While strolling around the Emerald Necklace this cozy fall season, many walkers stumble across this hidden Boston gem.

Founded in 1942, the Richard D. Parker Memorial Victory Gardens in Fenway initially supported American citizens during World War II by providing fresh food, while canned goods went to troops to aid the war effort. At the peak of their popularity, about 20 million Victory Gardens spanned across the United States, providing civilians with an estimated 40% of the fresh fruits and vegetables consumed. 

The Fenway garden remains one of only two fully operational victory gardens in the United States still open in the same location since the war. Today, the Fenway Victory Gardens stand as a reminder of community efforts past and present.

The Fenway Victory Gardens — spanning 7.5 acres across the Emerald Necklace, a chain of parks in Boston — is broken up into more than 500 plots available for member use. The plots are tended by more than 475 fellows of the Fenway Garden Society, or FGS. 

Community participation nowadays is required for new members in order to enter the waitlist for plots. In an interview with National Geographic, former President of FGS Mike Mennonno,  said the requirements to become a plot owner have become increasingly stringent as the waitlists have gotten longer. 

Today, FGS members see a waitlist time of about two years, depending on garden turnover. The annual FGS regular membership fee runs for $40 per plot, while seniors get a discount and pay $25 per plot. Though FGS members who don’t own a plot don’t have to pay a yearly membership fee, consistent community participation is required to remain on the plot waitlist.

FGS holds several Community Participation Days every year to maintain membership. Sarah Zettek, a resident of Dorchester, has been working in her garden for over 20 years now. 

“They’ve got a whole list of different things, like trash pick up, compost and work in the Accessible Garden and all sorts of different tasks,” Zettek said, “That’s how you pretty much meet other gardeners. You make friends.” Zettek said the increase in visitors has also helped keep critters away from the gardens, especially squirrels that are attracted to tomato and zucchini plants. 

Ann LaFrance, a resident of Back Bay, has been enjoying her plot for over three years. She noted the serenity of the gardens provide an escape from the busy city. 

“When there’s a nice sunny day, I pop down, pull out my chair, read my book, look out over the flowers and wave to the people as they walk by,” LaFrance said.
”It’s just really beautiful … Here you’ve got the view of the city, you’ve also got the view of all of these beautiful trees that make you feel like you’re kind of in the countryside. It’s kind of a wonderful experience.” 

Most importantly, LaFrance has found a sense of community in the gardens.

“Around us are people from all different cultures and languages,” LaFrance said. “There are so many things that you learn, and you get together with people young and old. Sometimes you have music here, people playing their violins in the middle of the garden. So, it’s just a magical place.” 

Both LaFrance and Zettek said the sense of community isn’t just present among plot neighbors but the community as a whole. Many FGS members participate in a variety of festivals and feasts, including September’s FensFest.

FensFest is open to all Bostonians who want to enjoy the bounty of the gardens. But the September harvest is just the tip of the iceberg. FGS holds a variety of “open garden days” throughout the year, featuring garden tours by members on their plots. 

Zettek noted her garden neighbors provided tomatoes to her at FensFest after a particularly low-yielding year on her patch. Though there is no American war effort to support today, about 25% of the plots continue to grow vegetables, including popular crops like tomatoes and salad greens. Gardeners are encouraged to plant local varieties and avoid invasive species in order to preserve the Victory Gardens’ unique microclimate. 

Between the busy hands in the garden beds and the curious visitors walking the acre paths, the Fenway Victory Gardens continue to provide a relaxing space away for all those who visit.

Even non-members find respite in the garden’s charm. Ziyi Zhu, a third-year music therapy major at Berklee College of Music, said the gardens provide an excellent break from her busy college life.

“I find it really interesting how it’s changed into an area of relaxation and zen,” Zhu said. “It’s been very peaceful walking around. Compared with different American cities I have seen, [the gardens] are so full of inclusiveness and diversity. 
It feels like a break from the city in a way, which is nice. It’s a quiet area to relax.” 

Zettek said that though the purpose of the gardens has changed, the community ties that sustain them hasn’t.

 “No matter what disability or age, you can still garden,” she said. “”No matter if people dedicated their gardens to feeding their soldiers, whether they knew somebody, or whether they had a father, a grandfather [in the war], something like that … It all goes back to community, it all clicks.”