Vandals Can’t Take Garden Members’ Spirit
Recently I did a post on the community gardens of Bed-Stuy, and I mentioned that I really enjoy visiting the Clifton Place Memorial Garden and Park. This garden, located on the corner of Bedford and Clifton Place, is so enjoyable to me because the members there are friendly and the place is beautiful. I held a special place in my heart for this garden because it has a koi pond visible from the sidewalk. As I mentioned before, whenever I walk along Bedford Avenue I make sure to stop and look at the goldfish.
Earlier this week I stopped by to do my routine goldfish gazing and I noticed that the pond was no longer set up and the fish were mostly gone. There was only one koi in the pond and he was gulping for air trying to survive. I thought that the members were probably in the process of moving the pond, and that someone had accidentally forgotten this little fish. I immediately emailed Melvin, who heads up their garden club, and he responded promptly. He told me that they weren’t moving the pond; the pond had been vandalized and the person or persons who did it took the pond filter and all of the goldfish except one. He assured me that they had since taken that one abandoned goldfish out of the pond and moved him (or her) to another location.
I’m well aware that that people engage in senseless, callous acts, but it bothers me immensely that people in the neighborhood would steal fish out of an ornamental pond. For shame.
Despite this week’s unfortunate event, the members of the Clifton Place Garden have continued to make their corner of the neighborhood beautiful. I’m happy to say that they haven’t let this act of vandalism dampen their spirits. In fact, Melvin sent me some of these current pictures of the garden.Â
 
Compare them to the photos I took for the community gardens post a couple of weeks ago at the start of the planting season. The Clifton Place gardeners have seriously green thumbs as well as indomitable spirit!
28 June 2007, 12:35 pm
That is a gorgeous garden!
28 June 2007, 2:48 pm
That stinks! I just wrote it up on my blog. I hope the gardeners report this as a crime. And I hope someone comes forward with information that leads to the return and restoration of what was lost. let me know if I can help.
28 June 2007, 3:59 pm
This is horrible! I certainly hope that those who stole the fish know how to take care of them, at least. Koi are very expensive so maybe that’s why the pond was a target.
28 June 2007, 4:44 pm
How lovely…. what a beautiful garden… a true labor of love.
Glad to hear that the community garden folks aren’t letting the recent vandalism of their Koi pond get them down.
Thanks for sharing the pix!
28 June 2007, 9:58 pm
I am trying to fix up a garden and the neighborhood kids keep urinating on the plants and they don’t seem to grow.
It’s a shame we can’t have nice plants and gardens, but hope this one survives, it’s pretty.
28 June 2007, 10:23 pm
I’m sorry to hear about your garden, but I’m sure that the Clifton Place garden will continue and thrive. Although I didn’t mention this in the post, Melvin told me that the goldfish had been living in that garden pond for three full years without any problems. This was to be their fourth year in the garden.
Xris, I hope that they find the people/kids that did this, but I’m not sure whether a police report was filed or not.
29 June 2007, 12:16 am
I used to leave on Bedford between DeKalb and Willoughby and I remember that Beautiful garden when ever I would take my long strolls from Fulton. It is a shame that there are low class people in the neighborhood that would do something like this! I live in Bed-Stuy and I love it here but to be honest, there are elements (people) in the neighborhood that make me weary. They are just people who want to destroy what is good and beautiful for the neighborhood and lets face it who ever did wanted to get cash for it. shame!!!
29 June 2007, 4:44 am
you don’t know that the people who dd this are neighborhood residents.
29 June 2007, 8:02 am
True, I have no way of knowing whether this was done by a neighborhood resident.