Lowe's helps Simpsonville garden grow
As Thanksgiving nears, "paying it forward" is a concept many can be thankful for.
And that concept is being seen at the Simpsonville Harmony Garden.
A recent donation from Lowe's has helped make work easier for the volunteers who help the garden grow. The products of their work go on to help families in need, as the produce grown in the garden goes to God's Pantry food bank.
Lowe's of Simpsonville and Lowe's of Woodruff Road have teamed up to help make improvements to the garden, which is owned by the city and is nestled near the gymnasium of the historic old elementary school downtown.
The funds were used to build a shelter with a table and benches to provide shade and an area to sit for those who work on the garden, many of whom are senior citizens. Additionally, the garden beds were raised off the ground to make working in them easier.
Simpsonville Parks and Rec Director Robbie Davis said getting volunteers has been a problem for the past couple of years. He believes the shelter and raised beds will help solve that problem.
"We're hoping this is going to rejuvenate the Harmony Garden, because it's there for a good cause," Davis said. "Anybody from the community can get involved, and that's what we wish will happen."
Davis said the garden has two seasons - spring and fall. Volunteers can come and do work ranging from as simple as watering to weeding. At a given time the garden can feature a variety of items such as lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes and watermelons.
Simpsonville master gardener Louise Barrett, who is in charge of the garden, pushed for the improvements. Barrett is a nursery specialist at Lowe's, where she's spent the last eight years in the Garden Center.
When Davis approached Barrett about taking over the garden two years ago, she jumped at the opportunity.
"It was a chance to help other people ... that don't have a chance to have fresh vegetables," Barrett said. "That's what really touched my heart about the garden. We are providing for people that have children that don't get fresh vegetables."
God's Pantry Developmental Director Wendy Roberts said the one thing her warehouse doesn't get much of is fresh food. That makes her especially appreciative of the efforts of Barrett and others who work at the Harmony Garden.
"When we can get in any kind of fresh food — especially out of the garden, our clients are just so tickled," Roberts said. "It's amazing how much a difference fresh green beans can be over canned green beans."
Roberts said cabbage might be the biggest hit for fresh produce at the 12 pantries God's Pantry serves in the Upstate.
"We are Southerners, so we've got to have our coleslaw," Roberts said.
Each year, the Lowe's Hero Project provides funds to Lowe's stores for donation to their local community. Barrett said Lowe's of Simpsonville manager Kevin Stredny is always eager to give back to the community.
"He's just all about Simpsonville," Barrett said. "It's where his store is and he wants to see the community thrive. ... He really pushed me to (run the Harmony Garden) when I was asked."
Barrett was pleased to get the funding this year for the garden because she said it was in need of improvements. She hopes those improvements will also make the garden more noticeable to passers by as well.
"It was lacking," Barrett said. "It wasn't thriving like I wanted it to.
"There are so many people that are so needy out there."
For more information about the Simpsonville Harmony Garden or to volunteer, contact Barrett at ganci1101@hotmail.com.
•Just down the road from the garden, Lowe's is going to help restore part of the historic Simpsonville City Cemetery thanks to leftover funds from the garden project. Davis said that a new fence will be installed this winter.
"There's three side rock walls at the cemetery, but on the far side near some apartments is an old, dilapidated, chain-link fence," Davis said. "We're going to take that down, clean up that side and construct a new fence.
"That will be a four-foot, black-coated, chain-link fence and it will look nice."