A green surprise above the library
Most people visit Northgate Library to borrow books. But two years ago, the library started something new: a vegetable garden on its flat roof.
The idea came from Lena Novak, one of the librarians. "We had a large, empty roof and lots of visitors who wanted to learn about gardening," she explained. "So we asked for help, and the community answered."
Today, about forty volunteers look after the garden. They are students, retired people and families with small children. They grow tomatoes, beans, salad leaves, herbs and strawberries in large wooden boxes. Last summer, they also put two beehives on the roof, and the bees now help the plants to grow.
Every Saturday morning, the garden is open to the public. Visitors can join a free gardening class or simply sit and enjoy the view. Much of the food goes to a community kitchen nearby, which makes hot meals for people in the area.
The project is not always easy. The roof gets very hot in summer, so volunteers have to water the plants twice a day. "It's hard work," said Kofi Mensah, 68, "but I've made so many new friends here."
Next year, the library plans to build a small greenhouse so the garden can produce food in winter too.