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Ribbons were cut at four New Carrollton parks that have been spruced up through grants that came from the Purple Line. The improved outdoor space includes the installation of a “food forest” at Veterans Park.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are growing there that will be available to the community.
“Grab a bag and fill it up,” New Carrollton Mayor Phelecia Nembhard said.
While it won’t fill in the gap left behind by the closure of a nearby grocery store, it will offer a handful of fresh fruits and veggies to nearby residents.
“We wanted to create the foundation for a food forest, so eventually, the community could take over it, and this could become a collaborative thing for our residents to engage in,” Byron Gwinn, New Carrollton horticulturalist, said.
So far, the city has planted two types of apple trees, a peach tree, a fig tree, pecan tree and pawpaw trees.
The pawpaws and some blackberries could be ready to provide something to eat as early as next year, with the other trees providing fruit further down the line. Lots more is still to be planted in the future.
“We’re going to provide more planters, as well, as this grows, so that the community can grow herbs here,” Gwinn said. “Just want them to be surrounded by edible fruits and herbs and have a space that they can interact with their neighbors and share gardening tips.”
The money provided for these revitalization projects came from the Purple Line’s Beyond the Rails grant.
“It’s open to any business, charities, anybody in the in the neighborhoods that are in or surrounding the Purple Line project,” said Dan Norman, deputy CEO of Purple Line Partners. “We’re really looking for, like sustained, sustainable charities, things that give back, really reach out and improve the communities in the neighborhoods that we’re operating in.”