Garden Shed Journey
We are bringing new life to St Nicholas Miracle Garden in Harlem with a shed rooftop pollinator garden and a powerful mural project. The initiative directly supports the Uptown & Boogie Healthy Project's mission to improve green space, climate resilience, and community pride in Harlem and the Bronx.
We're working with a team of volunteers, architects Jixuan "Leslie" Li and Peggy Xiao, and civic engineer Jude Vallon, who specializes in urban green infrastructure and pollinator habitats. The rooftop will feature native plants like sunflowers, purple coneflowers, and other pollinator-friendly species that support butterflies, bees, and birds. By cooling the area, reducing stormwater runoff, and offering a habitat for pollinators, this project fights the heat island effect and improves environmental health for everyone in the garden.
Community Benefit
Our shed rooftop garden and mural project directly benefits the community by creating a healthier, cooler, and more vibrant space in the heart of Harlem. We increase access to green space and bring people together through hands-on workshops, volunteer opportunities, and public art.
We will plant native species like sunflowers, purple coneflowers, and milkweed. We support local pollinators—bees, butterflies, and birds—that help keep our neighborhood ecosystem thriving. The green roof helps cool the area, reduces flooding from stormwater, and improves air quality, which makes the garden more comfortable and safe for families, children, and volunteers.
This year, college garden interns joined our team for the first time to actively support the garden. They led efforts to manage the greenhouse, helped grow seedlings, and contributed to painting a new mural alongside our existing one. Through this collaboration, we teach sustainability, strengthen community relationships, and show what we can build together when everyone plays a role.
Project Contributors
Shed Mural Project
Garden Render
Our greenhouse design rendering by Design Advocates captures the transition from a conceptual 2D blueprint. This detailed visualization showcases every aspect of the greenhouse, highlighting its innovative features, sustainable elements, and functional layout. The rendering provides a clear and compelling preview of the space, allowing us to envision its future impact on our community and environment.
Build Shed Rooftop Garden
We seek to build a Shed Rooftop Garden to extend the Audubon Mural Project with Baltimore Oriole birds, purple coneflower, and sunflowers, bringing the concept of "life imitating art" to reality. The rooftop garden will reflect the themes depicted in the mural, transforming painted imagery into a living, growing installation. The project will serve as a visual and educational bridge between creativity and sustainability, inviting the community to engage with art and nature in a dynamic, hands-on way.
Example: https://www.greenroofs.com/projects/ancaya-green-roof-garden-shed/
Community Supported Projects
Your support is essential for the success of this initiative. If financial contributions are not possible, we welcome donations of time, skills, equipment, or supplies to help complete these projects. Whether through direct contributions or volunteer efforts, your involvement will significantly impact and help us create a more sustainable and productive greenhouse. Join us in making this vision a reality and promoting a greener future for our community!