Last autumn, the community garden—tucked between an elevated highway, industrial buildings, and a six-story apartment building—made its debut. From a tall redbrick hearth, Natalia Méndez, a cofounder of the nearby Oaxacan restaurant lamoradanyc, grilled fresh corn over an open fire and served steaming bowls of refried beans, fresh guacamole, and crispy flautas. Families enjoyed their meals and lounged in hammocks surrounding the outdoor fireplace. Curious visitors roamed the new raised beds, rainwater harvesting and purifying systems, greenhouse, and solar-powered bathroom—features that the garden’s steward (and Méndez’s daughter), Carolina Saavedra, had dreamed of since she began helping rehabilitate the 40-year-old green space in 2019 after it had fallen into disrepair. The project, named H.earth, is a collaboration between La Morada, the Bronx Land Trust, and nonprofit design collective territorialempathy. Together, the women-led team has transformed the garden into what it calls a ...