By: Jennifer Gerndt
Wylde Center is announcing the beginning of site improvements at the Mulberry Fields Garden. This project, a component of their 25th Anniversary Capital Campaign, focuses on adding drains and rain gardens to mitigate flooding after heavy rainfall.
Mulberry Fields, located at 1301 Iverson St NE, is a beautiful urban greenspace and unexpected oasis that is protected from development under Georgia Piedmont Land Trust. The variety of plants and trees at the garden provide a natural habitat for many small wildlife including birds, butterflies, and other important pollinators.
If you’ve visited Mulberry Fields after a summer storm, you may know that the slope of the garden creates multiple flood areas that are muddy or not usable. To provide a space that ensures that the community can stay connected to nature, gardening, and the fantastic goats and chickens, a large-scale solution was determined to be the best route. Wylde Center began fundraising for this and the other capital projects more than two years ago, andwe are ready to move from planning to execution.
On February 1, the initial steps were taken to prepare the garden for the impending construction. Garden plot holders and Wylde Center team members removed the garden beds and structures that will interfere with the new plans. Extra care was given to rescue as many plants and planks of wood as possible.
The contractors, Plants Creative Landscapes, are expected to begin adding protective fencing around trees and unaffected garden areas the week of February 3, 2025. The fencing and additional signage will help garden visitors stay safe and be informed about the open and closed areas of the garden. For example, the hobbit house and the chicken and goat areas will still be open to the public. The driveway entrance will also remain open. The public is asked to bemindful of the barriers.
They estimate the project will be complete in six weeks as long as there isn’t any prolonged inclement weather. This timeline aligns the re-opening of the garden with the spring planting season!
The community to send questions to Wylde Center’s executive director, Jennifer Gerndt, at jennifer@wyldecenter.org.
If you would like to contribute to pushing this project over the finish line with new plants and new garden beds, donations are accepted at https://www.wyldecenter.org/25th-anniversary-capital-campaign-2/
~ Jennifer Gerndt is the Executive Director of Wylde Center