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Somerville:

West Branch Library
The plants from the Fruition Project at the West Branch Library in Somerville are now maintained by the Somerville Garden Club and are thriving. The fences around gardens in front of the library are covered in raspberries, grapes, and blueberries, all of which bear plentifully and are easily accessible along the sidewalk.

Location: 40 College Ave.

Plants: Raspberries, blueberries, and a grape vine.

Accessibility: Within a fenced in area in front of library, but all plants are along a fence that borders the sidewalk.

Bailey Park
EarthWorks planted four grape vines in this park in 1992. We added two plum trees from another site in 1996. All six plants are easy to get to and doing quite well, although neither the grapes nor the plums here are bearing heavily.

Location: On Belmont St. just north of Summer St.

Plants: Two Toka plums, four grape vines.

Accessibility: Publicly accessible.

Kenny Park
EarthWorks planted four grape vines at Kenny Park in 1992. A fifth was added from another site a few years later, but several died leaving the two that are still there today.

Location: On Grove St. between Elm St. and Highland Ave.

Plants: Two grape vines.

Accessibility: Publicly accessible.

Osgood Street Garden
The grapes growing along the outside of the fence of the Osgood Street Community Garden have been there since 1993. This is one of several sites maintained by the Somerville Conservation Commission.

Location: On Osgood St. at the end of Granite St. off of Somerville Ave.

Plants: Grape vine.

Accessibility: Accessible.

Walnut Street Community Garden
Another site maintained by the Somerville Conservation Commission. There are grapes planted by EarthWorks growing on a trellis at the gate to the community garden. The garden proper is usually locked, but the grapes grow over the fence by the entrance.

Location: On Walnut St. just north of Bow St.

Plants: Two grape vines.

Accessibility: Locked.

Community Growing Center
From 1994 to 2000 a corner of the Somerville Community Growing Center was used as a second EarthWorks nursery (a northern counterpart to our nursery and orchard on Oakdale St. in Jamaica Plain). From 1998 to 2000 many of the nursery trees at the Growing Center were either planted elsewhere or became established at the center. Now what once was a nursery for young plants is a small orchard of mature apples, Nan-king cherries, peaches, apricots, pears, grapes, serviceberries, raspberries, and hazelnuts. The Growing Center also hosts numerous workshops on topics ranging from horticulture and gardening to art.

Location: 22 Vinal Ave.

Plants: Plot: Four peaches, two Nan-king cherries, a Sour cherry, three apricots, a pear, three juneberries, two hazels, a black walnut, mulberries, gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, and kiwis. Rest of growing center: Two grape vines, two serviceberries, two tree hazels, two apples, a pear, a peach, a filazel, and a filbert bush.

Accessibility: Locked, but open for events and accessible. Contact info@thegrowingcenter.org.

Florence Street lot
The lot on Florence Street is now private, but the grapes planted by EarthWorks remain. There is also a very tall old pear tree that was never pruned to bear fruit. We don’t encourage the gathering of fruit from this lot since it is privately owned.

Location: On Florence St. between Perkins St. and Pearl St.

Plants: One pear a grape vine.

Accessibility: Private lot.

Avon Street Community Garden
This community garden was planted with grapes, blueberries, and a peach tree by EarthWorks in 1995. While the garden is very well tended by gardeners within the local community, sadly, the only remaining EarthWorks planting are the grapes on a trellis near the back of the garden.

Location: On Avon St. between School St. and Central St.

Plants: Grape vine.

Accessibility: Accessible.

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