Victory Garden

Victory Tree Garden in the South Chicago neighborhood provides local residents with much-needed green space. Just a street removed from the constant bustle of the dense retail district on Commercial Avenue, Victory Tree Garden is a sudden experience of peace and quiet – a symbol of this active, diverse community’s efforts to make the South Chicago neighborhood inviting and nurturing for local residents. This is especially important for the many families with children who live in the area.

The garden also represents a “victory” by residents over a do-nothing attitude. After sitting vacant and increasingly weed- and trash-filled for years, neighbors on the block gathered to discuss what to do with the empty lot that had become an eyesore, and the unanimous decision was to turn the space into a multi-use community garden.

The three-story building directly to the garden’s south keeps most of the space in shade year-round, so the emphasis is on planting beds of hardy annuals, perennials. Several maturing trees shade benches for those seeking a place to rest and keep cool in the summer. The trees also offer a nurturing environment for raising trees and shrubs. 

You can learn about Victory Tree Garden’s community events and activities online at: www.chicagoneighborhoodsolutions.com/community-garden