Riverside-Inwood and Schervier Gardens celebrate community and healing through nature

I’ve had people who have gone through bad times in their life say that to come to the garden helped them a lot.”

Barbara Tell Denson

The Riverside-Inwood Neighborhood Garden, or RING, marked its 40th anniversary last week with a celebration that included a classical Indian dance performance and newly hatched butterflies, drawing a crowd of devoted members and visitors.

Longtime member Arthur Sherry, responsible for the garden’s koi pond, described RING as a canopied sanctuary amidst the city’s noise.

“Even if it doesn’t block out all the sound,” he said, “it blocks out your mind under the sound.”

Sen. Robert Jackson, who has supported RING since joining the City Council in 2000, praised its role in the community.

“This is a space where you can sit and read, you can see your neighbors, you can participate in keeping [the garden] the way it is,” Jackson said. “This is truly a gem in a community where you’re in the middle of everything.” 

Recently, Bobby Velonis has added to the garden’s charm by raising and releasing butterflies from eggs collected around the city. So far, he has released at least 15 to 20, with more expected to hatch soon.

Across town, Riverdale’s Schervier Community Garden has become a haven for horticultural therapy, as coordinated by Barbara Tell Denson.

Denson, who has a certificate from the New York Botanical Garden, has long used gardening to foster healing and connection. Horticultural therapy, which dates back to World War II, involves using plants as a therapeutic tool to aid cognitive, emotional and social well-being.

At Schervier Garden, which is reserved for ages 55 and older, Denson has witnessed how gardening can become a vital part of member’s routines.

“It’s a nice way to meet people and socialize,” she said, noting it’s especially beneficial for those who are more isolated but enjoy being outdoors and growing vegetables.

“I’ve had people who have gone through bad times in their life say that to come to the garden helped them a lot, physically and psychologically,” Denson said, “because it gave them a place to be, a sense of normalcy, a community.”

Horticultural therapy often involves using plants to spark memories and conversation. When Denson worked with Alzheimer’s patients, allowing them to touch and talk about plants would often help bring back memories.

“And touching the dirt gives you a sense of euphoria; it just physically has those properties.” she said.

This spring, the garden expanded to add a sensory garden open to the public, offering interaction with herbs and plants. This area serves not only the nursing home residents but also children at the nearby Renanim Preschool, whose cognitive and emotional development can benefit greatly from engaging firsthand with the natural world. 

In addition to its therapeutic advantages, the garden at Schervier is entirely organic, with 32 spots available for members to plant whatever they like, from crops to vegetables to flowers. It has also become a rare commons for intergenerational stewardship of the environment. High school students from Ellis Academy volunteer weekly as interns, while students with cognitive disabilities from McSweeney School, who have their own designated
spot, gain hands-on experience learning about gardening and helping with maintenance.

Most recently the garden, a key site along the Pollinator Pathway, has taken initiative to protect pollinators. Over the past few years, hundreds of pollinator plants have been added to the garden to promote biodiversity and conservation efforts.