pupello. "She's around. People know where to find her. Other gardens... it depends on the dynamics."

Sahd says that community gardens are cyclical. "Some years they are well-maintained and other years they are weedy lots. We want to break that cycle by inserting an element of accountability." Although the Garden Trust is ultimately accountable and provides insurance and manages all legal aspects, the residents organize and operate the garden best.

"If I make one mistake... that's why I am so particular. I am very careful," says Burnett.

In winter, Burnett must keep the sidewalks clean, pick up litter, and get rid of weeds along the fence. "It ain't easy." But Maggie knows land and plants. She grew up on a farm in South Carolina where her father farmed with a mule. She moved here 15 years ago and joined the block association as a member of GreenThumb.

"Some good things came out of it. Sometimes we had a good garden and sometimes we didn't. Every time we started to get ahead, they passed away," she says. "They" are the older citizens who are gardeners and volunteers. But the push is on to involve younger adults and children through example and programs.

"It's hard to find people who want to work in the garden. Some older people can't physically do it, but don't want anyone else in," says Pupello. Burnett has a good relationship with the neighbors and can bring in younger people. And she tolerates no alcohol or drugs. "I don't go for that," she says. "The people enjoy it and some read books on Sunday. I just want them to know I'm very careful." She has no favorite plants or spot in the garden, "I love everything they put here. I just love the sight and the scent."

Along the building, purple butterfly bush does its work, Asiatic lilies scent the air, and Spirea, holly and hydrangea add texture. Clematis climbs a pergola with wisteria near an island of English Ivy and lilies. The garden is mostly green ­-- a soothing, cool drink of green in the shade on a hot day. "That's why they take up so much water," says Burnett.

Only a few vegetables grow here now among the finery. Burnett knows not to waste her time. "Those squirrels, they have a big back yard. They ate all the vegetables. They don't send you no warning. They'll come right in and clean you out."

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published March 31, 2004