'I love creating a garden for my community'

Article excerpt

Etheline Deer has spent years transforming an overlooked corner of Leicester into Belgrave Community Allotment and Garden, where neighbors now grow vegetables, flowers, and friendships on shared plots. What began as her personal mission to green the neighborhood has blossomed into a gathering space where residents from different backgrounds cultivate both food and community. Deer's work tending beds, mentoring new gardeners, and organizing events has earned local recognition, though the real reward, she says, comes from seeing people discover the joy of growing their own food and connecting with each other over the fence.