Tucked beside Louis Simone Park in Corona, Queens, the Corona Peach Tree Community Garden is a small but vibrant oasis where neighbors grow food, connect with nature, and build community. This welcoming space features raised planting beds, open sunny areas, composting, and a lively mix of pollinators and local birdlife from house sparrows and starlings to the occasional raptor.

As the site of Project EverGreen’s 10^th community garden renovation project in New York City and the first in Queens, the garden will receive thoughtful improvements that will help it thrive for years to come. Planned enhancements focus on healthier soil, safer and more accessible pathways, refreshed planting areas, and functional community spaces where members can gather, learn, and share harvests.

Previous GreenCare for Communities projects have included Liberty Island (2014), Neighbors of Vega Baja (2017), Clinton Community Garden (2018-19), Jackie Robinson Community Garden (2020), Carolina Community Garden (2020), Wishing Well Community Garden (2021), Bradhurst Garden (2022), Pappa and Momma Jones Historical Garden (2023) and Joe Holzka Community Garden (2024).

hat makes Corona Peach Tree special is the people. Volunteer gardeners welcome visitors, offer tours, and often share fresh produce and honey from the garden’s daily work. It’s a place where families can discover how food is grown, where compost turns scraps into soil, and where urban green space delivers real benefits: cleaner air, cooler temperatures, and a stronger sense of belonging.

Project Scope

Improvements will focus on access, growing capacity, and long-term durability. Crews will install approximately 100 feet of 4-foot-wide pathways in a mix of brick and bluestone (with excavation completed in advance) to create safer, ADA-friendly circulation through the garden. The team will build and fill 15 raised landscape beds to expand food production and improve soil health.

Finally, volunteers will complete plantings of roughly 100 plants prioritizing hardy, pollinator-friendly selections to add seasonal color, habitat, and resilience.

Why Green Spaces Matter in NYC

New York City’s dense neighborhoods need healthy green spaces to balance the built environment. Community gardens like Corona Peach Tree deliver outsized benefits for residents and the city as a whole:

• Cleaner air and cooler blocks: Trees and plants capture pollutants and lower street-level temperatures, reducing urban heat island effects during summer heat waves.
• Stormwater management: Rain gardens, soil, and permeable areas soak up stormwater, helping reduce flooding and easing pressure on the city’s drainage system.
• Public health and wellbeing: Access to nature is linked to lower stress, improved mental health, and more opportunities for everyday physical activity.
• Food access and education: Community plots provide fresh, culturally relevant produce and hands-on learning for youth and adults.
• Biodiversity and pollinators: Native plants and flowering beds support bees, butterflies, and birds – critical for a resilient urban ecosystem.
• Community cohesion and safety: Shared stewardship fosters neighbor-to-neighbor connections, volunteerism, and pride of place, which can positively impact neighborhood safety.
• Climate resilience and equity: Green spaces make neighborhoods more resilient to extreme weather and deliver environmental benefits that support NYC’s broader equity goals.

Get Involved

The garden is powered by volunteers and there’s a role for everyone. Whether you’re new to gardening or a seasoned pro, your time and support help sustain this beautiful neighborhood resource.

Join us as Project EverGreen and community partners work together to nurture the Corona Peach Tree Community Garden, and keep Queens greener, healthier, and more connected.

Project EverGreen’s Impact

Parks, lawns, landscapes and maintained green spaces help to mitigate temperature increases in communities and significantly reduce energy use and cooling costs. Project EverGreen’s GreenCare for Communities initiative has made a significant impact. Since 2008, Project EverGreen and its partners have renovated community parks and public green spaces totaling more than 200 million square feet of living green space.

Through its nationwide base of professional volunteers, Project EverGreen has connected people, plants, and their communities to maximize the health of grass, plants, and trees, which in turn sequesters carbon and cleans the air. The initiative supports healthy green spaces in neighborhoods and cities, enabling maintained green spaces to function as the lungs of the city and offsetting the negative effects of a warming environment.