BUFFALO, N.Y. — For almost a decade, Dwight Lowe has found grounding and joy in the garden.
"I developed a love and gardening I can say at least nine years ago, eight,-nine years ago," he said. "I went through a depression period where I lost family members. I lost friends through violence and that's what the organization is about."
He started the non-profit Home Beneath our Feet to share the feeling with others, especially young people.
"Through gardening, I found life lessons through it," he said. "That's what started my curriculum."
This spring, they've been working on a brand new sensory garden on Ellicott Street, across from Health Sciences Charter School.
"When you're dealing with trauma, you can become numb to your feelings," he said. "You can become separated from being centered. That's why we have plants as a healing agent."
It's an answer to the violence that descended on the neighborhood a year ago.
"It was birthed from last year during the massacre," he explained. "We had a community clean up day. Our clean up happened to be on May 14, about a mile away from the Tops there, and as an organization we wanted to respond and use this as a beautification piece."
The garden is wheelchair accessible and inclusive to all ages and ability levels. It's open to anyone to pick something, or plant something new.
"Anything that grows and harvests is there for the taking. First come, first serve." Lowe said. "Pick a pepper. You know even if you see any weeds, pick that. It's yours, come and enjoy it."
There will be a grand opening for the sensory garden on June 17. More information is available on Home Beneath Our Feet's website.