In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, Christine Irizarry, a library associate at Green Hills, took over the Seed Exchange program at Nashville Public Library’s Green Hills Branch. With limited gardening experience but access to the library’s vast resources, Christine got to work. Every day, she hopped on her bike and pedaled to the library, immersing herself in the challenge of bringing the garden to life.
As the garden flourished with plants sourced entirely from the Seed Exchange, Christine saw it as an extension of the library and an opportunity not just to nurture plants but also community connections. By 2021, the garden began attracting daily visitors, allowing Christine to build relationships within the community and draw in new patrons. “The garden is parallel to a library; it’s all about cultivating something,” she reflects.
at the Green Hills Branch
Christine uses the garden as a resource to engage with patrons, regularly guiding visitors to the garden after presentations and providing them with the opportunity to harvest their own produce. One memorable interaction involved a man who brought his mother, who was living with dementia, to the garden. Christine encouraged them to touch and smell the herbs, and while words eluded her, the recognition in the woman’s eyes as she inhaled the familiar scents was unmistakable.
The garden has also become a favorite spot for children and families. Designed to be free of any poisonous or dangerous plants and materials, it provides a safe, hands-on learning environment for children to explore, just steps away from the library shelves.
Over the years, the garden has transformed into a community hub thanks to the Seed Exchange, showcasing how a small project can blossom into a meaningful opportunity for the community, fostering joy and healing in times of uncertainty. Green Hills remains one of the busiest Seed Exchange locations for checkouts and workshop attendance, thanks no doubt to Christine’s energy and enthusiasm.