Melvin Hazen Community Garden (NPS – ROCR)

The Melvin Hazen Community Garden is located on Sedgwick Avenue just west of Connecticut Ave NW in Ward 3 on land belonging to Rock Creek Park.  The garden features 102 plots, each about 200 square feet.  In early 2009, Melvin Hazen gardeners extended their chain link fence to 8′ tall to keep deer out of the garden and were reported to have been very effective. However, a gardener said [in 2009], “rabbits have become the new problem!”

Twice-annual meetings of all gardeners are held, including a picnic and garden cleanup plus elections.  The Board of Directors is elected and includes president, membership coordinator, secretary, and a group the gardeners call “The Weed Police”!  Garden inspections are conducted routinely to make sure gardeners are taking care of their plots.  There is a three strike notice system in place for offenders who let their plots get weedier than acceptable standards, but there are seldom repeat offenders!

There are currently about 125 people (representing a 1-2 year waiting period) on the wait list; please contact Karin Adams (Garden President) or Loretta Castaldi (Secretary/membership) at Melvin.Hazen.Garden@verizon.net for additional information.

You can also visit the garden’s website here!

Photo credit: Xi Wang