Volunteers hard at work along Vermont Avenue; click for more photos.

The middle of Vermont Avenue, NW - from Florida Avenue to S Street - was filled with traffic Saturday morning, April 25, but it wasn't cars that lined the avenue, it was nearly 50 volunteers who part of the Cardozo Shaw Neighborhood Association's (CSNA) annual Vermont Avenue Garden (Work!) Party.

 

Volunteers braved the punishing sun to weed, rake, plant, and mulch this mutlti-block median into a public garden full of flowering trees, roses, day lilies, and ornamental grasses.

“Just a few years ago the Vermont Avenue median was just a solid chunk of concrete,” explained CSNA president Bryan Martin Firvida, “But through the dedication and hard work of our neighbors, the District was convinced that we could turn that concrete into a garden.

DC agreed to remove the concrete, and through the continuing work of volunteers and support of local businesses and neighbors, we have been able to plant and maintain the median, and bring a little more green and natural beauty to our U Street neighborhood.”

While CSNA has been the organizational sponsor of the Vermont Avenue effort, and this year's effort was coordinated by CSNA member Jeffrey Willis, several area businesses have played a critical supporting role.

 

CSNA extends thanks and appreciation to: UrbanLand Company which provided up to $1,000 in support of the project; Ben's Next Door provided breakfast for volunteers; Nightclub 9:30 provided bottled water; and Duffy's Irish Restaurant and Pub, hosted lunch for volunteers upon completion of the day's work; and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) for cones and more cones!

The next time you walk or drive down Vermont Avenue, think of the many CSNA volunteers who have given their time and effort to turn the median strip of this important thoroughfare into a beautiful garden.

 

View more photos from the CSNA Vermont Avenue Garden (Work!) Party: